Blinded

[Hypersmurf]

It's also possible that they checked the rules, scratched their heads, checked with a designer, and then gave the answer that was intended all along.

At which point, said designer should have ensured that the document which contains fixes for mistakes in the PHB was updated...

-Hyp.

 

[deleteme123456]

bursts and blasts simply fill the squares. You can do it just as well with your eyes close. You aren't trying to pick out individual tagets, you are spraying the whole region with whatever energies you're using. Blind has no effect on a fireballs ability to fill a 5x5 region with firey death. The most blind could do is cause the wrong 5x5 region to be filled with firey death. Thats where the whole targeting what you can't see section of the PHB deals with.

Bursts and blasts don't suffer the same way other attacks do from blindness.

So how does a blind wizard operate when accompanied by a non-blind ally? "Hey, Gandalf, throw a scorching burst 25 feet in front of you and 5 feet to the left!"

Is that valid, or should the wizard make some sort of check to determine if he can really accurately hit the square he's aiming for (assuming there is no cover etc penalty for obstacles, and that it would otherwise be a clear shot)?

 

[James McMurray]

At which point, said designer should have ensured that the document which contains fixes for mistakes in the PHB was updated...

-Hyp.

Yep, but expecting a major corporation to update their online resources is a fool's bet. Expecting them to update multiples is crazier still. It'd be nice, but unless one holds to the slavish notion that the FAQ is not official, it;s an unnecessary luxury.

 

[Ibixat]

At which point, said designer should have ensured that the document which contains fixes for mistakes in the PHB was updated...

-Hyp.

*shrug* OR they can ensure it gets put into the official FAQ for the book on the website of the publisher to answer the question quicker than they would be able to get it into the official PDF updates.