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<blockquote data-quote="TaranTheWanderer" data-source="post: 7957362" data-attributes="member: 15882">It doesn't cause things to glow.&nbsp; It targets the caster, enabling them to see the subtle auras that surround objects and creatures.&nbsp; You, therefore, have to see the object unobstructed to see the aura.&nbsp; The colour of the aura is how you identify what kind of magic it is.&nbsp; I usually hand waive it by saying, &quot;you sense magic in the room.&quot; but leave it to mundane methods to search for an item, if it's not in plain sight.&nbsp; My reasoning is that the caster is used to the 'feel' of whatever magic items are usually around him/her.&nbsp; Just like people get used to their own smell, regardless of how bad it might be. It's the presence of a 'new' energy within 30 feet causes his senses to tingle.&nbsp; And, yes, in a magical tower, the omnipresent feeling of powerful magic might prevent you from noticing more subtle magics...like how a powerful smell can mask more subtle ones.&nbsp; (think skunk) Especially things like artifacts.&nbsp; I might allow a skill check or, just time, to be able to try to tune out the auras that are blocking others.&nbsp; But that's a complication of the scene/game you're running.&nbsp; You're doing an adventure in a magical tower, so there are side-effects that you need to overcome.In any case, I don't like allowing detect magic to be an auto-find spell but I do like giving enough room to allow it to give characters a reason to do a more thorough search.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="TaranTheWanderer, post: 7957362, member: 15882"] It doesn't cause things to glow. It targets the caster, enabling them to see the subtle auras that surround objects and creatures. You, therefore, have to see the object unobstructed to see the aura. The colour of the aura is how you identify what kind of magic it is. I usually hand waive it by saying, "you sense magic in the room." but leave it to mundane methods to search for an item, if it's not in plain sight. My reasoning is that the caster is used to the 'feel' of whatever magic items are usually around him/her. Just like people get used to their own smell, regardless of how bad it might be. It's the presence of a 'new' energy within 30 feet causes his senses to tingle. And, yes, in a magical tower, the omnipresent feeling of powerful magic might prevent you from noticing more subtle magics...like how a powerful smell can mask more subtle ones. (think skunk) Especially things like artifacts. I might allow a skill check or, just time, to be able to try to tune out the auras that are blocking others. But that's a complication of the scene/game you're running. You're doing an adventure in a magical tower, so there are side-effects that you need to overcome. In any case, I don't like allowing detect magic to be an auto-find spell but I do like giving enough room to allow it to give characters a reason to do a more thorough search. [/QUOTE]

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