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View Full Version : The limits of Mind Blank - epic magic?



Alleran
2011-01-19, 08:01 AM
I'm examining the wording of Mind Blank, and it seems to be quite explicit - it will protect from any spells or effects that are mind-affecting, and blocks all scrying attempts even if they're powered by a Wish, Miracle or similar spell.

Does this also, however, apply to epic magic and epic spells? Snitching a section from the d20SRD:

"Despite their power, epic spells still follow the basic rules for casting spells, except as specifically noted otherwise."

Okay, so they follow all the rules except where noted otherwise. With regards to suppressing and/or dispelling:

"A lucky nonepic spellcaster casting greater dispel magic might be able to dispel an epic spell. The game mechanics do not change, and epic spells do not occupy any privileged position allowing them to resist being dispelled other than their presumably high caster level. Likewise, epic spells using the dispel seed can dispel nonepic spells. Such epic spells use the same game mechanic: The check to dispel is 1d20 + a specified number (usually dispeller’s level), and the DC is 11 + the spellcaster’s level.

Antimagic field does not automatically suppress epic spells as it does standard spells. Instead, each time an epic spell is subject to an antimagic field, make a dispel check as a 20th-level caster (1d20 + 20). The epic spell has a DC of 11 + the epic spell’s spellcaster level. If the suppression check is successful, the epic spell is suppressed like any other spell. If the dispel check is unsuccessful, the epic spell functions normally. "

So they are more difficult than regular spells to suppress, dispel or disjoin. That also makes sense. A Mind Blank wouldn't dispel or disjoin, so the only possibility is if the Mind Blank is suppressing an epic spell. Except that doesn't seem to be the case to me either, because Mind Blank doesn't suppress an epic spell, it just blocks it. Which enters the realms of semantics and wordplay, I know, which is why I'm asking for opinions.

Examples from the SRD of epic spells that involve a mind-affecting effect would include Enslave, Soul Dominion, Soul Scry, Spell Worm and any spells that use the Compel seed. Is Mind Blank powerful enough that (by either RaW or RaI) it deflects spells like these, or would it be better to presume that the Mind Blanked character would have to make some sort of level check like what an antimagic field requires?

Additionally, would it also protect against an epic spell that makes use of the mythal spell seed? The wording of the mythal seed states that once raised, it cannot be dispelled, disjoined or suppressed by any nonepic spell, but technically a Mind Blank isn't suppressing a mythal, just protecting the individual from being the target of divination spells from the mythal or from mind-affecting effects from the mythal (e.g. the Dracorage Mythal in Dragons of Faerun - the easiest example of a mythal that uses the Compel seed I can think of).

Jack_Simth
2011-01-19, 08:06 AM
Technically?

Mind Blank continues to function normally.

However, you can use the Dispel Epic seed to have a good chance of suppressing such things, if you're worried about it.

Psyren
2011-01-19, 08:37 AM
Psionics can make Mind Blank its b bypass Mind Blank. Two powers in particular:

Hypercognition (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/hypercognition.htm) just gives you information about something, and it doesn't even target that thing, so Mind Blank doesn't apply. You can't control what you get however, it's basically whatever the DM feels like telling you.

Metafaculty (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/metafaculty.htm), however, explicitly slaps Mind Blank around.

At epic levels, both are rather easy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#epicExpandedKnowledge) to get.