How to Find an Invisible Character

[Darth Malakh]

Anybody ever thaught about splashing any sort of liquid followed by a few hands of flour throughout an area? A burning subject (e.g. due to generous use of alchemist's fire) under the effect of an Invisibility should also at least be outlined to some degree, reducing miss chances appropriately.

Malakh

 

[kenobi65]

Anybody ever thaught about splashing any sort of liquid followed by a few hands of flour throughout an area? A burning subject (e.g. due to generous use of alchemist's fire) under the effect of an Invisibility should also at least be outlined to some degree, reducing miss chances appropriately.

Sort of a mundane version of the effect of faerie fire or glitterdust. I'd say, if you can get such stuff into the right squares, it should work as you suggest.

 

[The_Universe]

Why not just use a bag of flour (or some other somewhat adherent dusty substance) rip open the bag (or rig it to "pop") and let the dust outline the invisible foe...

 

[TheGogmagog]

Yep, bag of flower right below my iron pot and above my portable battering ram.



(sad thingis my character didn't have the flower)

 

[Ketjak]

A question regarding overrunning invisible folks unintentionally

A player jumped over a pit to pursue an invisible target. The pit was immediately in front of a door, which the jumper intended to move through. The invisible target, as luck would have it, was in the square on the other side of the door: the destination square of the jumper. Seeing a neat opportunity, the invisible target chose not to get out of the way, but not to block actively (as DM I ruled that would cause him to be invisible).

I ruled it an overrun but applied no circumstance bonuses because the target was not being active, just sort of "picking" the jumper. The defender remained invisible and the jumper won the contest, so he didn't take a free step back into the put.

How would you have handled that? Did I handle it well?

 

[Jhulae]

Attacking makes you visible, not defending. If that were the case, someone who was invisible could never use a shield, or even defend with a dexterity bonus, which implies actively moving to avoid being hit.

No, only an actual attack of some kind by the invisible person would ruin the invisibility. Defending from being overrun or bull rushed is not an attack, even if it caused someone to drop into a pit. The fall causes the damage, not the invisible defender.

 

[irdeggman]

Try the Rules of the Game articles at the WotC site.

Skip did a pretty good job (IMO) of putting together various pieces of the rules that don't jump out at you until put together. He also put together some tables to make things easier to adjudicate while pointing out that the RAW don't specifically address all instances.


http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040914a


http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040921a

 

[Diirk]

The problem came up in our game because after all of the grunts were taken out, the BBEG could not get away invisible because the PCs kept finding him by "bumping into him". There is already a DC 20 Spot check for being within 30 feet of an active invisible character (e.g. one attempting to get away by moving), so with 4 or more PCs getting to roll, it is not that hard to keep track of an invisible character as is. Adding the "insta-find" ability of moving into his square makes it even easier.

"A creature can generally notice the presence of an active invisible creature within 30 feet with a DC 20 Spot check. The observer gains a hunch that “something’s there” but can’t see it or target it accurately with an attack. A creature who is holding still is very hard to notice (DC 30). An inanimate object, an unliving creature holding still, or a completely immobile creature is even harder to spot (DC 40). It’s practically impossible (+20 DC) to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location with a Spot check, and even if a character succeeds on such a check, the invisible creature still benefits from total concealment (50% miss chance)."

So even if you make the spot check, it only lets you know that there's an invisible creature somewhere in the area. But you already knew that... so whats the point? If you want to actually pinpoint what square he's in, its +20 on the spot check (DC 40).

Plus, taking a spot check to see something you've already failed to see is a move action. Then moving around hoping to bump into him is another move action. That leaves you kinda short on attacks.

 

[cmanos]

Anybody ever thaught about splashing any sort of liquid followed by a few hands of flour throughout an area? A burning subject (e.g. due to generous use of alchemist's fire) under the effect of an Invisibility should also at least be outlined to some degree, reducing miss chances appropriately.

Malakh

We used the flour trick in our first adventure at L1 when we ran into skulks. My character now keeps a pouch of flour on him at all times. Shouldn't need liquid and flour, flour usually sticks to things quite well as is.

 

[azhrei_fje]

And for arcane spellcasters, flour plus prestidigitation work well together. Use the spell to swirl the flour around in the area, making sure that it gets into all the tight spaces in the room (and under the table and such!).

Once you've located the invisible creature, hitting them with a tanglefoot bag is very convenient.