Ring of Blinking - Questions

[Pasus Nauran]

I have a 9th level Shadowbane Stalker (Rogue/Cleric) who has just come into a whackload of cash. Looking though the DMG for items I might want to buy, I'm really keen on a Ring of Blinking. As I've never had a character before with Blink or use activated rings, I have a few questions. For reference, here's the SRD listing for Ring of Blinking:

Ring of Blinking

On command, this ring makes the wearer blink, as with the blink spell.

Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Forge Ring, blink; Price 27,000 gp.

1. As a Ring of Blinking is activated by command word, is the duration of the Blink effect 7 rounds (as the Caster Level of the ring is 7), or does it act continuously until I deactivate it?

2. I have a +1 Ghost Touch Light Mace. Since the description for Blink states that "As an incorporeal creature, you can move through solid objects, including living creatures.", does that mean I can use my Ghost Touch Light Mace and not have to worry about the 20% miss chance?

3. Related to the question above, amn I reading correctly that while blinking I'm considered to be both Ethereal (half of the time), and Incorporeal?

4. Can I move (float) upwards while blinking?

My other option for a main item, is a Ring of Invisibility. I'm more keen on the ring of blinking, as I can make better use of my sneak attacks since I remain effectively invisible for the duration of the Blink effect, instead of becoming visible and having to waste another standard action to go back invisible when I attack.

What are your opinions on these two rings, and which would be better for my character (to note, my Shadowbane Stalker is quite combat focused - a Dual-Light Mace wielder - and thus attempts to make best use of his sneak attacks).

Thanks!

 

[Hypersmurf]

3. Related to the question above, amn I reading correctly that while blinking I'm considered to be both Ethereal (half of the time), and Incorporeal?

The answer that fits best for this question is "You're not incorporeal - the spell text screwed up". While Ethereal and Incorporeal have some similiarities, they're really very different states. When it says "An Ethereal creature is invisible, incorporeal..." etc, it's wrong; an Ethereal creature isn't incorporeal.

Even if we don't change the spell text, however, there's a difference between someone who is blinking, and, say, a manifested ghost.

The manifested ghost exists on the Ethereal Plane; at the same time, he exists in incorporeal form on the Material Plane.

Someone who is 'blinked out' doesn't exist on the Material Plane at all. They're on the Ethereal Plane, period. Even if we accept Blink's statement that an Ethereal creature is incorporeal, they're incorporeal on the Ethereal Plane, and have no Material presence. That's why Ethereal creatures can't be hit by magic weapons (like incorporeal creatures can), or Ghost Touch weapons (like incorporeal creatures can), or damaged by a fireball (like incorporeal creatures can); only Force effects, Abjurations, and Gaze effects extend to the Ethereal Plane from the Material.

So a Ghost Touch weapon is of no help to a blinker; since the Ghost Touch effect doesn't extend from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane, it can't reduce your miss chance. Likewise, a Ghost Touch weapon doesn't make it any easier for an opponent to strike you; that requires 'an attack capable of striking ethereal creatures', and Ghost Touch isn't one.

Your first question - it's argued, but I'd go with seven rounds. The ring specifies 'as with the blink spell'.

Your fourth question - potentially, but every time you turn Material, you'd fall... so you wouldn't ever get very high.

-Hyp.

 

[dcollins]

1. As a Ring of Blinking is activated by command word, is the duration of the Blink effect 7 rounds (as the Caster Level of the ring is 7), or does it act continuously until I deactivate it?

Yeah, this is an outstanding question about magic items in general that isn't adequately resolved by the core rules. I feel that these items must be continuous once activated, because it's just too awkward to conceive of that people are continually re-activating their key items every few rounds or minutes (that is, references like these are to the spell's effect, not the header block). Some items get really wierd if they turn off regularly, like the ring of invisibility and the hat of disguise.

 

[Jarrod]

Like they said

Basically, when blinking, you're physical half the time and ethereal half the time. This has the following effects:

You're always considered invisible.
You can walk through thin walls (if you get the blink chance right).

... and miss chances and stuff. So really, the RoB is a cheap way of getting invisibility; unlike the 2nd level spell you stay invisible after an attack, but unlike the 4th level spell you have a miss chance. Note that the miss chance is due to you not being there, so it doesn't prevent sneak attacking. And 20% doesn't come up that often.

So yes, a ring of blinking is a _bargain_ for rogues.

 

[spunky_mutters]

So while blinking can you:

1. Charge
2. Charge through occupied squares (assuming M size occupant)
2. Take 5' Steps
3. Take 5' Steps through walls

 

[Hypersmurf]

When restricted to moving at half speed, count each square moved into as 2 squares, and every square of diagonal movement as 3 squares. If you are restricted to half speed, you can't run or charge, nor can you take a 5-foot step.

----

You can move at only three-quarters speed (because movement on the Ethereal Plane is at half speed, and you spend about half your time there and half your time material.)

So, while you're Ethereal, you can't charge or 5' step. While you're material, you can.

As a DM, I'd be inclined to rule a 5' step while blinking is okay, but Charging isn't, based on the relative timeframes.

-Hyp.

 

[spunky_mutters]

So that would be No. No. Yes. and what about 4?

To 5' step through a wall you have to move on the ethereal where you can't 5' step without it costing a move action. Or at least that's how I recall reading it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

To 5' step through a wall you have to move on the ethereal where you can't 5' step without it costing a move action. Or at least that's how I recall reading it.

You can't take a 5' step when you're restricted to moving at half speed... like on the ethereal.

So no.

-Hyp.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The duration of the ring is 7 rounds per activation.

This generally means that you can use it to get in a couple good rounds of Sneak Attacks, but then you'll have to reactivate it if the battle is continuing longer than 7 rounds.

This is a good place to point out that, if you want a ring of blinking that lasts for longer, make it a higher caster level - and pay the price increase. Oddly enough, the normal ring of blinking is priced as if it were CL 5, not 7, which is the normal minimum for a spell-level 3 item. I suspect a typo (where they followed the item creation rules normally, but used the wrong caster level in the writeup, copying it directly over from 3.0).

So, we'll assume that you get a 2 CL upgrade for free when making a ring of blinking (because that's what WotC did).

Command-word Activated Item: Spell Level * Caster Level * 1,800gp

Normal Blinking Ring (CL 7): 3 * (7-2) * 1,800gp = 27,000gp

Advanced Blinking Ring (CL10): 3 * (10-2) * 1,800gp = 43,200gp

You now have a Ring of Blinking that lasts 10 rounds per activation.

 

[Pasus Nauran]

The duration of the ring is 7 rounds per activation.

This generally means that you can use it to get in a couple good rounds of Sneak Attacks, but then you'll have to reactivate it if the battle is continuing longer than 7 rounds.

This is a good place to point out that, if you want a ring of blinking that lasts for longer, make it a higher caster level - and pay the price increase. Oddly enough, the normal ring of blinking is priced as if it were CL 5, not 7, which is the normal minimum for a spell-level 3 item. I suspect a typo (where they followed the item creation rules normally, but used the wrong caster level in the writeup, copying it directly over from 3.0).

So, we'll assume that you get a 2 CL upgrade for free when making a ring of blinking (because that's what WotC did).

Command-word Activated Item: Spell Level * Caster Level * 1,800gp

Normal Blinking Ring (CL 7): 3 * (7-2) * 1,800gp = 27,000gp

Advanced Blinking Ring (CL10): 3 * (10-2) * 1,800gp = 43,200gp

You now have a Ring of Blinking that lasts 10 rounds per activation.

Cool, though I only have 36,000gp to spend, and I want to get a magical Mithral Chain Shirt as well. For me, 7 rounds of sneak attacking is more than worth the 27,000gp, especially when compared to only getting a single sneak attack with a 20,000gp Ring of Invisibility.