DM's: How do you deal with Improved Invisibility?

[RJSmalls]

The subject line says it all. Ever since the group sorc picked up the 4th level spell Improved Invisibility it's changed the face of every battle we enter. I now find myself looking at what-would-have-been powerful opponents and seeing their lack of any see invisibility capability a game breaker.

I use the suggested rules provided in the FAQ (I think) which basically let you make a spot and/or listen check (DC + 20) to accurately pinpoint an invisible target. Let's face it - if you don't have a supernatural or magical means (tremorsense, blindsight, see invisibility, etc.) you're at a severe disadvantage. Let me repeat the operative words: severe disadvantage.

Again, I don't want to metagame against my party and now have every BBEG have some sort of see invisibility capability. Nor do I want to constantly turn the tables and throw a vast majority of opponents at the party who, in their own right, can go invisible (or fight effectively in darknessI).

So how do you do it? Improved Invis. seems to me much like Haste in that it's a mandatory spell. The DMG has a brief paragraph for DM's when they're creating new spells/classes/items or whatever, and one of the key questions is: "Is this thing so good that everyone will want to have it?"

I think that's clearly the case for Improved Invisibility. I don't really want to debate the power of the spell or whether it should remain 4th level. I just want to know if I can expect to see my PC's (currently average level 9-10) using this for the rest of the adventuring careers.

Thanks,
RJ

 

[Synicism]

Improved Invisibility is a tough one. My GM was playing around with some NPC designs and completely trashed our entire 11th level party (which was pretty seriously powered up) with a single 11th level NPC who happened to be an archer with Imp. Invis., just to prove a point to one of the players (his roommate), who thought we were invincible.

Granted, I place Imp. Invis. up there with Haste and the Harm/Quickened Cause Light Wounds combination, but he had a point.

Honestly, I don't know how to deal with it, except to make provisions for characters to do creative things to get around the invisibility, perhaps by making it rain (ever see that Kevin Bacon movie Hollow Man?), or doing something else so that the character is still invisible, but is having a definite visible effect on the environment.

 

[takyris]

Honestly, it's not that overpowering a spell. There are lots of ways to counter it effectively without being a munchkin.

1) Creatures with Tremorsense, Blindsight, and even Scent. Not every BBEG needs to have these powers himself. He can simply have an Umber Hulk, Grell (um, I'm going by guessing memory here), or even just a plain old dog or wolf companion.

2) Guards and wards. If they're attacking the bad guy in his lair and he's powerful, he'd be silly not to have some defense against this. Personally, if your BBEG is an honorable sort, why not just use Unhallow with the Invisibility Purge spell built into it? That lasts a year and a day, and can be targetted to only affect people who aren't Evil.

3) A potion of See Invisibility ain't that expensive. You don't need True Sight to get past invisbility.

4) Creating darkness is a good way to even the playing field. Again, deeper darkness is not that powerful a spell. If the bad guy's a cleric, he can do it himself. He can even have it prepped -- deeper darkness on rock, rock in pouch, take out rock as necessary.

5) Enforce invisibility rules. Don't let your heroes automatically know where everyone in the party is. The first time a creature with Tremorsense rips through the invisible guy and leaves him at -6 hit points, the party is going to have a FUN FUN FUN time trying to find him. Cure Light Wounds requires a successful touch, and even touch spells carry a 50% miss chance when you aim for an invisible person. When you fire an arrow, the arrow becomes visible once it leaves your bow. When you cast a fireball, everyone gets to see where that fireball came from. Smart bad guys will throw webs, fireballs, and other nastiness into those areas.

6) Glitterdust. Faerie Fire. Area-Effect Dispel Magics. Area-Effect Spells that don't require targetting.

7) Don't make your heroes fight just one guy. They're getting powerful enough now that they can almost always take out one creature on its own, no matter how powerful that creature is. Come up with good GROUPS for your heroes to fight. Each group should have something tanklike, something that relies on spell-like abilities, something that can fly or that has some other improved mobility factor, and something that has ranged power. Monsters have lived their whole lives in a D&D world. They know that Fighters tend to have lousy Will saves, Wizards tend to have lousy Fort saves, and Clerics tend to have lousy Reflex saves. When they get attacked by an invisible monster, they're going to have a plan.

-Tacky

 

[Thresher]

Saved my butt a lot as a wizard over the years and its so low level more or less anyone can have it around.

Glitterdust

Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Creatures and objects within 10-ft. spread
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (blinding only)
Spell Resistance: Yes

A cloud of glittering golden particles covers everyone and everything in the area, blinding creatures and visibly outlining invisible things. Blindness lasts for the duration of the spell. All within the area are covered by the dust, which cannot be removed and continues to sparkle until it fades.

In addition to the obvious effects, a blinded creature suffers a 50% miss chance in combat (all opponents have full concealment), loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, grants a +2 bonus to opponents’ attack rolls (they are effectively invisible), moves at half speed, and suffers a –4 penalty on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skills.

 

[Clefton Twain]

True Strike

Obviously you'll have to guess which square the beasty is but the True Strike spell negates the 50% miss chance entirely.

Area effect spells targeted "somewhere in the vicinity" don't care if the enemy is invisible.

--CT

 

[Pielorinho]

Ever since fourth level, when an assassin with a ring of invisibility laid the smackdown on our party, my druid has kept faerie fire prepared. When an imp inv. opponent enters the area, he readies an action to cast faerie fire in the general vicinity from which an attack occurs. Boy, is that ever fun!

But if you can't detect the invisible opponent, run! Get the heck out of dodge, and wait for the invisibility to wear off.

Daniel

 

[Olive]

i don't think it's metagaming to let a lot of people have prepared for improved invisibility myself.

it's a very powerful spell. therefore, it's likely to be a good choice for it's level, therefore people will prepare to counter it. any wizard who knows the spell and permanency should more or less have it on them at all times. (please don't turn this into a perm. debate).

 

[Sejs]

Standard Adventuring Item #43:

A small sack of flour.

 

[Zappo]

If you don't have access to magical means of countering invisibility, you can always ready actions. If you have a ranged weapon, ready an action: as soon as an arrow or fireball or whatever leaves a spot, shoot that spot. If you use the pinpoint rule, you can effectively use this against a spellcaster by declaring that you will shoot as soon as you can pinpoint a spell being pronounced. You take a 50% miss chance, but at least you can fight back. If you don't have a ranged weapon, remember to get one before the next fight, and meanwhile ready an action: instead of shooting, you do a partial charge and grapple. Not much use being invisible when you're being grappled.

Or, of course, you can run. Improved invisibility doesn't last very long, and even a sorcerer can't keep the whole party constantly improved invisible.

 

[Bagpuss]

3) A potion of See Invisibility ain't that expensive. You don't need True Sight to get past invisbility.
-Tacky

Potions of See Invisible don't exist and can't be created with the Brew Potion Feat.