Invisibility in ADOM is a special state of the PC or a monster. For both these beings the state of invisibility may be temporary and permanent, as well as intrinsic or conferred by external forces. Again, an ability to see through invisibility may be possessed by both the PC and a monster.
Invisibility for the PC[]
Monsters which are unable to see through invisibility will initially be unable to target the PC with anything other than melee attacks and vortex explosions, and will not consistently use these abilities against an adjacent PC. However, monsters do have some ability to track and follow the PC.
The inability of a monster to see an invisible PC disappears as soon as the PC attacks the monster using:
- Melee or missile attacks
- The various elemental ball attacks, as well as wands of destruction
- Melee-range damaging spells
Mindcraft, magical bolts, and acid spit do not break invisibility effects.
Acquiring/removing invisibility[]
The PC can acquire the state of invisibility by one of the following ways:
- Drinking a potion of invisibility (grants temporary invisibility).
- Casting Invisibility spell on himself/herself (grants temporary invisibility).
- Wearing an item that grants invisibility (ring of invisibility, cloak of invisibility, robe of invisibility or Brannalbin's Cloak of Defense).
- Drinking from a pool (may grant temporary or permanent intrinsic invisibility).
- Eating a corpse of an invisible stalker (grants permanent intrinsic invisibility albeit with a very low probability).
To remove invisibility the PC may simply wait for it to wear off (in case it is temporary) or unequip the corresponding item. Potions of visibility will remove invisibility temporarily. Normal mummy wrappings cancel invisibility while worn.
Extra[]
Dak, the Arena master, will not allow the PC to fight if (s)he is invisible.
Low-level shopkeepers may take some time to spot an invisible PC within their shop, especially if the PC has high Stealth and the shopkeeper is low level. It is, thus, possible to steal some items without any risk, as the shopkeeper will not ask to pay for those items which the PC had picked up before being spotted. Usually, the message -shopkeeper- stares at your position with great intensity indicates that the PC was spotted. Note that this is a chaotic act.
Players may experience some difficulties with companions which do not see through invisibility. Several in-game actions (such as swapping places (':s') or 'c'hatting) can be used to alert the companion to the PC's presence.
When the PC is invisible his standard '@'-sign is not displayed on the map (unless he also has see invisible). In this respect invisibility behaves like the blind status. The difference is that in case of an invisible player the cursor is still displayed at the players actual location, which in case of a blind player the cursor is not displayed on the map at all.
When the PC is both blind and invisible, the invisible status will not be displayed on the status line.
Invisibility can be considered to be both a status condition (because it is displayed on the status line) and an intrinsic, because it is listed on the death screen and potion of insight or Revelation screens.
Invisibility for a monster[]
Invisible monsters are exactly what a player may expect them to be. Unless the PC is able to see through invisibility, these monsters will not be shows on the map, but will be able to attack the PC. They may be attacked with any means in return if the player deduces their location or uses area attacks.
Slaying an invisible creature earns twice as much experience as slaying the same creature if it is visible, provided that the PC is unable to see invisible things. This boost is independent of the whole fight with the monster and is accounted for only during the killing blow. It is possible to make the monster invisible just before killing it for a cheap way to increase experience gains.
Sources of invisibility[]
Monsters in ADOM can turn invisible in one of the following way:
- Casting invisibility on themselves.
- Drinking a potion of invisibility from the floor (only intelligent monsters can perform this action).
- Being hit with a thrown by the PC potion of invisibility.
- Being affected by the PC casting Invisibility spell.
- Being intrinsically invisible (only invisible stalkers possess this feature).
The following monsters may cast invisibility on themselves:
It is possibly to temporarily make a monster visible by throwing a potion of visibility into it.