[RPG] the reasoning behind the Ring of Invisibility being Legendary?

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I mean, seriously, it's not "The One Ring", which came with its own set of problems for the benefit of making its wearer invisible. Invisibility is a 2nd lvl spell (Duration 1 min) although the duration is indefinite in ring form, you cannot attack or cast spells.

Compare this to a ring of Regeneration (Very Rare) which lets you regain between 144 and 864 hit points in a 24 hour period and will regrow your left arm if your last encounter went a little off the rails.

It seems to me that being invisible is much more useful in tiers 1-2.5, after which the enemies start to have abilities that overcome invisibility – true sight, blindsense, tremorsense, and so on.

Best Answer

Because it is game breaking

Having a Ring of Invisibility isn't just being able to cast Invisibility a dozen or so times a day, it's being able to turn invisible as an action whenever you want. A character with this ring can and likely will...

  • Be invisible at the start of every combat. High level enemies like dragons have ways to handle this but monsters are going to be lost.
  • Turn invisible any time they would normally dodge. Attacks have disadvantage if you can't see the creature and you can't make opportunity attacks against a creature you can't see. Dodge and Disengage in one action, and you'll still be invisible next round.
  • If the character has a way to consistently attack as a bonus action they can use that every round, then turn invisible again with their action. Attacking from invisibility grants advantage so fantastic.
  • Combined with an expertise stealth check the character will simply never be found by most creatures.
  • In danger? Turn invisible.
  • Sleeping? Might as well be invisible and sleeping.
  • Traveling the road? Why not be invisible? It's free and the only downside is your friends can't admire your new haircut. You can always end it as a bonus action if you feel like it.

While not unassailable invisibility is a powerful, versatile, ability that requires particular abilities for monsters to handle effectively. Unlimited invisibility can make enough situations utterly trivial that an item that provides it is the stuff of legends.

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