Ring of Invisibility question

[Elandris Kajar]

What happens when you wear one, and then make an attack? It would be kinda lame if it permanently died, but it only has invisibility as a prerequisite, not greater invisibility.

[Kelb_Panthera]

You're aware that a ring of invisibility has to be activated as a standard action that provokes AoO's and only renders you invisibile for 3 minutes on activation? You can do this at any time while wearing the ring but that is how it works.

Consequently, attacking does render you visible but you can resume being invisible on your next turn by reactivating the effect.

[Elandris Kajar]

You're aware that a ring of invisibility has to be activated as a standard action that provokes AoO's and only renders you invisibile for 3 minutes on activation? You can do this at any time while wearing the ring but that is how it works.

Consequently, attacking does render you visible but you can resume being invisible on your next turn by reactivating the effect.

Whoops. I had this question since I was starting, back when i thought it was constant. I don't think I read the text properly since. Thanks

[Jack_Simth]

You're aware that a ring of invisibility has to be activated as a standard action that provokes AoO'sIt's a Command Word (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#commandWord) item. No AoO's for activation.

When you do want to use it a lot for stealth, though, it's a good idea to get a drow-made one, with the command word being in Drow Sign.

[Âmesang]

Personally I'd go for command words in the Blind Dog language. :smallwink:

[Jack_Simth]

Personally I'd go for command words in the Blind Dog language. :smallwink:The blink dog? Barks, Yaps, and whines? How's that going to be conducive to stealth? Compare barking every three minutes while stalking someone to moving your hand in a particular pattern every three minutes while stalking someone. Which seems a better activation for a ring of invisibility?

[Âmesang]

But no one would ever suspect a dog stalking them!

…except Johnny, the Homicidal Maniac.

[Zaq]

It's a Command Word (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#commandWord) item. No AoO's for activation.

When you do want to use it a lot for stealth, though, it's a good idea to get a drow-made one, with the command word being in Drow Sign.

It's . . . debatable whether this actually works. Command words require you to "speak" the relevant word, which is different from simply conveying the word. You wouldn't let a telepathic character just think a command word, would you? Note that a command word is different from a command thought (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/basics.htm#commandThought). Nor would you let someone activate a command word by writing it down—you're still conveying the word, but you're not speaking it.

Sign languages (whether Drow or otherwise) are 100% languages. They have vocabularies, they have unique grammars, they have the capability to transmit a theoretically infinite quantity of unique sentences (speaking broadly), and they should be treated no less seriously than spoken languages, but they are not in fact spoken languages. You convey meaning with them, but you do not "speak" them in the way that D&D uses the word "speak." You can't make verbal components for spells in DSL, after all, since that's not "speaking in a strong voice." (Yes, the command word rules don't explicitly use the word "voice" the way the verbal component rules do, but it's evidence about what D&D means by the term "speak" here.)

I mean, we're getting into the problem of D&D using English words that the rules don't strictly define, so I can imagine a GM allowing you to get away with this, but make no mistake, that is the GM allowing you to get away with something rather than a tactic backed up by ironclad RAW.

[Segev]

Magic Item Compendium expanded on "command word," allowing for "command actions" (many of which are then tagged "manipulation" to indicate you do something with the item itself). The balance point on "command word" items are the action it costs to use and the duration of the effect, not that it requires, specifically, making a vocalization. Any action can be keyed as the trigger.

[Thurbane]

Whoops. I had this question since I was starting, back when i thought it was constant. I don't think I read the text properly since. Thanks

That's how they functioned in earlier editions...was a little disappointed once I realized how they work in 3.X