Can you cast False Aura on something with no aura?

[edk926]

Can you cast False Aura on an Illusion or Creation or whatever else you can think of that has no aura in order to give it a "fake" aura, or does the spell only work to change already existing auras?

[Blind Mapmaker]

False Aura says it "replaces" the aura of the subject which suggests it is not possible, but then it goes on saying you can make a sword or area seem enchanted etc. so it should be possible to add a "living being" aura to a Creation. It seems intended as a versatile, but somewhat costly spell.

For Create Servant it easily doubles the cost and for Create Warrior it's still a hefty investment. Create Animal is more doable in some cases and arguably more effective since the humanoids will be disbelieved once questioned unless you also add Initiative.

So unless you have specific needs in your campaign that make you want to bar it, I'd say you can make costly creations / illusions that are hard to distinguish from the real things. Be aware that False Aura can be seen through with a good enough Aura roll.

[RGTraynor]

I'd say this is more whether it fits with your amour propre than any measure of whether it's RAW or not. Certainly being able to impart a pseudo-aura onto creations/illusions would be a useful addition to False Aura.

My own take is that it'd work with a Created or summoned being, but not on an illusion, since the illusion isn't really there: how would the aura bite on it or move with it, since the falsified aura is an impersonal magical effect without Perception or disbelief rolls?

YMMV, of course.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by RGTraynor

My own take is that it'd work with a Created or summoned being, but not on an illusion, since the illusion isn't really there: how would the aura bite on it or move with it, since the falsified aura is an impersonal magical effect without Perception or disbelief rolls?

I think that's probably the most sensible ruling. Since Simple/Complex/Perfect Illusions AND False Aura are all Area spells, you could certainly impart a False Aura on the area encompassed by an Illusion, but I wouldn't allow it to move around with any illusion *in* the area.

Since the FA spell mentions that it can be cast on an object, that should allow for inanimate objects.

A variant of FA for the College of Illusion and Creation is something I'd let a PC Mage research (or an NPC mage already know).

[RGTraynor]

Hm. I suppose someone VERY familiar with how Auras work could create the effect of one as part of the Illusion itself. Probably would require high levels of both spells, very good rolls, and still not be able to spoof someone who was a good enough Aura reader.

Granted, it depends how complex and comprehensive you feel an Aura is. For my own setting, this'd be one of the circumstances for which I'd tell the casting wizard, "Give me three, and impress the hell out of me."