I'm looking at a possible illusionist wizard build, and am concerned that at higher levels True Seeing is really going to become a problem.
While I appreciate that Mind Blank will help with some of that (such as allowing the wizard to remain invisible via Greater Invisibility), it really hurts the flavourful offensive options available to an illusionist. For example, True Seeing will trump things like Phantasmal Killer (and by extension, Weird) and other similar spells (such as Phantasmal Asphyxiation). It also dramatically reduces the effectiveness of the Shadow spells.
So I was thinking: as a high level wizard illusionist, I'm smart and obviously know this True Seeing thing is a problem -- so what would I do to deal with it? Well why not research and create a spell to specifically counter it?
Hence the following spell idea:
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BLIND THE SIGHTED
School: abjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 7
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M (finely ground black onyx powder worth 250gp)
Range: personal
Target: you
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
You surround yourself with a sphere of power with a radius of 5 feet per caster level that negates the effect of see invisibility, true seeing, or any effect akin to either of those spells. These sight-enhancing divination effects continue to work outside the affected area, but anything within the area is not revealed (including darkness effects, invisibility, illusions and anything else that would otherwise be revealed). This spell has no effect on other senses, such as blindsense, blindsight, scent or tremorsense.
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Does this seem like a reasonably balanced spell? I designed it fairly quickly, but note that it is a level or two higher than True Seeing (which is cleric 5 and sorcerer/wizard 6), has a similar material component cost and duration to True Seeing, and the same sort of radius as Invisibility Purge. It is a level lower than Mind Blank, but has a much reduced duration and none of the anti-scrying effects the latter spell has.
My thinking is that it does not offer an illusionist a total defence against divination magic and requires getting a little closer than they might prefer to get off offensive spells, but at least it would invalidate True Seeing as a total counter to an illusionist's tricks. It would also open up Mirror Image as a valid defence again!
Interested in people's thoughts...
I would say that the closest spell to this is Aroden's spellbane. Spellbane is a 9th level spell, it lets you choose the spells it negates (up to 4 at 20th level), it has a focus (costing 1000 gp) instead of a material component and has a much smaller effect. It's duration is considerably longer, at 1/hour per level.
So the main advantage Aroden's spellbane has over this one, is that it is customized at casting and the longer duration. The customization advantage is somewhat mitigated by you designing this spell, which means after a fashion it is already customized. Your spells advantages are that it not only negates magic, but negates the innate truesight and see invisibility powers as well. That and the range advantage make me think it is fairly close to Aroden's Spellbane in power, at most a level below (and also I think it is comparable to mindblank in power so that fits too.)
Personally, I think a better solution would be a customized meta-magic feat. There are several examples of metamagic feats that basically make spells effect creatures that are normally immune to them. Typically it is a +2 level adjustment, and I think that fair here.
Something like
Veracious Spells (metamagic)
Prerequisites: Skill Focus (illusion), maybe something else
Benefits: A Veracious spell cannot be discerned or seen through by see invisibility, true seeing, or any effect akin to either of those spells. This has no effect on other senses, such as blindsense, blindsight, scent or tremorsense.
Level Increase: + 2
This might be better balanced if it offered an opposed check or saving throw of some kind. True seeing is supposed to be really difficult to thwart.
I would research this spell instead
DISPEL TRUE SEEING
School abjuration; Level bard 4, cleric 4, druid 5, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one TRUE SEEING spell
Duration 10 min / level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Targeted Dispel: One spell of TRUE SEEING is the target of the dispel magic spell. You make one dispel check (1d20 + your caster level) at time of casting and compare that to the first TRUE SEEING spell you encounter, caster level (DC = 11 + the spell's caster level). If successful, that spell ends. If the TRUE SEEING is permanent, it restarts after one minute.
It is a version of DISPEL MAGIC, but only targets a single specific spell (less powerful than original spell), but also has a duration longer than instant (more powerful than original spell). So I made it one level higher than original spell.
Excellent thoughts everyone -- thank you very much.
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Dave Justus -- I had looked at Aroden's Spellbane, and while it' a 9th level spell, it certainly would be a pretty effective counter to True Seeing, See Invisibility, and potentially other spells on top of that, with the longer duration you mention. Pretty amazing spell.
I hadn't actually considered the interaction of the Blind the Sighted spell with inherent true seeing abilities, though I wanted to ensure that things like blindsight would still work (the idea being to make illusion spells effective rather than to make the character immune to detection). Actually, on that same thinking, I could actually remove the reference to See Invisibility, as it isn't a critical part of the spell. From your comments, do you think Blind the Sighted would be more balanced as an 8th level spell?
As far as the metamagic idea goes, that's not something I had thought about before. I'll definitely have to think about that. I'm not sure the concept of creating a new feat appeals to me so much as the idea of a wizard researching a new spell to address his/her biggest weakness, but I definitely get the rationale for the idea.
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blahpers and Mr. Styx -- your ideas kind of align in that they both involve opposed checks, and the idea of a dispel-like spell that specifically targets True Seeing effects had certainly occurred to me. From the caster's perspective I don't like it quite as much, given it has action economy implications, and maybe more importantly, it requires identification of an enemy's use of true seeing to allow for targeting. Also, part of the thinking with Blind the Sighted is that it is higher level than True Seeing, which provides an inherent justification for why the spell might be able to counter a lower level one, whereas Dispel True Seeing is lower level.
Having said that, I'm now considering a hybrid idea -- a spell with an aura effect that constantly seeks out and attempts to dispel true seeing effects within the area. It gives me this visual of tendrils of eldritch energy (maybe ironically visible only to those with true seeing?) which are constantly questing out to find those with true seeing effects and apply a dispel check against them. That could be both cool and effective without being an outright "sorry, no" to those with True Seeing. Would need to look into the caster level applicable to constant true seeing effects though.
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How would people feel about this as a concept?
Invisible Fog (Level 3)
This spell works as Obscuring Mist, except that the fog is invisible. It reduces visibility to 5 feet for anyone who can see invisible or who has true seeing, but has no effect on anyone else.
How would people feel about this as a concept?
Invisible Fog (Level 3)
This spell works as Obscuring Mist, except that the fog is invisible. It reduces visibility to 5 feet for anyone who can see invisible or who has true seeing, but has no effect on anyone else.
It is interesting, and has a subtlety to it that I like. Obviously subject to the usual fog counters (fogcutting lenses, for example), but could be a fun mechanic to surprise those with sight-enhancing spells. Of course, as a caster, you might also be relying on those same spells, so you might often be shooting yourself in the foot with this.
Unfortunately I'm not sure it does anything to achieve what I'm looking for in this particular case (which is to make offensive illusion spells less easily invalidated), and is more directed towards making the caster unseen (something largely achievable with Greater Invisibility + Mind Blank). Even with Invisible Fog in place, my reading is that True Seeing would still invalidate spells like Phantasmal Killer.
You could have arcane sight up and running, using a dispel magic when you see the vast, mobile 120' swath of divination magic enter your sight.
Constant true seeing SLAs can be dispelled, but they typically either automatically refresh at the beginning of their next turn or are a free action to refresh on their next turn. Simplest solution is either a Quickened dispel magic to rip it down followed by [insert nasty shadow spell here] or in cooperation with your Allied Spellcaster buddy's dispel magic preceding your [insert nasty shadow spell here].
I like Matthew Downie's solution best. You create a spell that hampers the vision of those using True Sight. They aren't affected by your illusions, but they no longer can rely on their true sight either.
I do think the spell you put up is more like an 8th level spell.
As far as the metamagic idea goes, that's not something I had thought about before. I'll definitely have to think about that. I'm not sure the concept of creating a new feat appeals to me so much as the idea of a wizard researching a new spell to address his/her biggest weakness, but I definitely get the rationale for the idea.
One must assume that from inside the game world's perspective it was wizards and their ilk that researched the techniques and methods for meta-magic, just as they research new spells. Obviously, unlike spells, their aren't any guidelines for a PC to research a new feat, but from a story perspective, if your GM will go for the feat to begin with, I don't see a problem with the flavor being that you researched it (although I would probably make it available to everyone, including your enemies, anyway).
True seeing is one of those threats that is never as bad as it seems, only well prepared powerful casters and the occasional powerful outsider will have, most fights you won't need to worry about it. It's not anything like the enchanters problem of entire creature types including the common undead from all level ranges being immune to their school. Just fall back on other buffs and debuffs.
On solutions you could always asked for a homebrew archetype, at a certain level you gain an ability where there is opposed caster level checks.
This should restore full potency to your shadow magic:
Blindness
Otherwise dot the floor with the traps and put handy illusionary flags over each trap to warn your allies of their location - there's nothing to suggest that anyone w/ trueseeing would even know the flags are there.