schnee said:
Does Arcane Sight automatically allow you to see invisble creatures? I've seen threads here that conclude - since AS sees magic auras, that someone with Invisibility still generates a Glamer aura that AS immediately perceives. So, no invisibility works within 120' of the mage. I'm having great difficulty in this... I see the logic, since tremorsense and blindsight beat the Inviso, but... this makes See Invisibility obsolete. It also makes Invisibilty, Greater Invisibility, illusions, and any number of other spells that conceal or alter perceptions obsolete. For a 3rd level spell? Doesn't seem right....
..........
....If I were to limit AS, I'd say it allows the spellcaster to see the Glamer aura of an invisible creature. He could tell the strength of the Inviso spell, but that aura would obscure all others. In addition, he could target the aura itself with a Dispel Magic, but not target the invisible creature (so no Disintegrate or Magic Missile). If he wanted to attack it, he'd have to use an area effect spell to hit the area around it (such as Fireball or Lightning Bolt).
We faced a similar problem IMC, because of a PC becoming a Dweomerkeeper ( the ComDiv-WE variant ), which at second level gives permanent "Arcane Sight" as a class-power. Scary, right ? Not really
Several points trender the "detect magic" function less useful than you seem to imagine, though. First-off, you have to be looking in the right direction, and realize you sense an illusion-type magic approaching, without any physical object related to it and you have to make a spellcraft-test, a conscious action IMHO, because it is called you _can_ make a spellcraft roll, making it a choice of the character, instead of phrasing you make a spellcraft roll, to even tell it is an illusion-type magic. This is similar to detect magic, in fact it is the same paste-and-copy text .
This of course requires some degree of concentration, which becomes hard if you are trying to do something else at the same time. And even then, you may still not know what sort of low-level illusion you are facing (reality and circumstances may give clues, though). On the other hand, you need not spend a second and third round on determining the sort and strength of magic.
Second, you have to spot the magical aura in the first place, often not all that easy in a magic-rich environment or crowded conditions - that is, picking it out from the background noise. Easier in a peaceful rural environment,far less easy in a magic filled dungeon or BBEG lair - starting with magical lighting and going up from there.
Third, you do not get told the precise spell/power at work with Arcane Sight, ever. That is something that only Anaylze enchantment or Greater Arcane Sight can do - as stated in their respective descriptions.
Fourth - as for Illusions and Invisibility. Arcane Sight tells you only that illusion magic of a certain strength is in use in a certain area, e.g. a set of squares. What is done precisely is left to the faculties of the mage observing. Is what you see an illusion or a real thing on which some illusionary effect is at work ? Your call. Do you note that strangely mobile magical aura approach you from over there inthe middle of your heated debate with Comte de la Funz ? Question of your alertness and mental acumen.
Fifth - Arcane Sight works only to 120' or the limits of your sight - hence if you can only see 30' by using a torch and being a human, or 60 ' with darkvision, you only see auras within those 30'. It is stated nowhere that auras etc. glow like beacons/torches/lightsources once they come into Arcanes Sight's range.
Sixth - even by being aware that an invisble something is coming for you, you still cannot see its imminent attack on you in detail. Hence, you do loose your Dex bonus to AC and are open to a sneak attack. You may know where he stands (the square ) but how do you tell how he stands, fights, dodges, pulls out stuff or moves away ? Sorry, he is still invisible, even if you know he stands right next to you.
