Mind Blank defeats the effect of a True Strike?

[nwn_deadman]

The description of Mind Blank says that nothing, not even Wish or Miracle can influence the character that is warded by this spell. No Enchantments or Divinitations will work against this character.

Seeing as how True Strike is a Divinitation and Divinitations will not work against someone what has Mind Blank in effect, True Strike will not yield a +20 to attack against that character.

I think that True Strike helps you by giving you INSIGHT into where the target is going to be at a particular time, and since Mind Blank protects against this, True Strike will not work in this situation.

Thoughts?

 

[CRGreathouse]

I think it looks at what your foes do, not what you do. Perhaps if they had mind blank, you couldn't use true strike against them...

 

[SpikeyFreak]

From Mind Blank:
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.

I don't think true strike would be affected by mind blank according to the mind blank description. It's doesn't detect, influence or read emotions or thoughs, and it's not a mind affecting spell.

Could be wrong though.

--Anxious Spikey

 

[Akunin]

Well, it *is* an 8th level spell, *but*...

from the SRD (Mind Blank):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 when they are used in such a way as to affect the subject’s mind or to gain information about him. In the case of scrying that scans an area that 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.

from the SRD (True Strike):The character gains temporary, intuitive insight into the immediate future during the character's next attack. The character's next single attack roll (within the duration of the spell) gains a +20 insight bonus. Additionally, the character is not affected by the miss chance that applies to attacks against a concealed target.

Since (by its descriptions of the spells) True Strike is giving the recipient a glimpse into the future, and not specifically scrying on the target, attempting to read his mind, or influence his actions, I'd say that Mind Blank would *not* prevent a True Strike from working.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I agree with the last two posters - IMC, it wouldn't prevent a true strike. I was saying that under no interpretation would it prevent you from using true strike, and added a "devil's advocate" comment about using true strike on others.

 

[graydoom]

Heh, and I agree with the previous three. True Stikre doesn't affect the mind of the opponent you use it against... it affects your mind, and thus is not stopped by a mind blanked opponent.

 

[Striderman]

On the other hand, perhaps it might foil the True Strike, since Mind Blank makes a character invisible to scrying, it might be possible to reason that True Strike is a highly specialized form of scrying that sees into the future, and perhaps the True Striking character's insight into the future would not include the mind blanked subject. I think this has a certain logic as well, although balancewise, I don't think it would be a problem to allow the true strike to work. I'd probably allow it myself.

 

[KarinsDad]

I cannot believe that we are reading the same book guys.

Mind Blank: "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 when they are used in such a way to affect the subject's mind or to gain information about him."

Are you saying that True Strike is a Divination spell that does not gather information about the target? It does not let the caster know where the target will be in the immediate future? It is more powerful than Wish?

Quite frankly, even Nondetection may protect against True Strike (if the D20 roll is made). Mind Blank will definitely protect against True Stike.

In fact, Mind Blank will even protect against powerful divination spells such as Commune (regardless of the fact that you are asking a deity for the information). Of course, there are people who will disagree with this (we've had this type of discussion before), but the spell states that it protects against divinations. Period.

Either it does, or it doesn't. According to the spell, it does. You really do not get to choose which divinations it protects against and which it does not.

 

[nwn_deadman]

I think what people are missing is that True Strike is a Divinitation spell and the type of bonus gained is an INSIGHT bonus.

In order for the spell to work (a Divinitation) must divine (or gather information) about the TARGET. This is what makes the caster of the True Strike better able to hit the target.

Since Mind Blank foils ALL INFORMATION GATHERING by Divinatations how can True Strike work?

 

[Piratecat]

KD, putting WHOLE WORDS INTO CAPITALS doesn't make you correct. Or rather, you're absolutely correct about how Mind Blank prevents divinations about the subject, but I don't believe it works with true strike. By the definition....

from the SRD (True Strike):The character gains temporary, intuitive insight INTO THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE DURING THE CHARACTER'S NEXT ATTACK. The character's next single attack roll (within the duration of the spell) gains a +20 insight bonus. Additionally, the character is not affected by the miss chance that applies to attacks against a concealed target.

Heh - I put things in capitals myself. I'm such a hypocrite.

You'll note that the subject is the character and his next attack, not the attack's target. The divination is independent of the attack's target (be it rock, tree, kobold or mind blanked hero) and works regardless.

Thus, true strike doesn't seem to have anything to do with a mind blanked subject. The true strike spell description doesn't mention the attack's target at all; the divination is about the future, not a person, and thus mind blank (pretty clearly, at least to me) doesn't apply.

Okay, poke holes in my analysis!

- Piratecat