Clarification: Blink/Ethereal movement

[Yechezkiel]

I'm having trouble understanding this line (underlined) in Blink:

"While blinking, you can step through (but not see through) solid objects. For each 5 feet of solid material you walk through, there is a 50% chance that you become material. If this occurs, you are shunted off to the nearest open space and take 1d6 points of damage per 5 feet so traveled. You can move at only three-quarters speed (because movement on the Ethereal Plane is at half speed, and you spend about half your time there and half your time material.)"

I'm trying to find movement on Ethereal Plane and while under the effects of Blink. Is it 1/2 speed and 3/4 through solid objects? 3/4 and 1/2 through solid objects?!

The only mention of speed in the Ethereal entries I know of are:

No Gravity: Individuals on a plane with this trait merely float in space, unless other resources are available to provide a direction for gravity’s pull.

That doesn't seem to imply anything about speed, and nothing else does either.

Any help is appreciated.

[Jasdoif]

The spell says you move at three-quarters your speed. So you move at three-quarters your speed. No need to overcomplicate the matter.

I don't see the half-speed thing in the SRD either, but it does sound familiar. It might be in the plane's flavor text description in the DMG, which I don't have access to here.

[Tokiko Mima]

What you are probably looking for is mentioned in the Ethereal Jaunt description.

Ethereal Jaunt
Transmutation
Level: Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)

You become ethereal, along with your equipment. For the duration of the spell, you are in a place called the Ethereal Plane, which overlaps the normal, physical, Material Plane. When the spell expires, you return to material existence.

An ethereal creature is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. As an insubstantial creature, you can move through solid objects, including living creatures. An ethereal creature can see and hear on the Material Plane, but everything looks gray and ephemeral. Sight and hearing onto the Material Plane are limited to 60 feet.

Force effects and abjurations affect an ethereal creature normally. Their effects extend onto the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, but not vice versa. An ethereal creature can’t attack material creatures, and spells you cast while ethereal affect only other ethereal things. Certain material creatures or objects have attacks or effects that work on the Ethereal Plane.

Treat other ethereal creatures and ethereal objects as if they were material.

If you end the spell and become material while inside a material object (such as a solid wall), you are shunted off to the nearest open space and take 1d6 points of damage per 5 feet that you so travel.

So if you're moving on the Ethereal plane, you're moving at half speed.

Blink is probably assuming that you spend half your time in the real world, at 100% speed, and half on the Ethereal, at 50% speed. The average of those is 3/4 or 75%.

[Rad]

From the Ethereal Jaunt spell description:

An ethereal creature is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. As an insubstantial creature, you can move through solid objects, including living creatures. An ethereal creature can see and hear on the Material Plane, but everything looks gray and ephemeral. Sight and hearing onto the Material Plane are limited to 60 feet.

The spell is silent on the speed through solid objects. I would rule that you go forward one square at a time, rolling 50% chance of being thrown out on each step, up to 1/4 of your speed (since you stay ethereal only half the time and then move at half speed). In addition to that you can move up to 1/2 of your normal move to represent the time you spent on the material plane.

EDIT: aw... ninjaed twice! not bat for the first time...

[Yechezkiel]

Blink is probably assuming that you spend half your time in the real world, at 100% speed, and half on the Ethereal, at 50% speed. The average of those is 3/4 or 75%.

This makes the most sense, mechanically and rationally (as rational as any rpg can be). Thanks.