Mindblank What does it protect against?

[strongbow]

I know this question has been asked before. I would like to know the official answer, some individual designer answers if anyone has the appropriate links, as well as any 3.5 twists/thoughts

Mind Blank

The subject is protected from all devices or spells that detect, influence, read emotions or thoughts. This spell protects from all mind-affecting spells and effects as well as information gathering by divination spells and effects. Mind blank even foils limited wish, wish, and miracle when they are used in such a way to affect the subject's mind or to gain information about it. 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.

Some Categories of Protection:
Mind-Affecting Spells: All spells with the Mind-affecting Descriptor
Information Gathering: All divination type spells such as Scrying, Greater Scrying, Arcane Eye, Clairaudience/Clairvoyence, Prying Eyes.
Other types of possible information gathering: Detect Magic See Invisibility, Arcane Sight, True Seeing (Pretty much any divination spell, categorically)

Interpreting the last category as applicable brings up some strange situations. I'm invisible and mind blanked- so sorry, you can't see me even with See Invisibility. I can shapechange and be comfortable that True Seeing won't foil my disguise...

Edit: Changed Title of Thread to better reflect topic

 

[sithramir]

Re: Mindblank What should it protect vs?

I know this question has been asked before. I would like to know the official answer, some individual designer answers if anyone has the appropriate links, as well as any 3.5 twists/thoughts

Mind Blank

The subject is protected from all devices or spells that detect, influence, read emotions or thoughts. This spell protects from all mind-affecting spells and effects as well as information gathering by divination spells and effects. Mind blank even foils limited wish, wish, and miracle when they are used in such a way to affect the subject's mind or to gain information about it. 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.

Some Categories of Protection:
Mind-Affecting Spells: All spells with the Mind-affecting Descriptor
Information Gathering: All divination type spells such as Scrying, Greater Scrying, Arcane Eye, Clairaudience/Clairvoyence, Prying Eyes.
Other types of possible information gathering: Detect Magic See Invisibility, Arcane Sight, True Seeing (Pretty much any divination spell, categorically)

Interpreting the last category as applicable brings up some strange situations. I'm invisible and mind blanked- so sorry, you can't see me even with See Invisibility. I can shapechange and be comfortable that True Seeing won't foil my disguise...

You are correct in all your assumptions of what it protects except for the fact taht See invisibility is not a "detect" spell. You do use it as such, but the person with mindblank could still be seen with it.

It is important to realize that all devices or spells that detect, influence, read emotions or thoughts. This spell protects from all mind-affecting spells and effects as well as information gathering by divination spells and effects." Does not include see invisibility. It is not a detect spell or a mind affecting spell. Therefore it would work. But any detect magic/good/evil etc wouldn't.

 

[strongbow]

See Invisibility is a Divination, and gathers information about your true location and form. Why is it considered different?

Furthermore, suppose I have a crystal ball with see invisibility on it. I scry a commoner that is sitting at the same table as a PC with Mind Blank active. Unless you make a distinction that the Scrying spell is information gathering and so since you are using See Invisibility in conjunction with scrying, you still don't see anything, as opposed to using See Invisibility directly and without a scrying sensor.

At least True Strike's wording has been changed so that it says "you gain insight", instead of "you gain insight as to your opponents position".

Does anyone know a way to "foil" Mindblank?

 

[Iku Rex]

How do you judge what spells do and do not work on a character using the Mind Blank Spell?

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17687&perpage=40&pagenumber=1
(Old ENWorld thread. Contains a Sage reply posted by Ristamar on the first page.)

http://archivedboards.wizards.com/rpg/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=135;t=013997
Another (re)posted Sage reply:

Subj: Re: nondetection, mind blank & divinations
Date: 3/16/2003 8:26:58 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: TSRsage
To: DM dlh

In a message dated 3/14/03 1258 PM, writes:

1) Do either of the spells nondetection or mind blank (on an invisible
character) prevent detection by see invisibility?

2) Do either of the spells nondetection or mind blank (on an invisible
character) prevent detection by true seeing?

3) Is dust of disappearance (DMG p215) the only exception to this rule if that is the case & does it stop true seeing?

4) Does either nondetection or mind blank on a polymorphed creature prevent
seeing the "true form" by true seeing? [/i]

[b]Non detection has a chance to foil any divination spell (the divination user has to make a caster level check or the divination fails to reveal anything about the warded subject). In the case of see invisibility, a failed check means the caster sees nothing when looking at an invisible thing.

Mind blank stops things that effect the mind, and scrying (divinations that work remotely without line of effect to the subject). Mind blank does not stop direct observation with a divination spell (unless of read the mind).[/b][/QUOTE]

If you ask [i]me[/i] the spell description is clear - mind blank protects against [u]all[/u] forms of divination. (As per the official FAQ: [i]"...mind blank’s ability to block scrying and [b]all forms of divination...[/b]"[/i].)

I was a bit disappointed (but not surprised) to see that they hadn't cleared this up in 3.5 .

 

[kreynolds]

At least True Strike's wording has been changed so that it says "you gain insight", instead of "you gain insight as to your opponents position".

Yeah, they had to do that because some gamers are incapable of thinking for themselves, so common sense wasn't good enough.