D&D 5E Invisible murderhobos

[Ancalagon]

Unless magic is extremely rare, high level NPCs are going to have protections against invisible assassins.

Indeed. It's a 2nd level spell, not an "I win!" button.

 

[Prakriti]

Let's say the characters do assassinate the High Praetor. Some possibilities...

(1) The High Praetor was secretly undermining the Sorcerer King and stopping him from carrying out his plans. Oops, the players caused a genocide.
(2) The High Praetor is replaced by someone who is even more cruel and sadistic. Oops, the players made things worse.
(3) The High Praetor's death is blamed on assassins from a neighboring kingdom. Oops, the players started a war.

If your players don't appreciate the subtleties of political intrigues, then show them the full range of consequences. Pretty soon, they'll be looking at the bigger picture and treading more carefully.

 

[surfarcher]

I'm looking for some help with a recurring problem I have with my players. They have a tendency to assassinate (evil) NPCs in their sleep, and I have a hard time coming up with solutions to avoid that.

There are plenty of magical options, I see some mentioned below.

I'd add that you Big Bad might have gotten hold of an artifact that allows him to cast Guards and Wards once a day...

 

[Mad_Jack]

Come to think of it, how is an entire party managing to maintain invisibility for extended periods? Isn't it a concentration spell now?

If the party is trying to hit a Sorcerer King (or one of his lieutenants) in his stronghold, his fortress, his place of power...
There's not enough invisibility in the world to make that happen just on it's own. Even for a high-level party, all armed with permanent invisibility effects, there are going to be so many guards, locked doors and just random persons wandering around that there's no way they make it all the way to the target without getting noticed, even without factoring in all the magical protections the targets are sure to have...
And even if they do hit the guy, unless they're doing a kamikaze run, how are they planning to get back out again?
Invisibility isn't a plan, it's just an asset. And one that's only situationally useful.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Definitely. Whatever happens, it should be interesting and create more drama and challenges for the PCs. My issue with the repeated invisible insta-kills is that it's just making challenges and solutions boring and routine, which makes the campaign dull.

Let's say the characters do assassinate the High Praetor. Some possibilities...

(1) The High Praetor was secretly undermining the Sorcerer King and stopping him from carrying out his plans. Oops, the players caused a genocide.
(2) The High Praetor is replaced by someone who is even more cruel and sadistic. Oops, the players made things worse.
(3) The High Praetor's death is blamed on assassins from a neighboring kingdom. Oops, the players started a war.

If your players don't appreciate the subtleties of political intrigues, then show them the full range of consequences. Pretty soon, they'll be looking at the bigger picture and treading more carefully.

 

[Dausuul]

Definitely. Whatever happens, it should be interesting and create more drama and challenges for the PCs. My issue with the repeated invisible insta-kills is that it's just making challenges and solutions boring and routine, which makes the campaign dull.

I'm still confused as to how this is even a problem. An obstacle as simple as a closed door with a guard in front of it is a major hindrance for an invisible infiltrator; you have to break invisibility to kill the guard, then re-cast, and if you fail to take down the guard in the first round, the alarm is raised and your mission is a failure. Plus, invisibility is not inaudibility. Is the whole party so good at Stealth that none of them ever blows a check?

 

[Croesus]

Come to think of it, how is an entire party managing to maintain invisibility for extended periods? Isn't it a concentration spell now?

Invisibility
2nd-level illusion
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (an eyelash encased in gum arabic)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
A creature you touch becomes invisible until the spell ends. Anything the target is wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on the target’s person. The spell ends for a target that attacks or casts a spell.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd.

Two arcane casters, able to cast 3rd-level spells, could make an entire four member party invisible for up to one hour. That's long enough to sneak into an area and carry out an assassination. The main problem is how the four party members cooperate while invisible. Unless they have some means of seeing invisible on each party member, they will certainly bump into each other or otherwise get in each other's way in some manner.

 

[Gwarok]

Those same arcane casters can also cast See Invis, which isn't concentration to avoid them stumbling over each other.

 

[n0nym]

The main problem is how the four party members cooperate while invisible. Unless they have some means of seeing invisible on each party member, they will certainly bump into each other or otherwise get in each other's way in some manner.

I must admit that's the kind of consideration I often neglect. I would just assume the PCs grab each other by the shoulders.

Is the whole party so good at Stealth that none of them ever blows a check?

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.

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. Most major NPCs have ways to protect themselves against basic magic, but their lieutenants and minions do not. 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 or by paying a wizard.

 

[Croesus]

Those same arcane casters can also cast See Invis, which isn't concentration to avoid them stumbling over each other.

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