D&D General "that you can see", "line of sight", glass, mirrors, ~clairvoyance, blindsight, and anything else.

[ad_hoc]

That doesn't play nice with spells like Locate Object, where even though the target is technically "self" there's still some sort of magical effect that pings the object(s), which can be behind all sorts of barriers and obstructions.

To be consistent with the no-barriers rule Locate Object should only find objects you could in theory already see, assuming lighting conditions allowed, and this would render the spell close to useless.

It would be very good to help you find your glasses.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

RAW, you could use a mirror to cast a spell a creature that you can't see directly because there's a Fog Cloud or other obscuration between you.

 

[greg kaye]

On the topic of line of sight and

... a medusa ...

 

[Umbran]

That doesn't play nice with spells like Locate Object, where even though the target is technically "self" there's still some sort of magical effect that pings the object(s), which can be behind all sorts of barriers and obstructions.

With respect, you seem to be impressing something intuited from the real world onto the very much not real-world magic. Why assume Locate Object has radar/sonar-like "pings"?

The rules are about the target. That's all. Indeed, I'd guess this is largely the point of making the target of Locate Object "self" - to get around the normal targeting rules.

 

[Lanefan]

With respect, you seem to be impressing something intuited from the real world onto the very much not real-world magic. Why assume Locate Object has radar/sonar-like "pings"?

The rules are about the target. That's all. Indeed, I'd guess this is largely the point of making the target of Locate Object "self" - to get around the normal targeting rules.

Then how does the magic "find" the object(s) sought?

 

[greg kaye]

Locate object has a duration of concentration and upto ten minutes.
If it doesn't work with pings then there'd be some other effect with a similar result.
However, Locate Object talks of sense as in "You sense the direction to the object’s location, as long as that object is within 1,000 feet of you."
I googled site:https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells "that you can see" OR "line of sight" to indicate spells with descriptions that use these wordings.
For instance, I can see how magic missile might hit a target that was in a travel distance range of the missile even if the target was only seen in something like a reflection.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Core rules:

A Clear Path to the Target​

To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can't be behind total cover.

This is irrespective of the "that you can see" wording in the spell description. Thus, you cannot use a mirror to bounce a spell around a corner. You can see it, but there is no clear path. You can use a mirror to cast a spell at a target that you have a clear path too, but cannot otherwise see, perhaps because of an intervening fog cloud as suggested above.

And is why Locate Object does not target the object - you would need to already have a clear path to it, which would make it a pretty rubbish spell.

 

[greg kaye]

So are people who live in glass houses, immune to spell effects.

 

[Oofta]

That doesn't play nice with spells like Locate Object, where even though the target is technically "self" there's still some sort of magical effect that pings the object(s), which can be behind all sorts of barriers and obstructions.

To be consistent with the no-barriers rule Locate Object should only find objects you could in theory already see, assuming lighting conditions allowed, and this would render the spell close to useless.

So magic has to be logical now?

The target is self, it's giving you an internal compass pointing in a direction. My compass doesn't have to see magnetic north to know which direction to point, it just knows.

Same with teleport or scrying, some spells just override the default assumptions.

 

[greg kaye]

I was prompted to raise this topic when after watching a play stream where one of the characters was glued to the front of a vehicle and, as the character's head then couldn't turn sufficiently, there was no ability to cast healing word on passengers behind.
If a mirror was used to see the passengers, would the "A Clear Path to the Target" requirement be satisfied?