Blink and Sneak Attacks

[jgsugden]

I rememeber that blink allows sneak attacks, even when the foe had blindsight or could see invisible. For the life of me, I do not rememeber why I have this belief. Was is a sage ruling? A rule located outside the blink description? Or am I just crazy?

I did a brief search, but didn't find this issue ...

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, I can understand Blindsight not helping, but as far as I can tell, See Invisible should.

You deny Dex because you're striking "as an invisible creature", and you're 'invisible' because you're sometimes on the ethereal plane.

Some creatures have blindsight, the extraordinary ability to use a nonvisual sense (or a combination of such senses) to operate effectively without vision. Such sense may include sensitivity to vibrations, acute scent, keen hearing, or echolocation. This ability makes invisibility and concealment (even magical darkness) irrelevant to the creature (though it still can’t see ethereal creatures).

-Hyp.

 

[Felix]

When you blink you go back and forth between the Prime Material and the Ethereal planes... there is nothing invisible to see since you've moved accross the planes. I had always thought the comment you're thinking of was in the description of Blink but I could be mistaken.

The Rogue Blade (Savage Species) bestows a blink effect upon a wielder, so Rogues can always SA. It might be in the description of this weapon where you saw what you're remembering.

Blink gives a 50% (or 20%) miss chance to any attacker since the blinker goes ethereal. That miss chance is suffered by the blinking character, so expected damage is reduced by 20%. Not that any rogue wouldn't give that for free SA every attack, eh? They'll get this unless the target can see ethereal creatures, which See Invisiblility allows.

EDIT: Numbers and such.

 

[Sir Whiskers]

A blinking character should be able to sneak attack normally (though with a 20% miss chance imposed by the spell).

Attacking a blinking character, however, raises an interesting question. Blink does not provide concealment, but it does provide a miss chance (the random chance that the target will be ethereal when the blow lands). The spell, however, specifically notes that the target is ethereal when "blinked" and therefore invisible during that time (which does provide concealment for purposes of a sneak attack). So...when attacking a blinking creature:

1. If the attacker cannot see invisible, it cannot sneak attack the creature.
2. If the attacker can see invisible, it can sneak attack the creature, albeit with a miss chance.

Is this a reasonable reading of the spell?

 

[Felix]

Re: SA a blinking target when attacker cannot See Invisible

You have a 50% miss chance, and you can target the blinker as normal.
If you roll under 51 on a d100, the target is still on the material plane. Since he's on the PMP, he can be sneak attacked. If you hit, apply SA dice.

If you roll 51 or greater on a d100, the target has gone ethereal just as you struck. So he's not on the plane anymore. So you miss. So SA damage isn't applied.

At least, that's how I would rule it.

 

[Nifft]

I thought that any miss chance negated Sneak Attack. Hmm, can't find the rule right now...

-- N

 

[Hypersmurf]

I thought that any miss chance negated Sneak Attack. Hmm, can't find the rule right now...

It's under "Sneak Attack", and it says you can't sneak attack an opponent with concealment.

A miss chance for a reason other than concealment does not negate sneak attacks.

Whether or not Entropic Shield negates sneak attacks is unclear.

-Hyp.

 

[Nifft]

Whether or not Entropic Shield negates sneak attacks is unclear.

Hrnm. I think I'll keep my mis-perception as a house rule.

Thanks, -- N

 

[Darklone]

Wah, Blink. My favorite spell... oops, I am gone... oops, I am not gone...

Uncanny Dodge and Blink? Yippeee.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

To complicate it further... if you had a ghost touch weapon, could you still hit the target while they were ethereal?

What happens then?