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Invisibility was a psionic power of the telepathy or psychokinesis disciplines that concealed the subject from being seen by others.[4][2][3][1] Although similar to the magical invisibility spell in many ways, the telepathic version had a key difference: it affected the very minds of witnesses to a subject, not the light between them or other physical signs of their presence. Hence it was weaker in some areas but more potent in others.[4][2][3] The later psychokinetic version was much more like its magical counterpart.[1]

Effects[]

Telepathic[]

After making contact with the minds of witnesses and creating a delusion, the manifester or their chosen subjects became invisible to their sight.[4][2][3] Early on, the effectiveness of this was limited by the manifester's ability and the comparative experience of the witnesses; a witness more powerful than the manifester could still see the subject.[4] Later, the invisible being must be human-sized or smaller. The manifester also must specifically choose the minds of those they wished to be invisible from, within 100 yards (91 meters), which could increase risk of failure or the cost of psionic energy, but others could still see them easily. An invisible being could still see their own person, of course.[2][3] This form of invisibility only affected vision. Other senses, like hearing or touch, were unaffected.[2][3]

However, the invisible subject was difficult to detect using any kind of magic,[4] though detect invisibility was later effective against it.[5][6] A mind bar power was needed to shield the mind to reveal the invisibility.[4][7]

Psychokinetic[]

The manifester, or a creature or object they touched, disappeared from all sight, even darkvision. Not even the manifester could see another they'd made invisible. Everything they carried became invisible too, but picked up items remained visible unless hidden in a pocket, and discarded items or things held more 10 feet (3 meters) way became visible again. While light sources might be made invisible, their illumination remained. Furthermore, the invisible subject could still be heard, leave footprints, or make other signs of their presence.[1]

It lasted twenty minutes, or longer for more experienced manifesters, unless dismissed earlier. The invisibility also ended if the subject directly attacked another, but otherwise they could perform almost any other action.[1]

Prerequisite Powers[]

It could require contact and mindlink to learn.[2][3][3]

Displays[]

Unlike most powers, but appropriate to its nature, the psychokinetic invisibility had no display.[1]

Users[]

Psionic invisibility was known by baku,[8] hauns,[9] and shedu.[10]

In psionics terms, invisibility was known by duergar,[11][12] and the psychokinetic version by intellect devourers.[13]

An astral construct could be created that was permanently invisible.[14][15]

Notable Users[]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. After appearing in the 3rd-edition Psionics Handbook, the invisibility power was absent from the 3.5-edition Expanded Psionics Handbook, yet it was still given to the psionic duergar introduced in that book. Instead, psionic invisibility seems to have replaced by the new cloud mind and mass cloud mind powers. While officially removed from 3.x rules, psionic invisibility is documented here for reference.

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Bruce R. Cordell (March 2001). Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 46, 82. ISBN 0786918357.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 21, 86–87. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Douglas Niles (1995). Player's Option: Skills & Powers. (TSR, Inc), pp. 156, 174, 177. ISBN 0-7869-0149-7.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 111, 113. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
  5. Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 110. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  6. Douglas Niles (1995). Player's Option: Skills & Powers. (TSR, Inc), p. 150. ISBN 0-7869-0149-7.
  7. Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 115. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
  8. Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 114. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  9. David Cook (1991). Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (MC11). (TSR, Inc), p. 33. ISBN l-56076-111-3.
  10. Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 119. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  11. Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 123. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  12. Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 9, 195–196. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
  13. Bruce R. Cordell (March 2001). Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 150. ISBN 0786918357.
  14. Bruce R. Cordell (March 2001). Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 142. ISBN 0786918357.
  15. Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 187. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
  16. Steven E. Schend (March 1998). Hellgate Keep. (TSR, Inc), p. 12. ISBN 978-0786907861.
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