Does the spell "Blink" give you the ability to "fly"?

[Myth27]

From the spell description:

An ethereal creature is invisible, incorporeal, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down. As an incorporeal creature, you can move through solid objects, including living creatures.

Does this mean that you can basically fly?

[InvisibleBison]

You can walk upward while ethereal, yes. But just like when you try to walk through solid objects, there's a chance you'll blink back to the Material Plane. So you wouldn't be able to stay off the ground reliably for any length of time.

[Deophaun]

No because you don't spend any significant continuous time-span on the ethereal plane. You might have time to fly up an inch or two, but then you would be right back to the material and experiencing the full implications of gravity once again, erasing any altitude gains you would have made. Effectively, no flying.

[Necroticplague]

No. The spell doesn't say you can fly, so you can't.

[Dragovon]

Per the spell description, for each 5' of solid object you walk through (because ethereal), you have a 50% chance of becoming material and being shunted and taking damage. Given this, I would rule that (because ethereal), you could also move up (or down) as if flying (because ethereal), however, as with moving through a solid object, very 5' you move there is a 50% chance of becoming material and falling (and taking damage). This does not seem an unreasonable nor unbalancing use of Blink...and I'd go so far as to say it's quite creative. Good Idea...but pretty risky and fairly limited in use.

[bahamut920]

As others have said, the blink spell causes you to irregularly shift back and forth between the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane, and the rules of the Ethereal only apply when you're actually on it. It would be incredibly difficult for you to get any amount of distance off the ground before the spell deposited you back on the Material, and even if you did manage to get an appreciable distance into the air, you'd fall right back down to the ground once it did.

You might have a bit of a case for the greater blink spell, where you have more control over the blinking, but any time you made an attack roll or cast a spell against a Material target, you'd fall right back down to the ground, and since opponents still have a chance of hitting you even if you don't attack a Material target, you'd still probably fall at the end of your turn, at best. Only ethereal jaunt and etherealness would make serviceable substitutions for the fly spell.

[Elder_Basilisk]

I once got a dm to let me move up diagonally into a solid object and then run the 50% chance of becoming material being shunted out the nearest square (which at that point was on top of the obstacle) and keep going. That was the only time it came up in play. Assuming the dm's ruling was legit (and I think I'd allow it as a DM) blink let's you do a few things that fly let's you do, but only in a very limited manner. It's not a good substitute for fly by any stretch of the imagination but it might occasionally be good for some vertical movement.

[Myth27]

Per the spell description, for each 5' of solid object you walk through (because ethereal), you have a 50% chance of becoming material and being shunted and taking damage. Given this, I would rule that (because ethereal), you could also move up (or down) as if flying (because ethereal), however, as with moving through a solid object, very 5' you move there is a 50% chance of becoming material and falling (and taking damage). This does not seem an unreasonable nor unbalancing use of Blink...and I'd go so far as to say it's quite creative. Good Idea...but pretty risky and fairly limited in use.

Yeah I think this makes sense.

[Mato]

Now lets talk about greater blink out of the spell compendium.

[Quertus]

Per the spell description, for each 5' of solid object you walk through (because ethereal), you have a 50% chance of becoming material and being shunted and taking damage. Given this, I would rule that (because ethereal), you could also move up (or down) as if flying (because ethereal), however, as with moving through a solid object, very 5' you move there is a 50% chance of becoming material and falling (and taking damage). This does not seem an unreasonable nor unbalancing use of Blink...and I'd go so far as to say it's quite creative. Good Idea...but pretty risky and fairly limited in use.

What about when coupled with a Ring of Feather Fall? Could you get some "mileage" out of the spell that way?

[Anthrowhale]

What about when coupled with a Ring of Feather Fall? Could you get some "mileage" out of the spell that way?

The Ethereal Plane (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/planes.htm#theEtherealPlane) has no gravity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/planes.htm#noGravity) implying that you fly at 0' by default. Without a means to increase fly speed even feather fall + blink seems nonviable as a mechanism to fly.

[Mato]

The Ethereal Plane (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/planes.htm#theEtherealPlane) has no gravity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/planes.htm#noGravity) implying thatYou continue to move in the same direction until air resistance slows you to a stop.

Since you spend half your time freely floating in the air, and the other half being pulled back down by gravity, does it double your jumping distance? And what if you use greater blink try to pass through the solid matter molecules of water suspended in a cloud so you're never subjected to gravity?

[Dragovon]

What about when coupled with a Ring of Feather Fall? Could you get some "mileage" out of the spell that way?

So the only benefit I see in adding a Ring of Feather Fall into the equation would be to eliminate the falling damage you would take by falling. However, this brings up something that I didn't consider initially. Since you are falling and blinking still (whether with FF or not), I think in any instance when someone blinking falls, since they aren't in control of the fall, you would have to roll or fall part way into stuff (rolling per 5') in which case you might get shunted (or possibly better/worse?) fall through the ground into a lower level.

[Quertus]

Let me try that question again. You only fall 60' "instantly" the first round. So, a Monk or Barbarian with increased movement rate should, even on average rolls, be able to "run" up at, say, 40x4=160', half (80) up, half (80, but capped to 60) down --> 20' gain.

My question with Ring of Feather Falling is whether it doesn't put an even "friendlier" cap on falling distance per round.

[Fouredged Sword]

With randomly gaining a flight speed you should be able to avoid most falling damage. You go etherial rhoughly once every 10ft or so and gain a fly speed, stopping your fall and preventing damage.

[SirNibbles]

Why try to apply warped logic when you can just follow the clearly written rules?

"Ethereal creatures move in any direction (including up or down) at will. They do not need to walk on the ground, and material objects don’t block them (though they can’t see while their eyes are within solid material)." - Ethereal, SRD

"...you’re ethereal..." - Blink, SRD