D&D 5E Invisible murderhobos

[Lehrbuch]

How would you prevent the PC from sneaking up on him at night and killing him ?
OR how would you make that hard and entertaining ?

First, I think it is important to realise that the PCs co-operating together and using spells and features to good effect is the game working as intended. You want to be very careful to discourage the players from devising good plans --- if whatever they do, they end up in a hard battle, then the players will quickly realise that it is pointless coming up with plans more developed than "we open the door and hit the things", and the game will be poorer for it.

Second, I would just make sure that the PCs made relevant stealth etc checks. If they make those checks, then that is great. They succeed. Nothing wrong with this. If they fail, then the alarm is raised, etc.

Third, a number of plausible defences against mundane assassination, may make things complicated / confusing for the PCs despite their invisibility. This includes things such as body doubles, multiple sleeping chambers, guards and patrols, simple locked doors, or simple spells such as alarm. Traps are a possibility too, but do think about the plausibility of these. It is difficult to imagine residential areas of a palace (or whatever) being filled with lethal traps.

Four, does it really matter if the PCs kill Krull? It's a victory, of sorts, for the PCs. However, the zealots, the archbishop, etc., are all still there. It's just a different problem than when Krull was alive.

 

[n0nym]

Does it really matter if the PCs kill Krull?

I'd rather have him live a bit more for scenaristic reasons, but he's not central to the plot. Hence the second question. ^^

 

[Dausuul]

My players are fond of Pass Without Trace and Silence. That's why a single guard in front of a locked door is rarely enough.

Silence isn't portable. You cast it on a point in space, not an object or creature; and casting any spell breaks invisibility. I don't see how this is helpful.

Pass without trace is an effective stealth tool, granted. Then it becomes a question of how many guards the PCs can reliably kill in one round. Put N+1 guards on the door.

Or, hell, just have one guard... behind the door.

 

[Tony Vargas]

As for "why is this a even a problem ?", I do enjoy rather low magic games, which always puts the PCs at an advantage against NPCs, since magic isn't ubiquitous.

That is an issue, if you don't also limit the availability of magic to PCs (reducing slots & spells known, for instance). Or eliminating or modding problematic spells - like the party can use magic to sneak into a building (Two casters concentrating on level 3 Invisibility, as described), but will need to make a traditional Hand of Glory to enable it, or the magic will just fail upon crossing the threshold - because magic is squirrelly that way.

They only have the magical protections they can get for themselves. In this case, that which a level 9 Cleric could get with his spells...

That includes Scrying, Planar Binding, Hallow (which can hold an effect 'offered' by the DM instead of one of those listed), Divination, and Glyph of Warding. Should be able to come up with a few things.

 

[Gwarok]

See Invisibility is self only, so that only helps a portion of the party. Still, it does help somewhat.

I had never noticed that it was self only, thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Powerful opponents have a thing about being assassinated. If someone tries to assassinate them or their closest cronies, they tend to push back. HARD.

The PCs should be on the run for their lives. Once a powerful interest discovers someone is trying to kill them the hounds will be released, the divination spells will be cast and the PCs, who had before existed in quiet anonominity, will now find their own footsteps haunted by bladed killers.

 

[MNblockhead]

As a DM and someone who is a tad paranoid about security IRL, I approach these things like I do IRL scenarios. Think about what the world would be like if magical invisibility were a thing. Now the normal approach are counter magics and elaborate constructed counter measures. Those are valid, but it limits those protections to only the most powerful and/or wealthy individuals--as you discoverd when you decided that the right-hand man should not have the same powers as the bishop. But do you really think someone as capable as the right-hand man for a Bishop is not going to be able to come up with effective security measures?

Ignoring all the other potential powers an assassin or his target may have in a magic-containing world, let's just focus on invisibility.

1. Guard Dogs

With their sense of smell and hearing they would be effective at raising the alarm and chasing down invisible intruders. In D&D you have plenty more dangerous creatures that can be trained or employed for this purpose, but even a peasant can have dogs around to provide some protection.

2. Physical Security

Even if you are invisible, you still need to get into location. There are three main types of physical security: constructions designed to warn, constructions designed to prevent entry, and constructions designed to injure.

2.a Constructions designed to warn

Examples include nightingale floors. These floors are designed so that when walked on the nails rub against a jacket or clamp, creating a chirping sound. Less sophisticated, but still somewhat effective would simply designing floors that creak when walking on. Bells on doors and windows, setting pans to crash to the floor when a door or window is opened.

2.b. Locks are obvious but easily overcome. Barring the doors is simple and cheap and the force needed to break through it would require a battering ram, unnaturally strong character, or magic and would be very loud.

2.c. You don't need elaborate expensive traps to help thwart invisible characters. Nails and spikes hidden at entrances and window sills are a low cost way of causing enough damage and resulting in some noise as the intruder reacts to the pain. Trip wires are inexpensive and effective.

3. Helping Guards Be More Effective

Why is it typically so easy for invisible characters to slip past guards? Something as simple as bead-string door curtains would make it obvious if an invisible person was trying to walkthrough and opening.

In a high-magic world, I would think that googles of true seeing would be common among the guards and body guards of the wealthy.

For me, if players want to play the part of invisible assassins, it should still be a difficult and risky thing to do. I would make it so that it would be easier to get close to the target using disguises and acting than invisibility. Invisibility is more about not being identified, but again, a good disguise can do the same thing.

 

[Derren]

I can't really say that Krull has See Invisibility too

Why not? In a world where invisibility exist defeating it is pretty much a necessity for the powerful people who are potential targets and he is certainly powerful enough to have it.
The players should learn sooner or later that just because they think their plan is clever that it will automatically work, especially as the defense against it is just common sense.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

Unfortunately, realising that, the PCs decided to murder Albeorn trusted right-hand man, High Praetor Krull. I can't really say that Krull has See Invisibility too, because I don't want to frustrate the player (furthermore, he's just a human being, albeit a powerful divine spellcaster).

How would you prevent the PC from sneaking up on him at night and killing him ?
OR how would you make that hard and entertaining ?

Thanks in advance.

Are the players part of a larger resistance against Albeorn ?

If so Albeorn might be willing to sacrifice Praetor Krul to find the location of the rebel base.
So if Praetor Krul dies a magical efect triggers a and th players can roll a arcana check to sind out what the effect did.
with a roll of 15 or higer they can tell the first efect, being that guards and defences have been alerted and they will need to fight their way out.

But there is a second efect only revealed on a result of 20 or higer.
Albeorn can now track the location of the characters and listen in to their conversations if the characters are aware of this effect a remove curse can be used to remove it.

The gueards are instructed to leat at least 1 of the assasins escape so Albeorn can find out the location of the rebel base.

 

[n0nym]

Why not? In a world where invisibility exist defeating it is pretty much a necessity for the powerful people who are potential targets

As I said I didn't want to frustrate the player (just as I rarely use Counterspell against them). See Invisibility is for major NPCs only (like Albeorn).

Anyway, this thread is rather old and the players have killed Krull. It didn't go as I had planned though. They ambushed him in the wild despite all the preperation time I spent building his temple and defences. I guess I should've seen it coming lol...

In the end I decided to catch them at their own game. I gave him a Knight bodyguard (only gave him proficiency in Athletics) and an Invisible Stalker for protection. The players tried to sneak upon Krull with Invisibility (thinking they were 4 vs 2), but the Invisible Stalker spotted them thanks to his high Passive Perception.

The Knight grappled the rogue, moved him a few feet away from Krull and knocked him prone. The rogue lost three rounds trying to kill the Knight with Disadvantage.

The Warlock was so obsessed with killing Krull that he didn't take care of the Invisible Stalker who was hitting him and he died (the monster kept hitting him after he was knocked out).

In the end they were rather surprised to see that I had used their strategy against them and enjoyed the fight (except the warlock's player, but he had a reason to complain ).