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Blink

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Blink
  • Level: 3
  • School: Transmutation
  • Class: Sorcerer, Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Self
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: 1 minute

Roll 1d6 at the end of each of your turns for the duration. On a roll of 4-6, you vanish from your current plane of existence and appear in the Ethereal Plane (the spell ends instantly if you are already on that plane).

While on the Ethereal Plane, you can perceive the plane you left, which is cast in shades of gray, but you can't see anything there more than 60 feet away. You can affect and be affected only by other creatures on the Ethereal Plane, and creatures on the other plane can't perceive you unless they have a special ability that lets them perceive things on the Ethereal Plane.

You return to the other plane at the start of your next turn and when the spell ends if you are on the Ethereal Plane. You return to an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of the space you left. If no unoccupied space is available within that range, you appear in the nearest unoccupied space.

Tactical Usage​

When to Choose Blink:

  • Excellent defensive option for fragile spellcasters
  • Strong choice when facing overwhelming physical threats
  • Valuable for hit-and-run tactics with 50% ethereal chance
  • Essential escape option when retreat routes are blocked

Probability Management:

  • 50% chance (4-6 on d6) to phase to Ethereal Plane each turn
  • Cannot be controlled or predicted by caster
  • Roughly half of encounter spent untouchable
  • Plan actions assuming possible disappearance

Positioning Strategy:

  • Return within 10 feet of departure point
  • Choose return location for tactical advantage
  • Consider terrain and ally positions when returning
  • Use ethereal vision to scout enemy positions

Spell Combinations​

Damage Mitigation:

  • Mirror Image: Additional protection when physically present
  • Shield: Emergency AC boost for material plane turns
  • Misty Step: Additional escape option when visible
  • Counterspell: Protect against magical attacks while present

Tactical Enhancement:

  • Concentration Spells: Maintain effects while blinking
  • Familiar Coordination: Scout with familiar while ethereal
  • Message: Communicate with allies despite planar shifts
  • Spiritual Weapon: Continue attacking while potentially safe

Material Component Details​

Verbal and Somatic Components:

  • Casting Requirements: Need freedom of speech and gesture
  • Mid-Combat Viable: Single action casting allows tactical use
  • No Material Investment: No component cost or focus required
  • Environmental Independence: Unaffected by weather or lighting

Roleplay Opportunities:

  • Describe the disorienting sensation of planar shifting
  • Reference the ghostly appearance of the material world
  • Use blinking as dramatic combat moments
  • Emphasize the unpredictable nature of the effect

Creator Notes​

Adjudication Guidance:

  • Roll d6 at end of caster's turn, not beginning
  • 50% probability cannot be influenced by caster
  • Return positioning chosen by caster within range limits
  • Ethereal Plane vision limited to 60 feet and gray-scale

Encounter Design:

  • Provides significant but unpredictable damage mitigation
  • Forces enemies to adapt tactics for intermittent target
  • Creates interesting action economy decisions
  • May frustrate enemies unable to target caster reliably

Balancing Considerations:

  • 3rd-level slot cost appropriate for powerful defensive utility
  • Randomness prevents reliable abuse or planning
  • Limited return positioning prevents exploitation
  • Self-only targeting maintains resource investment

Environmental Interactions​

Ethereal Plane Properties:

  • Coexists with material plane but separate interaction
  • Gray-scale vision with 60-foot limit
  • Can move through material plane objects while ethereal
  • Time passes normally on both planes

Material Plane Interaction:

  • Cannot affect or be affected by material creatures while ethereal
  • Spells and abilities don't cross planar boundaries
  • Return position must be unoccupied space
  • Concentration maintained across planar shifts

Detection and Countermeasures:

  • True Seeing can perceive ethereal creatures
  • Some monsters have ethereal sight or movement
  • Plane Shift or similar magic could follow
  • Dispel Magic affects the spell normally

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Can I choose not to return from the Ethereal Plane? A: No, you automatically return at the start of your next turn.

Q: What happens if all nearby spaces are occupied when I return? A: You appear in the nearest unoccupied space, potentially farther away.

Q: Can I cast spells while on the Ethereal Plane? A: Yes, but they only affect other ethereal creatures.

Q: Does Blink protect against area effects? A: Only if you're ethereal when the effect occurs.

Alternative Applications​

Exploration Uses:

  • Reconnaissance: Scout dangerous areas with ethereal vision
  • Infiltration: Pass through walls while ethereal (with luck)
  • Escape Routes: Unpredictable but effective retreat option
  • Combat Avoidance: Withdraw from unfavorable encounters

Creative Problem-Solving:

  • Bypass physical barriers when luck favors ethereal phases
  • Avoid environmental hazards with planar shifting
  • Confuse enemies with unpredictable presence
  • Maintain spell effects while gaining defensive benefits

Defensive Magic:

  • Mirror Image: Illusion-based protection
  • Blur: Disadvantage-based defense
  • Shield: AC enhancement
  • Misty Step: Controlled teleportation

Planar Magic:

  • Etherealness: Controlled ethereal travel
  • Plane Shift: Directed planar transportation
  • Banishment: Forced planar removal
  • Phase Door: Limited ethereal passage

3rd-Level Alternatives:

  • Counterspell: Spell defense
  • Fireball: Offensive alternative
  • Fly: Mobility enhancement
  • Haste: Action economy improvement

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression:

  • Mid-Level Access: Available when defensive needs increase
  • Consistent Value: 50% damage mitigation remains relevant
  • Resource Efficiency: Long duration provides sustained protection

Tactical Evolution:

  • Early Use: Primary defense for fragile characters
  • Advanced Applications: Component of complex tactical strategies
  • High-Level Play: Situational but still valuable survival tool

Long-Term Viability:

  • Percentage-based protection scales with all threat levels
  • Unpredictability maintains tactical value
  • Self-only limitation keeps resource cost appropriate
  • Essential tool for survival-focused character builds

Narrative Flavor​

Extended Description: As you complete the spell, reality becomes unstable around you, and you feel your connection to the material plane weaken. Each turn brings the possibility of suddenly phasing out of existence, your body becoming translucent before vanishing entirely into the ghostly realm that overlays reality. From the Ethereal Plane, the material world appears as a shadowy reflection, and you watch the battle continue around your absent form before being pulled back into physical reality at an unpredictable moment.

Sensory Details:

  • Visual: Material world appearing in gray-scale tones
  • Physical: Sensation of becoming insubstantial
  • Disorientation: Sudden shifts between planes of existence
  • Temporal: Awareness of time passing differently between planes

Cultural Context: Blink represents mastery over the boundary between material and ethereal existence, allowing temporary escape from physical threats through planar manipulation. Different magical traditions may interpret this as communion with spirit worlds, technological phase-shifting, or natural magical evolution.