Hiding a group via Magic dnd 3.5

[Elfstone]

So, assuming spell level is not restriction (although lower is better) what spells can cloak/hide/make undetectable by as many means as possible (besides invisibility sphere) while still allowing them to attack (Greater invisibility, mass???). Also, not being detectable by tremorsense, blindsense, ect.. is nice, but vision is the most important.

Thanks in advance.

Also, it just needs to be on the Sorc/Wiz list or the Cleric list.

[Clementx]

Deeper Darkness and Ebon Eyes on the entire party gets you a 60ft radius shadow. Not invisibility exactly, but you can make Hide checks and attack, and it lasts at least 5 days. Requires Cleric lvl5.

[ericgrau]

Dust of disappearance is one of the most effective yet expensive area invisibilities. Bypasses true seeing. Doesn't last very long.

I once supplied my party with a flying carpet and accidentally bypassed an encounter with tremor sense. Some forms of blindsense are based on sound and smell, so a silence spell can be helpful too.

[hewhosaysfish]

Against the right type of enemies Hide From Animals/Dragons/Undead makes you completely undetectable (Will negates).

The psionic power Cloud Mind (and the Mass version) makes you completely undetectable to the target(s) if they're vulnerable to mind-affecting effects (again Will negates).

[Qwertystop]

Hide checks are useful too, and cannot be bypassed by magic like See Invisibility or True Seeing. You can't attack from them with melee weapons without losing your hidden-ness, but it's still very good.

[Big Fau]

Against any creature with Darkvision, you can equip everyone with Rings of Darkhidden (MiC) and then cast a Darkness spell.


Creatures with darkvision cannot see you at all now.

[ZiggZagg]

Depending on the group you are working with, the illusion school has your ticket. Spells as low as minor image can work wonders. Once had a group with 2 rogues and my illusionist. We were in a warehouse, trying to take out a local bandit ring. Heard movement coming down the stairs, so I used minor image to make a figment of boxes with the other crates in the warehouse. They don't get a save unless they interact with the boxes, or notice something. The bandits were low enough level that the sneak attacks from the two rogue's dropped them like flies, and we cleared out about 10 bandits that way without taking a single hit. Bottom line, it isn't the spell, but the imagination that can really win you the day ;-)

[Qwertystop]

Depending on the group you are working with, the illusion school has your ticket. Spells as low as minor image can work wonders. Once had a group with 2 rogues and my illusionist. We were in a warehouse, trying to take out a local bandit ring. Heard movement coming down the stairs, so I used minor image to make a figment of boxes with the other crates in the warehouse. They don't get a save unless they interact with the boxes, or notice something. The bandits were low enough level that the sneak attacks from the two rogue's dropped them like flies, and we cleared out about 10 bandits that way without taking a single hit. Bottom line, it isn't the spell, but the imagination that can really win you the day ;-)

Technically, couldn't Silent Image replicate Greater Invisibility? Make an image of empty space.

[Ravens_cry]

If you want to just hide out, Rope Trick, especially once you get to mid levels and higher, allows you time to recharge spells and heal up.

[Elfstone]

Unfortunatly this is in a hugely OP drow gestalt game and most of these suggestions are nullified by the ridiculous number of abilities that the boss has. Dust of disappearance might work. Book/link?

Seems like Hide is my best bet. Preferably with the dark stalker feat..

Anyone have anything else?

Oh and thank you to everyone who already threw me their two cents.

[NNescio]

Technically, couldn't Silent Image replicate Greater Invisibility? Make an image of empty space.

You can't use a (Figment) for that. You'll need a (Glamer).


Figment

A figment spell creates a false sensation. Those who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. (It is not a personalized mental impression.) Figments cannot make something seem to be something else. ...


Glamer

A glamer spell changes a subject’s sensory qualities, making it look, feel, taste, smell, or sound like something else, or even seem to disappear.

Invisibility effects are consistently Glamers.

This is further clarified in the "Rules of the Game: All About Illusions" article. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060207a)


Figment: These spells create false sensations of creatures, objects, or forces. A figment always must create the impression of something new. It cannot make something seem to be something else. For example, you can use a figment to create an illusory cover for an open pit (more about this in Part Four). You cannot, however, use it to conceal a trap door since that would be making something seem like something else.

[Othesemo]

Spell Compendium has a spell called "Sensory Deprivation," which is 4th level. All of the target's senses, including taste, smell, touch, hearing, vision, and tremorsense, blindsense and blindsight are completely blocked off for 1/round level. Will negates, but if you can pull it off you won't have to worry at all about being detected.

[jguy]

I think he means using it to make a figment that is exactly what the room currently looks like, minus the players. It would require an very precise amount of detail but it could be done. Like if you were standing in a hallway with guards coming, you could put a flat plane image in front of the hallway entrance that shows the hallway, just minus you. If they walked down there, they'd pass through the image in see you right away.

[ericgrau]

Nah you'd only get a room that looks exactly like the room without the players, and you'd still be able to see the players as well since the spell cannot conceal them. So the net effect is nil.

I can understand making a flat image that blocks sight to the players like a photo of the room covering over it, but it would look flat. I imagine a low DC spot check would notice the 2Dness. Mostly only good against Wile E. Coyote. IRL illusions like this are cool in that people can force themselves to stand still and try to see what they're supposed to see from the proper angle and say "ooh wow, neat trick" but actually fooling them is another matter. It would take dim lighting and long range to rack up enough visual penalties to make it plausible.

[jiriku]

If you're trying to sneak up on a boss who has masses of special abilities, basic means of hiding aren't really going to cut it. Etherealness is probably the way to go. It's time-consuming, morally ambiguous, and risky if anyone is good-aligned, but you can get the whole party ethereal by planar binding a small herd of nightmares and having everyone mount up and ride in ethereally. Charming, dominating, or otherwise motivating the nightmares to play nice would probably be a good idea.

[Elfstone]

I hope ethereal plane is an option. We are the mechanism plane, so some things are different. Thanks for the tip. Ph and we are all either ne or ce. Gotta love drow.

[Elfstone]

Turns out, on Mechanus there is no Ethereal plane. Anything else?