Does detect magic detect magically invisible enemies?

[Deathjester]

If not, what ways are there to detect them? I know in some games there are more ways to see invisible enemies than simply using detect invisibility spells.

[Peter B]

There is a spell called "See Invisibilty". Afaik, that's the only available option.

[DiceWrangler]

In D&D 5e, Detect Magic cannot be used to detect invisible creatures or objects anyway.

From the PHB (emphasis mine):

"If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any."

[Deathjester]

Originally posted by Peter B:

There is a spell called "See Invisibilty". Afaik, that's the only available option.

What about divine sense when it comes to fiends/undead?

[Blackmage]

DiceWrangler is right, but he left out a major detail.

Detect Magic will still notify the caster that there is active magic within 30ft of them. It's like a 'ping' of the senses. So you will know something is up, but you won't necessarily know it's an invisible creature because of the second part of Detect Magic's effect, as DiceWrangler has written.

[Hobocop]

Originally posted by Deathjester:

Originally posted by Peter B:

There is a spell called "See Invisibilty". Afaik, that's the only available option.

What about divine sense when it comes to fiends/undead?

Divine Sense would probably work, since it doesn't specify the target must be visible, only that they not be behind total cover.

[Blackmage]

Originally posted by Deathjester:

Originally posted by Peter B:

There is a spell called "See Invisibilty". Afaik, that's the only available option.

What about divine sense when it comes to fiends/undead?

Divine Sense reads: [...] "Until the end of your turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60ft of you that is not behind total cover."

You will know where the creature is, but you still cannot see them.

[tazman1]

well there in lies the problem what does the game decide detect means. Does it mean oh wait there is something there in which case detect magic should indeed work(only seems to work on figuring out your magic items in inventory.

So technically both should work. No they will not pin point the location of an invisible enemy but how is that enemy invisible is it creature capable of some form of innate invisibility. Or is it a magic item/potion/spell/ In the former detect does not work in the latter it would if the creature is in range though it would not pinpoint the location(thank god for concentration spells)

[DiceWrangler]

I am not sure if there any hostile creatures in this game that are magically invisible. Soraks, for example, use Stealth to Hide.

[tazman1]

indeed I have never come across 1 in my playthrough. I only used that to attempt to explain the mechanics of detect magic. I also find it interesting that none of the boss creatures seem to use magic weapons. I can understand not having everything use them and the Soraks not using them but the melee bosses not using them seems kind of off to me.

[wei270]

can the spell help you spot hidden magic items? like the once you find time to time where dig something up from the ground?

[tazman1]

honestly that depends on how burried it is the spell has a lot of things that can block it because it can't detect through them, but then you have to get into the mechanics of how deeply burried. Technically you could potentially tell if a magic item is in a chest because it would ping the chest because your standard wooden chest is not 3 feet thick wood.

[DiceWrangler]

Originally posted by wei270:

can the spell help you spot hidden magic items? like the once you find time to time where dig something up from the ground?

interesting question because when I cast Detect Magic near my stash chest, where my surplus magic items are stored, not only do all of my characters "light up" but so does the chest!