What does Twinned Phantasmal Force actually do? [duplicate]

Question

So what happens here? Clearly Twinned Phantasmal Force can be cast, but what does it do? Does it create one phantasm that both of them can see, or does it create two phantasms, one for each target? I highlighted every instance of "target" in Phantasmal Force's description since my initial reading is that it simply replaces those with "targets", at which point it would create one phantasm. Is this reading correct?

An additional question, if the spell only creates one phantasm, is there any possible phantasm that could e.g. deny both targets vision even if they're further apart? It's not that hard to imagine something like a monster with ranged attacks doing the psychic to both, but the big money option is somehow restricting an opponent's field of vision, and I cannot come up with a single phantasm that would do that to both.

For reference, the spell and the ability in question:

Phantasmal Force

You craft an illusion that takes root in the mind of a creature that you can see within range. The target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, you create a phantasmal object, creature, or other visible phenomenon of your choice that is no larger than a 10-foot cube and that is perceivable only to the target for the duration. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

The phantasm includes sound, temperature, and other stimuli, also evident only to the creature.

The target can use its action to examine the phantasm with an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If the check succeeds, the target realizes that the phantasm is an illusion, and the spell ends.

While a target is affected by the spell, the target treats the phantasm as if it were real. The target rationalizes any illogical outcomes from interacting with the phantasm. For example, a target attempting to walk across a phantasmal bridge that spans a chasm falls once it steps onto the bridge. If the target survives the fall, it still believes that the bridge exists and comes up with some other explanation for its fall; it was pushed, it slipped, or a strong wind might have knocked it off.

An affected target is so convinced of the phantasm’s reality that it can even take damage from the illusion. A phantasm created to appear as a creature can attack the target. Similarly, a phantasm created to appear as fire, a pool of acid, or lava can burn the target Each round on your turn, the phantasm can deal 1d6 psychic damage to the target if it is in the phantasm’s area or within 5 feet of the phantasm, provided that the illusion is of a creature or hazard that could logically deal damage, such as by attacking. The target perceives the damage as a type appropriate to the illusion.

Twinned Spell

When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip).

To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren’t eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.

Answer 1

DM's choice

You can twin phantasmal force, as it is a spell that targets a single creature and does not have a range of self. But what does the twinning actually do when you "target a second creature in range with the same spell"?

The feature does not actually say that, so the hardline reading here means "This is up the DM, the rules do not say what happens".

I think the most straightforward way to resolve this is:

You create two phantasms, one for each target.

If you look at the other examples like ray of frost, or chromatic orb, and if you assume that the targets stand in different spaces, the logical conclusion is that you recreate the effect for each target: each of them gets hit by its own ray of frost or orb. Here, each of them gets hit by its own phantasm.

All the alternatives are problematic. What about other explanations like a shared phantasm? For the spell to work, the phantasm must be able to cause damage to the target, making it belief it is attacking them. If you create the illusion of a wolf, how could the same wolf attack both targets if they stand far apart from each other? Likewise, in the case of the ray, would the ray split? Would it hit first one creature, freezing them, then magically rejuvenate, continue on and hit another? All these complications are unnecessary.