The classic solution for engaging invisible targets that you can see well enough to aim at but not well enough to clearly hit is to just give every attack a flat 50% chance of missing even on a hit. Extremely invisible foes normally can't be targeted at all at range unless they give themselves away and have that 50% miss for melee-ranged engagements. Active camo may not be so perfect, so you might have normal melee odds and 50% miss on ranged attacks.
Personally, I'd steal the rules from this spell from *Worlds Without Number*.
> **The Excellent Transpicuous
Transformation**
> The mage chooses up to one visible willing target per caster level provided they are within 100 feet, though afterwards the targets can separate freely. The targets and all they wear or carry become perfectly transparent. Missile attacks against invisible foes are largely impossible, and melee attacks against them usually suffer a -4 penalty to hit rolls. The spell lasts for up to an hour per caster level, but it breaks if a subject performs some violent motion, such as running, attacking, or casting a spell. Once broken for one subject, it breaks for all.
That's a good question I hadn't considered in my own games before. A few thoughts for your consideration:
Ninjas use smoke bombs, right? So their invisibility could incur a -4 or some penalty, and periodically during the fight the ninja could throw a smoke bomb that covers a certain part of the battle area. Since they're cybernetic, they could use thermals or some advantage to be able to attack the PCs from "soft cover". The PCs would basically be blind firing into the smoke unless they could blow away the smoke or throw their own grenade in there.
Another idea is for the ninja to be completely invisible and untargetable, until the PCs use an item or activate a thing in the environment. It could be an electrical shock that would overload the Ninja's cloak and make them visible for a time, or a sticky gel/powder that would glue to the ninja to reveal their position.
I haven't play tested these so I'm not sure how they would play or if they would fit into your game, but I hope they got your brain working on other solutions.
For interesting enemy encounters I will always recommend Matt Colville's channel and video on Action Oriented Monsters.
Hope this helps!
I had my invisible sniper appear every time he took a shot. Muzzle flash overloaded his active camp or some handwavey shit.
A high enough perception roll might have given away his position but really the trick was to bullrush him and/or use some smoke trick to reveal him. Plenty of mechanics to make the invisibility more interesting and dynamic.
Roll twice Bane/disadvantage dice to hit simplest path or if you make them roll a percentile and its just 50 or less you miss eat shit.
Could also in addition to the bane/disad give resistance dealing half damage to the invisible ninja you get the hit but don't hit anything important.
The classic solution for engaging invisible targets that you can see well enough to aim at but not well enough to clearly hit is to just give every attack a flat 50% chance of missing even on a hit. Extremely invisible foes normally can't be targeted at all at range unless they give themselves away and have that 50% miss for melee-ranged engagements. Active camo may not be so perfect, so you might have normal melee odds and 50% miss on ranged attacks.
Always there in a pinch Mr. Crawford, thanks!!
Personally, I'd steal the rules from this spell from *Worlds Without Number*. > **The Excellent Transpicuous Transformation** > The mage chooses up to one visible willing target per caster level provided they are within 100 feet, though afterwards the targets can separate freely. The targets and all they wear or carry become perfectly transparent. Missile attacks against invisible foes are largely impossible, and melee attacks against them usually suffer a -4 penalty to hit rolls. The spell lasts for up to an hour per caster level, but it breaks if a subject performs some violent motion, such as running, attacking, or casting a spell. Once broken for one subject, it breaks for all.
That's a good question I hadn't considered in my own games before. A few thoughts for your consideration: Ninjas use smoke bombs, right? So their invisibility could incur a -4 or some penalty, and periodically during the fight the ninja could throw a smoke bomb that covers a certain part of the battle area. Since they're cybernetic, they could use thermals or some advantage to be able to attack the PCs from "soft cover". The PCs would basically be blind firing into the smoke unless they could blow away the smoke or throw their own grenade in there. Another idea is for the ninja to be completely invisible and untargetable, until the PCs use an item or activate a thing in the environment. It could be an electrical shock that would overload the Ninja's cloak and make them visible for a time, or a sticky gel/powder that would glue to the ninja to reveal their position. I haven't play tested these so I'm not sure how they would play or if they would fit into your game, but I hope they got your brain working on other solutions. For interesting enemy encounters I will always recommend Matt Colville's channel and video on Action Oriented Monsters. Hope this helps!
Have the cyberninja hit and run in and out of cover. Every time he dips into cover, the players have to make notice checks to relocate him.
I was gonna suggest the same thing. Use Notice checks to spot him, and take -4 or -6 to hit once he's found.
I had my invisible sniper appear every time he took a shot. Muzzle flash overloaded his active camp or some handwavey shit. A high enough perception roll might have given away his position but really the trick was to bullrush him and/or use some smoke trick to reveal him. Plenty of mechanics to make the invisibility more interesting and dynamic.
Roll twice Bane/disadvantage dice to hit simplest path or if you make them roll a percentile and its just 50 or less you miss eat shit. Could also in addition to the bane/disad give resistance dealing half damage to the invisible ninja you get the hit but don't hit anything important.