Another blinking blink question -- grappling

[kjenks]

We had a fun one arise a couple of weeks ago. The Arcane Trickster set off on his Broom of Flying. The bad guys were running away, so the AT swooped down to pick up his buddy, the cleric. The cleric got on the broom too and the chase was on. Then the AT cast Blink.

We talked for a while about what should happen next. Eventually, I ruled that the cleric had to roll his 50% miss chance which would indicate that the broom Blinked out from underneath him.

It was good slapstick fun when the cleric fell 20 feet and the Blinking AT zoomed onward overhead.

 

[Derren]

Why do I slowly get the impression that Blink is way too good for its spell level.
It makes you immun to grappling, and other material barriers like a web spell like Freedom of Movement would, it lests rogues sneak attack constantly without a way for an enemy to negate it except dispelling (no option if blinkink comes from a ring) lets you freely walk through doors and small walls and protects you from attacks and spells.

 

[Quidam]

downsides

Don't ignore the downsides of casting blink- there's a percent chance of your own attacks or spells missing due to you being on the wrong plane. This can be overcome, but at the cost of employing other magical effecgts.

 

[jodyjohnson]

... it lests rogues sneak attack constantly without a way for an enemy to negate it except dispelling (no option if blinkink comes from a ring) ....

Usually it's better to give yourself concealment (obscuring mist, smokestick, darkness) than to try to counter what's giving the sneak attacker his advantage.