Handling invisible monsters

[Black Knight Irios]

RAW, I don't think you can choose to allow an enemy to move through your space, so the invisible creature blocks movement "an invisible force blocks your way" or something, if you have movement left, continue. If the creature takes an OA, it will have to stealth again (assuming it's still invisible or otherwise has total concealment/superior cover), but I would also say the creature does not have to take the OA. The players know something is there, invisible, but maybe it's an object, not a creature.

That depends on how "fast" one can assign the ally/enemy tag to a creature and reverse that decision.

 

[MarkB]

That depends on how "fast" one can assign the ally/enemy tag to a creature and reverse that decision.

You can't, RAW. Allies are your own team-mates, and enemies are anyone who isn't your team-mate.

 

[deleteme123456]

At best (or worst) I would argue that "ally" is a 2-way street: either of you can decide "you're not my friend anymore" and remove them from your facebook friendsparty, and then by RAW they're your enemy, and to become allies again, they have to agree. Since the enemies on the battlefield aren't going to agree to be your allies, you're stuck with them as enemies.

 

[Ryujin]

Sometimes monsters have the ability to turn invisible (like say the Duergar scouts in Thunderspire Labyrinth). So as a DM you then remove the miniature from the map and remember (or write down) where it is. But what do you do if a player then decides to move and happens to move through or end at a position where the invisible creature is? Do you then stop the player and tell him or her that there is an invisible obstacle there? That seems to be the most sensible solution. I suppose the player can then try to target that tile with an attack (and -5 to the AR I believe).

A related question. What if a ranged attacker targets a visible creature but an invisible creature is between the ranger and the visible creature so in effect the arrow would never arrive at the visible creature. Not sure how to handle this.

Greetings and thanks,

1) I would be more cruel than most, it seems. I would allow the character to move through the square with the invisible opponent, but allow it an attack of opportunity if it wished it. That way it could choose to remain unseen and unfound.

2) I wouldn't have the invisible creature interpose. It doesn't occupy the entire square and isn't directly being targeted.

 

[deleteme123456]

RAW, if you make an attack while hidden, you lose your hidden status. Now as pointed out invisible != hidden (somewhat confusingly) but assuming the invisible creature is hidden, if it takes the OA, it becomes unhidden automatically (unless it has some special ability overriding this, which is possible).

 

[jorrit]

1) I would be more cruel than most, it seems. I would allow the character to move through the square with the invisible opponent, but allow it an attack of opportunity if it wished it. That way it could choose to remain unseen and unfound.

Except that you cannot remain invisible if you attack (under most situations).

2) I wouldn't have the invisible creature interpose. It doesn't occupy the entire square and isn't directly being targeted.

What if the invisible creature is large and the creature you're targeting is small?

Greetings,

 

[Ryujin]

Except that you cannot remain invisible if you attack (under most situations).

Which is why I would give the OPTION of an opportunity attack, rather than make it automatic. Some characters and creatures might consider it worth losing invisibility to make that one attack, especially if there were additional powers attached. Combat advantage certainly would be applied.

What if the invisible creature is large and the creature you're targeting is small?

Greetings,

Unless it's a Gelatinous Cube, I would go with my original statement. Logic =/= Game Mechanics but as I said, the creature doesn't occupy the whole square. It could be assumed that such a creature is paying attention to its environment enough that it would duck

 

[The Red King]

I am running a campaign where a lot of my PC's know the books inside out. We have a inherently good world, and the PC's are evil. I allowed them to pick just about any race, and most of them are human. BUT! I have one who is a pixie. I am having a hard time with the invisibility on this character. He is so impossible to hit. He flies so no tremor sense. Do you have any ideas on ways I can plausibly hit him in combat?

 

[On Puget Sound]

bursts and blasts.

 

[OnlineDM]

I am running a campaign where a lot of my PC's know the books inside out. We have a inherently good world, and the PC's are evil. I allowed them to pick just about any race, and most of them are human. BUT! I have one who is a pixie. I am having a hard time with the invisibility on this character. He is so impossible to hit. He flies so no tremor sense. Do you have any ideas on ways I can plausibly hit him in combat?

First of all, I'm assuming that the pixie in question has some kind of power that lets him become invisible from time to time (pixies aren't inherently invisible or anything like that).

It's important to distinguish between invisible and hidden. Invisible means that no one can see you but everyone knows exactly where you are anyway, because they can hear you. Hidden means that other characters don't know where you are. My description of this is here.

If an invisible creature moves, they can make a Stealth check to try to become hidden (although if they move more than 2 squares, this stealth check carries a -5 penalty - yes, even if they fly). Any creature whose passive perception is lower than the stealth result does not know where the invisible creature is any more - that creature is now hidden.

Creatures can make an active perception check as a minor action to try to find the hidden creature. If they beat the stealth result that was rolled earlier, then they know where the invisible creature it - it's no longer hidden. But it's still invisible.

Attacking an invisible creature with a melee or ranged attack carries a -5 penalty. Attacking an invisible creature with a close or area attack (bursts, blasts, walls) has no penalty whatsoever. Attacking a hidden creature might miss even on a natural 20 if you attacked a square that doesn't actually have the hidden creature in it - you have to guess, and you might guess wrong.