Magical Auras

[Barcode]

(or, how a 1st level mage can remove intrigue from a game).

Has anyone found any good clarification on what spells have magical auras? I believe the default answer is "all", or at least all that have lingering effects.

But now let's go into the concept of using enchantments in an intrigue heavy game. You know, Jafar is manipulating the Sultan kind of thing. A first level mage walks in with detect magic up and pipes up - "Hey, the Sultan is under a powerful enchantment! Let's find the mage and Git 'im!".

Or other things to that effect. Basically, it is exceedingly difficult to maintain much in the way of magical surprises, considering how easy it is to detect magic. Oh, I know I can just house rule it, but I was wondering if there were any guidelines or limitations published that limit magical auras, particularly of ongoing enchantments.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

If a powerful mage wants to use powerful magics and do so inconspicously (sp?), when he very well knows that it is quite easy to detect, he should find some ways to foils divination attempts.

In your example, the Charming Wizard could have instructed the Sultan to inform anyone that detects the spell on him that he has spells cast on him everyday to remain strong / healthy / alert / whatever.

Also, using Divination magic on anyone, willy-nilly, should be considered of poor taste and manners in most situations.

Finally, many spells will foil divination attempts:
- Magic Aura
- Obscure object
- Misdirection
- Nondetection
- Mage's Private Sanctum
- etc.

Have the Evil Wizard create a custom, constantly active, Nondetection ring, and have the Sultan wear that ring, and most of your problems should go away.

AR

 

[UltimaGabe]

Every spell with longer than an instantaneous duration has a magical aura. However, it takes time to determine whether someone has a magical aura on them- check out the Detect Magic description for more details- but more importantly, people don't just walk around casting detect magic and then staring at random people for minutes at a time every day. Specifically, nobody does that to the Sultan. You'd need pretty darn good reason to walk up to the Sultan and cast a magic spell aimed directly at him without the guards gouging your eyes out. Even if a 1st-level mage somehow managed to get inside the King's room and cast Detect Magic on him, so what if he's got an enchantment on him? He's probably got a dozen other magic spells on him too, from all sorts of different schools- after all, in a magic-laden world, the king's gotta have some pretty hefty protection, with all these mages walking around and casting spells on people. Besides, just by casting Detect Magic, you can't tell exactly WHAT spell is affecting him, so for all you know it's something beneficial.

However, if Jafar was as intelligent as he was, and he absolutely didn't want any of those pesky 1st-level mages finding out that there was an enchantment on the Sultan (depite all of the possibilities), he could very easily cast Nystul's Magic Aura on the King and nullify all or some magical auras on him- or change all of them to other things, or whatever. And that's only a 1st-level spell. There's plenty of ways around Detect Magic- it is, after all, a Cantrip.

Edit: Darn you Altamont Ravenard! *Shakes fist*

 

[Barcode]

Yeah, kinda wish there was a Magic Aura/Undetectable Aura that affected spells (lower level than Nondetection, and as long lasting as the spell it is masking). Sounds like metamagic feat in the making...

Here is a similar case. The Succubus. If you are not running a distinctly high magic campaign (i.e. where everyone has at least some low-level magic) - how is a succubus to operate? A surreptitious detect magic on the beautiful woman reveals the altered state. Bam, she is exposed, and her main weapon is useless - foiled by a single 1st level mage and his crappy 1st level spell.

IMC, I had to give the Succubus Misdirection as a spell-like ability to give her even the chance of fooling someone. But out of the book, she is almost unplayable with a suspicious party. (Crass, but still suspicious).

I have to guffaw when people downplay the usefulness of divination as a school of magic, like the fact that you can't take it as a restricted school when a wizard specializes. It is a royal pain when you are trying to build some mystery into the campaign.

 

[Barcode]

I think Undetectable Aura is only for magic items. I don't know of one that masks spells short of misdirection (2nd level).

And I use the Jafar example to make an extreme point. Bottom line is that if magic is not extraordinarily common, very low level characters can easily foil magical subterfuges if the caster does not have at least misdirection, particularly in the case of spell-like abilities.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Detect magic is 0 level

The succubus has other abilities: Suggestion "It's not nice casting that spell at me" or "I cast Eagle's Splendor on myself to look even prettier", etc.

AR

 

[UltimaGabe]

A surreptitious detect magic on the beautiful woman reveals the altered state.

Says who?

All that Detect Magic does is show that she has a Transmutation spell affecting her (if even that). What decent-level character DOESN'T have a Transmutation spell on her? Eagle's Splendor? Bull's Strength? Cat's Grace? It could be any of those or any number of other things, and Detect Magic won't do anything but show Transmutation. Alright, she might have some Enchantment stuff active too- who says she isn't a Bard?

 

[eris404]

Yeah, kinda wish there was a Magic Aura/Undetectable Aura that affected spells (lower level than Nondetection, and as long lasting as the spell it is masking). Sounds like metamagic feat in the making....

Oh, yeah, that's a great idea and it would be more useful than most metamagic feats. Anyone got ideas how to do this?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

And I use the Jafar example to make an extreme point. Bottom line is that if magic is not extraordinarily common, very low level characters can easily foil magical subterfuges if the caster does not have at least misdirection, particularly in the case of spell-like abilities.

I have no problem with magic foiling magic. The most dangerous subterfuges are the ones that don't rely on magic.