Your Eyes and 'seeing'

[GutterFace]

would any DM's out there rule that closing your eyes is a free and immediate action?

i was just reading from SCAG they way of the long death Monk's "fear" ability. works on things that can see you.

if something or someone knows this action is about to take place. couldnt they just close their eyes and negate the affect?

[JumboWheat01]

Well, according to the monster manual for the basilisk, the only way you're allowed to avert your eyes from the beasty is at the start if you're not surprised, otherwise the save is forced, blinking or eye closing be damned. So no, I say you're stuck rolling for the save.

[Know(Nothing)]

If your character knows they're about to round the corner and see something that will damage them if they see it, I would at least give them advantage on the save the first time, since they know it's coming. The problem there is that it gets pretty metagamey, what with saying that you're expecting to see a certain creature or effect. There would have to be a strong, established reason for them to operate as such.

However, since just saying that such a creature or effect happens to them the second they look into a room is just as iffy in my book, I would give them chances either through lore, local info, perception, or things of that nature to discern that something possessing an ability like this may be lurking around. If they're on edge and ready for it, advantage. If not, normal save. If their guard is down or they're looking actively for different things(traps, loot, other enemies) then disadvantage.

[Tanarii]

Nope. Trying not to sneak a look when your life is on the line? Good luck with that. That's one thing the save can represent in game for a lot of these cases ... Looking away to avoid the effect.

Now if a player told me he bound up his eyes with a strip of cloth, thats a different matter.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

I saw a blinded barbarian build in a real life game. One version was a wolf totem and the other was a bear totem but the idea was the same.

The barbarian had a mask or strip of cloth over his eyes because when he was younger he saw something and didn't do anything about it and as punishment he won't allow himself to see until he atones.

I think the build was Barbarian 3/Paladin 5, samurai build, fun times had by all.

[SharkForce]

there are rules for not looking at things for various monsters. i'd say use those. as i recall, you can avoid looking at them, but you count as blinded for all purposes towards them for the entire round. as i recall, you have to declare it on your turn as well. i wouldn't allow it if you're startled, and i wouldn't let you avoid looking at a specific target until you know where that target is exactly, but if you announce it before you go around a corner, i'd allow you to close your eyes... but don't complain if that also means you're blind for everything that happens to be around that corner.

[Dalebert]

This is when Darkness or Fog is nice. Levels the playing field so neither of you can see each other.

[djreynolds]

Take resilient wisdom and bring along a paladin. Then you can mock him for wearing a dress, and then fall over in a fit a laughter. And then the monk can beat you up.

No actually, I think it could be seen, as you make your wisdom save and this allows you to close your eyes for that moment. People who fail have to look and are afraid from what they see.