My players are saying that they can cast detect magic and they will be able to detect and npc who cast invisibility on themselves.
Is this correct? Can a 0 level cantrip cancel out invis?
The first round that Detect Magic is used on an area (60 foot cone area to be exact) you only get the ability to detect that some sort of magic is afoot.
On round two of focusing on an area you detect the exact number of magical auras and strength of the most powerful magical aura in the area.
Finally on round 3 you gain the exact location of every aura in the area and their strength.
An invisible character would be wise to not stay in one place to long if they suspected an enemy to be using detect magic, or the mage could use the level 2 spell Misdirection to fun results.
Hope that helps.
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My players are saying that they can cast detect magic and they will be able to detect and npc who cast invisibility on themselves.
Is this correct? Can a 0 level cantrip cancel out invis?
The first round that Detect Magic is used on an area (60 foot cone area to be exact) you only get the ability to detect that some sort of magic is afoot.
On round two of focusing on an area you detect the exact number of magical auras and strength of the most powerful magical aura in the area.
Finally on round 3 you gain the exact location of every aura in the area and their strength.
An invisible character would be wise to not stay in one place to long if they suspected an enemy to be using detect magic, or the mage could use the level 2 spell Misdirection to fun results.
Hope that helps.
+1 to Tolroy's post
It is also the case that, to continue detecting magic, the caster must concentrate on maintaining the spell with a new standard action each round, making not only fighting, but living a normal life difficult with detect magic on all of the time.
With the unlimited 0-level spells in PFRPG, my own reading of this is that it's pretty realistic to assume that in mid or high magic worlds, the city guard could use a few 1st level casters to guard the jail by just standing around with detect magic on all of the time, but you could still use invisibility to sneak up on someone who is concentrating on something else, and invisibility makes it hard to detect and then actually fight someone who is invisible.
This is the assumption I run by in my Eberron game, and the Assassin PC with the ring of invisibility still manages to get away with murder (pun intended, sorry everybody!) by distracting or sneak attacking people.
And on top of all of that, all that detect magic can see is the illusion aura - you really couldn't actually tell who or what it is that's invisible, beyond maybe their size category.
An important thing to remember is that detect magic does not tell you what the spell is, only that a spell aura is there, and possibly the school of magic. It is also possible for a spell aura to exist after a spell has expired. A good way to have fun with metagaming players.
Another point is that a invisible NPC is still invisible and still has all the advantages of the spell. Stabbing the annoying caster in the face for sneak attack damage sounds like a decent option. That'll teach 'em.
They can however make a spellcraft check to identify the spell once they have the detect magic locked on it (after the three rounds). Honestly there are later spells I would rather have cast personally... see invisibility and Arcane Sight (greater too) come to mind quickly.
They can however make a spellcraft check to identify the spell once they have the detect magic locked on it (after the three rounds). Honestly there are later spells I would rather have cast personally... see invisibility and Arcane Sight (greater too) come to mind quickly.
I always thought you had to see the spell being cast. The below paragraphs support that. Nothing supports detect magic being able to help identify a spell.
Spellcraft
(Int; Trained Only)You are skilled at the art of casting spells, identifying magic items, crafting magic items, and identifying spells as they are being cast.
Check: Spellcraft is used whenever your knowledge and skill of the technical art of casting a spell or crafting a magic item comes into question. This skill is also used to identify the properties of magic items in your possession through the use of spells such as detect magic and identify. The DC of this check varies depending upon the task at hand.
Action: Identifying a spell as it is being cast requires no action, but you must be able to clearly see the spell as it is being cast, and this incurs the same penalties as a Perception skill check due to distance, poor conditions, and other factors. Learning a spell from a spellbook takes 1 hour per level of the spell (0-level spells take 30 minutes). Preparing a spell from a borrowed spellbook does not add any time to your spell preparation. Making a Spellcraft check to craft a magic item is made as part of the creation process. Attempting to ascertain the properties of a magic item takes 3 rounds per item to be identified and you must be able to thoroughly examine the object.
Detect MagicSchool divination; Level bard 0, cleric 0, druid 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Component: V, S
Range 60 ft.
Area cone-shaped emanation
Duration concentration, up to 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You detect magical auras. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject.
1st Round: Presence or absence of magical auras.
2nd Round: Number of different magical auras and the power of the most potent aura.
3rd Round: The strength and location of each aura. If the items or creatures bearing the auras are in line of sight, you can make Knowledge (arcana) skill checks to determine the school of magic involved in each. (Make one check per aura: DC 15 + spell level, or 15 + 1/2 caster level for a nonspell effect.) If the aura eminates from a magic item, you can attempt to identify its properties (see Spellcraft).
Wraithstrike
I'm sorry it's a Knowledge(arcana) check. I forgot that it was shoved over there instead of spellcraft.
It's under "Identify a spell effect that is in place."
As is identify a spell that has been cast at you... and some overlap with spellcraft on identifying magical auras.
Wraithstrike
I'm sorry it's a Knowledge(arcana) check. I forgot that it was shoved over there instead of spellcraft.
It's under "Identify a spell effect that is in place."
As is identify a spell that has been cast at you... and some overlap with spellcraft on identifying magical auras.
I did not know that. At least its 5 higher than spellcraft so it does not crossover so much. Thanks.
An important thing to remember is that detect magic does not tell you what the spell is, only that a spell aura is there, and possibly the school of magic. It is also possible for a spell aura to exist after a spell has expired. A good way to have fun with metagaming players.
Exactly.
Given that a creature using an Invisibility spell probably has some other spells or some magic items on him, detect magic would pick up various levels of magic of potentially various schools. And there would likely be a good bit of area flooded with dim magic as well. If the Invisible creature is moving at all as well, it will screw with the readings, as where there would have been faint illusion magic in one spot is now reading as dim illusion magic.
An intelligent creature could potentially foresee the use of detect magic and perhaps plant an invisible object in the room as well as a decoy.
