Revelation • Counter-Invisibility • Divine Magic
Invisibility Purge
Invisibility Purge surrounds the caster with a moving sphere of revelatory power. Invisible creatures and objects caught within it become visible for as long as they remain inside. Unlike See Invisibility, which changes what a single observer can perceive, Invisibility Purge changes the battlefield itself: within the purge, qualifying invisibility stops concealing its subject.
Quick Rules Reference
D&D 5.5e / 2024
Pathfinder 1e
D&D 3.5e
Shared Principle
Invisibility Purge does not merely let its caster perceive an invisible creature. It creates a zone in which qualifying invisibility itself is negated. That is the fundamental distinction between this spell and See Invisibility.
Game Statistics
Spell Effect
A 30-foot Emanation of revealing magic surrounds you and moves with you for the duration. A creature or object inside the Emanation cannot benefit from invisibility produced by a spell, magical effect or supernatural trait unless that effect specifically states that it resists Invisibility Purge or similar revealing magic.
The effect creating the invisibility is suppressed rather than ended. If the creature or object leaves the Emanation while the original effect is still active, its invisibility resumes.
The Emanation Is Not a Force Barrier
The spell does not prevent movement, stop attacks, provide cover, increase Armor Class, or physically bar creatures from crossing its boundary. Its defensive value comes from stripping invisible attackers of concealment when they enter the area, allowing the caster and allies to defend themselves normally.
Hide Is Not Automatically Purged
This adaptation counters actual supernatural invisibility. It does not automatically reveal a creature merely because that creature used the Hide action, stands behind cover, is concealed by terrain, or cannot presently be seen for some other nonmagical reason.
Allies Are Affected
The purge is not selective. An ally protected by Invisibility, Greater Invisibility or comparable magic also loses the benefit of that invisibility while inside the Emanation.
You surround yourself with a sphere of power with a radius of 5 feet per caster level. The sphere moves with you and negates forms of invisibility affected by the spell. Anything invisible becomes visible while it remains inside the area.
Rules terminology: the published spell describes a sphere of power. It does not supply a formal Area: emanation statistic. That distinction should be preserved when questions involving barriers or line of effect arise.
Natural Invisibility
Pathfinder clarifies that Invisibility Purge is not restricted to invisibility produced by spells. A creature with natural or inherent invisibility is therefore normally revealed unless its own ability specifically states otherwise.
The Sphere Does Not Block Entry
The sphere negates invisibility; it is not a wall of force. A hostile creature can move into or through the area normally, but an affected invisible creature becomes visible while doing so.
The caster is surrounded by a sphere of power whose radius equals 5 feet per caster level. Within that sphere, invisibility is negated and invisible creatures and objects become visible while they remain inside it.
Legacy wording: the D&D 3.5e spell describes a sphere centred on the caster. It does not list a separate formal Area entry in its statistics.
The spell is dismissible, allowing its caster to end the purge when it is no longer useful or when exposing an invisible ally becomes undesirable.
How Invisibility Purge Works
The Sphere Moves With the Caster
Invisibility Purge is centred on the person who cast it. The sphere therefore travels through the encounter as the caster moves. This makes the spell unusually effective for searching chambers, clearing corridors, protecting a formation or advancing toward an unseen attacker.
It Makes the Invisible Subject Visible
This is the crucial distinction between Invisibility Purge and See Invisibility.
- See Invisibility changes what one observer can perceive. Other creatures may still be unable to see the invisible subject.
- Invisibility Purge negates qualifying invisibility inside its sphere, so the subject itself becomes visible while it remains there.
Suppression Is Not Dispelling
Invisibility Purge should not be confused with Dispel Magic. The purge does not normally terminate the underlying spell or supernatural ability. It prevents that invisibility from functioning while the subject remains inside the sphere.
Example
A wizard under Greater Invisibility enters the purge and becomes visible. If the wizard later leaves the sphere before Greater Invisibility expires, the wizard becomes invisible again.
Revelation, Not Repulsion
The glowing boundary is not a physical shield. An enemy can cross it, attack through it and move within it normally. The spell’s protection lies in denying an invisible attacker the advantage of remaining unseen. As the creature crosses into the sphere, its invisibility fails and defenders can respond to it normally.
The Purge Is Not Selective
The spell does not distinguish between friend and enemy. An invisible scout, familiar, bodyguard or other allied creature inside the sphere is revealed just as readily as an enemy assassin.
What the Purge Reveals
The legacy spell is intentionally broad. It is not limited to the basic Invisibility spell and can affect several related forms of magical concealment.
Invisibility
The standard concealment spell is precisely the kind of magic Invisibility Purge is designed to suppress.
Greater Invisibility
The subject becomes visible while inside the purge even though the underlying spell may continue running.
Invisibility, Mass
Creatures protected by Mass Invisibility are revealed individually whenever they enter the purge’s sphere.
Natural or Supernatural Invisibility
In legacy play, inherent invisibility is normally affected unless the creature’s own ability contains a specific exception.
Natural Invisibility: General Rule and Exceptions
Natural invisibility is one of the most important rules questions surrounding this spell. The correct starting assumption in Pathfinder and compatible legacy play is: natural invisibility is normally affected.
Natural Does Not Mean Immune
A creature does not defeat Invisibility Purge merely because its invisibility is inherent rather than produced by a spell.
Explicit Resistance Overrides the Spell
If a creature ability specifically says it is unaffected by Invisibility Purge, that specific rule overrides the spell’s general effect.
Examples Normally Revealed
Will-o’-Wisp
The legacy Will-o’-Wisp has Natural Invisibility, but that fact alone does not protect it. It becomes visible when caught inside Invisibility Purge.
Pixies
Pixies provide the same general example: their inherent invisibility is normally revealed because it lacks the specific protection possessed by creatures such as Invisible Stalkers.
Creatures and Powers That Resist the Purge
Invisible Stalker
The classic exception. Its inherent invisibility specifically resists Invisibility Purge.
Aerial Servant
Its Natural Invisibility expressly states that it is not subject to Invisibility Purge.
Sakina
The sakina possesses inherent invisibility specifically capable of remaining effective against the purge.
Sundel Bolong
Its unusual inherent invisibility includes specific protection against Invisibility Purge.
Cernunnos
Cernunnos possesses exceptionally powerful Natural Invisibility. Even Invisibility Purge or True Seeing fails to reveal him unless the originator succeeds on the caster-level check specified by his divine ability.
GM principle: do not decide immunity merely from the word natural. Read the creature’s actual ability. If it specifically resists Invisibility Purge, apply that exception. Otherwise the general spell rule governs.
What Invisibility Purge Does Not Automatically Reveal
Being difficult or impossible to see is not always the result of invisibility. Invisibility Purge should remain focused on supernatural invisibility rather than becoming a universal detection spell.
Hidden Behind Something
A creature behind a wall, door, pillar or other physical obstruction does not become visible through that obstruction merely because a purge is active nearby.
Fog, Darkness and Smoke
The spell does not remove environmental concealment. Other senses or magic may still be required to see through those conditions.
Hiding Is Not Invisibility
A creature using terrain, shadows, silence or mundane concealment does not automatically fail at Stealth because Invisibility Purge is active.
Invisibility Purge Compared with Other Counters
Invisibility Purge belongs to a larger family of revelation magic. The best counter depends on whether the problem is perceiving one invisible creature, exposing several targets, suppressing invisibility throughout a moving zone, or ending the underlying magic entirely.
| Spell | Best Use | How It Differs |
|---|---|---|
| See Invisibility | Allows one observer to perceive invisible creatures. | The invisible creature generally remains invisible to everyone else. |
| True Seeing | High-level perception of invisibility, illusions and transformed forms. | Much broader than Invisibility Purge, but primarily changes what the recipient can perceive rather than establishing a moving sphere of suppression. |
| Faerie Fire | Outlines affected creatures with revealing light. | Marks targets rather than continually suppressing invisibility around the caster. |
| Glitterdust | Exposes creatures in a chosen area and may impose an additional offensive effect. | A targeted burst rather than a mobile field. |
| Invisibility Purge | Protects a group and sweeps an area for invisible creatures. | The revealing sphere travels with the caster and continues operating throughout its duration. |
| Dispel Magic | Attempts to terminate an ongoing magical effect. | Attacks the underlying magic rather than suppressing invisibility merely while the target remains nearby. |
Tactical Uses
Protect the Centre of the Party
A caster positioned near the centre of the group turns Invisibility Purge into a mobile zone of revelation. An invisible enemy attempting to close into melee becomes visible when it enters the sphere, allowing the party to respond without the attacker retaining its normal invisible advantage.
Sweep Corridors and Chambers
In crypts, castles, dungeons and underground complexes, narrow passages leave invisible creatures less room to remain outside the sphere. The caster can advance room by room, forcing concealed enemies either to retreat or become visible.
Defend Chokepoints
Doorways, gates, stairways, bridges and narrow tunnels restrict an invisible enemy’s ability to skirt the spell. The purge does not stop the creature crossing the threshold, but it ensures that qualifying invisibility cannot continue protecting it once it enters the sphere.
Advance on Invisible Archers and Spellcasters
The caster does not necessarily need to know the enemy’s exact location. If attacks repeatedly originate from the same general direction, advancing with the purge steadily reduces the space in which the invisible attacker can operate.
Escort Important People
The spell is well suited to protecting rulers, diplomats, witnesses, priests, prisoners and anyone else vulnerable to close invisible surveillance or assassination.
Force Movement
Even an invisible opponent who refuses to enter the sphere is being influenced by the spell. Forcing an enemy to remain outside the purge may deny preferred positions, break an ambush or expose the creature to another form of detection.
Invisibility Purge and Hallow
One of the strongest legacy applications of Invisibility Purge comes through Hallow.
Under the legacy Hallow rules used on SpiralWorlds, Invisibility Purge can be attached to a hallowed site. The attached spell then functions throughout the site for one year, regardless of its normal duration and sphere. The Hallow can also determine which categories of creatures are subject to its attached effect.
Temples and Reliquaries
A sanctuary can deny invisible thieves, spies and supernatural intruders their usual advantage for an entire year at a time.
Council and Audience Chambers
Magically protected meeting chambers offer stronger assurance that a supposedly private conversation is not being observed by an unseen visitor.
Vaults and Prisons
A secured area can prevent invisibility from becoming an easy route past guards, locks and patrols.
Annual Warding Rite
The one-year duration makes renewal of the ward a natural part of a temple, fortress or institution’s ritual calendar.
Edition note: this one-year attached-spell interaction belongs to the legacy Hallow rules. Do not automatically import it into a modern 2024 campaign unless the table is also using a compatible Hallow conversion.
Invisibility Purge in the World
Invisibility Purge is less a spell of personal perception than a spell of magical jurisdiction. The caster temporarily establishes a region in which supernatural concealment is denied.
Temples and Sacred Orders
Priests may invoke the purge before opening a reliquary, receiving an important visitor or carrying out a rite that must not be secretly observed. Orders accustomed to hostile spirits and unseen outsiders may consider it ordinary defensive preparation.
Courts and Diplomacy
Any court that accepts Invisibility and Greater Invisibility as practical realities must also accept that a closed door does not guarantee privacy. Invisibility Purge therefore has an obvious place in sensitive audiences, negotiations, trials and councils involving powerful magic.
War
On a battlefield the spell can protect commanders, siege engineers, standard bearers and spellcasters against invisible raiders. It also suits disciplined advances through ruins, fortifications and confined terrain where unseen enemies are suspected.
Monster Hunting
The spell is especially valuable when hunters know an invisible creature is present but cannot determine exactly where it is. Experienced hunters, however, also learn which creatures possess invisibility powerful enough to resist the purge.
Using Invisibility Purge as a GM
- Do not treat invisibility as nonexistence. Sound, tracks, displaced water and disturbed surroundings may still betray an invisible creature.
- Do not turn the spell into a force field. The sphere reveals qualifying invisible creatures; it does not prevent them from entering or attacking.
- Do not make the purge universal anti-stealth magic. It counters invisibility, not every possible reason a creature might be difficult to see.
- Read creature exceptions. If a monster specifically says its invisibility resists Invisibility Purge, honour that rule.
- Remember allies. The purge becomes more tactically interesting when its indiscriminate nature matters.
- Use movement. The defining quality of the legacy spell is that its sphere moves with the caster. Invisible opponents should react to that advancing boundary.
- Separate perception, marking, suppression and dispelling. See Invisibility and True Seeing alter perception; Faerie Fire and Glitterdust mark or expose; Invisibility Purge suppresses invisibility nearby; Dispel Magic attacks the underlying magical effect.
Invisibility Purge FAQ
Does Invisibility Purge permanently dispel Invisibility?
No. It makes an affected invisible creature or object visible while that subject remains within the spell’s sphere. If the underlying effect is still active after the subject leaves, invisibility can resume.
Does the sphere physically stop invisible creatures entering?
No. The sphere is not a wall, shield or force barrier. An affected creature can cross the boundary normally, but its invisibility is negated while it remains inside.
Does Invisibility Purge work on Greater Invisibility?
Yes, unless another specific rule prevents it. Greater Invisibility is still a form of invisibility and is therefore subject to the purge.
Does it work against Mass Invisibility?
Yes. Subjects protected by Invisibility, Mass become visible individually whenever they enter the purge’s sphere.
Does Invisibility Purge reveal naturally invisible creatures?
Generally yes in Pathfinder and compatible legacy rules. Natural invisibility is not automatically immune. A specific creature ability must override the general spell if the creature is to remain unseen.
Does it reveal a Will-o’-Wisp?
Yes under the legacy natural-invisibility ruling. The Will-o’-Wisp has natural invisibility but does not possess the specific Invisibility Purge protection of an Invisible Stalker.
Does it reveal an Invisible Stalker?
No under the legacy creature rule. The Invisible Stalker is a specific exception whose inherent invisibility resists the purge.
Does it reveal an Aerial Servant?
No. The Aerial Servant has Natural Invisibility expressly stating that it is not subject to Invisibility Purge.
Can Invisibility Purge reveal Cernunnos?
Only with difficulty. Cernunnos has a divine Natural Invisibility ability that resists both Invisibility Purge and True Seeing unless the originator succeeds on the caster-level check given in his statistics.
Does Invisibility Purge reveal invisible allies?
Yes, provided their invisibility is subject to the spell. The purge is not inherently selective between friend and enemy.
Does it reveal creatures using ordinary Stealth?
No. Invisibility Purge is not a general anti-Stealth effect. A creature concealed by cover, terrain, fog, darkness or ordinary hiding is not automatically exposed.
Does the sphere move with the caster?
Yes. The sphere is centred on the caster and therefore changes position whenever the caster moves.
Can an affected creature leave the sphere and become invisible again?
Yes, provided the underlying invisibility effect remains active. The purge suppresses invisibility within its sphere rather than automatically ending its source.
Can Invisibility Purge be attached to Hallow?
Under the legacy Hallow rules used on SpiralWorlds, yes. The attached effect then functions throughout the hallowed site for one year.
Is the D&D 5.5e / 2024 version official?
No. The modern statistics on this page are a SpiralWorlds adaptation designed to preserve the spell’s legacy function in modern play.
Related Invisibility and Revelation Magic
Invisibility, “Unseen Veil”
The standard concealment spell and the foundation for understanding what Invisibility Purge counters.
Greater Invisibility, “Unseen Dominion”
Sustained combat invisibility that remains active while its subject attacks and casts spells.
Invisibility, Mass
A high-level version of Invisibility affecting an entire group and therefore another natural target for the purge.
See Invisibility
Allows one observer to perceive invisible subjects without making those subjects visible to everyone else.
True Seeing
A broader high-level perception spell capable of seeing invisible creatures, piercing illusions and recognising transformed forms.
Faerie Fire
Outlines affected creatures and offers a different method of defeating invisibility.
Glitterdust
A classic area counter that visibly coats invisible creatures and can impose an additional harmful effect.
Dispel Magic
Attacks the underlying magical effect itself rather than merely suppressing invisibility nearby.
Hallow
Allows the legacy Invisibility Purge effect to protect a sanctified site for one year.
Rules Sources and Edition Notes
The legacy D&D 3.5e form of Invisibility Purge is an Evocation spell for clerics with personal range, a duration of 1 minute per level, and a sphere whose radius is 5 feet per caster level.
The Pathfinder 1e version retains the same essential structure. Pathfinder also clarifies that natural invisibility is normally affected unless a creature’s specific rules provide an exception.
The D&D 5.5e / 2024 statistics on this page are a SpiralWorlds conversion, not an official modern spell entry. They are deliberately separated from the legacy mechanics.
Continue through the SpiralWorlds Magic reference, Invisibility, Greater Invisibility, Invisibility, Mass, See Invisibility, True Seeing, Faerie Fire, Glitterdust, Dispel Magic and Hallow.