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Adding "spoiler" in case any player is reading through this thread. My question is meant for GMs only, please.
GMs Only Please:
My party is currently exploring Runeforge. They have encountered a lot of magic, and planning to travel to Shimmering Veils at start of next session. What information would the characters find using detect magic? Would they easily find the mirrors of reflection? The description of the Runeforge itself indicates the walls/ceiling/floor are magically treated. Would this mean that everything radiates faint (or strong) transmutation magic? Or would detect magic be useless because runeforge is so powerful in its own dimension?
My party is currently exploring Runeforge. They have encountered a lot of magic, and planning to travel to Shimmering Veils at start of next session. What information would the characters find using detect magic? Would they easily find the mirrors of reflection? The description of the Runeforge itself indicates the walls/ceiling/floor are magically treated. Would this mean that everything radiates faint (or strong) transmutation magic? Or would detect magic be useless because runeforge is so powerful in its own dimension?
Thanks.
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Spoilering because you started it:
Good questions, all around. I've been describing Thassilonian ruins as having several minor background auras keeping the ruins clean and in good repair over the countless years, so I anticipate I'll continue to mention that. As a result, yeah, most things would glow, but I'd call it a Dim glow, an aura so low that it doesn't even register as Faint. I think they'd also be able to find the mirrors you mention, but by the time they notice them, they'll be very cognizant of what they do - after all, detect magic only reveals the presence of auras in the first round, and by that time, they'll have picked up the reflections of the PC searching for auras, and stepped out of the mirrors to kill that PC.
Good questions, all around. I've been describing Thassilonian ruins as having several minor background auras keeping the ruins clean and in good repair over the countless years, so I anticipate I'll continue to mention that. As a result, yeah, most things would glow, but I'd call it a Dim glow, an aura so low that it doesn't even register as Faint. I think they'd also be able to find the mirrors you mention, but by the time they notice them, they'll be very cognizant of what they do - after all, detect magic only reveals the presence of auras in the first round, and by that time, they'll have picked up the reflections of the PC searching for auras, and stepped out of the mirrors to kill that PC.
What I would not do is say that detect magic is useless in Runeforge. That seems needless, honestly. It has several limitations, most notably the length of time required to accurately analyze any spell or effect with it, so I don't see a reason to say that the spell suddenly stops working within Runeforge.
** spoiler omitted **
Me too!:
In my campaign, I've made sure to describe the walls in the Catacombs of Wrath as having a faint abjuration aura (although dim makes a lot of sense), and then I've allowed my players to identify the effect as preservative. Funnily enough, this fact also made them less interested in destroying the whole place, since they figured they would first have to dispel all of the protective magics.
In Runeforge:
By the time we get to Runeforge, I hope to have gotten better at tracking the rounds it takes for Detect Magic to be useful. In some cases, the casters should even feel that their impulse to always detect everything around them becomes a liability. Concentrating on one area for several rounds should make one less aware of what happens outside their 60 ft-cone, which can be dangerous.
Detect Magic is still useful, and an important part of the game. I have to be careful not to have it slow down gameplay too much.