Blink automatically allows sneak attacks, what?

[azmodean]

When an attacker is using blink itself, it has a 20% miss chance (because it sometimes finds itself ethereal when its attack strikes home). This miss chance also does not interfere with the attacker's sneak attacks. In fact, a blinking attacker strikes as an invisible creature, and its foes are denied Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class and that makes sneak attacks possible. If the blinking attacker's target can see ethereal opponents, that foe retains Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class and cannot be sneak attacked unless flat-footed or flanked. Because a blinking attacker's "invisibility" is actually etherealness, blindsight does not allow a foe to retain its Dexterity bonus against the attacker, and blindsight does not reduce the miss chance for attacks against the blinking combatant.

url: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040224a
I know it's an old article, but I was just wondering if this is considered valid? For a rogue, it might as well be invisibility, but it's more difficult to nullify! None of glitterdust, faerie fire, or purge invisibility would work.

 

[shilsen]

Yes, it is valid.

 

[ARandomGod]

Yes, it is valid.

It definitely seems to be. In spite of the fact that you have a 20% miss chance, it WHERE that miss chance comes from. Or to say, in this case when you "miss" your target, you've really hit him but done no damage as you've just phased out. Therefore you can indeed be sneak attacking.

Now, a semi-less valid (or at least disputed) idea is to combine this with a ghost touch weapon. IMC ghost touch weapons will hit to and from the etherial plane, thereby eliminating the miss chance altogether. Sweet.

 

[Shin Okada]

Now, a semi-less valid (or at least disputed) idea is to combine this with a ghost touch weapon. IMC ghost touch weapons will hit to and from the etherial plane, thereby eliminating the miss chance altogether. Sweet.

No. Ghost touch weapon is for incorporeality. Incorporeal and Ethereal are two completely different phenomenons.

 

[Andre]

IMC ghost touch weapons will hit to and from the etherial plane, thereby eliminating the miss chance altogether.

No. Ghost touch weapon is for incorporeality. Incorporeal and Ethereal are two completely different phenomenons.

Since you say "IMC", I'm guessing this is a house rule. Shin's post is correct using the RAW.

Also, no weapon ability (in the RAW) allows you to be ethereal and strike someone on the Prime Material. A [Force] weapon/effect allows you to attack in one direction (PM against ethereal), but not the other way (ethereal against PM).

 

[Shin Okada]

Oh I see, house rule.

But isn't it a very dangerous house rule? Someone in Ethereal Plane can strike someone in Matereal Plane and unless the opponent also has a ghost touch weapon or force spells, he is almost invulnerable.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Well, he admits that it is disputed, so even as a house rule not everybody is agreeing.

The Auld Grump

 

[Trainz]

The first magical item a rogue should seek out is a ring of blinking.

Sure, he'll miss 20% of the time, but all his successful attacks will be sneaks, and since the target has no dex, all his attacks hit easier.

 

[KarinsDad]

Even though the Blink spell itself states that "you strike as an invisible creature" and hence the opponent loses his AC bonus, I think that should only be the case when the opponent can neither strike ethereal characters nor see ethereal.

If he can strike ethereal characters or see ethereal characters, then the AC modifier (and hence sneak attack) should not work (in fact, it should not have been in the spell in the first place because you do not really have Total Concealment here, but so it goes). Blink gives you either Concealment (i.e. 20% miss chance) or a 20% miss chance for being etheral in these cases, not Total Concealment.

To my knowledge (and Hypersmurf can add in the ones I miss here ), the only conditions which cause you to lose your AC bonus are either Attacker Invisible, having Total Concealment or Feinting; or Defender Blinded, Cowering, Flat-footed, Grappling, Helpless, Pinned or Stunned.

Just like the miss chance drops to 20% when you can either strike or see the opponent, so should the "you strike as an invisible creature" aspect. IMO. But, the spell does not call this out.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Even though the Blink spell itself states that "you strike as an invisible creature" and hence the opponent loses his AC bonus, I think that should only be the case when the opponent can neither strike ethereal characters nor see ethereal.

Interesting. I had up to now assumed this was the case. But rereading the spell, even against a creature that can see and strike ethereal creatures, the attacker is considered invisible, which doesn't make sense to me.

I think I'll houserule it that you're still treated as invisible if the defender cannot see or strike ethereal creatures, or can only do one or the other. But if the defender can both see and strike ethereal creatures, you aren't treated as invisible.