Detect Magic? I cast "Detect Cheating".

[Soilent]

Honestly, does Detect Magic even need to exist? Could it not be baked into caster classes as a spell-like ability?

I've only ever seen it used to either A. Determine that an object is magical, or B. When someone wants to cheat their way out of dealing with an invisible enemy.

Couldn't you just make it a spellcraft check to detect magic on an object, and be done with it?

[MeanMutton]

Soilent wrote:

Honestly, does Detect Magic even need to exist? Could it not be baked into caster classes as a spell-like ability?

I've only ever seen it used to either A. Determine that an object is magical, or B. When someone wants to cheat their way out of dealing with an invisible enemy.

Couldn't you just make it a spellcraft check to detect magic on an object, and be done with it?

It's a zero level spell available to nearly every full and 2/3 spellcaster so it kind of is "baked into caster classes".

As far as using it to deal with an invisible enemy, it would be a very poor means for doing so. You'd just know that there's a magical aura somewhere in the general area. You can't see the creature so you can't even determine what school of magic the aura is coming from. Frankly, it would be indistinguishable from a lingering magical aura. You shouldn't be able to pinpoint an enemy using detect magic.

[ryric]

You don't need to be able to see to use detection spells, they just let you "know" things. It's still terrible at finding invisible creatures though.

[Entryhazard]

3 rounds to find the square in which is an invisible creature that in the meantime can maul you to death? Cheating huh

[Kobold Catgirl]

No, no, Entryhazard, it can inform you that the creature is there!

Mage: "Hey, guys, I think there might be an invisible stalker in this room."
Rogue (being mauled): "No—OW—kidding—OOF—you f+*!ing—ARRGH—genius."

[Malwing]

In the past I've argued long and hard against detect magic being a zero level spell if just for it's annoyance. Nowadays I make anyone without ranks in spellcraft really jumpy when wizards start wiggling fingers in their direction, sometimes violently.

[Gregory Connolly]

Detect Magic works alongside Spellcraft and Knowledge: Arcana to figure out what magic does. It indeed is meant to eat up a spell slot on every wizard and any other caster who has these skills.

If you are fighting invisible foes without the aid of See Invisibility and/or Glitterdust you are having a miserable time in any case. It isn't very effective, but when you are frustrated enough to try this you are usually beyond annoyed at the GM at the moment anyway. I have never seen it used to pinpoint someone, only to confirm that yes, there is an illusion aura over there somewhere that you can't pinpoint. And that wasn't in combat either.

[Bandw2]

this title couldn't be more charged if it tried.

[Soilent]

Bandw2 wrote:

this title couldn't be more charged if it tried.

What, like a wand of detect magic?

:D

[Ravingdork]

First, invisible stalkers don't radiate illusion magic.

Second, detect magic is much better at finding magical traps than it is invisible enemies.

Third, mage hand is better at detecting magic in (small) magical items than detect magic is.

Fourth, I'm done.

;D

[Jaunt]

Detect Magic is the following spells: Lesser Identify, Detect Magic Trap, Detect Illusion, Detect Poorly Hidden Magic Item.

I cast it everywhere all the time, but the one thing I don't use it for is detecting invisible things.

[Jiggy]

In order to think detect magic is a meaningful countermeasure to invisibility (let alone to think it's so effective as to be a good, cheap workaround to the "normal" countermeasures like see invisibility) requires either a gross misunderstanding of the spell beyond any possibility of having actually read its text, or a staggering ineptitude at making comparisons between it and "real" anti-invisibility options.

Every time someone starts one of these discussions, I die a little inside. :(