Naturally, this spell is an improvement of the 3rd-level alteration spell blink, allowing the wizard to shift his body to any point within 15 feet of his
current location. Unlike the lower-level spell, improved blink allows the wizard to choose the exact time of his jump, the exact destination,
and the orientation or facing of his choosing. For example, a wizard
confronted by an enemy fighter could blink just before the fighter attacked, reappearing
directly behind his foe for a back attack. If the wizard blinks away from an
attack, his enemy automatically misses—but creatures with multiple attacks may
be able to reposition themselves for another swing if the wizard blinks to a
location within reach.
If the wizard intends to take any action such as attacking, casting a spell,
or using a magical item, he must decide before the round begins if he will do so
before or after he blinks. If he acts before he blinks, he may be endangered
by an attack before he finishes; he can choose to proceed with his action,
hoping that he won’t be hit, or he can abort his action by taking his blink for the
round. On the other hand, if the wizard begins his action after his blink, the
initiative modifier of his attack or spell is added to the time of his blink to
determine when he attacks.
A blinking wizard dueling a fighter decides to blink first, when the fighter attacks and
then lightning bolt the offensive fellow. The fighter rolls a modified 6 for initiative, so the
wizard waits until 6, then blinks, making the fighter miss. At that time, he starts his lightning bolt, which has a casting time of 3—the spell will go off on 9.
In the Player’s Option: Combat & Tactics initiative system, the wizard must count 1, 2, or 3 phases from the time of
his blink for fast, average, or slow actions. If the fighter above attacked in
the average phase, the wizard would blink during the fighter’s attack, and then
his lightning bolt (a fast spell) would go off 1 phase later, with any other slow actions.
Because the wizard can pick the location he is blinking to, he may not choose
to blink into a movable object in order to force it aside—he must blink to an
area clear of obstructions or obstacles. If he does attempt to blink into a
movable object, he will find himself displaced to a random location (use the blink
1d8 rules in the PHBfor determining where he
ends up).
Table of Contents