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My campaign has currently reached high enough level so the wizard (with all his stored EXP) has begun permancying spells on himself. I am having a problem with Arcane Sight. I can't quite decide how I want it to function. You see magic auras with the spell so I have some concerns/questions:
1. Could you see a magic item through someone cloak?
2. Would there be a mundane way to "cover up" the glow of an item?
I don't see how you can ever get the drop on a character with Arcane Sight if the enemy is using magic to be undetectable.
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
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My first thought would be that there probably isn't a way to hide magical auras mundanely and keep the item close at hand. But there is Nystal's magic aura.
IMC it is common for the PCs to try and detect magic on closed and locked chests. Early on I decided that detect magic would prove somewhat unreliable in these cases depending on the number of magical items and the strength of their auras vs. the thickness of the chest. You could consider something similar.
As for never getting the drop on someone with arcane sight the spell doesn't reveal intent. Enemies will just have to be that much more clever when dealing with "the hero with the glowing blue eyes."
Director of Narrative
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Though arcane sight only mentions that it is similar to detect magic, you could rule that the aura is blocked by "1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt." The most mundane you could get would be lead foil. Your best bet would be to employ (Nystal's) magic aura, a simple 1st level spell. Keep in mind that this spell could be incorporated into an item at creation to make it appear non-magical.
On a slight side note, in my last campaign I had a retirement lodge for old wizards just out side of town. These wizards were afflicted with a magical disease resulting from using divinitory magic like arcane sight and detect magic so often that everything eventually registers as magic. This affliction is very disorienting, so a spellcaster set up this lodge, protected by an antimagic field, in order to find a cure.
I never liked how fragile permanency was. I think I ruled it that dispel magic only supresses the permanencied spell, similar to a magic item. If you pay XP it shouldn't be so easily broken.
You might rule that arcane sight only works on objects you can see, or you might go with the Detect Magic limit of however many feet of soil.
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I never liked how fragile permanency was. I think I ruled it that dispel magic only supresses the permanencied spell, similar to a magic item. If you pay XP it shouldn't be so easily broken.
The XP cost isn't that high. Knowing this player, he would just re- permancy it. I was kinda thinking to go the route of magic giving off stronger glows based on the caster level. So say a +3 Holy Great Sword would give off a glow equivilent to a bon fire. And letting him turn it on and off as an immediate action. Basically, when he has it "on" he can see all magical auras which, depending on the magic auras in question, would certainly affect his vision. E.G. a minor artifact would be so blinding he wouldn't be able to see so he would be forced to shut it down so that he could still operate.
What do you guys think? I appreciate all your input.