[A&E Guide] Blindfold of True Darkness

[LokiDR]

I disagree. I think in the end, the ring of invisibility is far superior. With the blindfold, nobody is invisible to you within range. With the ring, you're invisible to everyone, no matter how close or far away they are. I think the ring has a lot more uses than the blindfold, such as stealing treasure, or anything else (no matter the lighting conditions), escape, evasion, and long range attacks, to name a few.

Blindfold+deaper darkness= invisiblity that doesn't go down.

The blindfold stops anyone from sneaking up close to you. It stops all gaze attacks and some spells.

I see the ring of invis being better for defense and the blindfold better for offense. If you have a couple daylights, and 3-4 dispels, I can easily have that many deeper-darkness items in an extra-dimesional space (Helet's Handy Haversack works perfectly) so they are not dispelled. If you daylight that coin, I can toss it and draw another. If you daylight the ground, I can back up and still get my darkness. You still can't see me, but I can see you.

One last reminder: blindsight goes through most illusions. What kind of bonus is that? Illusioned pit traps will never be a problem again, nor walls. Trick me with any image spell - no. All in all, I would opt for blindsight for far more characters than I would for the ring of invis, especially if blindsight only costs 9k.

 

[kreynolds]

Blindfold+deaper darkness= invisiblity that doesn't go down.

Unless the darkness goes down, of course.

I see the ring of invis being better for defense and the blindfold better for offense.

I'd have to agree with that, but that doesn't mean that the blindfold is vastly superior to the ring. In combat, it is. Outside of combat, it isn't.

If you daylight that coin, I can toss it and draw another.

Very true. Its potentially an infinitely repeating tactic.

If you daylight the ground, I can back up and still get my darkness. You still can't see me, but I can see you.

That depends on how far you back up, which may have to be too far if you don't want me to be able to see you.

One last reminder: blindsight goes through most illusions.

Yup.

All in all, I would opt for blindsight for far more characters than I would for the ring of invis, especially if blindsight only costs 9k.

I think most of my characters would rather have the ring, though I do have one heavy dungeon crawler that wouldn't mind the blindfold.

 

[Caliban]

Crikey!

I make a topic and 24 hours later, we are having a 2 men enter, 1 man leaves Rules Forum Deathmatch between Caliban and KReynolds...

-Rugger
"I Lurk!"

Nah, he does this everytime we have a disagreement.

He picks some innocent comment of mine and pretends it's a verbal attack, and then acts all wounded and offended, trying to pretend I'm some bully so he can provoke me into a real transgression.

It's childish, but I'm no longer surprised by it.

I'm sorry everyone else had to be subjected to this display, you all have my sincere apologies for helping propagate it.

 

[LokiDR]

Unless the darkness goes down, of course.

I can have more deeper darkness coins than you have daylight or dispell. At days/level, a few a day keep my supply well in hand.

I'd have to agree with that, but that doesn't mean that the blindfold is vastly superior to the ring. In combat, it is. Outside of combat, it isn't.

Rogues can not sneak up on me. No illusion-based traps. Seems pretty useful to me, unless you spend a lot of time stealing or sneaking. Unless every party member has one, most likely only the rogue will really benifit.

Very true. Its potentially an infinitely repeating tactic.

You agree I can have nearly-infinte but still think this is shut down easily? What about all those times (I would have to think a majority) when you are not fighting a spellcaster?

That depends on how far you back up, which may have to be too far if you don't want me to be able to see you.

You daylight at your feet. I can either step back 65 feet to maintain invisiblity or I can use any other means to obscure vision. And my darkness-coin will work days after your daylight is out.

I think most of my characters would rather have the ring, though I do have one heavy dungeon crawler that wouldn't mind the blindfold.

I tend to run the gambit of plots, both playing and running. Because of this, I would call an ability like blindsight, which kills many a cheesy trick, more valuable that invis. The exception is if the character I am playing at the moment is based on stealth.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I can have more deeper darkness coins than you have daylight or dispell. At days/level, a few a day keep my supply well in hand.

Actually, either they're all treated as being effects that are on your person (like, say, GMW on your sword), in which case a targetted dispel on you could get them all...

... or they're treated as separate objects, in which case an area dispel could get them all...

-Hyp.

 

[AuraSeer]

Actually, either they're all treated as being effects that are on your person (like, say, GMW on your sword), in which case a targetted dispel on you could get them all...

...except that the darkness prevents you from seeing me, which means you can't target me.

 

[kreynolds]

I can have more deeper darkness coins than you have daylight or dispell.

You sure about the dispel?

At days/level, a few a day keep my supply well in hand.

True, but a single dispel would wipe them out.

Rogues can not sneak up on me. No illusion-based traps. Seems pretty useful to me, unless you spend a lot of time stealing or sneaking.

...in which case the ring of invisibility is far superior, which was what I was pointing out in the first place. The blindfold is greater for combat. The ring is greater for out of combat. Simply because a magic item is great out of combat does not mean its balance or usefulness should be ignored.

Unless every party member has one, most likely only the rogue will really benifit.

They would benefit the most, I agree. Especially spellcasting rogues with ray spells.

You agree I can have nearly-infinte but still think this is shut down easily?

One successful dispel is all it takes. The coin is in your possession, thus the coin is you, thus a targeted dispel could potentially take down every effect on you.

What about all those times (I would have to think a majority) when you are not fighting a spellcaster?

Generally, a balanced party will have a spellcaster of some type (wizard, sorcerer, or cleric).

You daylight at your feet. I can either step back 65 feet...

...and unless you're hasted, that would consume your entire round (if you're movement rate is 30 or less). That's a lot of precious time consumed.

...or I can use any other means to obscure vision.

Or I can use any other means to negate it, such as fly (get above it), true seeing (pierce it), wind wall (disperse a cloud of whatever or mist), dimension door (get around it), etc. We can discuss tactics all day, but I'm not sure how effecient that would be, unless that's what this topic has come down to to determine how powerful the item is (which is quite possible).

And my darkness-coin will work days after your daylight is out.

I don't need days. I just need a few rounds, maybe a couple of minutes, to negate your darkness.

I tend to run the gambit of plots, both playing and running. Because of this, I would call an ability like blindsight, which kills many a cheesy trick, more valuable that invis. The exception is if the character I am playing at the moment is based on stealth.

Well, it all comes down to combat or no combat. I just think that a ring of invisibility, as useful as it is outside of combat, is no less useful in comparison to a blindfold while in combat. Its just a matter of circumstances and the tools you utilize to adapt/handle those circumstances.

 

[LokiDR]

Actually, either they're all treated as being effects that are on your person (like, say, GMW on your sword), in which case a targetted dispel on you could get them all...

... or they're treated as separate objects, in which case an area dispel could get them all...

-Hyp.

Do you have a source on that? When I read dispell magic, a targeted dispell would only effect spells cast directly on you (like cat's grace) but wouldn't effect magiced items you carry, like a pile of GMW arrows.

Targeted Dispel: One object, creature, or spell is the target of the spell. The character makes a dispel check against the spell or against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature. A dispel check is 1d20 +1 per caster level (maximum +10) against a DC of 11 + the spell’s caster level.

If the GMW isn't on the character, how can a targetted dispel get rid of that effect.

Further, how are items in an extra-dimentional space going to be effected at all. Unless you dispell my HHH, I can always grab another coin.

 

[Caliban]

Do you have a source on that? When I read dispell magic, a targeted dispell would only effect spells cast directly on you (like cat's grace) but wouldn't effect magiced items you carry, like a pile of GMW arrows.

I believe it 's in the FAQ.

If the GMW isn't on the character, how can a targetted dispel get rid of that effect.

As attended items, they are considered part of you, and any spells on them are treated as spells that are on you.

Further, how are items in an extra-dimentional space going to be effected at all. Unless you dispell my HHH, I can always grab another coin.

This is true.

 

[kreynolds]

...except that the darkness prevents you from seeing me, which means you can't target me.

Except that the daylight coin lets me see you. This gets twisted, doesn't it?