Researched Spell advice. Invisible


Advice


I'm looking for feedback on a spell i'd like to research in game.

Basically, it's tiny hut except instead of an opaque sphere everything inside the area is hidden/invisible. If anyone plays WOW the Kirin Tor have something remarkably similar. When you cross the threshold you can see everything inside. When you're outside though it looks like nothing is there.

I'm not quite sure how to properly word that or what level it should be. At least 4. Maybe 5. However, i'd like to balance that against other, better, camping spells. Rope Trick, for example, is almost too good not to use and it's lower level.

Maybe something like, "Any creature or effect viewing the area from the outside, the area appears as an untouched version of the area before the spell was cast. Effectively hiding creatures and objects."

Tiny Hut:

Tiny Hut
School evocation [force]; Level bard 3, sorcerer/wizard 3

CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a small crystal bead)

EFFECT
Range 20 ft.
Effect 20-ft.-radius sphere centered on your location
Duration 2 hours/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This content was created for the Pathfinder rules by Paizo Publishing LLC and is part of the Pathfinder RPG product line.
By the way...
The effects created by this spell move with a ship.
Source Skull & Shackles Player's Guide

DESCRIPTION
You create an unmoving, opaque sphere of force of any color you desire around yourself. Half the sphere projects above the ground, and the lower hemisphere passes through the ground. As many as nine other Medium creatures can fit into the field with you; they can freely pass into and out of the hut without harming it. However, if you remove yourself from the hut, the spell ends.

The temperature inside the hut is 70° F if the exterior temperature is between 0° and 100° F. An exterior temperature below 0° or above 100° lowers or raises the interior temperature on a 1-degree-for-1 basis. The hut also provides protection against the elements, such as rain, dust, and sandstorms. The hut withstands any wind of less than hurricane force, but a hurricane (75+ mph wind speed) or greater force destroys it.

The interior of the hut is a hemisphere. You can illuminate it dimly upon command or extinguish the light as desired. Although the force field is opaque from the outside, it is transparent from within. Missiles, weapons, and most spell effects can pass through the hut without affecting it, although the occupants cannot be seen from outside the hut (they have total concealment).


Looks like you want to add the benefits of an Invisibility Sphere to your Tiny Hut.

4th level might be a bit on the low side - after all, you are combining two third level spells. 4th level is also where you get the Secure Shelter. Nice secure cabin, but obviously not invisible.

6th level gives us the Magnificent Mansion - Rope Trick on steroids. Your spell isn't that powerful.

So, I'm thinking 5th would be a reasonable sweet spot for your idea. I think to make it worth a 5th level slot, I'd remove the condition that the caster must remain inside the hut/hemisphere. Giving it a bit more flexibility.

The only remaining thing I can think of is how to deal with attacks originating from inside this buffed up Invisibility Sphere. You don't want attacks to 'dispel' the field, nor do you want to have it act like a group Improved Invis. So, perhaps - attacks originating from inside the sphere flip it from Invisibility to Opaque, essentially blowing the "invis" benefit.


There's an occult ritual to do this to any building for a year, but it's very pricey and risky. I'd impose a few restrictions- any attack from the building against anything outside dismisses the invisibility. If something is spotted exiting, it usually gives things away. And of course, it's possible to stumble on it. Hmm. Secretly blocking line of effect is also very strong.


Dracovar wrote:

Looks like you want to add the benefits of an Invisibility Sphere to your Tiny Hut.

4th level might be a bit on the low side - after all, you are combining two third level spells. 4th level is also where you get the Secure Shelter. Nice secure cabin, but obviously not invisible.

6th level gives us the Magnificent Mansion - Rope Trick on steroids. Your spell isn't that powerful.

So, I'm thinking 5th would be a reasonable sweet spot for your idea. I think to make it worth a 5th level slot, I'd remove the condition that the caster must remain inside the hut/hemisphere. Giving it a bit more flexibility.

The only remaining thing I can think of is how to deal with attacks originating from inside this buffed up Invisibility Sphere. You don't want attacks to 'dispel' the field, nor do you want to have it act like a group Improved Invis. So, perhaps - attacks originating from inside the sphere flip it from Invisibility to Opaque, essentially blowing the "invis" benefit.

An immobile invisibility sphere-ish, yea. Though it's more of an illusion of the surrounding area than actual invisibility.

Attacks shouldn't dispel it, but maybe cause a ripple effect on the dome for a round. Effectively making it opaque for a round. Maybe crossing the threshold at all does that.

I think 5th would be fair. I see this being used more as an outpost than a shelter. Hidden rally point kind of thing.


Invisibility is the wrong word I think. It just makes the area appear as it did before the spell was cast. More like an illusionary wall I think. One that you can see out of, but not into.

Edit: I just realized I never finished the thread title.


The spell exists. It's a third level druid spell call hide camp. Maybe a more permanent version?


MageHunter wrote:
The spell exists. It's a third level druid spell call hide camp. Maybe a more permanent version?

Upon reading, yea basically. Only difference is that the campsite looks like the original terrain instead of a thicket. Though I suppose the difference is mostly negligible.

Though the ten min casting time seems pointlessly long.


It's important to prevent the spell from being cast in combat, since it would be much higher level if you could toss it out as a standard. It also requires finding somewhere with at least ten minutes of peace to camp.


QuidEst wrote:
It's important to prevent the spell from being cast in combat, since it would be much higher level if you could toss it out as a standard. It also requires finding somewhere with at least ten minutes of peace to camp.

As opposed to Tiny hut which does effectively the same thing, but without the camouflage?


Tiny Coffee Golem wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
It's important to prevent the spell from being cast in combat, since it would be much higher level if you could toss it out as a standard. It also requires finding somewhere with at least ten minutes of peace to camp.
As opposed to Tiny hut which does effectively the same thing, but without the camouflage?

True- not "much" higher, but it'd be higher. With Tiny Hut, the enemy knows where you are. With this, you could set up trickier stuff (especially with the new spells that can originate from a different source), and it removes the "must remain inside" requirement. Especially since it's much stronger than just invisibility- it also prevents sound from leaving.


QuidEst wrote:
Tiny Coffee Golem wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
It's important to prevent the spell from being cast in combat, since it would be much higher level if you could toss it out as a standard. It also requires finding somewhere with at least ten minutes of peace to camp.
As opposed to Tiny hut which does effectively the same thing, but without the camouflage?
True- not "much" higher, but it'd be higher. With Tiny Hut, the enemy knows where you are. With this, you could set up trickier stuff (especially with the new spells that can originate from a different source), and it removes the "must remain inside" requirement. Especially since it's much stronger than just invisibility- it also prevents sound from leaving.

I wouldn't mind Invisible Tiny hut that it as a 4th level spell. Though I think even that is pushing it a little. Frankly I think the original tiny hut should be a second level spell. Making a black camping bubble strikes me as conceptually easier than creating a pocket dimension, but I don't make these decisions.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about with the WOW reference? There's an NPC spell that does exactly what I'm talking about.


Meanwhile, I'd want to increase the casting time on Tiny Hut. One-way total concealment for the group is a really strong combat option when it's a standard action. There's nothing ranged enemies can do about it except close to melee. Plus, if you balance against "completely solve a problem" spells like Rope Trick, you're going to get really powerful spells. And if you're looking at the difficulty of doing something conceptually, then Rope Trick is one of the most under-leveled spells.


QuidEst wrote:
Meanwhile, I'd want to increase the casting time on Tiny Hut. One-way total concealment for the group is a really strong combat option when it's a standard action. There's nothing ranged enemies can do about it except close to melee. Plus, if you balance against "completely solve a problem" spells like Rope Trick, you're going to get really powerful spells. And if you're looking at the difficulty of doing something conceptually, then Rope Trick is one of the most under-leveled spells.

Fair Point.

As things currently stand I only prepare tiny hut for concealment/combat purposes.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Advice / Researched Spell advice. Invisible All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Advice