Can Blindsight "see" around corners?

[Sword of Spirit]

I know this can get into the whole mess of Stealth and Perception, but hopefully we can come up with some useful thoughts without too much trouble.

My party is going to be coming across a monster with Blindsight for the first time that it will really matter, and I realized I'm not entirely sure how it should work.

If Blindsight means that you automatically have the benefit of seeing any creature in that range (behind obstacles, for instance) then it would seem that Stealth is impossible unless the creature is distracted.

On the other hand, the only other way I can think of dealing with it is to say that you can still use Stealth if you are completely behind an obstacle--no potential line of sight to any part of you. Which would mean it just lets you defeat darkness and invisibility.

I did a search through the SRD to see what sorts of combinations of senses might come up in the same monster. The only monster with both Blindsight (30') and Tremorsense (60') was the Purple Worm. It's really hard to derive a principle from this, especially since it doesn't say that the critter is "blind beyond this radius" which it normally does for Blindsight for things without eyes--and it is unclear whether it doesn't do that because the purple worm can see normally, or because that would have been confusing with regards to their Tremorsense functioning.

There are no creatures in the SRD with both Truesight and Blindsight, which might imply that Blindsight doesn't give you anything Truesight doesn't--which if that is the case means it can't sense around corners.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

From 5e SRD:

"Blindsight : A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings without relying on sight, within a specific radius. Creatures without eyes, such as oozes, and creatures with echolocation or heightened senses, such as bats and true dragons, have this sense".

Which basically means...make it up as you see fit for that monster type. As you didn't state what monster you are using/thinking about, there is no suggestions we can really give. It's all interpretative to the DM.

So...what creature? Then I can tell you how I might decide "what kind of" Blindsight they have for my campaign.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Oofta]

I would rule that blindsight cannot see around corners. it let's you see without light, it doesn't give you X-Ray vision. Sound, heat, aura, whatever, are going to be blocked. Tremorsense might be able to "see" through a thin wall or other obstruction which would not block the vibrations.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You should consider each creature on a case by case basis. Echo-location can diffract around corners - to a degree depending on the specific wavelength used. It can also, under some circumstances see through solid objects - especially if used under water - e.g. dolphins.


If the creature is sensing vibrations transmitted through the ground, it very probably can detect around corners and through walls, but might be defeated with flight/levitation.

 

[Maxperson]

I would rule that blindsight cannot see around corners. it let's you see without light, it doesn't give you X-Ray vision. Sound, heat, aura, whatever, are going to be blocked. Tremorsense might be able to "see" through a thin wall or other obstruction which would not block the vibrations.

This.

 

[aco175]

The simplest is to have blindsight 'see' whatever a normal human would see if there was light. It takes away the blinded condition in darkness and the disadvantage to hit. Tremmorsense 'sees' whatever is touching the ground within range, even around corners or hiding behind something.

 

[77IM]

I think what constitutes "cover" is based on the senses being used. For example, blindsight based on scent might go through a closed door, but be completely blocked by a light wind or an odiferous midden-heap. Blindsight based on hearing might treat a brick wall as lightly obscured, but a cacophonous chicken coop as heavily obscured.

Unfortunately most monster stat blocks don't list exactly what gives them blindsight, so the DM just has to rule it. It's like when you use an illusion on a monster or try to lure them with food; the DM just has to decide whether it's effective or not.

 

[Satyrn]

Aye, for simplicity I'd rule blindsight lets you see what you'd see with normal sight and light - and leave open the possibility that some specific blindsighted creature could see around corners if its writeup pushed for that.

 

[Ganymede81]

I used to rule that Blindsight allows you to perceive everything around you at once; as such, hiding from someone with Blindsight behind a wall is just as useless as hiding in front of that same wall.

Nowadays, the Twitter scuttlebutt on the subject is that Blindsight requires line of effect; now, I run it that way.

 

[Hriston]

It hinges on what is meant by "within a specific radius". The radius, in this case, is a line of effect with the blindsighted creature as its origin. Any obstacle that provides total cover interrupts the line of effect, so a creature behind such an obstacle is not within that radius.