Locate Object used to locate an invisible enemy?

[mmu1]

Had a bit of a difficulty with this spell in my game yesterday...

A player was trying to use the spell to locate an enemy he couldn't see by trying to find the location of a "poisoned dagger like he (the enemy) had used before". Essentially, he saw (in the heat of battle, while ten or fifteen feet away) the NPC use poisoned daggers in the past, and had a good reason to believe that he might have some similar ones on his person at the moment...

My take on it is two-fold:

1. A poisoned dagger of a certain make, with a certain poison applied to it, in possession of a specific person, is pretty much a Unique item, as the spell defines it. I see no real difference between "Baron Vulden's signet ring" (which the PHB uses as an example of a Unique item) and "Evil Assasin X's poisoned masterwork dagger."
As a result, to use the spell, you'd have to have observed it first hand, and have a "clear mental image of it".

2. The very fact you say you're looking for something "like it" suggests that you do not, in fact, have a clear mental image of what it is you're trying to find.

To further complicate the issue, the party had in their possession one of the daggers the NPC used in the past (One of several, which was similar, but far from identical to others he used before.), and another PC actually had an entirely different poisoned dagger on him when the spell was cast...

Any takers?

 

[durath]

I'd say no way would this work for the PC unless they had seen the EXACT dagger that the baddie was cuurently carrying. If they have observed that UNIQUE dagger then why wouldn't it work.

They would have fulfilled the requirement of seeing it firsthand even if it had only been a brief sighting, have them make a spot check to see if they saw it clearly, or maybe an INT check to recall what it looked like clearly.

However, from rereading your post, with the information the PC's had I think you ruled correctly. They did not have a clear image of the exact item and if they tried to go for any poisoned dagger the spell would have picked up the ones they were carrying first.

 

[Magus_Jerel]

your player needed to ask for the following:

the poisoned dagger that he (the enemy) used in the battle against us when we fought him last.

In order to do the good old
"track the dagger - track the enemy"

as the player worded the request - you are correct

btw - intelligence check to see if the character remembers clearly is a good idea.

 

[mmu1]

Bump...

Thanks - anyone else? Come on now... Just pretend it's an invisible PIG that's being located