Level
2nd
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
Self
Components
V, S, M *
Duration
1 Hour
School
Divination
Attack/Save
None
Damage/Effect
Detection
For the duration, you see invisible creatures and objects as if they were visible, and you can see into the Ethereal Plane. Ethereal creatures and objects appear ghostly and translucent.
* - (a pinch of talc and a small sprinkling of powdered silver)
It's "See Invisibility", not "See and Hear Invisibility".
The fact that this vision has no range yet true seeing does (120 feet) is pretty mind boggling, but the RAW are quite clear in this regard.
With true sight of 120 feet, I can see an invisible creature, only if they are within 120 feet of me.
With this, I can see them even out to the range of my visual acuity, which could be thousands of feet or even miles depending on conditions, vantage point, and size of creature. All for the same duration (1 hour), and with neither requiring concentration.
Granted, true sight is amazing and gives many other benefits, but in the context of seeing invisible things, it loses out to this 2nd level spell. Big time.
I've seen many DM's overlook this fact. See Invisibility = unlimited distance (ignoring Border Ethereal), Truesight = 120 feet. Inarguably.
I don't know if this is RAI, but it's RAW, and how we run at my table.
I have a player who routinely stacks these two non-concentration spells for this very reason, and in our recent session, it actually made a difference.
This spell has no effect. Crawford has stated that it doesn't remove the disadvantage to hit invisible creatures, or remove their ability to hit you with advantage.
And Crawford has further stated that you always know where an invisible creature is.
This is a second-level spell whose only effect is to subtract one second level spell slot from the caster.
Crawford doesn't understand 5e, and he wrote it.
It's not a *very* good, but it's a relatively simple spell that is more useful in limited situations than some people seem to have considered.
I don't think this spell should be judged from a combat utility perspective, because that's not necessarily what it is for. It lets you see invisible creatures without those creatures having a save against it, or any defense against your seeing them. Also, it's not your concentration spell, and that peeking into the ethereal can be incredible useful in some specific situations.
There is one reason why it's important in combat ... it's critical for many combat spells that require the caster is fully able to see the target creature - where 'knowing roughly where the creature is' is simply not the wording of the spell. Plenty of single target save-or-suck spells, negating the invisible condition's usual disadvantage imposed on attack rolls, require sight of creature.
But what about outside of combat .. wanting to avoid ambush by invisible assailants? Or wanting to help oneself to avoid detection by invisible watchers. If you're walking towards, but not actually in, a fight with an invisible creature, this is not a terrible spell. You might not pick it, but it has a use. If you're walking towards a wizard's tower and you found out that she probably has invisible golems around the grounds, it'd be handy to be able to see them as you approach. What if you think you're alone in a merchant's vaults watching while the rogue greedily stuffs his bag of holding with gold and gems, but a silent, invisible familiar is watching you both keenly from atop the small chandelier, and the merchant's tame warlock is alerting the merchant's man at arms....
Sometimes, hidden, invisible creatures are going to be 'otherwise in plain sight'. And in those rare, very rare perhaps, occasions, this spell might be handy. Also it can have some utility when doubled up with darkvision. For what it's worth, some DMs *might* use invisible creatures at night or in the dark, so that 'traces of their being / passing' are not visible to those characters who lack darkvision. If you can't see the wind-scattered leaves bumping against an invisible creature, you can't deduce the creature. If there's a light wind blowing those leaves against the invisible creature, it might mask the creature's near silent breathing, But, for example, a twilight cleric with this spell can see invisible creatures in the dark from 300 feet away! That's a great way to avoid them! And it's very likely the invisible creatures can't see or hear the cleric at all.
I might be alone but I think the only thing that sucks about this spell is the duration. Make it last four hours, or eight hours, and it's a proper, optional, 'this might make exploration safer' spell.
Save or suck targets when you must be able to see the creature. Detection of invisible guards. Invisible creatures don't get a chance to defend against this spell. There are some uses!
Basc
Good thing Crawford is not god and can not change the rules as written lmao