I have the following situation...
The PCs know that their enemy is using invisibility, and know that their enemy eventually has to come to them. The party witch is spamming detect magic at the only entrance to the room, concentrating for the full duration. My question is do you have to concentrate on the specific magical aura for three rounds to get all the information, or if you're already concentrating on an area, are you suddenly going to go from "no magic present" to "faint illusion aura present" instantly, or go through "magic present" first as soon as the guy steps into the room?
do you have to concentrate on the specific magical aura for three rounds to get all the information, or if you're already concentrating on an area, are you suddenly going to go from "no magic present" to "faint illusion aura present" instantly, or go through "magic present" first as soon as the guy steps into the room?
I would say the 'rounds' would start as soon as the aura enters the observed area.
Rather - Round 1: No auras. Round 2: Still no Auras. Round 9... Presence of magical aura! Round 10: 1 aura, Dim strength (lingering, as he moved out of your emanation) Round 11: pivot to find him again...
A better way would be if someone else has a readied action, so as soon as the witch detects an aura, she yells (free action, out of turn) which triggers the readied action to cast Glitterdust (or throw the bag of flour, etc.) interrupting his movement before he can finish his turn.
I'm mostly in agreement with Grick. The tricky part about the proposed tactic with readied actions is that there is no indication of where a new aura entered from. If the witch shouts out that there's a new aura, it could be anywhere in the 60' cone. The Glitterdust might get thrown as a readied action, but there's roughly a 1 in 8 chance (by area) that it will hit the invisible foe.
To complicate things even further, Detect Magic does not discriminate between enemy auras and friendly ones. In the above example, the witch might be watching the rest of the party, but she constantly receives the knowledge that there is magic in the cone because she picks up the magic from the rogue's belt of dexterity. In Round 9, when the invisible creature enters the area, Detect Magic would not tell the witch that there was new magic - not until Round 10, when she can discern how many auras there are. It would not be until Round 11 (the third round) that she could actually point at the aura's location.
Detect Magic can be used as very fuzzy radar, but it has considerable limitations in combat. I know some GMs who reset some of the detection conditions if the aura is in motion, meaning with some it could be nearly impossible to find said foe. Even without that, you have a considerable, uphill battle.
I'm mostly in agreement with Grick. The tricky part about the proposed tactic with readied actions is that there is no indication of where a new aura entered from. If the witch shouts out that there's a new aura, it could be anywhere in the 60' cone. The Glitterdust might get thrown as a readied action, but there's roughly a 1 in 8 chance (by area) that it will hit the invisible foe.
To complicate things even further, Detect Magic does not discriminate between enemy auras and friendly ones. In the above example, the witch might be watching the rest of the party, but she constantly receives the knowledge that there is magic in the cone because she picks up the magic from the rogue's belt of dexterity. In Round 9, when the invisible creature enters the area, Detect Magic would not tell the witch that there was new magic - not until Round 10, when she can discern how many auras there are. It would not be until Round 11 (the third round) that she could actually point at the aura's location.
Detect Magic can be used as very fuzzy radar, but it has considerable limitations in combat. I know some GMs who reset some of the detection conditions if the aura is in motion, meaning with some it could be nearly impossible to find said foe. Even without that, you have a considerable, uphill battle.
Well, the party is level 1 and doesn't have any magical gear to get in the way. I dropped a magic scroll into the room, but they correctly moved it out of the area the witch is watching.
Well, the party is level 1 and doesn't have any magical gear to get in the way. I dropped a magic scroll into the room, but they correctly moved it out of the area the witch is watching.I'm mostly in agreement with Grick. The tricky part about the proposed tactic with readied actions is that there is no indication of where a new aura entered from. If the witch shouts out that there's a new aura, it could be anywhere in the 60' cone. The Glitterdust might get thrown as a readied action, but there's roughly a 1 in 8 chance (by area) that it will hit the invisible foe.
To complicate things even further, Detect Magic does not discriminate between enemy auras and friendly ones. In the above example, the witch might be watching the rest of the party, but she constantly receives the knowledge that there is magic in the cone because she picks up the magic from the rogue's belt of dexterity. In Round 9, when the invisible creature enters the area, Detect Magic would not tell the witch that there was new magic - not until Round 10, when she can discern how many auras there are. It would not be until Round 11 (the third round) that she could actually point at the aura's location.
Detect Magic can be used as very fuzzy radar, but it has considerable limitations in combat. I know some GMs who reset some of the detection conditions if the aura is in motion, meaning with some it could be nearly impossible to find said foe. Even without that, you have a considerable, uphill battle.
What about Awgin? Now that he's enlarged, isn't his aura by the door?
What about Awgin? Now that he's enlarged, isn't his aura by the door?Well, the party is level 1 and doesn't have any magical gear to get in the way. I dropped a magic scroll into the room, but they correctly moved it out of the area the witch is watching.I'm mostly in agreement with Grick. The tricky part about the proposed tactic with readied actions is that there is no indication of where a new aura entered from. If the witch shouts out that there's a new aura, it could be anywhere in the 60' cone. The Glitterdust might get thrown as a readied action, but there's roughly a 1 in 8 chance (by area) that it will hit the invisible foe.
To complicate things even further, Detect Magic does not discriminate between enemy auras and friendly ones. In the above example, the witch might be watching the rest of the party, but she constantly receives the knowledge that there is magic in the cone because she picks up the magic from the rogue's belt of dexterity. In Round 9, when the invisible creature enters the area, Detect Magic would not tell the witch that there was new magic - not until Round 10, when she can discern how many auras there are. It would not be until Round 11 (the third round) that she could actually point at the aura's location.
Detect Magic can be used as very fuzzy radar, but it has considerable limitations in combat. I know some GMs who reset some of the detection conditions if the aura is in motion, meaning with some it could be nearly impossible to find said foe. Even without that, you have a considerable, uphill battle.
Hey! My players stay out! :)
Good point, though...moving back to the game thread...
Hey! My players stay out! :)Good point, though...moving back to the game thread...
Hey, I'm helping you kill us here. :)