Trueseeing spell question

[Strifer]

Hello Guys, the Trueseeing spell says that you gain Truesight and can see trough the ethereal plane with a range of 120ft.

The ethereal plane is a "copy" of the material plane and can usually only be seen into for 30ft.

Does the ability to see into the ethereal plane give you sight trough walls up to 120ft? Or not? Sage advice seems to say you cannot but I do not understand the reasoning... can anyone help clarify?

[Asmotherion]

The ethereal plane is a black and white version of the material. You cannot see through walls as if they were ghostly versions of themselves. if you are there you can pass through matter that "appears" solid there but that's it.

Does that clearyfy?

[MaxWilson]

No, it's not supposed to let you see through walls, but it is supposed to let you see ghosts and phase spiders.

The most important use of True Seeing is for seeing through magical darkness at no concentration cost. E.g. if you've got a really tough fight coming up, and you get the party bard to spend his 6th and 7th level slots on True Seeing for the Sharpshooter Battlemaster and the Shadow Monk, now the Shadow Monk can use her concentration and 2 ki points to produce a Darkness effect which will grant advantage on all of the Sharpshooter's and monk's attacks while forcing disadvantage on enemy attacks against them, while the Bard spends his concentration on something else like Wall of Force. This combo can radically transform a fight, making it much easier when applicable.

The opportunity cost is high because there are other great things you can do with a 6th or 7th level slot, but if you're about to be e.g. fighting a Vampire and two Iron Golems in an enclosed space at 13th level (80,000 adjusted XP = quadruple-Deadly), this is a combo you might want to exploit to turn the tide.

[Strifer]

Thank you both, I'm not that familiar with the ethereal plane. My group just levelled to 11 and the Bard is thinking of picking this up and the way I read it is that it will give you the x-ray vision but apparently it doesn't.

The rest of the group is Shadow monk/Warlock 2 (for the magical darkvision), warlock/druid 1 (with magical darkvision) and an oath of redemption Paladin. So there is still some synergy but it may not outclass mass suggestion for the Bard.

[MaxWilson]

Thank you both, I'm not that familiar with the ethereal plane. My group just levelled to 11 and the Bard is thinking of picking this up and the way I read it is that it will give you the x-ray vision but apparently it doesn't.

The rest of the group is Shadow monk/Warlock 2 (for the magical darkvision), warlock/druid 1 (with magical darkvision) and an oath of redemption Paladin. So there is still some synergy but it may not outclass mass suggestion for the Bard.

They're both defensible choices but Mass Suggestion is more versatile and has a stronger effect when it works. I'd take it first, no question, even in a darkness-oriented warlock party like yours. Just my opinion though.