Detecting Invisibilty

[Lord Vangarel]

Detecting invisible characters or creatures came up in the game last night. Basically one character cast invisibility on himself to hide from an opponent. The opponent stopped moving, Readied an action that if the spellcaster was heard would charge over and attack. The opponent succeeded on the Listen check vs. Move Silently and promptly dashed over and attacked with the normal 50% miss chance. The spellcaster said this was unfair because the opponent did not know the exact location just the general location and therefore was a bit too accurate being able to charge to his exact location. The solution we came up with was that if the Listen check is successful the listener makes a Will saving throw vs. the DC of the spell and if passed can then attack normally otherwise they misjudge the invisible characters location and the attack is way out.

Does anyone use a different or similar system?

 

[Cloudgatherer]

There is already a mechanic in place for this. DMG p. 78, you have to beat the Move Silent check by 20 to know the *exact* location (ie square). Just making the listen check tells you there is something "over there".

 

[nameless]

Also noting that unless the wizard spent his M-E to move silently at reduced speed, the base DC to hear him is 0 +1/10 feet distance. The DM probably didn't hear him well enough, but what's done is done. The Listen at +20 is the correct mechanic for finding invisible characters though.

-nameless

 

[hong]

Also noting that unless the wizard spent his M-E to move silently at reduced speed, the base DC to hear him is 0 +1/10 feet distance. The DM probably didn't hear him well enough, but what's done is done. The Listen at +20 is the correct mechanic for finding invisible characters though.

The base DC is 0 for someone who's talking or fighting (or, presumably, making some other really loud noise). Someone who's simply moving from one point to another would roll a Move Silently check, at -5 for moving at normal speed. This assumes they don't want to be heard; if they want to be heard, all they have to do is yell.