D&D 5E How powerfull is a permanent blur item?

[Spookykid]

How powerfull is a permanent blur item? Specifically on +1 leather armor but it seems way overpowered for any item.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Cloak of Displacement essentially does this already. For some reason WotC rated it as not very powerful (only a Rare) but the only possible justification I can think of for that is that there are plenty of powerful monsters such as demons with Truesight and dragons (who have Blindsight) who outright ignore Cloaks of Displacement and Blur spells, at least at close range.

It's still extremely powerful in my opinion, especially if your AC was already high.

In short, the value of the item depends on how common high-level monsters are in the campaign. In the extreme case where every single monster has infinite-range blindsight or truesight and/or regular blindsight/truesight but no ranged attacks, the value of the item is zero.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Very very powerful.

I had a Cleric with a cloak of displacement and plate armor. It was impossible to hit him. For the rest of the campaign, he never got hit. It was literally game-breaking. Do not add this item to your game.

 

[indemnity]

If you are a player - very powerful
If you are the DM - not too much

As with anything D&D, it depends on character level, adventure type and your DM.

It won't help with traps, social encounters, AoE spells, high level monsters, evil casters, homebrew monster items (everyone in this town wears goggles of truesight!)

 

[Celtavian]

Depends on the AC of the target and the level they obtain it. A +1 leather wearing rogue with a 20 Dex would probably equalize them to a heavy armor wearer. If you're playing a higher level campaign, I think it would be fine for a non-shield using rogue or bard. It would make their character more fun.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

For the rest of the campaign, he never got hit. It was literally game-breaking.

Sounds like the problem was over-reliance on reducing the character's hit points by way of attack rolls, rather than the doesn't-actually-apply-against-everything benefit of blur and plate armor.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Cloak of Displacement does not equal Blur. The description of the item does not mention Blur nor does it confer immunity from the effect to those with Blindsight or True Sight.

Cloak of Displacement essentially does this already. For some reason WotC rated it as not very powerful (only a Rare) but the only possible justification I can think of for that is that there are plenty of powerful monsters such as demons with Truesight and dragons (who have Blindsight) who outright ignore Cloaks of Displacement and Blur spells, at least at close range.

It's still extremely powerful in my opinion, especially if your AC was already high.

In short, the value of the item depends on how common high-level monsters are in the campaign. In the extreme case where every single monster has infinite-range blindsight or truesight and/or regular blindsight/truesight but no ranged attacks, the value of the item is zero.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Cloak of Displacement does not equal Blur. The description of the item does not mention Blur nor does it confer immunity from the effect to those with Blindsight or True Sight.

From the description of the item and those abilites it is however pretty Clear that true sight will let you ignore the displacement, since it's an illusion. We don't know exactly what blindsight does so that's up to the DM, bu if it Works against Blur it should work against displacement too, IMO.

 

[jaelis]

The cloak has the restriction that it stops working for a round when you take damage, and also when you can't move.
A permanent blur wouldn't have that. The damage one in particular makes blur better I'd say.

I'd rate a permablur item as roughly equivalent to +4 AC or so.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

From the description of the item and those abilites it is however pretty Clear that true sight will let you ignore the displacement, since it's an illusion. We don't know exactly what blindsight does so that's up to the DM, bu if it Works against Blur it should work against displacement too, IMO.

DM discretion, certainly. Truesight allows you to "automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them". And the cloak is a visual illusion, so the DM can decide that Truesight does more than detect the displacement effect, it negates it. However RAW the only thing that negates its' effect is damaging the user.