D&D 5E Detect Magic and hidden (unseen) objects

[Prakriti]

Rules question that I can't find an answer to:

Detect Magic creates "a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic." What does "visible" mean in this case? "Within plain sight" or "not invisible?"

Example: There is a magic cloak hidden in a sack of old clothes. Does Detect Magic create a faint aura around it or not? (And would said aura be visible from outside the sack?)

 

[MiraMels]

If it's out of sight, it doesn't create an aura around the item. The spell will tell you that there is magic within 30 feet of you, but won't let you pinpoint it.

 

[commandercrud]

The cloak would glow, but you wouldn't be able to see that unless you opened the sack, and could, you know, see it.

 

[DEFCON 1]

How much does "seeing the aura" actually matter? You can sense the item regardless because the spell states it can "penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt"... so the question is whether or not seeing the aura is important for whatever it is you are trying accomplish? If you know the object is there but you can't "see" its glowing aura, does it matter?

Personally... I rule that it doesn't because there's no actually difference between the two in my opinion. The spell tells you the magic cloak is in the bag because does not block the spell... so whether there is visual "component" or not is kind of pointless and nitpicky to me.

 

[commandercrud]

How does seeing the aura matter? It tells you what's magical!

 

[DEFCON 1]

How does seeing the aura matter? It tells you what's magical!

The spell tells you its there anyway, because the cloth doesn't block the spell as per the final line of the description.

 

[commandercrud]

It says there's magic nearby, it doesn't say, "hey, there's a magic cloak in that bag."

 

[DND_Reborn]

Just for ease of reference, here is the spell:

The most important part is the first sentence IMO. If the sack is within 30 feet of you, you will sense magic (maybe even in that general direction) and know there is magic nearby. Upon searching the area, if you empty the contents of the sack, and use your action (in essence "pin-pointing" the possible source), the cloak would then have the faint aura which you can see.

The ability to sense the magic could even allow you to detect an item buried a couple feet, or hidden behind a shifting wooden panel in a room, etc.

That is how I have always seen the spell used in play anyway and fits the description well IMO.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I said nothing about knowing it's specifically a magic cloak. But to me the spell you tell you "hey, in the location of that sack is a magic item." You seem to be implying (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that there entire 30' radius of the spell pings you... telling you that something within this giant circle is magical but that it has no directional functionality.

To me that seems a massive waste of time, energy and an antithesis of the entire point of having the spell in the first place. Especially considering that if you have anything magical on your own person, that will also be "filling the radius" with an indication of something magical, thereby masking everything else.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The most important part is the first sentence IMO. If the sack is within 30 feet of you, you will sense magic (maybe even in that general direction) and know there is magic nearby. Upon searching the area, if you empty the contents of the sack, and use your action (in essence "pin-pointing" the possible source), the cloak would then have the faint aura which you can see.

The ability to sense the magic could even allow you to detect an item buried a couple feet, or hidden behind a shifting wooden panel in a room, etc.

That is how I have always seen the spell used in play anyway and fits the description well IMO.

Yep. You don't need to "see" the aura to know something there is magical. If you can see the aura it makes it really easy to pinpoint what object specifically is... but you still know its there regardless of whether it is in plain view or not.

That's why I treat Detection spells like your average metal detector... it sweeps over the area and pings when it finds something... you just don't know what caused the ping until you uncover the item from whatever it is within.