Conjuration • Creation • Blindness • Revelation • Invisible Creatures
Glitterdust, “Gilded Revelation”
Glitterdust erupts as a cloud of brilliant golden particles, coating creatures and objects caught in the affected area. The spell has two distinct functions: creatures may be blinded by the dazzling cloud, while invisible creatures and objects become visibly outlined by the sparkling dust clinging to them.
Glitterdust is therefore more than a detection spell. It is battlefield control, revelation magic and a direct answer to Invisibility. It does not need to dispel invisibility to defeat its practical advantage: visible dust settling across an unseen body reveals where that body stands.
Game Statistics
Glitterdust — D&D 5.5e / 2024
Glitterdust does not have an official core 2024 version. This SpiralWorlds conversion preserves the classic spell’s combination of area revelation and blindness while using modern spell and condition terminology.
Spell Effect
Choose a point you can see within range. A cloud of brilliant golden particles erupts in a 10-foot-radius Sphere centred on that point. Every creature and object in the Sphere becomes coated in glittering dust for the spell’s duration.
A creature coated by the spell cannot benefit from the Invisible condition while the coating remains. Glitterdust does not end whatever spell, feature or action granted that condition; the visible particles simply betray the creature’s location and outline.
Each creature in the Sphere must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has the Blinded condition while the spell lasts.
At the end of each of its turns, a creature blinded by Glitterdust repeats the saving throw, ending the Blinded condition on itself on a success.
The Coating
The conjured particles cannot be brushed, shaken or washed away by mundane means while the spell lasts. A coated creature that leaves the original Sphere remains coated until the effect ends.
Higher-Level Spell Slots
Casting this conversion with a higher-level spell slot provides no additional benefit.
Glitterdust — Pathfinder 1e
Spell level: arcanist 2, bard 2, bloodrager 2, magus 2, mesmerist 2, occultist 2, skald 2, sorcerer 2, summoner 2, unchained summoner 2, witch 2 and wizard 2.
Spell Effect
Golden particles fill the affected area and cover every creature and object caught within it. The dust cannot normally be removed and continues sparkling until the spell expires.
Invisible creatures and objects are visibly outlined. Any creature covered by the dust takes a –40 penalty on Stealth checks.
Each creature in the area attempts a Will saving throw against the spell’s blinding effect. A creature that fails is blinded.
At the end of each of its turns, a blinded creature may attempt another Will saving throw. A successful save ends the blindness.
Glitterdust — D&D 3.5e
Spell Effect
Golden particles cover everyone and everything in the affected area. The dust cannot normally be removed and continues sparkling until the spell expires.
Invisible creatures and objects are visibly outlined. Any creature covered by Glitterdust takes a –40 penalty on Hide checks.
A creature that fails its Will saving throw is blinded for the spell’s duration. The saving throw applies only to the blinding component.
How Glitterdust Works
Glitterdust combines two distinct effects: coating and blindness.
The coating is the dependable part. Golden particles settle across creatures, clothing, weapons, armour and objects. Invisible things cease to be visually undetectable because the glittering material reveals their outline.
Blindness is the resisted part. Creatures receive the appropriate saving throw for the edition being used, but succeeding on that save does not prevent Glitterdust from coating them.
Glitterdust and Invisible Creatures
Glitterdust is one of the classic magical answers to Invisibility and Greater Invisibility.
Instead of changing an observer’s vision, Glitterdust changes the target. Visible material adheres to an otherwise unseen body, producing a moving outline that ordinary observers can follow.
Revealing Is Not Dispelling
Glitterdust does not automatically terminate the effect responsible for invisibility.
A creature protected by Greater Invisibility can remain under that spell while Glitterdust makes its position and silhouette plainly visible.
If Glitterdust expires first, the creature can become fully unseen again while the underlying Greater Invisibility remains active.
This differs from Dispel Magic, which attempts to end the magical effect itself.
Everyone Can See the Result
This gives Glitterdust a major tactical difference from See Invisibility.
See Invisibility changes what one observer can perceive. Glitterdust marks the target in the visible world, allowing the rest of the party to benefit from the revelation as well.
2024 Hide and the Invisible Condition
The SpiralWorlds 5.5e conversion refers to the Invisible condition rather than only to magical invisibility.
This means the conversion can interact with an Invisible condition gained through hiding as well as one granted by the Invisibility spell. A creature successfully coated by Glitterdust cannot benefit from that condition while the coating remains.
Glitterdust vs Faerie Fire
Faerie Fire and Glitterdust are frequently compared because both can expose invisible creatures, but the two spells should feel and play differently.
| Feature | Glitterdust | Faerie Fire |
|---|---|---|
| Visual identity | Dense cloud of sparkling golden particles | Magical luminous outlining |
| Main role | Reveal and blind | Reveal and improve attacks against outlined targets |
| Invisible creatures | Revealed by visible dust clinging to the body | Revealed by magical light outlining the body |
| Blindness | Yes | No |
| Character | Aggressive battlefield-control spell | Revelation and attack-support spell |
Glitterdust should therefore look like a supernatural burst of reflective mineral particles rather than a golden version of Faerie Fire.
Glitterdust vs See Invisibility
| Spell | Who Benefits? | Method | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glitterdust | Anyone able to see the coated creature | Visible magical particles | Combat, ambush response and area control |
| See Invisibility | The spell’s observer | Enhanced magical perception | Scouting, detection and preparation |
See Invisibility is the precise detection spell. Glitterdust is the more aggressive combat answer: if an unseen enemy is somewhere inside a particular space, cover that space in gold and force the creature into the visible battle.
What Glitterdust Does Not Do
- It does not automatically dispel invisibility. It reveals the target by coating it.
- It does not reveal everything everywhere. Only creatures and objects caught by the spell are coated.
- It does not see through solid barriers. Walls, doors and total cover remain relevant.
- It does not identify the source of invisibility. Seeing an outlined creature does not reveal which spell or supernatural ability created the effect.
- It does not automatically counter Blur or Displacement. Those effects have their own mechanics and should not be treated as identical to invisibility.
- It is not selective in its legacy forms. Allies and neutral creatures caught in the affected area can also be covered and blinded.
Tactical Uses
Expose an Invisible Ambusher
Cast Glitterdust into the doorway, corner, corridor or chamber where an unseen attacker is suspected. The spell’s area can reveal a creature even when the caster cannot select that creature as an individual target.
Blind Several Enemies
A well-placed Glitterdust can disrupt archers, spellcasters and melee attackers simultaneously while also revealing any invisible threats among them.
Protect the Back Line
Invisible assassins and stalking monsters often try to bypass front-line defenders. Glitterdust can transform an apparently empty space beside a wizard or healer into a suddenly visible threat.
Mark a Fleeing Creature
A creature already coated remains marked for the duration. Leaving the original area does not remove the Glitterdust.
Reveal Invisible Objects
The legacy spell affects objects as well as creatures. Invisible weapons, containers or other unseen objects caught in the burst can therefore become visible.
Force a Tactical Choice
An invisible opponent can succeed on the saving throw against blindness and still lose the primary advantage of being unseen.
GM Adjudication
Does a Successful Saving Throw Prevent the Dust?
No. In Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e the saving throw explicitly negates blinding only. The creature remains coated. The SpiralWorlds modern conversion preserves this defining feature.
Can the Dust Be Brushed Off?
Not under the normal legacy spell. The magical particles remain until the spell expires. The SpiralWorlds 5.5e conversion follows the same principle.
Does Leaving the Original Area End the Effect?
No. Glitterdust is a burst that coats creatures and objects when it takes effect. A coated creature does not become clean merely by moving out of the original area.
Does Glitterdust End Greater Invisibility?
No. Glitterdust can visibly expose a creature protected by Greater Invisibility without terminating Greater Invisibility itself.
Can Glitterdust Affect Allies?
Yes in its legacy forms. Everyone and everything caught in the affected area is covered, so placement matters.
Can Glitterdust Be Cast Where the Caster Only Suspects an Invisible Creature?
Yes, provided the chosen point and area satisfy the edition’s normal range, targeting and line-of-effect rules. This is one of Glitterdust’s greatest tactical strengths.
Ground Mica — Material Component
Glitterdust traditionally uses ground mica as its material component. Mica naturally separates into thin reflective flakes, making it an unusually suitable mundane analogue for a spell formed from innumerable brilliant, light-catching particles.
This also gives the spell a strong visual identity. Glitterdust is not a halo, flame or coloured aura. Describe it as an abrupt storm of tiny golden mineral flakes flashing in torchlight, daylight or magical illumination before settling across everything they touch.
Choosing the Right Anti-Invisibility Spell
| Spell | What It Does | Best When | Main Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glitterdust | Coats an area in visible particles and can blind creatures. | You know approximately where an invisible enemy is and want the whole group to see it. | Limited area and possible friendly-fire concerns. |
| See Invisibility | Lets the recipient perceive invisible creatures directly. | You expect sustained invisible threats or need specialised detection. | Does not automatically reveal the target to allies. |
| Faerie Fire | Outlines targets with magical light and undermines invisibility according to the edition. | You want revelation and attack support rather than blindness. | Uses its own saving-throw and edition-specific mechanics. |
| Invisibility Purge | Suppresses invisibility within its legacy-edition emanation. | Invisible creatures are expected to approach or move repeatedly through an area. | Primarily a Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e solution. |
| Dispel Magic | Attempts to terminate the magical effect itself. | You want to end the invisibility rather than merely expose the creature. | Does not provide Glitterdust’s area search-and-reveal function. |
Related Spells
Glitterdust FAQ
Does Glitterdust reveal invisible creatures?
Yes. The golden particles coat and visibly outline invisible creatures and objects caught in the affected area.
Does an invisible creature have to fail its saving throw to be revealed?
No. In Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e, the saving throw applies only to blindness. A creature that succeeds on the save remains covered by the dust and is therefore still visibly outlined.
Does Glitterdust dispel Invisibility?
No. It exposes the creature by coating it in visible material. The underlying invisibility effect can remain active.
Can Glitterdust reveal Greater Invisibility?
Yes. A creature under Greater Invisibility can be visibly outlined by Glitterdust even though Greater Invisibility itself continues.
Can Glitterdust be removed before its duration ends?
The legacy spell states that the dust cannot be removed before it fades. The SpiralWorlds modern conversion preserves that feature.
Does Pathfinder Glitterdust allow repeated saving throws?
Yes. A creature blinded by the Pathfinder version may make another Will saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the blindness.
Does D&D 3.5e Glitterdust allow repeated saving throws?
No. D&D 3.5e does not include Pathfinder’s repeated saving-throw rule.
What is the material component for Glitterdust?
Ground mica, whose thin reflective flakes suit the spell’s cloud of brilliant golden particles.
Is Glitterdust an official D&D 2024 spell?
The modern version on this page is a SpiralWorlds conversion designed to preserve the classic spell in D&D 5.5e / 2024 play.
Rules Sources and Licensing
D&D 5.5e / 2024: the rules presented above are an original SpiralWorlds conversion intended to preserve the classic Glitterdust spell using modern conditions and spell structure. It is not presented as an official 2024 Glitterdust spell.
Pathfinder 1e: mechanics are presented as an editorial rules summary of the Pathfinder version, including the –40 Stealth penalty and the additional saving throws available to blinded creatures.
D&D 3.5e: mechanics are presented as an editorial rules summary of the 3.5 System Reference Document version, including the –40 Hide penalty, Will save against blindness only and absence of Pathfinder’s repeated-save rule.
Pathfinder reference: Archives of Nethys — Glitterdust.
D&D 3.5e reference: d20 SRD — Glitterdust.
See also the SpiralWorlds Magic reference for related spells and magical rules.
Original SpiralWorlds editorial text, conversion material and page design © 2026 SpiralWorlds.