03-16-2018, 08:53 PM
Hi all,
I'm GM-ing a game on Play by Post and something has come up that I would appreciate some rules insight from y'all. One PC is a psychic who is flying and has just cast greater invisibility. We've already had some discussions of this FAQ which makes it plain that even psychic spells have visible manifestations (so you know that a psychic spell has been cast, even though it has no verbal or spoken components), but now that he has cast greater invisibility, I'm unsure how that affects this, if at all. Specifically, if one of my NPCs (who does not have see invisibility, or any other way to locate the invisible psychic) were to ready an action to shoot at him as soon as he begins casting, would that work? Given that the psychic isn't saying anything or making any gestures to cast a spell, and he himself is invisible, what would be the basis (if there is one) for saying that my NPC's readied action is triggered? I suppose I could say that the air begins to shimmer as the magic is beginning to be enacted? Of course I understand that the psychic will remain invisible even if the readied action triggers, and as such will have a 50% miss chance, but I'm trying to understand if I have a basis for allowing the NPC to ready an action to interrupt spell-casting in this way (and, I should say, the NPC saw him turn invisible, so he's well aware that there is an invisible caster floating around).
Based on the linked FAQ above, I'm inclined to allow it but I expect the player to complain so I wanted to see what y'all have to say.
If I don't allow it, this one PC could literally solo the entire encounter with a bunch of wands of magic missile and could just plink plink plink until the NPCs were destroyed, but I understand that sometimes that's just how it is in Pathfinder.
What do y'all think? I'm avoiding posting about this on the main paizo site since the players at the table might well be reading.
thanks,
Abraham
I'm GM-ing a game on Play by Post and something has come up that I would appreciate some rules insight from y'all. One PC is a psychic who is flying and has just cast greater invisibility. We've already had some discussions of this FAQ which makes it plain that even psychic spells have visible manifestations (so you know that a psychic spell has been cast, even though it has no verbal or spoken components), but now that he has cast greater invisibility, I'm unsure how that affects this, if at all. Specifically, if one of my NPCs (who does not have see invisibility, or any other way to locate the invisible psychic) were to ready an action to shoot at him as soon as he begins casting, would that work? Given that the psychic isn't saying anything or making any gestures to cast a spell, and he himself is invisible, what would be the basis (if there is one) for saying that my NPC's readied action is triggered? I suppose I could say that the air begins to shimmer as the magic is beginning to be enacted? Of course I understand that the psychic will remain invisible even if the readied action triggers, and as such will have a 50% miss chance, but I'm trying to understand if I have a basis for allowing the NPC to ready an action to interrupt spell-casting in this way (and, I should say, the NPC saw him turn invisible, so he's well aware that there is an invisible caster floating around).
Based on the linked FAQ above, I'm inclined to allow it but I expect the player to complain so I wanted to see what y'all have to say.
If I don't allow it, this one PC could literally solo the entire encounter with a bunch of wands of magic missile and could just plink plink plink until the NPCs were destroyed, but I understand that sometimes that's just how it is in Pathfinder.
What do y'all think? I'm avoiding posting about this on the main paizo site since the players at the table might well be reading.
thanks,
Abraham
An updated list of what I've played and GM-ed is at: https://www.pfstracker.net/#/players/100198/report
PFS ID: 100198
PFS ID: 100198