D&D 5E Blink and "space"

[Blue]

The Blink spell says:

you return to an u n occu pied spa ce of
your ch oice that you ca n see within 10 feet of the spa ce
you van ish ed from . If n o u n occu pied spa ce is available
with in that range, you appear in the n earest u n occu pied
spa ce (ch osen at ran dom if m ore than on e spa ce is
equally near).

Looking at this with a grid-based viewpoint the intention is clear. Comes back in a unoccupied square large enough to hold you within 10' of your original, random if it needs to be further.

But when you look at it from a theater-of-the-mind background, it's suddenly a lot more ambiguous. If there is room above people's heads within 10' can you come in there? Can you be forced to if all the ground area is taken? How about the same case being forced to pop in on the floor below since it's "unoccupied space within 10'". Also, if you are larger than medium, will it bring you back into a space that would be considered squeezing, or is that not "unoccupied"?

With grids being a variant rule, the TotM viewpont is the default the spell was written under. So ... what does "space" mean in TotM, and must it be at ground level?

 

[the Jester]

"Occupied space" means just that- a space occupied by another creature or object. That's the easy part of your question.

So first, about the "appear in mid-air" thing- I believe that in 1e, teleport specified that you had to land on a surface, but no edition since has done so. The real answer to your question here is "Ask your DM", because there's not a clear cut answer AFAIK.

As far as blinking below the floor, two things- 1. It may be occupied by rock, earth, etc. 2. You can't see it.

 

[Blue]

"Occupied space" means just that- a space occupied by another creature or object. That's the easy part of your question.

So first, about the "appear in mid-air" thing- I believe that in 1e, teleport specified that you had to land on a surface, but no edition since has done so. The real answer to your question here is "Ask your DM", because there's not a clear cut answer AFAIK.

As far as blinking below the floor, two things- 1. It may be occupied by rock, earth, etc. 2. You can't see it.

Your last part brings up an interesting question - do you need to see a space to arrive in it? If you are next to a wall, is everything on the other side of that wall off limits? What about if the whole area is in darkness?

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Your last part brings up an interesting question - do you need to see a space to arrive in it? If you are next to a wall, is everything on the other side of that wall off limits? What about if the whole area is in darkness?

The spell text you quoted says you appear in an "unoccupied space of your choice that you can see", emphasis added. So yes, the other side of a wall is off limits if you cannot see through walls.

Mirror shenanigans might work though.

 

[the Jester]

The spell text you quoted says you appear in an "unoccupied space of your choice that you can see", emphasis added.

Yep- the spell's text answers this. Also, it means that blink is useless if you're blinded.

 

[mellored]

Yep- the spell's text answers this. Also, it means that blink is useless if you're blinded.

I wouldn't call it useless, you still disappear and are unhittable for a moment.
You simply don't get to choose where to reappear.

Also, I don't see why up, or through a wall, wouldn't work with the right conditions. Such as closing your eyes, and having people occupy the area you just were in.

 

[the Jester]

I wouldn't call it useless, you still disappear and are unhittable for a moment.
You simply don't get to choose where to reappear.

Also, I don't see why up, or through a wall, wouldn't work with the right conditions. Such as closing your eyes, and having people occupy the area you just were in.

Because you cannot see your destination space, which the spell specifically requires for you to use it.

 

[mellored]

Because you cannot see your destination space, which the spell specifically requires for you to use it.

It's required to choose your location. It's not required to cast the spell or move to the ethereal plane.

I could see 2 interpretations based on how you define "that range".

Either it means "10'", which means you don't come back that turn (still has it's uses, just close your eyes and you have 1 minute to run past the monsters).
Or it means "10' that you can see", which means you come back in the nearest unoccupied space (which could be on the other side of a wall).

I'm inclined to read it the second way.

 

[Satyrn]

The Blink spell says:



Looking at this with a grid-based viewpoint the intention is clear. Comes back in a unoccupied square large enough to hold you within 10' of your original, random if it needs to be further.

But when you look at it from a theater-of-the-mind background, it's suddenly a lot more ambiguous. If there is room above people's heads within 10' can you come in there? Can you be forced to if all the ground area is taken? How about the same case being forced to pop in on the floor below since it's "unoccupied space within 10'". Also, if you are larger than medium, will it bring you back into a space that would be considered squeezing, or is that not "unoccupied"?

With grids being a variant rule, the TotM viewpont is the default the spell was written under. So ... what does "space" mean in TotM, and must it be at ground level?

I don't see any significant difference here between grid and TotM. If you think blink can put you in the air, on the other side of a wall or below the floor in TotM then it can do so on the grid, too. If you think the intention is clear for one, then it really ought to be just the same for the other.

I wonder if you're just getting hung up on some idea like "what the grid shows is all that exists" and forgetting that there's still up in the air, behind a wall or under the floor just because the grid doesn't show them.


Man, that may come off as condescending. It's not meant to be at all.

 

[the Jester]

I don't think "you return to an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of the space you vanished from" is even a little ambiguous about whether you need to see the space you are returning to. "An unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 10' of the space you vanished from" - bold added- seems absolutely to require that you can see the space you're returning to.