Can You Cast Spells with Greater Invisibility?

The short answer is: yes, absolutely! You can cast spells while under the effect of Greater Invisibility without breaking the spell’s invisibility effect. Unlike the regular Invisibility spell, which ends as soon as you attack or cast a spell, Greater Invisibility allows you to remain invisible while performing these actions, so long as you maintain concentration on the spell. This crucial difference makes Greater Invisibility a powerful tool for spellcasters who want to stay hidden and gain combat advantages. Let’s delve deeper into how this works and answer some frequently asked questions about Greater Invisibility.

Understanding Greater Invisibility

The core of Greater Invisibility lies in its specific wording. The spell states that “you or a creature you touch becomes invisible until the spell ends”. Critically, it does not specify that casting a spell or making an attack breaks the invisibility effect. This is the key distinction between Greater Invisibility and its weaker cousin, Invisibility. The only way Greater Invisibility ends is if the spell’s duration expires, the caster loses concentration, or if the spell is dispelled by magic.

Combat Implications

This opens up immense strategic possibilities for players. A character under the effects of Greater Invisibility can:

• Attack with Advantage: All attacks made while invisible have advantage, giving you a significant edge in combat.
• Cast Spells While Invisible: You can unleash your most powerful spells while remaining hidden from the enemy’s sight.
• Maintain Stealth: While the invisible condition doesn’t automatically grant advantage on stealth checks, it makes it much easier to take the Hide action to disappear from enemy perception. This is invaluable for repositioning in the battlefield.

Why Is It Powerful?

The ability to attack and cast spells while remaining invisible makes Greater Invisibility a highly sought-after spell. It essentially gives you a way to constantly have the upper hand in combat. This, combined with the fact that enemies have disadvantage on their attacks against an invisible target, makes it a crucial spell for classes that have access to it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does Greater Invisibility give Advantage on all Attacks?

Yes, Greater Invisibility provides automatic advantage on all attack rolls while you remain invisible. This makes it extremely useful for both melee and ranged combatants, as well as spellcasters who rely on attack rolls. The spell’s description doesn’t have any requirements for how you get advantage; it’s a direct benefit of being invisible.

2. Do Attacks Against an Invisible Creature have Disadvantage?

Yes, creatures attacking an invisible target have disadvantage on their attack rolls. This is a huge boon to your survivability and reduces your chance to be hit while under Greater Invisibility. If combined with other tactical movements, it creates a powerful defensive advantage.

3. Does Truesight pierce Greater Invisibility?

Truesight allows you to see invisible creatures, but it does not negate all the benefits of being invisible. While those with truesight know your location and don’t have disadvantage on their attacks against you, the fact that you have advantage on your attacks against them still remains. In short, they can see you but you still have advantage on attack.

4. Can Dispel Magic End Greater Invisibility?

Yes, Dispel Magic can be used to end Greater Invisibility. This is a crucial way to counter the spell and remove its benefits. A successful dispel check can remove the spell and make you visible again.

5. Can You Hide in Combat while Invisible?

Yes, being invisible doesn’t automatically mean you’re hidden. You must use the Hide action to become truly unseen. However, invisibility gives you a much better starting point for your Stealth checks and greatly increases your ability to move around without being easily noticed. An invisible creature attempting a Stealth check will often have advantage, due to the circumstances.

6. Can You Cast Counterspell while under Greater Invisibility?

Yes, you can cast Counterspell while under Greater Invisibility, and it does not break the spell. Since Greater Invisibility only ends when you lose concentration or the spell’s duration ends, using another spell like Counterspell will not end the invisibility.

7. Which Classes Can Use Greater Invisibility?

Several classes and subclasses can learn Greater Invisibility, including:
* Bards
* Sorcerers
* Wizards
* Twilight Clerics
* Land Druids (Underdark)
* Archfey Warlocks
* Genie Warlocks
* Undead Warlocks
* Armorer Artificers
* Arcane Trickster Rogues
* Eldritch Knight Fighters

8. Can You Cast a Leveled Spell and a Cantrip on the Same Turn During Greater Invisibility?

If you cast a spell as a bonus action on a turn, you may only cast a cantrip with a casting time of one action. So yes, you may use a bonus action spell with Greater Invisibility and cast a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.

9. Can Blindsight see through Greater Invisibility?

Yes, Blindsight allows a creature to perceive its surroundings without relying on sight. Therefore, a creature with blindsight can see through Greater Invisibility within its range. It’s important to be aware of this if you are facing a creature with blindsight.

10. Does Greater Invisibility help with Stealth?

While invisibility doesn’t give advantage on Stealth checks, it makes it easier to take the Hide action and therefore easier to get the benefit of stealth. If the player desires to “move while hidden” the best option is the Hide action. The DM may grant advantage on Stealth checks in such situations.

11. Does Armor Affect Detection While Invisible?

While the rules don’t explicitly state that armor makes you more detectable while invisible, DMs may rule this way based on situational interpretation. Heavier armor may be interpreted to make more noise. This is usually more relevant for general invisibility used for stealth rather than in combat where the sound is not as big a factor.

12. Does Detect Magic detect Greater Invisibility?

Detect Magic can only detect the presence of magic, but it won’t reveal any specific details about the magical source. Therefore, it may be used to confirm that a character is under the effect of a magical spell like Greater Invisibility, but it does not give the viewer the ability to see the invisible character.

13. Does Faerie Fire Reveal an Invisible Character?

Yes, Faerie Fire can reveal an invisible creature. While it doesn’t remove Greater Invisibility, it negates the visual concealment and makes the creature visible.

14. Does True Polymorph prevent spellcasting?

A creature transformed by True Polymorph is limited by its new form. Unless the new form is capable of speaking and has hands, it cannot speak or cast spells. However, if the new form is capable of these actions, then it could certainly cast spells.

15. Can You Cast Spells While Ethereal?

When you are on the Ethereal Plane, the spells you cast only affect other ethereal creatures, unless the spell or the target specifically states otherwise. If a creature is on the Material plane, then you cannot affect them with your magic.

Conclusion

Greater Invisibility is a potent spell that provides significant benefits in combat and stealth situations. Unlike its lower-level counterpart, Invisibility, Greater Invisibility does not break when you attack or cast spells, allowing spellcasters to maintain a significant edge. Understanding its mechanics and limitations will significantly improve your gameplay and tactical decisions. Utilizing Greater Invisibility properly can allow you to dominate combat encounters and move with unmatched stealth and strategy.