Invisible Condition 5e
An invisible creature is impossible to see without magic or a special sense. It has advantage on attacks and attacks against it have disadvantage.
Effect
- An invisible creature is impossible to see without the aid of magic or a special sense. For the purpose of hiding, the creature is heavily obscured. The creature's location can be detected by noise or tracks.
- Attack rolls against the creature have disadvantage, and the creature's attack rolls have advantage.
Common Sources
Invisibility and Greater Invisibility spells. Potion of Invisibility. Some creatures have innate invisibility. The Hide action doesn't make you invisible — it makes you hidden (different thing).
Key Interactions
- Regular Invisibility ends when you attack or cast a spell. Greater Invisibility does not.
- Invisible does NOT mean undetectable — creatures can still hear, smell, or feel you.
- Attacking an invisible creature you can't see: you must guess the square. If wrong, you miss automatically (DM may not reveal this).
- See Invisibility, Truesight, Blindsight, and Tremorsense can all detect invisible creatures.
- Faerie Fire outlines invisible creatures, negating the invisibility's combat benefits.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
Treating invisible as undetectable — enemies can still hear you and know your general area
Common Mistake
Forgetting that regular Invisibility ends when you attack or cast a spell
Common Mistake
Not having enemies use Perception checks to locate invisible creatures by sound
DM Tips
DM Tip
Describe environmental cues — footprints in dust, displaced air, splashing in puddles
DM Tip
Use Faerie Fire or See Invisibility to counter invisible enemies and teach players these tools exist