If other players are invisible or stealthed, (and unspotted/heard) yet your character has a reason to suspect someone is there and they notice dust being kicked up by "something that looks like footsteps," is it reasonable IC to guess that someone is nearby? Or are we supposed to ignore the dust kicked up from footsteps when we can't fully see the individual?

What are your 2 cents?

(this actually could have been life or death for another character that was hunting passersby with traps, so it's sort of a big issue. i could have cast a scint sphere at where i suspected someone was, but i didn't since i thought i should be clear on this policy first.)

Taken from the 3.5 Player's Handbook, pg 245:

Invisibility . . . . The creature or object touched becomes invisible, vanishing from sight, even from darkvision. . . . . Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as stepping in a puddle). . . . .

Dungeons and Dragons says that you can see the dust they kick up. Whether the DMs do or not, I don't know.

The dust is from invisible animatrons the fascist Spellguard use to keep watch on us all!

That bitch Melinda is a vampire queen seeking our total subjugation, resist! Resist! RESIST!

In character, I think everyone tends to view it their own way. It may sometimes just be dust, probably normally it is. I think its a visual effect of the tileset. Some people like to think its a little more IC though.

You could always just scint sphere the area and see if it really is just some random poofs of dust. :D

But honestly, I would weigh in on the side of it being noticeable as footprints. I mean there isn't much wind, or anything else that would kick up all that dust. This is one of those what you see is what you get things for me. Or at least it will be until a DM weighs in on the subject.

I would say that when you're invisible, you're invisible, and unless it's an obvious situation (if you pop invis in front of someone, that someone has every reason to -quickly- cast a fireball where you were standing), you're not seen. You, or a DM, should be the only ones with the final say in, "You've been detected." Otherwise, it seems to me like other people are deciding your actions for you.

ExileStrife I would say that when you're invisible, you're invisible, and unless it's an obvious situation (if you pop invis in front of someone, that someone has every reason to -quickly- cast a fireball where you were standing), you're not seen. You, or a DM, should be the only ones with the final say in, "You've been detected." Otherwise, it seems to me like other people are deciding your actions for you.

Problem is invisibility does not stop you from affecting your surroundings. If an invisible person walked through water you would see the splashes, if they moved something from one position to another you would see the object moving. I think the same can be said for wierd dust clouds and debris being kicked around without any outside factors i.e. wind stirring things up.

But, now I am curious as to how the dms view this.

As I pointed out, the dust isn't always someone invisible. Sometimes, its just dust.

ExileStrife I would say that when you're invisible, you're invisible, and unless it's an obvious situation (if you pop invis in front of someone, that someone has every reason to -quickly- cast a fireball where you were standing), you're not seen. You, or a DM, should be the only ones with the final say in, "You've been detected." Otherwise, it seems to me like other people are deciding your actions for you.

As said, you can only decide your own actions, but you can't just stomp around, making foot prints, blowing dust and tell others: "Hey! You don't see this! I'm invisible!"

But I recall DMs said that those dusts are also random effects, not always a character.

And remember that also giving some "private" information for spies adds more rp. It's frustrating to add skillpoints in stealth if it just helps with the creatures.

I see it this way. You can detect people when they are invisible, they glow, meaning you heard them or saw something strange (pretty sure its a spot/listen check). If they don't glow then chances are you see nothing out of the ordinary. Just my thoughts.

It may also be DM footprints.

Thats an old bug I don't think got fixed too, not sure if stealthed chars cause dust too. They might.

I have tested this. Stealthed characters do not throw up dust. Any dust you see being 'kicked' up, is a looping animation. It has nothing to do with stealthed players. However, I do not know if the same goes for invisibility

If you see dust kicking around, you see dust kicking around, feel free to blast the area if your character feels like it.

Do you ever 'see' anyone that is invisible?

If an invisible person shows up on your screen it's because you heard them.

Yes, but in regards to the "you see something strange" thoughts people have.

If your invisible and get close enough to me you better not be running even better yet if your in hide and move silently I probably won't even see you in my nwn ((meaning I can't possibly hear you)) NMoving to much of shuffling about alot gives away invisibility in my book. But I take it on acase to case basis.

Metro_Pack If you see dust kicking around, you see dust kicking around, feel free to blast the area if your character feels like it.

To qualify this-- launching fireballs, scint spheres, or other area of effect spells (including throwing grenadelike weaponry such as alchemist's fire and choking powder) near non-hostile NPCs should be avoided unless you've gotten a DM beforehand to ensure that you won't cause faction issues.

Please don't fireball the bazaar just because you see dust there. >_>

Yes, all IC and OOC rules still apply. If you blow someone away expect the consequences.

And if someone/something is pellucid, you hear them/it, if they are solid, you see them/it. It's pretty straightforward.