Greater Invisibility — Complete D&D 5e Spell Guide

Table of Contents

• •Quick Answer
• •Overview
• •Stat Block
• •When NOT to Use This
• •Spell Slot Efficiency
• •Pro Tips
• •Common Mistakes to Avoid
• •Usage Tips
• •Rules Notes
• •Synergies
• •Anti-Patterns
• •Tactical Modules
• •Countermeasures
• •Greater Invisibility in the 2024 Rules
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Answer

Greater Invisibility is a 4th-level illusion spell for Bards, Sorcerers, and Wizards. You or a creature you touch becomes invisible for up to 1 minute (concentration). Unlike Invisibility, it doesn't end when the target attacks or casts a spell. For the whole fight, the target's attacks have advantage and attacks against it have disadvantage.

Overview

Greater Invisibility is a combat spell: up to ten rounds of advantage on the target's attack rolls and disadvantage on attack rolls aimed at it. That is offense and defense in one slot.

The best targets attack often. A fighter with Extra Attack gets advantage on every swing; a rogue gets Sneak Attack every turn without needing an ally nearby. A caster who puts it on itself becomes hard to hit, which also protects its concentration.

Two weak points: concentration holds it, so the caster has to survive, and blindsight, truesight, or See Invisibility ignores it within range.

Stat Block

When NOT to Use This

• •The enemy perceives invisible creatures. A glabrezu has truesight out to 120 feet, and a giant constrictor snake has blindsight out to 10 feet, which covers its own melee reach.
• •The fight will be over in a round or two. A 4th-level slot and an action for one round of advantage is a poor trade.
• •The caster is exposed and likely to lose concentration on the first hit.
• •The party mostly attacks with area spells and saving throws. Advantage on attack rolls does nothing for a Fireball.

Spell Slot Efficiency

When worth the slot: A boss fight, cast on a character who makes several attack rolls per turn. When not: Short fights, save-based parties, or enemies with truesight or blindsight in reach.

Upcasting

Greater Invisibility has no higher-level effect in either edition. It always affects one creature. If you want several invisible creatures, upcast Invisibility instead and accept that it ends on attacks.

Pro Tips

Tip #1: Put it on whoever makes the most attack rolls.

Why it works: Advantage applies to each attack roll. A fighter making two or three attacks per turn gets two or three advantaged rolls. A rogue gets Sneak Attack every turn because advantage alone qualifies it.

This avoids the mistake of: Casting it on a character who spends most turns on saving-throw spells.

Tip #2: Cast it on yourself when you are the target.

Why it works: If enemies are focusing the caster, disadvantage cuts the number of hits, and fewer hits means fewer concentration saves.

This avoids the mistake of: Buffing the fighter while the wizard drops and takes the spell with it.

Tip #3: Keep moving after you attack.

Why it works: In 2014, noise and tracks still reveal an invisible creature's location, and attacking makes noise. Moving after your attack forces enemies to guess again. A rogue's Cunning Action Hide makes that stronger.

This avoids the mistake of: Standing in the same square for three rounds while the enemy swings at it.

Tip #4: Cast it before initiative when you can.

Why it works: In the 2024 rules, being invisible when you roll initiative gives you advantage on the roll. In both editions, casting before combat saves your first-round action.

This avoids the mistake of: Losing a round of the 1-minute duration to the casting itself.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Treating it like the 2nd-level spell

Why it's bad: Greater Invisibility doesn't end when the target attacks or casts. Players sometimes hold back attacks because they expect it to drop.

Do this instead: Attack and cast freely. Only concentration or the 1-minute limit ends it.

Ignoring blindsight and truesight

Why it's bad: Creatures with these senses perceive invisible creatures within range. In 2024 the condition says outright that a creature that can see you cancels your advantage and its disadvantage.

Do this instead: Check the enemy's senses first. A gelatinous cube has blindsight out to 60 feet.

Forgetting that area spells don't care

Why it's bad: Saving-throw spells and area effects like Fireball don't use attack rolls. Invisibility doesn't help against them.

Do this instead: Spread out from other party members so a single area spell can't catch you together.

Usage Tips

• •Worked example (defense, 2014 stats): A hill giant attacks twice per turn with its greatclub (+8 to hit, 18 average damage). Against a fighter with AC 18, it needs a 10 or higher, which is 55% per swing. Expected damage is about 19.8 per turn. With disadvantage, each swing hits about 30% of the time (0.55 × 0.55), and expected damage drops to about 10.9. That ignores critical hits, which also become rarer.
• •Worked example (offense): The same fighter has +7 to hit against the hill giant's AC 13. It needs a 6 or higher, which is 75%. With advantage that becomes about 94% (1 − 0.25 × 0.25) on every attack for up to ten rounds.
• •Enemy casters use it too. The 2014 mage has Greater Invisibility prepared, and the 2014 gynosphinx does as well. The mage is AC 15 with mage armor up: a fighter with +7 needs an 8, a 65% chance normally and about 42% (0.65 × 0.65) with disadvantage, and only if the fighter picks the right square.
• •Track the 1-minute timer and the caster's concentration with the condition tracker.
• •Read the invisible condition guide for the full 2014 and 2024 effects, and the concentration guide for the save rules. Browse the full spell guide index.

Rules Notes

• •Touch range. The 2014 text says "you or a creature you touch."
• •In 2014, anything the target is wearing or carrying is invisible while it stays on the target. In 2024, the Invisible condition conceals your equipment.
• •Nothing in the spell ends it early except the end of concentration.
• •Spells that target "a creature you can see" can't target an invisible creature the caster can't see.
• •Blindsight and truesight perceive invisible creatures within their range.

Synergies

• •Rogues: Advantage on every attack means Sneak Attack on every turn.
• •Fighters with Extra Attack: Every attack roll gets advantage, and the target takes fewer hits back.
• •Paladins: More hits means more chances to smite. Each crit doubles the smite dice, and advantage raises the crit chance from 5% to about 10%.
• •Invisibility: Use it for the approach, then switch to Greater Invisibility when combat starts. A single caster can concentrate on only one at a time.
• •Pass without Trace: A druid or ranger holds Pass without Trace while your bard or wizard holds Greater Invisibility, so the invisible character can also hide well.

Anti-Patterns

• •Casting it on a character who mainly casts save-based spells, or against a monster with truesight.
• •Leaving the concentrating caster in the front line.

Tactical Modules

• •Assassin round: Cast it on the rogue before combat. The rogue opens with advantage and keeps Sneak Attack every turn.
• •Tank shield: Cast it on the fighter holding a doorway. The enemies' attack rolls drop sharply.
• •Caster bunker: The wizard casts it on itself and keeps casting with less risk of losing concentration from attack hits.

Countermeasures

These apply when the party faces an invisible enemy, such as a 2014 mage or gynosphinx.

• •Threat: An invisible enemy caster keeps attacking. Response: Cast Faerie Fire. Affected creatures can't benefit from being invisible. Fallback: Use area spells that don't need a visible target.
• •Threat: The caster concentrating on Greater Invisibility is nearby. Response: Damage the caster to force concentration saves. Fallback: Dispel Magic on the invisible creature. In 2014, a 3rd-level Dispel Magic needs an ability check against DC 14 to end a 4th-level spell.
• •Threat: You don't know where the creature is. Response: Take the Search action to locate it by sound. Fallback: Guess a square and attack with disadvantage.

Greater Invisibility in the 2024 Rules

SRD 5.2.1 keeps Greater Invisibility as a level 4 illusion spell for Bards, Sorcerers, and Wizards, with touch range, V and S components, and concentration up to 1 minute. It still doesn't end when the target attacks or casts.

The spell text got shorter. It now says "a creature you touch has the Invisible condition until the spell ends." The 2014 "you or" is gone. The general Targeting Yourself rule (a spell that targets a creature of your choice can target you) means you can still cast it on yourself. The sentence about the target's gear also left the spell, because the 2024 Invisible condition now conceals any equipment you wear or carry.

The bigger change is the condition. In 2024 an invisible creature has advantage on initiative, isn't affected by effects that require their target to be seen (unless the creator can somehow see it), and loses its attack benefits against any creature that can see it. The 2014 sentence about noise and tracks revealing your location is not in the 2024 condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Greater Invisibility do in 5e?

It makes one creature invisible for up to 1 minute with concentration. The target's attack rolls have advantage and attack rolls against it have disadvantage. Unlike Invisibility, it doesn't end when the target attacks or casts a spell.

Does Greater Invisibility end when you attack?

No. That is the whole point of the 4th-level version. Only the end of the caster's concentration or the 1-minute duration ends it.

What's the difference between Invisibility and Greater Invisibility?

Invisibility is 2nd level, lasts up to an hour, can target more creatures when upcast, and ends when the target attacks or casts. Greater Invisibility is 4th level, lasts up to a minute, targets one creature, and keeps working through attacks and spells.

Can you cast spells while under Greater Invisibility?

Yes. Casting doesn't end it. Your spell attack rolls also get advantage from being invisible. The spell does nothing for saving throws your spells force.

Can you cast Greater Invisibility on someone else?

Yes. Range is touch, so you can cast it on any creature you can reach, including yourself. The caster holds concentration, so if the caster fails a concentration save, the target becomes visible.

Does Greater Invisibility require concentration?

Yes, in both editions, for up to 1 minute. A caster who takes damage makes a Constitution save, DC 10 or half the damage taken, whichever is higher, to keep it.

How do you counter Greater Invisibility in 5e?

Faerie Fire stops affected creatures from benefiting from being invisible. See Invisibility, blindsight, and truesight perceive invisible creatures. Area spells don't need a visible target. Dispel Magic can end it, and damaging the caster can break concentration.

Is Greater Invisibility worth a 4th-level slot?

In long fights against enemies that attack, yes. It gives a full minute of advantage and defense to one creature. It is weaker in short fights, against save-based enemies, and against anything that can see invisible creatures.

Citations: SRD 5.1 (2014 rules), SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules)

Includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under CC BY 4.0.