Detect Magic and Traps

ellestar · Jul 23, 2004

Can detect magic (or arcane sight for that matter) detect magical traps? How do the wizards actually see the auras?

This really makes discovering magical traps (symbols, glyphs etc.) really easy on the players.

Thanee · Jul 23, 2004

Well, they are magical, or not? So detect magic would of course detect them, just like any other spell/magic item/magic aura.

Nystul's magic aura could be used to hide the emanation.

Bye
Thanee

ellestar · Jul 23, 2004

Ok, let me rephrase my question then: Can a wizard with detect magic find magic traps through detect magic? (eg. their exact location; "there's a magical symbol above the doorway") Or do they merely detect the presence of a magical aura in the room (or rather, in the area of effect of the spell)?

If going with the latter option, the possibility is of course there that the wizard will try to pinpoint the location by "scanning" the room (ex. walking closely to the walls, to reduce the area of effect when "scanning" the walls). Perhaps giving them a search check (with reduced DC to find) to find the magical trap would then be in order?

I just think it's too easy that a 0th level spell foils all glyphs, runes, sigils and symbols of various levels. Of course, as you mentioned, Nystul's Magic Aura can help with that, but I still feel it's too easy a solution for those magic traps who aren't protected with that spell.

kolikeos · Jul 23, 2004

how about this: can a 'detect magic' spell reveal the location of an invisible someone?

it is possible to find magic traps with detect magic, or at least know that there is something magical near by (look, there's something magical in that box over there, let's open it... BOOM!

)

Camarath · Jul 23, 2004

Since round 3 gives the caster the location of each aura I would think that that would give away the location of the trap with the magical aura. But Detect magic would not give away what the object that magical aura is coming from is.

Camarath · Jul 23, 2004

kolikeos said:
how about this: can a 'detect magic' spell reveal the location of an invisible someone?

Detect Magic will reveal the location of a functioning Illusion spell such as Invisibility. But the invisible creature would still be invisible and would still have total concealment.

AuraSeer · Jul 23, 2004

ellestar said:
Ok, let me rephrase my question then: Can a wizard with detect magic find magic traps through detect magic? (eg. their exact location; "there's a magical symbol above the doorway") Or do they merely detect the presence of a magical aura in the room (or rather, in the area of effect of the spell)?

After three rounds of concentration on the same area, the wizard knows the location and strength of every magical effect in that particular 60' cone. At that point he can also make his Spellcraft check to determine the school of magic.

A party could theoretically use a permanent detect magic to automatically spot magic traps, but it would be annoying and imperfect. The caster would need to study every chest, doorway, object, room, and 60' section of corridor for 3 rounds before anyone else approached, which would be slow and boring. It'd miss anything protected with magic aura. Most importantly, it would give lots of false positives if there's any other magic operating in the place. (And in a D&D world, almost anywhere that adventurers go is bound to have magic operating.) If my party wasted a dispel every time the wizard sensed magic, they would go through their entire daily spell allotment before lunchtime.

This is no more a problem than if the rogue tried to take 20 to search every square foot of corridor before stepping on it. Sure it's technically possible, but it'll take days for the party to get anything done. By the time they reach dungeon level two, the evil wizard on level five will have completed his dark ritual and taken over the world.

Thanee · Jul 23, 2004

Camarath said:
Since round 3 gives the caster the location of each aura I would think that that would give away the location of the trap with the magical aura. But Detect magic would not give away what the object that magical aura is coming from is.

... or that it actually is a trap. It's just a magic aura. Could be anything!

Bye
Thanee