Mind Blank... (and a side note of Can an Undead Barbarian Rage?)

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Apologies if this has been done to death before, but a couple of thoughts occured to me while I was looking over this problematic beastie...

The subject is protected from all devices and spells that detect, influence, or read emotions or thoughts. This spell protects against all mind-affecting spells and effects as well as information gathering by divination spells or effects. Mind blank even foils limited wish, miracle, and wish spells when they are used in such a way as to affect the subject’s mind or to gain information about it. In the case of scrying that scans an area the creature is in, such as arcane eye, the spell works but the creature simply isn’t detected. Scrying attempts that are targeted specifically at the subject do not work at all.

Can you lower this protection if you wish to? Can the caster? Are you also immune to positive effects?

It foils all mind affecting spells and effects. I'm sure that includes Bardic Music. But what about barbarian rage - which offers 'morale' bonuses to will... while it doesn't explicitly state it's 'mind affecting', it would strike me as being so. (curious side note, can an Undead Barbarian Rage? Con boost? Fatigue?)

Also, what happens if it is cast on a subject while the subject is under the effect of a)A mind influencing, b)Scrying? Does it dispel them? Supress them?

It does state you are immune to mind-affecting effects. Is that from any source? Even non magical? Can the subject get frightened? Would the subject be upset if their girlfriend dumped them? If not, then I guess this spell turns the subject into an emotionless robot. Should people be made to RPG that?

Would any of these things stop (nearly) all high level characters running around with this all day long?

Sorry about the rack of questions, but inquiring minds are bored today.

 

[Thanee]

Would any of these things stop (nearly) all high level characters running around with this all day long?

Ah, but actually you don't need Mind Blank at higher levels, since everyone assumes you have Mind Blank running all day long, they won't try any mind-affecting stuff on you, anyways.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Ah, but actually you don't need Mind Blank at higher levels, since everyone assumes you have Mind Blank running all day long, they won't try any mind-affecting stuff on you, anyways.

Bye
Thanee

That's a remarkably good point. I guess the high level magic involves scrying on what the low level neighbours are doing and Repelling kids away from your apple tress?

I'm wondering how long it would take for high level PCs to realise some Supa-Evil Wizard is too lazy to bother with protections from scrying!

 

[hong]

Yes, an undead barb can rage, for 3 rounds since there's no Con bonus. On the upside there's no fatigue at the end of the rage, because undead are immune to fatigue.

 

[xenoflare]

barbarian rage issues for undead

hi guys, in Ghostwalk, it's mentioned that undead barbarians use their charisma modifiers to determine how long they rage instead of constitution.

Page 155, under Xaphan: Roles for Character Classes

hope this helps.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Sucks to be an undead Half-Orc Barbarian, then. Most of the time their Rage would be shorter than if they used their non-existant Con bonus.

 

[the Jester]

I don't think you can lower the mind blank when it's cast on you- you'd have to dispel it or something.

I'd say a barbarian can still rage while mind blanked- I don't think the class ability has the mind-affecting descriptor explicitly on it. Bardic music wouldn't be able to work on a mind blanked person, which is also a very interesting point I'd never discerned before.

As to undead barbarians, the examples I've seen (maybe in RttToEE? can't recall) didn't have a bonus to the duration applied at all.

The pcs in my game rarely use mind blank because they really like to be able to look in on each other with scrying and trumps.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I'm guessing it isn't great to be an undead barbarian... although I supose, being dead, it's a bit hard to get the adreneline levels up!

It's interesting... adds some possible downsides to this otherwise 'must have' spell... No positive mind affecting effects could be quite a downside... Guess sometimes it's worth 'risking' using just the old fashioned 'nondetection' spell?

Glad to see it 'nerfs' bards a bit. They were way too powerful already!

 

[Piratecat]

Logically (but not by the rules), bardic music should work on a mind blanked person unless the spell throttles down your emotional response, turning you into an emotional cripple.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Sucks to be an undead Half-Orc Barbarian, then.

I would think being an undead half-orc would suck big time being barbarian or not, I could be wrong though. So stand up all of you undead half-orcs out and let your voice be heard.