Rogue with Blink gets Sneak Attack! (Thanks)

[Thanee]

I think the blinker does have concealment actually!

Bye
Thanee

 

[demiurgeastaroth]

Hint: You should better read the part, that is about the attacks made by the blinking character, not the part, that is about the attacks made against the blinking character!

Bye
Thanee
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Yes, I posted hastily - it's been a while since the situation I emntioned. On the point I should have mentioned. The same paragraph I quoted ends with:
"Likewise, your own attacks suffer a 20% miss chance, since you sometimes go ethereal just as you are about to strike." It's that 'likewise' (and the fact it is in the same paragraph where the miss chance is defined as being due to concealment) that leads me to believe the blink robs the rogue of his sneak attack.

 

[Thanee]

I think you're reading too much into that. There's nothing in the spell description stating, that the miss chance is due to concealment (in fact it is explained differently), and even from a logical viewpoint it would make absolutely no sense to disallow sneak attacks here.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

"If the attacker is capable of striking ethereal or incorporeal creatures, the miss chance is only 20% (for 1/2 concealment). If the attacker can see invisible creatures, the miss chance is only 20%. If the attacker can both see and strike ethereal creatures, he suffers no penalty. Likewise, your own attacks suffer a 20% miss chance since you sometimes go ethereal just as you are about to strike."

So, it looks like I was half wrong here. A strict reading of the text would indicate that blur grants 50% concealment (negated by detect invisibility or the ability to see ethereal creatures) and 50% incorporeality (which functions like and stacks with concealment).

Consequently, a blinking character may not be sneak attacked by anything that cannot see invisible or ethereal creatures (because of the concealment).

On the other hand, since his opponents do not have the effective half concealment from him but only effective 50% incorporeality (which grants the 20% miss chance. Consequently, a blinking rogue may still sneak attack.

I think the blinker does have concealment actually!

Bye
Thanee

 

[BlindKobold]

Re: Does Blink give Sneak Attack, though?

You can't get sneak attack benefits when the target benefits from concealment.
When blinking, your target gets concealment on every attack you make! (unless you can both see invisible and strike incorporeal).
Blink spell description, third paragraph:
"Physical attacks suffer a 50% miss chance, ... [skip to the relevant bit]... If the attack is capable of striking ethereal or incorporeal creatures, the miss chance is only 20% (for one-half concealment)."

Since the lesser penalty (20%) is half concealment, the 50% penalty is by extension full concelment. Thus, while blinking, you can't strike accurately enough to use sneak attacks.
(This ruling came in handy in my game where a rogue spotted the Ring of Blinking would allow him to make every attack he EVER did a Sneak Attack.)

I rule that your ruling is incorrect. The 20% miss that the character receives is NOT from concealment, but rather from going ethereal and simply being unable to hit his opponent without a special weapon.

So, since his opponent is denied his DEX, then the character CAN make sneak attacks every attack... however... he also has a 20% chance of blinking at each attack and missing completely as he becomes insubstantial.

It's an easy thing to confuse... but in this case, there is NO concealment from the blinking rogue...

 

[jontherev]

Re: Re: Does Blink give Sneak Attack, though?

I rule that your ruling is incorrect. The 20% miss that the character receives is NOT from concealment, but rather from going ethereal and simply being unable to hit his opponent without a special weapon.

So, since his opponent is denied his DEX, then the character CAN make sneak attacks every attack... however... he also has a 20% chance of blinking at each attack and missing completely as he becomes insubstantial.

It's an easy thing to confuse... but in this case, there is NO concealment from the blinking rogue...

I agree completely. The 50% miss chance granted from Blinking is not concealment. It is due to the fact that you are blinking in and out of ethereality. Look at it this way...when you ARE ethereal, you are also invisible, so they are occuring simultaneously. Someone trying to hit you can also sneak attack you, because they can target you normally (it never says in the spell that attackers must guess your location). If the attacker himself has concealment, he may sneak attack freely...it has no effect on your own attacks.