Greater Invisibility
- Level: 4
- School: Illusion
- Class: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: Action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
A creature you touch has the Invisible condition until the spell ends.
Tactical Usage
Greater Invisibility provides sustained stealth capabilities that persist through combat actions, making it the premier invisibility spell for tactical applications. Unlike regular invisibility, Greater Invisibility allows full offensive capability while maintaining concealment, providing devastating advantages in combat situations.
Use this spell on primary damage dealers or spellcasters to enable surprise rounds and advantageous positioning. The persistent invisibility creates ongoing tactical benefits - enemies cannot target the invisible creature directly, forcing them to rely on area effects or educated guessing about positioning.
Resource management requires careful consideration of the concentration requirement and 1-minute duration. Protect the caster's concentration while maximizing the invisible ally's offensive potential. The spell works best when the invisible creature can maintain distance from enemies while dealing consistent damage.
Spell Combinations
Greater Invisibility synergizes powerfully with offensive spells and abilities that benefit from advantage or surprise. Combine with Haste for an invisible creature that can make multiple attacks with advantage each turn. Polymorph into powerful forms while invisible creates nearly unstoppable combinations.
Layer with Blur or Mirror Image to provide additional protection if the invisible creature becomes visible. Misty Step or Dimension Door allow repositioning while maintaining invisibility. Counterspell can protect against Faerie Fire or See Invisibility attempts.
For group tactics, combine with Pass without Trace for enhanced stealth capabilities. Silence prevents invisible spellcasters from being detected by sound. Suggestion or Charm Person becomes incredibly effective when cast by invisible creatures.
Material Component Details
Greater Invisibility requires only verbal and somatic components, making it exceptionally reliable for stealth operations. The lack of material components means the spell cannot be disrupted through component destruction or environmental interference, providing consistent accessibility.
The somatic component requires visible gestures, which might seem counterintuitive for an invisibility spell. However, the casting itself doesn't require stealth - only the subsequent actions benefit from concealment. Plan casting timing carefully to avoid detection.
The verbal component can be whispered or incorporated into ambient sounds, though this requires careful environmental consideration. Silent casting through metamagic or class features eliminates this concern entirely, making Greater Invisibility perfect for stealth operations.
Creator Notes
Greater Invisibility dramatically shifts encounter balance by removing targeting options from enemies. Design encounters with invisible creatures in mind - provide area effects, environmental hazards, or creatures with enhanced senses to prevent the spell from trivializing combat.
The spell creates interesting tactical decisions for both sides. Enemies might resort to area effects, attempt to reveal the invisible creature, or focus on other targets. Design encounters that reward clever positioning while still providing meaningful challenges.
For campaign balance, remember that Greater Invisibility enables powerful ambush tactics and infiltration scenarios. Consider how NPCs might use similar abilities against the party, and provide countermeasures like Faerie Fire, See Invisibility, or creatures with truesight.
Environmental Interactions
Greater Invisibility interacts uniquely with various environmental conditions. Dusty environments might reveal the invisible creature's outline, while rain or snow could show displacement patterns. However, the magical nature of the invisibility typically overcomes these minor reveals.
Certain terrains provide natural advantages for invisible creatures. Dense forests offer additional concealment layers, while open plains make positioning more challenging. Urban environments provide excellent cover options but also increase chances of accidental collisions.
Magical environments might enhance or interfere with invisibility effects. Areas of wild magic could cause the spell to flicker unpredictably. Zones with enhanced divination magic might make invisible creatures easier to detect through magical means.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Attack Advantage: Invisible creatures have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that cannot see them. This applies to all attacks made while invisible, not just the first attack.
Targeting Restrictions: Creatures cannot target invisible creatures with spells or abilities that require seeing the target. However, area effects and spells that do not require sight still function normally.
Stealth and Hiding: Invisible creatures automatically succeed on Stealth checks to hide, though they still need appropriate cover or concealment to attempt hiding in the first place.
Concentration Effects: If the caster loses concentration, the invisibility ends immediately. This can happen due to damage, other concentration spells, or specific conditions that break concentration.
Alternative Applications
Greater Invisibility excels in infiltration and reconnaissance scenarios beyond combat. Use it for intelligence gathering, allowing party members to scout enemy positions or eavesdrop on conversations without detection risk.
For social encounters, invisible creatures can provide backup during negotiations or serve as hidden protection for diplomatic meetings. The spell enables covert operations that would be impossible with conventional stealth alone.
Exploration applications include bypassing dangerous creatures or environmental hazards. Invisible scouts can navigate treacherous terrain, activate mechanisms, or retrieve objects without triggering defensive responses.
Related Spells
Invisibility Effects: Invisibility provides similar concealment but ends when attacking. Vanish offers shorter duration but immediate activation. Improved Invisibility provides enhanced versions with longer duration.
Stealth Enhancement: Pass without Trace eliminates tracking but not visual detection. Nondetection prevents magical scrying. Mislead creates false presence while providing concealment.
Detection Counters: See Invisibility reveals invisible creatures. Faerie Fire outlines invisible targets. True Seeing penetrates all illusions including invisibility.
Scaling Analysis
As a 4th-level spell, Greater Invisibility provides consistent utility throughout mid-to-high level play. The spell's effectiveness scales with the target's combat capabilities - more powerful creatures benefit more from sustained invisibility.
The 1-minute duration provides excellent value for sustained encounters but requires careful resource management. The concentration requirement becomes more challenging at higher levels where multiple concentration effects compete for attention.
Cost-effectiveness improves with encounter complexity and duration. Simple encounters might not justify the 4th-level slot, but complex battles make Greater Invisibility invaluable for tactical advantages.
Narrative Flavor
Greater Invisibility manifestation should emphasize the complete visual concealment while maintaining the creature's presence. Describe the target fading from view completely, leaving only slight environmental disturbances to indicate their presence.
The sustained nature of the spell allows for dramatic reveals and surprise moments. Invisible creatures might reveal themselves at crucial moments, or their presence might be detected through environmental interactions before becoming visible.
Different casting traditions might produce varying invisibility effects. Arcane casters could create perfectly smooth concealment, while divine casters might invoke holy protection that renders the target invisible to hostile eyes.