Which of the following make an invisible person visible...


Rules Questions


if they are hit with it:

A bag of flour
Alchemist's Fire
Alchemist's Bomb
Glitterdust

Thanks in advance

OH


Technically only the Glitterdust spell, the bag of flour can give you the square your target occupies, but they still get total concealment.

The other two do not.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Glitterdust. that's it. The flour that comes in contact becomes invisible, but that's obscured by the cloud of very visible flour around said person, so concealment would still apply.

None of the others would make him visible any more than a fireball would.

Silver Crusade

Being hit by Alchemist Fire would cause the target to emit flames.
Not the same thing as being visible, but would reveal there is something in that square.

Unless somehow the flames become invisible too, and don't emit heat which can be used to determine something is in that square, and do not give off smoke to show something is burning there either.


Invisible Efreets would have problems hiding if that was the case.

Although it makes sense following the logic of "the real world", Pathfinder follows a different set of rules from "the real world".

I agree with Green Smashomancer and LazarX, and disagree with Jokem.

Alchemist Fire does not reveal nor neutralizes invisibility. Alchemist Fire does what it says it does: 1d6 damage on a direct hit and 1 splash damage. After a direct hit, 1d6 avoidable extra fire damage in the next round. It does not say it neutralizes invisibility anywhere. So it does not.

EDIT: again, rules do not follow common sense. Rules follow in-game balance.


A bag of flour and, arguably, being set on fire by an alchemist's fire or bomb would pinpoint the enemy's square, but not make them visible (still 50% miss chance). Glitterdust, however, visibly outlines them and cancels their +40 stealth, so, I'm thinking that allows for normal attacks.


It doesn't say fire neutralizes invisibility, but it does say this:
"Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source)."
Any fire will create a flickering glow in your area which would provide a strong clue to your location, especially in a dark area.


And as we all know, flour is very flammable. What happens if I coat them in flour and then toss the alchs fire?


Goddity wrote:
And as we all know, flour is very flammable. What happens if I coat them in flour and then toss the alchs fire?

Nothing, because the rules don't have any provisions for it.

On a serious note, pretty much any powder that's been aerosolized is flammable. However, this game is not a physics simulator and has no rules for how much damage aerosolized powders should do.

If you must absolutely include it, I would say no more than 1d6.


Invisibility makes one invisible. It does not negate the crackling of the flames nor does it muffle the screaming.


Avianfoo wrote:
Invisibility makes one invisible. It does not negate the crackling of the flames nor does it muffle the screaming.

Which would at best allow you to pinpoint their square, but would not negate the 50% miss chance.

Grand Lodge

Goddity wrote:
And as we all know, flour is very flammable. What happens if I coat them in flour and then toss the alchs fire?

Are you thinking of powdered coffee creamer?

That is some very flammable stuff.


Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

The search engine is your friend. Use it to find related threads like
This one and this one too.


I think there's a case for flour outlining the target just fine.

Invisibility wrote:
Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature.

The item only disappears if they tuck it into a pouch, etc. The flour does not become invisible unless they recast.


blackbloodtroll wrote:
Goddity wrote:
And as we all know, flour is very flammable. What happens if I coat them in flour and then toss the alchs fire?

Are you thinking of powdered coffee creamer?

That is some very flammable stuff.

For your viewing enjoyment


We recently had an interesting situation: An invisible guy with fire shield (a 4th level spell emitting light) was the only light source while the enemy had deeper darkness (3rd level) cast on himself.
We decided that there is some light 10ft around the one with the fire shield but the rest was supernatural dark.

@Topic: Only glitterdust


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

From Ultimate Equipment:
Powdered chalk, flour, and similar materials are popular with adventurers for their utility in pinpointing invisible creatures. Throwing a bag of powder into a square is an attack against AC 5, and momentarily reveals whether an invisible creature is there. A much more effective method is to spread powder on a surface (which takes 1 full round) and look for footprints.

From Core Rulebook:
If an invisible character picks up a visible object, the object remains visible. An invisible creature can pick up a small visible item and hide it on his person (tucked in a pocket or behind a cloak) and render it effectively invisible. One could coat an invisible object with flour to at least keep track of its position (until the flour falls off or blows away).

...

An invisible burning torch still gives off light, as does an invisible object with a light or similar spell cast upon it.

Of all the things you listed, they all should work if they hit, though only briefly (excepting glitterdust, which should last a decent amount of time).

Grand Lodge

Alchemist's Fire and bombs make no mention of giving off light. That shouldn't even be brought up here.


I would expect fire to give off light unless stated otherwise. I'm not sure if there's anything RAW saying a campfire gives off light, but common sense says it does.


Fire Elementals don't give off light. It might not make sense, but that is the rule. If something gives off light the rules would have to provide a radius.

I am not saying one should be a slave to the rules, simply stating "what should be", and "what the rules are" are not always the same.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
claudekennilol wrote:
Alchemist's Fire and bombs make no mention of giving off light. That shouldn't even be brought up here.

Most people assume fire creates light, but let's say for a moment that your assertion is correct. A successful attack still reveals the invisible target's location; an arrow stops in mid-air, a sword's swing is arrested, a bomb detonates prematurely, or whatever. Regardless, their are clear signs that you hit something in that square. Whether or not you can see it as a result of the attack is largely inconsequential. You know something is there.


3 people marked this as a favorite.
wraithstrike wrote:
If something gives off light the rules would have to provide a radius.

Nothing without a specified radius can give off light? A bonfire, a burning city, a Searing Light spell, the sun...?


Matthew Downie wrote:
wraithstrike wrote:
If something gives off light the rules would have to provide a radius.
Nothing without a specified radius can give off light? A bonfire, a burning city, a Searing Light spell, the sun...?

Searing Light Radius= Your face

The Sun Radius= A lot

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Which of the following make an invisible person visible... All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.