Sunbeam

[werk]

Blindness is permanent.

The creature just stared at the sun and it stared back!

Dude's blind...

 

[Infiniti2000]

On the question of housekeeping, well that depends on how you run your games. I let the players tell me how long they have been under an effect, so it's no biggie.

The players tell you how long each of their victims are blinded? Personally, I like to keep such trivialities away from the players and have them concentrate on their own characters. Tracking a potentially large number of opponents' blindness individually is certainly no fun for the player, and it doesn't really make me feel comfortable either, especially at such a high level of play where there are a LOT of little things to track.

 

[Gloombunny]

I would think it would be more like turning on a bright lamp in a darkened room where someone was sleeping (said person would be termporarily blinded and would be unable to exact adequate revenge upon you for only several seconds, not forever, but if you turned the light back out, similar to how the Sunbeam spell lapses, then you would be subject to immediate retribution), as opposed to the inflicting of permanent damage to the retina/optic nerve.

Dude. The beam deals 4d6 damage. That's easily enough to kill ordinary (i.e., low-level NPC) humans. It's a bit more intense than a lamp.

 

[squee]

Blindness is permanent.

The creature just stared at the sun and it stared back!

Dude's blind...

Dude. The beam deals 4d6 damage. That's easily enough to kill ordinary (i.e., low-level NPC) humans. It's a bit more intense than a lamp.

this fact coupled with the high level of the spell mean common sense at least says that the blindness should be permanent. i know common sense doesn't always count in D&D but in this case i see no reason why it should be discounted.

 

[Patlin]

I don't think it should be instantaneous, which is worse for the victim than permanent. At least permanent magical effects can be dispelled! Odd that it isn't explicitly stated, but if I had to house rule off the top of my head I'd be inclined to go with 1 round per Caster Level. That at least shares some language with the actual spell text.

 

[werk]

Yes, I meant instantaneous rather than permanent. I was using permanent incorrectly for purposes of this discussion.

It should be an instantaneous effect that permanently blinds the creature affected...much like staring at the sun.

 

[Andion Isurand]

Perhaps one could allow a creature blinded by effects like these, to attempt a Fortitude save every round after the first to regain their sight, but otherwise have no set duration and no stacking for this blindness.

That way one would still get 1 round to take advantage of a blinded dragon or giant before they are likely to recover, while improving the survivability of non-casters with low Reflex saves.

Plus, multiple beams could be used as supression fire to help keep a target blinded.

Also, this type of blindness condition could easily be part of an instantaneous effect from which a creature can eventually recover on its own... without resorting to an ongoing spell effect that only affects it, if it were to fail its Reflex save.

 

[brendan candries]

Can you blind undead with this spell?

Does the "undead part" of the spell description overlap/stack with the "any creature" part?

 

[risner]

Can you blind undead with this spell?

Yes

According to Ask Wizards, any creature with eye sockets or physical eyes can have their vision effected. So if the undead has eyes, it can be blinded.