Invisible

Conditions

An invisible creature cannot be seen through normal means. Attacking it requires knowing its location — and even then, there's a significant miss chance. Invisible creatures gain substantial offensive advantages as well.

Effects on the Invisible Creature

  • Gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against sighted opponents (as if opponents have concealment and can't react normally).
  • Opponents lose their Dexterity bonus to AC against the invisible creature's attacks.
  • Can use the Stealth skill even while moving at full speed (no penalty), and even while attacking (though attacking immediately ends invisibility for non-permanent sources).
  • Moving through an area may reveal location by disturbed objects, sound, or footprints — a Perception check can pinpoint the invisible creature.

Effects on Attackers Targeting the Invisible Creature

  • Must guess the invisible creature's location — if wrong, the attack automatically misses.
  • If the attacker correctly identifies the location (via Perception, other senses, or area effects), there is a 50% miss chance (total concealment).
  • Spells and effects targeting a specific creature require the attacker to know (or correctly guess) the exact square.
  • Area effects (burst, spread, emanation) affect invisible creatures normally if they are within the area — no miss chance.
Attacking breaks standard invisibility. When an invisible creature attacks (or casts a spell with a visible effect), it becomes visible at the end of its turn. The attack is made with the invisibility bonus, but the creature is visible again afterward. Greater invisibility is an exception — it persists through attacks.

Detecting an Invisible Creature

  • See Invisibility (2nd-level spell) allows a caster to see invisible creatures normally.
  • True Seeing (6th-level spell) sees through all forms of invisibility and illusion.
  • Blindsense / Tremorsense detects invisible creatures in range (typically removes the guessing requirement but 50% miss chance may still apply).
  • Blindsight ignores invisibility entirely within its range.
  • Perception check (DC variable) can pinpoint an invisible creature by sound, disturbed dust, or other indirect signs — reduces the miss chance to 50% against a pinpointed target.
  • Glitterdust (2nd-level spell) coats invisible creatures in golden dust, making them visible regardless of the invisibility source.

Ending the Condition

  • Standard invisibility (invisibility spell) ends when the creature attacks or is the target of a successful dispel magic.
  • Greater invisibility persists through attacks and ends only when dispelled or the duration expires.
  • Invisibility purge (3rd-level cleric spell) causes all invisible creatures within 5 ft/level to become visible.
  • Permanent invisibility (via ring or ability) is ended only by dispelling the specific effect.

Related Conditions

  • Incorporeal — many incorporeal undead are also naturally invisible; the two combine to make them very difficult to target.
  • Blinded — a blinded attacker cannot see anyone (effectively everyone has total concealment); similar miss chances apply.

Common Sources

Invisibility (2nd-level); greater invisibility (4th-level; persists through attacks); invisibility sphere (affects a group); ring of invisibility; certain rogue talents (hide in plain sight, vanishing trick); natural invisibility (various monsters including some fey and aberrations); vanish (1st-level; shorter duration); shadow dancer class ability. Some creatures have continuous natural invisibility that cannot be dispelled — only counter-invisibility effects (true seeing, see invisibility, glitterdust) can reveal them.