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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 5306980" data-attributes="member: 18280">Likewise, the existence of an exception to the general description does not imply that the general description itself is wrong.   In earlier D&D, it was specified that certain gaze attacks functioned in the "near ethereal", and that creatures with those attacks could see into as well as be seen from that plane.  This was specifically a function of a creature being able to meet the gaze of an ethereal being.It seems far more likely to me that, in 3e, the designers considered that, were invisibility a fact (due to etherealness or otherwise), there exists a unique situation in which I can both meet your gaze and you not be aware of it.  However, that does not mean that, where invisibility (due to etherealness or otherwise) is not a factor that I can both meet your gaze and you not be aware of it.  AFAICT, invisibility and etherealness are not real-world concerns.  It is not unreasonable for the designers to have assumed that most of the people reading the manual would be somewhat familiar with meeting a gaze.One may argue that 3e offers an absence of information on why ethereal creatures are subject to gaze attacks, but an absence of information merely means that any consistent interpretation is equally valid.I.e., if "must meet gaze" is a house rule, so is MrMyth's interpretation.  It is certainly not a case of "MrMyth has the correct rules interpretation" .... or of "RedShirtNo5.1 has the correct rules interpretation" because he happens to have the same interpretation as MrMyth.Finally, there is no consistent interpretation of the RAW that I am aware of which negates both that the creature's attack must be active ("Gaze Attack" refers to the creature's active gaze, as described in the book) and must be seen by the victim.  Gaze attacks eminate from the creature's eyes (hence "Gaze Attack" and not "Face Attack").  The victim must meet that creature's gaze to be affected, by the book, and so there must be a line of sight from the victim's eyes to the Gaze Attack monster's eyes.And please note that, according to RAW, an invisible or ethereal creature is not affected automatically by meeting the attacker's gaze; the attack must be "turned on".  The gaze must be active.RC</blockquote>

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