It's Invisibility, not Invisibility plus Minor Illusion. You can see through invisible objects. That's what it means to be invisible. Any other interpretation adds capabilities to the spell that don't exist in the rules, and can't be adjudicated consistently.

On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:00:15 -0700 (PDT), mike <mrosskne@gmail.com>
wrote:

>It's Invisibility, not Invisibility plus Minor Illusion.
>You can see through invisible objects. That's what it means
>to be invisible. Any other interpretation adds capabilities
>to the spell that don't exist in the rules, and can't be
>adjudicated consistently.

How fun to revive a twenty-two year old debate!
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.frp.dnd/c/7QYF7v2NUlc if you
want to catch up ;-)

Anyway, it all depends on the edition you're playing. If we go by RAW
and look at the spell descriptions in the various Player Handbooks:

- OD&D (White Box) says "a person or thing"

- D&D Basic (Holmes, Moldvay, BECMI, Cyclopedia) had an effect on "one
creature or object" ("any person or object" in Holmes)

- AD&D 1st & 2nd Edition specify the area of effect is "1 creature".

- D&D 3rd Edition also targets the spell at a 'creature'

- 3.5 Edition specifies "1 creature or object"

- 4th Edition says "You or one creature".

- 5th Edition also specifies "creature" (the number is variable).

So if you are playing OD&D, D&D Basic, or 3.5th Edition, your spell
can affect the door. Otherwise, the spell is ineffective because it
only affects creatures.

Well, unless the door is alive, I suppose. And, strangely, when cast
on a creature it DOES affect anything they are wearing or carrying.
Still, most editions are fairly specific that the spell only works on
living things, and not inanimate objects.

But if you happen to be playing the appropriate edition and the spell
does work, you should be able to see through the door. Arguably there
are spells in the other editions that can make objects invisible, but
these are not the same thing as the 2nd level spell the players in
question were using.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:

> On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:00:15 -0700 (PDT), mike <mrosskne@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>It's Invisibility, not Invisibility plus Minor Illusion.
>>You can see through invisible objects. That's what it means
>>to be invisible. Any other interpretation adds capabilities
>>to the spell that don't exist in the rules, and can't be
>>adjudicated consistently.
>
> How fun to revive a twenty-two year old debate!
> https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.frp.dnd/c/7QYF7v2NUlc if you
> want to catch up ;-)
>
>
> Anyway, it all depends on the edition you're playing. If we go by RAW
> and look at the spell descriptions in the various Player Handbooks:
>
> - OD&D (White Box) says "a person or thing"
>
> - D&D Basic (Holmes, Moldvay, BECMI, Cyclopedia) had an effect on "one
> creature or object" ("any person or object" in Holmes)
>
> - AD&D 1st & 2nd Edition specify the area of effect is "1 creature".
>
> - D&D 3rd Edition also targets the spell at a 'creature'
>
> - 3.5 Edition specifies "1 creature or object"
>
> - 4th Edition says "You or one creature".
>
> - 5th Edition also specifies "creature" (the number is variable).
>
> So if you are playing OD&D, D&D Basic, or 3.5th Edition, your spell
> can affect the door. Otherwise, the spell is ineffective because it
> only affects creatures.

It seems that for the other editions, the spell can be used as a mimic
detector in a pinch.

john

On 12 Aug 2023, mike wrote:

> It's Invisibility, not Invisibility plus Minor Illusion. You can see through
> invisible objects. That's what it means to be invisible. Any other
> interpretation adds capabilities to the spell that don't exist in the rules,
> and can't be adjudicated consistently.

I wouldn't have a problem with my players doing this, I think it's pretty
creative.

I would rule the door becomes see-through and not create an illusion based on
the expectation of what was in the room, but don't forget that any monsters
inside the room can now see out through the (currently solid but weaker than
you hopped) door...

--
gbbgu