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View Full Version : Invisibility, how do you deal with it?



Adrayll
2010-08-31, 07:23 PM
So i've got a question - when you use miniatures, how do you deal with a miniature (not a PC obviously) that suddenly becomes invisible? Remove the miniature and track it's whereabouts, leave it there, or what?

Forever Curious
2010-08-31, 07:24 PM
So i've got a question - when you use miniatures, how do you deal with a miniature (not a PC obviously) that suddenly becomes invisible? Remove the miniature and track it's whereabouts, leave it there, or what?

What I do is remove the miniature and keep track of it. I use a separate grid in a notebook for such events, so i know where it is but not the player. :smallamused:

BobSutan
2010-08-31, 08:05 PM
I just remove the mini/marker and mentally keep track. Not that hard really. If I screw up and the players question how NPC Bob moved 50' and attacked then I smile and let them use their imagination. Sometimes I'll toss in something special in the loot, like a ring of something or other with a couple charges left or something.

Tyndmyr
2010-08-31, 08:19 PM
What I do is remove the miniature and keep track of it. I use a separate grid in a notebook for such events, so i know where it is but not the player. :smallamused:

This is exactly what I do. Of course, when players turn invisible, they are welcome to do the same, or if they prefer, they can leave him on the table but specify invisibility. However, I feel the model off table makes it much less likely to be overlooked or forgotten.

true_shinken
2010-08-31, 08:21 PM
I just remove the mini/marker and mentally keep track. Not that hard really.
I also use this method.

El Dorado
2010-08-31, 08:28 PM
If the PC is invisible (or flying), we put the miniature on a die as a courtesy to the DM. If the NPC is invisible, he keeps mentally keeps track of it until it reveals itself or the PCs somehow counter its invisibility.

Sir_Elderberry
2010-08-31, 08:32 PM
Invisible NPCs vanish. They may reappear later somewhere they could conceivably be. I don't necessarily keep track of it--Schrodinger's NPC, and all that.

Balain
2010-08-31, 09:22 PM
I just remove the mini/marker and mentally keep track. Not that hard really. If I screw up and the players question how NPC Bob moved 50' and attacked then I smile and let them use their imagination. Sometimes I'll toss in something special in the loot, like a ring of something or other with a couple charges left or something.

This is what I do too

Lady Moreta
2010-08-31, 09:35 PM
Heh, this tends not to be a problem for our group - thanks to the warlock who can see invisibility all the time :smallsmile:

Usually though, our DM uses little glass markers, we know that means only the warlock can see it. If it's one of us, we don't bother doing anything, our group is small, so forgetting something like that isn't generally a problem. And we don't seem to go invisible that often (except the warlock, who does it at every opporutunity).

Dr.Epic
2010-08-31, 10:25 PM
What I do is remove the miniature and keep track of it. I use a separate grid in a notebook for such events, so i know where it is but not the player. :smallamused:

Yeah, that's the best solution.

ShneekeyTheLost
2010-08-31, 10:30 PM
For an NPC: I, as the DM, keep track of the movement of the invisible NPC until such time as it's movement or action would elicit notice from one of the PC's.

PC's have a milk jug ring placed around the mini to represent being invisible at the time.

NPC's and PC's who are flying are placed on a die. The number on the top indicates elevation. Thus, if you are 60' up, you would be on a d6 with the 6 being facing up. For 100' up, you're on a d10 with the 0 facing up. We generally don't tend to deal with heights higher than 120', but I've always got percentiles, if necessary.

Lady Moreta
2010-08-31, 10:42 PM
NPC's and PC's who are flying are placed on a die. The number on the top indicates elevation. Thus, if you are 60' up, you would be on a d6 with the 6 being facing up. For 100' up, you're on a d10 with the 0 facing up. We generally don't tend to deal with heights higher than 120', but I've always got percentiles, if necessary.

Oooh, that's genius! I might have to suggest that to our group. Our warlock can fly, and frequently does, we usually just stick his mini on top of one of our dice containers. But I love the idea of using a die to indicate how high they are - which is something we sometimes have trouble keeping track of.

Tyndmyr
2010-08-31, 11:13 PM
If the PC is invisible (or flying), we put the miniature on a die as a courtesy to the DM. If the NPC is invisible, he keeps mentally keeps track of it until it reveals itself or the PCs somehow counter its invisibility.

We use dice(or the clear plastic containers they come in) as a way to denote all flying. Flip the container on it's side if you need to show multiple levels.

Im sure someone has designed something better, but it's an easy way to visually show it without any special stuff.

Eldariel
2010-08-31, 11:28 PM
Have players throw lots of flour on the ground IC, then throw flour on the grid and draw whatever tracks the players see on the flour; illustration :smallbiggrin:

aeauseth
2010-09-01, 05:25 PM
If the invisible creature is nearby we use a quarter to represent his approximate location. Presumption is that someone has a high enough listen to get a general location.

If the invisible creature is over 30' away then the DM just picks up the quarter and mentally estimates the location.