| | Ref | Ouvrage | Question | | Reponse |
|---|
| 1. | DR036 | Dragon #36 | If you keep using a Ring of Invisibility, will you
slowly become invisible forever? | | My stars, no! That would make the ring too powerful. For
something to bestow permanent invisibility to a character is making it
much too powerful. Just go around doing anything you want without
ever being seen? No, no? |
| 2. | DR071 | Dragon #71 | ASTRAL, GENERAL TOPICS: Does the Astral Plane contact the Elemental Planes? | | Not as far as can be told from the literature. It was pointed out
by a questioner that if spell-users could summon walls of stone
on the Astral Plane (as well as poison gas, water, and fireballs),
then why not let them bring elementals as well? This was a hard
point to resolve; it was assumed that the former sorts of spells
do not necessarily draw power from the Elemental Planes, and
that in casting such spells as wall of stone, fireball, etc., the
spell caster is spontaneously creating material from nothing.
Others may point out that there are at least two known types
of elementals — aerial servants and invisible stalkers — known
to roam astral space. It could be conjectured that they got there
by being summoned to the Prime Material Plane and then sent
into astral space on some mission. They might also have been
gated to astral space by their respective rulers on the elemental
planes. Taking a cue from Module Q1, however, it appears that
the elemental-conjuring spells are not powerful enough to
bring elementals to the Astral Plane directly from their home
planes. A spell caster might try to develop a different type of
elemental-summoning spell that attracts elementals who happen
to be on the same plane as the summoner (this would be
good for getting aerial servants and invisible stalkers to come to
you astrally) — but the referee should consider the possibility
that such a spell would actually enrage the summoned creature
if it saved against the spell, making it very likely that the creature
would then seek out and attempt to slay the summoner.
If a spell caster just has to have an elemental on the Astral
Plane, then a magic-user could summon an invisible stalker on
the Prime Material Plane and command it to follow him into
astral space while he uses some other means (spell, psionics,
device, etc.) to get there. Or, characters could cast a gate spell,
linked directly with the Elemental Planes (and the rulers thereof),
and then could try to negotiate for the temporary use of an
elemental or two. This could obviously be very expensive, as
well as incredibly dangerous, so it isn’t recommended.
In most cases, if an elemental is to be conjured, there must be
a medium at the place of summoning in astral space appropriate
to the type summoned (a water sphere for water elementals,
stone or earth for earth elementals, or flame for fire elementals).
Only air elementals would require no special medium
to move through; they can travel naturally through astral space,
just as aerial servants and invisible stalkers do. |
| 3. | DR078 | Dragon #78 | Does the “Detection of Invisibility” table on p. 60 of the DMG
apply to psionic invisibility? Can a character using the discipline
of invisibility attack another creature and still remain invisible
to that creature? | | No on both counts. First, psionic invisibility involves mind
control, “not light waves or similar physical manifestations”
(Players Handbook, p. 113), and hence cannot be detected by
intelligent creatures the same way they might be able to sense
someone who was rendered invisible by magical means. Someone
employing the mind bar discipline is not subject to this mind
control, however, and thus is able to “see through” the
deception.
Second, a character using psionic invisibility cannot attack at
the same time because he must concentrate on the application of
the discipline to maintain his invisible state. Unless otherwise
specified in a particular description, no psionic attack mode or
discipline can be employed while the user’s mind is distracted or
engaged in some other decision-making activity. |
| 4. | DR118 | Dragon #118 | Does the blind-fighting proficiency
aid a character when fighting invisible
creatures? | | Yes, indeed. The blind-fighting proficiency
’s bonuses (only-2 to attack, damage,
and saving rolls, no AC penalty, and retention
of special abilities) apply in any situation
in which a character cannot see his
opponent. This includes darkness, blindness,
and all magical effects that render
the opponent unable to be seen. |
| 5. | DR123 | Dragon #123 | D&D® Expert Set : The invisible stalker spell is subject
to considerable abuse in my
campaign. Isn’t this spell overpowered? | | An invisible stalker always tries to subvert any long and onerous mission that it
is given. If told to serve a character until
he dies, a stalker might promptly fetch the
character’s slippers, run his bath water,
and do the dishes, but will refuse to fight,
track, or carry treasure. Personal servants,
after all, are domestic in nature. If
ordered to protect a character and keep
him from all harm, the stalker will try to
carry the character off to the Elemental
Plane of Air, the stalker’s home plane,
where protecting the character will be
much easier. |
| 6. | DR127 | Dragon #127 | BATTLESYSTEM™: Certain characters and monsters
in the AD&D game have a natural
ability to detect invisible creatures.
How does this work in the
BATTLESYSTEM supplement – is it
an automatic ability? | | According to page 60 of the DMG, the
ability is almost automatic. A creature is
“exposed to invisibility” if attacked by an
invisible creature, actually looking right at
the invisible creature, listening carefully
for movement, etc. There are so many
distractions on a battlefield, however, that
no unit or hero can detect an invisible 1:1-
scale figure unless given orders to do so
and told where to look – that is, the player
in charge of the opposing unit or hero
must state that an attempt to locate an
invisible foe is being made and where the
figures are looking. If a unit is looking, roll
once for the whole unit. Only the hero or
unit that successfully makes the detection
roll can “see” the invisible creature(s),
although others may be told where to
look. Invisible figures of greater than 1:1
scale, however, have a chance to be spotted
if they simply cross a hero’s or unit’s
line of sight. |
| 7. | DR127 | Dragon #127 | BATTLESYSTEM™: What happens when a unit on a
forced march comes into contact
with an enemy unit? The rules seem
to indicate that something terrible is
supposed to happen. | | A unit cannot execute a forced march if
the forced march will bring it into contact
with an enemy unit. How this restriction
works out in practice depends on the
situation. For example, a unit with a movement
rate of 12” can make a forced march
of up to 18”. The unit cannot use a forced
march to make melee contact with an
enemy unit that is more than 12” worth of
movement away. If the unit makes a
forced march and comes into contact with
an enemy unit before it has exceeded its
normal 12” movement rate, it loses its 6”
forced march bonus as it must follow rule
[7.8] on page 11; the unit suffers no other
penalties. If a unit making a forced march
can see an opposing unit that lies just
beyond the marching unit’s normal movement
limit, the marching unit comes to a
halt at the limit of its normal movement
rate (the troops are assumed to have
stopped to catch their breath before
melee). However, if the unit accidentally
runs into a hidden or invisible unit after it
has exceeded its 12” movement, it is
stopped and ambushed by the hidden
force. In the melee phase, the hidden
force gains the initiative and inflicts damage
on the moving unit before the moving
unit can return the attack. |
| 8. | DR129 | Dragon #129 | Can a character using infravision
see undead creatures? | | Yes, they appear cold (blue) and can only
be seen dimly. Optionally, skeletons might
have the same temperature as the room
around them, thus being “invisible” to
infravision. |
| 9. | DR129 | Dragon #129 | Can a character using infravision
see invisible creatures such as a
magic-user using an invisibility
spell or ring? Could the character
see a thief hiding in shadows? | | An invisibility spell or ring also defeats
infravision. Infravision might reveal a thief
hidden in shadows. If there is a heat
source nearby (a torch or fire), infravision
is spoiled and the thief remains hidden. If
there is no heat source, infravision reveals
the thief. |