D&D 1E Treasure "hidden by invisibility"

[Lanefan]

So invisibility could be cast on objects in 0e but by 1e it was creatures only.

What that tells me is that the reference to detecting objects in the 1e spell write-up is probably a holdover from an earlier version, missed in editing.

 

[Lanefan]

Back in 1e days, a good, antagonist DM needed to laugh at the players first.

And keep on laughing all the way through.

 

[Mannahnin]

Yeah, pretty much this. There isn't even a variation on invisibility (that I know of) that can make objects invisible, so it's pretty much DM fiat that it's invisible, not any spell or item that makes it invisible. Aaaaaand, I take issue with published modules or DM-created adventures where treasure is not just concealed, but made all but impossible to ever find without LITERALLY tearing every room of every dungeon apart and demolishing all contents in order to find the treasure that is put there.

It's a waste of time to make loot so impossible to find. It's a waste of time to just make it hard enough to find that you are actually motivating players to waste greater amounts of added time trying to FIND it.

I definitely sympathize with this view, though there are potentially other ways to find such treasures. Like having a magic sword with detect invisible, or interrogating NPCs or monsters, some of which might be aware of the hidden treasure.

For the record, in OD&D, Holmes, B/X, and BECMI, Invisibility explicitly works on objects too. I don't know why they removed this application in AD&D. Seems like an editorial error to me. I wonder if it's in the errata.

 

[Krachek]

Back in 1e days, a good, antagonist DM needed to laugh at the players first.

sadly it was just only laughing.

 

[Hriston]

And then, of course, there's this, in D&D Men & Magic (1974):

Detect Invisible (Objects): A spell to find secreted treasure hidden by an Invisibility spell (see below). It will also locate invisible creatures. Durations: 6 turns. Range: 1" x the level of the Magic-User casting it, i.e. a "Wizard" would have a range of 11", more if he was above the base value.

Invisibility: A spell which lasts until it is broken by the user or by some outside force (remember that as in CHAINMAIL, a character cannot remain invisible and attack). It affects only the person or thing upon whom or which it is cast. Range: 24"

Ah, I made the typical mistake when playing AD&D of not checking OD&D and/or Chainmail for pertinent rules that weren't carried forward. This also makes sense given the random dungeon system was originally made for OD&D and published in the DMG with only minor alterations.

 

[the Jester]

Is invisibility even cast-able on inanimate objects in 1e as written? <checks handy PH> Nope. "Area of effect: Creature touched."

But then in true Gygax form he goes on to confuse the issue in the spell's write-up by talking about high-level intelligent creatures' ability to detect invisible objects - sigh.....

You can use e.g. dust of disappearance, or I think the spell vanish, maybe?

EDIT: Just checked vanish, nope, that teleports it.

EDIT 2: I swear there was a spell for turning objects invisible, but I can't recall what it was... maybe sequester or something? Anyhow, there are a few other magic items that will do the trick. I am pretty sure oil of transparency (from the adventure Chagmat, in Dragon Magazine) would work.

 

[Hriston]

You can use e.g. dust of disappearance, or I think the spell vanish, maybe?

EDIT: Just checked vanish, nope, that teleports it.

EDIT 2: I swear there was a spell for turning objects invisible, but I can't recall what it was... maybe sequester or something? Anyhow, there are a few other magic items that will do the trick. I am pretty sure oil of transparency (from the adventure Chagmat, in Dragon Magazine) would work.

Or, you know, the OD&D version of the spell @ilgatto posted up-thread, which seems to have been the way treasure was expected to have been made invisible.

 

[Lanefan]

I definitely sympathize with this view, though there are potentially other ways to find such treasures. Like having a magic sword with detect invisible,...

Detect Magic in any form would work too, in that the invisibility enchantment would radiate faint magic; and if the invisible object was itself magical it too would radiate.

 

[Lanefan]

Or, you know, the OD&D version of the spell @ilgatto posted up-thread, which seems to have been the way treasure was expected to have been made invisible.

True; but the original question was about 1e, where invisibility can't be cast on objects.

 

[Hriston]

True; but the original question was about 1e, where invisibility can't be cast on objects.

Appendix A would seem to imply otherwise.