Magic Jar and Invisibility

[Lareit]

Does casting magic jar break invisibilty? I'll give a couple of examples.

Scenario A: My magic jar is a diamond i keep in my coat pocket. I cast invisibility on myself. I then cast magic jar. Does invisibility break?

Step 2. Going from where i left off. Inside my magic jar in my coat. Lets say i didn't break invisibility for now. I from the magic jar attempt to possess someone within range. My body, the invisible peice is inert, the jar is doing the action. An hostile action. do i break invisibility.

Scenario B. My magic jar is in my bedroom. I'm in the bathroom. I know exactly what plank my diamond is hidden under. I cast invisibility on myself. I now cast magic jar. Do I break invisibility?

Step 2: once again we'll say i didn't break invis for this step again. I from the jar attempt to possess someone else in range. The jar isn't even on my body this time. Does the body break invisibility?

I vote no. However all my fellow D&D companions insist i'm incorrect. What says the people on the enworld forums?

Regardless, thank you for your time

 

[Lord Pendragon]

D&D does not distinguish between the body and mind of a creature, as far as targets for spells are concerned. i.e. when you cast Invisibility the target is Personal or 1 creature touched, not "your body or 1 body touched." "You" includes both your body and your mind.

That being said, I'd say that you break invisibility in Step 2 of both scenarios, when you actually make an attack on another creature. The first step, merely casting Magic Jar, is not enough to break it, but Step 2 is forced possession, certainly enough to break it. The fact that your mind is making the attempt while your body is inert does not mean your body is no longer a part of you, or accountable for what your mind does.

 

[shilsen]

What Lord Pendragon said. In both cases you will turn invisible and remain invisible even when casting Magic Jar. When you actually attempt to possess another creature's body, whether successfully or not, your invisibility will end.

 

[flegia.xx]

and what about magic armor or alter self? it must work in my New corpe, cos i still am the target of those spell, just Luke invisibility....

 

[Sekhmet]

As amusing thought popped into my mind.
Depending on your beliefs on consciousness and ego, once you cast Magic Jar, your body is no longer in your possession, and therefor would lose it's invisibility just like any item.
The key terms being "dead" and "lifeless".

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

8+ year thread necro! Someone tell Dandu.

 

[the Jester]

and what about magic armor or alter self? it must work in my New corpe, cos i still am the target of those spell, just Luke invisibility....

Nope. They are cast on your body, not your spirit.

That's like saying, "My invisibility and alter self apply to my soul after I'm dead, right?" But no- your corpse may remain invisible until the spell expires or immediately turn visible (as you're dead), but nothing says or implies that the spells stay on your "spirit" after death or if you otherwise leave your body.

 

[Greenfield]

Invisibility and spell use is an interesting area.

Since you're casting the spell on a gem, not a creature, the casting itself doesn't break Invisibility.

Once you try to possess someone, however, you are trying to use magic to affect a living target, and Invisibility is broken.

Just remember the way the spell works: You place your own mind/spirit/soul/whatever in the Magic Jar, then wait for a target to come into range.

The casting itself affects nobody but you and the item being used as the Jar, in the case of your example, a gemstone. You can cast all the spells you want on yourself while Invisible, no problem. It's only when you try to affect someone else with it that you run afoul of the rules.

 

[the Jester]

You can cast all the spells you want on yourself while Invisible, no problem.

What if you cast finger of death at yourself?

 

[Greenfield]

Well, first, you stay invisible, since you aren't affecting a foe with a spell.

Second depends, I guess, on whether you're a "glass half full" kind of person or not: If you make the save then you failed with your spell, but succeeded with your save. If, on the other hand, you fail the Save...

...I guess if that happens then you don't care about success or failure any more do you?