Invisibility -- In-Game Explanation for No Attacking?

mmadsen

First Post
For game-balance reasons, the Invisibility spell ends as soon as you "attack". What that means is a bit vague. Anyway, does anyone have a good in-game explanation for why this would be? How does the wizard explain to his companion that the spell only lasts until he attacks someone?

Has anyone tweaked Invisibility to have a more plausible explanation? (By the way, I really like Oriental Adventures' Chameleon spell: +10 to Hide.)
 

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My view is that you shatter the illusion of "not being there" when you attack. To anyone being hit, they're real positive that someone is there.
 

My view is that you shatter the illusion of "not being there" when you attack. To anyone being hit, they're real positive that someone is there.

That makes perfect sense -- except that everyone else can also see you once you attack your victim.
 

Because it's a magic spell, and attacking breaks the spell. Like kissing the frog in the fairy tale.

You're analyzing this way too much, basically.
 

I think of it as "auto-disbelief". A 2nd level spell doesn't have enough power to maintain the illusion once anyone observing the area would simply "know" that someone is there. I would also assume they'd hear the weapon strike, hear you grunt or scream in pain, see blood fly, hear the weapon hit armor, etc.
 

Dr_Rictus said:
Because it's a magic spell, and attacking breaks the spell. Like kissing the frog in the fairy tale.

You're analyzing this way too much, basically.

Best answer I've ever seen to this question!

If you still need an explanation, how about it being sort of like a Jedi mind trick? The spell does not make you invisible, it makes you magically inconspicuous so people can look at you and not see you. Making yourself consipicuous nullifies the effect. Even if you're attacking someone else, you are doing something to call attention to yourself, which is the opposite of the spell effect -- this creates a paradox, and something has to give. Since the attack is real and the illusion is unreal, the attack wins.

Mike
 

What Dr Rictus said... it's pretty hard to explain rationally an invisibility spell that ends if I sneakily stab someone in a dark alley or cast a silent still dominate person, but it doesn't if I run around screaming and jumping and waving flags and tossing fireballs (as long as I don't hit anyone). It's magic, that's it.
 

Well the disbelief explanation doesn't work cuz what if you are in a room with one other person. Attack him and kill him. If it was a disbelief, when you walk into the next room, you should still be invisible to whoever is in there.

I'd say that maybe the force of impact from an attack breaks the magical barrir that bends light around you. Or even go so far as to say any physical contact.
 

ThomasBJJ said:
I'd say that maybe the force of impact from an attack breaks the magical barrir that bends light around you. Or even go so far as to say any physical contact.
No, because if you hit a wall you will remain invisible.
 


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