D&D 3E/3.5 Uses for Nystul's Undetectable Aura?

[Galfridus]

Other than espionage, there aren't any real good general-purpose use for the spell. I would go with Mage Armor for the just-in-case.

Also, don't forget you can cast Mage Armor on someone else! Perhaps the party monk, wizard, or psion could benefit from some extra protection.

 

[Darklone]

Nystuls

Well ... we had mages who detected thieves who were sneaking around that way... kinda: you dont see anything... player casts detect magic... You're blinded!

As for artefacts: They do detect as magic. Read the spell description, this is a change since 2nd edition.

My players use detect magic for everything. Looting, finding hidden treasures... whatever. Even finding traps is nice with this one. At least magical ones. We always have a guy in front who casts detect magic...

Imagine his surprise if he activates the first hidden glyph.

*insert evil DM cackle*

 

[Larcen]

Also, don't forget you can cast Mage Armor on someone else! Perhaps the party monk, wizard, or psion could benefit from some extra protection.

OMG, I forgot about that! Wow, now that is some real good advice. What better way to fill my role as a support character then to beef up a fellow party member's AC by 4 notches? Especially since I am always carrying around Mage Armor and never use it! Man, I feel soooooo self-centered now since I didn't think of this. Mystra must be so disappointed in me....

I get the feeling the rogue or the other sorcerer in the party are gonna fast become my best friends over this.

"Say, I just happen to carry around a Mage Armor spell with me EVERY day that I never use....either of you guys want it on a regular basis? You both do? Ok, now accepting bids on donations to the church."

Say! This Mage Armor went from being a spell I don't need to being a regular source of income! KEWL. Now I don't feel so bad about that blasted Nystul spell.

Thanks guys, as far I am concerned you guys gave me the solution I needed. GREAT board, this.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Very creative! Let me know if it works...

Well, you know, I would... if I had the damned spell in my spellbook.

It's not the sort of spell you tend to prioritise when you're choosing your two new spells per level...

-Hyp.

 

[Starfox]

Re: Re: Protection from dispel

How would the N's.U.A. spell protect something from being dispelled?

Easy - if it is the highest caster-level spel on the target, it is the first to go up against area dispel. So, if you cast shiled on yourself as a first-level sorcerer (1), and nystrul's undetectable aura as a cleric (3), nystrul's would check for dispelling first.

I wear the studded leather because the Mage Armor only lasts 3 hours at my level. Not enough to make it through an entire day of dungeon crawling.

But for those three hours, it gives better AC that your studded leather. Which means that you can still cast it. Remember, not stacking means that the best bonus applies, and +4 AC (mage armor is better than +3 (studded leather).

 

[Dark Dragon]

Nystul's Undetectabla Aura could be very useful to hide magic traps and illusions (illusory walls above pits, in front of tunnels, invisible creatures). Because Detect Magic is rather nasty for such things, NUA is a good counter-spell, supposed there's someone who reactivates the aura before it fades out.

 

[Voadam]

dispelling

Starfox is both right and wrong starfox is right in that dispel magic can be used to dispel multiple enchantments in an area. When used in this manner, it will only dispel one enchantment per item or being, starting with the highest level one when used this way.

Therefore if you cast magic weapon (Cl 1) to enchant the fighter's sword to +1 and another magic weapon to enchant the Rogue's short sword to +1 both can be eliminated by one area dispel magic.

If you cast NUA on the weapons they will have another lvl 1 spell on them that lasts for days. I would assume which same-level spell the dispel affects first would be determined randomly.

However if you have the heighen feat you can make NUA 2nd level and it will automatically be checked first on area dispel attempts. Cast it multiple times for more protection since the area dispel might not hit the first NUA and will then move onto remaining spells on the object until it dispels one.

Since NUA lasts for days this can be a good generic prep before tackling an area where there might be magical resistance with dispel magics.

This probably won't become an issued until you start hitting mid to high level clerics and wizards but if you use magic weapon and GMW to buff up all the time expect the DM to counter with dispel magic at some point.

Starfox is wrong only in his example because NUA can only be cast on an object so you can't protect people from having the enchantments stripped off of them using NUA.

Therefore NUA is only helpful in this regard to object buffs.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Re: dispelling

Starfox is wrong only in his example because NUA can only be cast on an object so you can't protect people from having the enchantments stripped off of them using NUA.

Except the Sage has suggested that a characters equipment counts as "part of his person" in the case of dispels.

A divine powered, divine favored, shielded cleric, with magic vestment on his shield and his armor, and greater magic weapon on his mace, can lose the lot to a dispel magic targetted on him. The armor, shield, and sword are considered "part of him" for the purposes of the targetted dispel stripping spells.

Magic items are not "suppressed" unless they are the target of a dispel themselves, though.

In an area dispel, the first spell checked on that character would be Divine Power - 4th level. After that would come one of the MVs or the GMW at 3rd level. The two MVs and the GMW aren't checked as separate objects for the area dispel if they're on the cleric's person.

Thus, if the cleric has 7th level NMAs on his armor, shield, and sword, then in an area dispel, they take the hit before his Divine Power.

-Hyp.

 

[Starfox]

Re: Re: dispelling

I play a paladin. I have some Buff spells, which are all easy to dispel, because my caster level is only half my character level. A NMA cast by a pure spellcaster would improve the chances of my own spells surviving a dispel magic significantly.

 

[Voadam]

dispel magic shield

Hypersmurf,

What an odd ruling from the sage.

From the srd dispel magic description:

"Area Dispel: The spell affects everything within a 30-foot radius.

For each creature who is the target of one or more spells, the character makes a dispel check against the spell with the highest caster level. If that fails, the character makes dispel checks against progressively weaker spells until the character dispels one spell (which discharges the dispel so far as that target is concerned) or fail all the character's checks. The creature’s magic items are not affected.

For each object that is the target of one or more spells, the character makes dispel checks as with creatures. Magic items are not affected by area dispels."

I would think that based on the description objects are affected individually regardless of whether they are held by a person with a spell on them or not.

If you go with the sage on this one then a heightened NUA is even more effective because one will offer protection for multiple held items and personal buff spells.

Starfox,

Remember, if the caster is higher level, his NUA is more likely to survive an area dispel at which point the dispel would check against the next lower spell, so your buffs will still be at some risk. I would get as many heightened NUAs cast on your items as you can or even just NUAs to lower the chances that your magic weapon spell is attacked first from the area dispels.