I’m about to start a new campaign as a tabaxi rogue and my DM made it very clear he’s going to be using mimics fairly often. As I was reading through the skills that rogues get I noticed Blindsense would be a great way to counter his mimics, but he insists it wouldn’t apply to them. Does anyone know which of us is correct? Can my rogue tell if the treasure chest or whatever is a mimic or not using that skill?
Because it states that as long as you can hear, you’re aware of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 ft of you. I would consider taking the shape of something else as being hidden. I could be wrong but I just wanted to see what someone with an unbiased opinion might think
Because it states that as long as you can hear, you’re aware of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 ft of you. I would consider taking the shape of something else as being hidden. I could be wrong but I just wanted to see what someone with an unbiased opinion might think
A mimic isn't hidden or invisible. You can clearly see it. It just appears as something else.
Hidden refers to a creature that isn't within your line of site such as by hiding behind an object or gaining substantial cover to keep themselves from your line of site, and Invisible means it could be in your direct line of site but you literally cannot see it. Blindsense therewith allows you to perceive the presence of a creature within a specific range, but usually refers to general surroundings. There are exceptions to this rule, but those exceptions are best explained and discovered with your DM or within the game.
Since a Mimic is doing neither of those things (granted if they're motionless they are indistinguishable from an ordinary object), Blindsense will not work because if the illusion surrounding them. I would argue, however, that Truesight may actually be able to accomplish what you're trying to achieve.
My not-so-constructive addition to this conversation is to bring up metagaming and cantrips. Spells such as sacred flame or eldritch blast can only target creatures. So just attack every chest you see with a spell like that.... if the spell works, then it's a mimic. If not, it's a chest. A normal chest. Totally mundane. The rug underneath the chest, however....
If I were DMing I would allow the investigation skill, properly applied, to reveal a mimic.
My not-so-constructive addition to this conversation is to bring up metagaming and cantrips. Spells such as sacred flame or eldritch blast can only target creatures. So just attack every chest you see with a spell like that.... if the spell works, then it's a mimic. If not, it's a chest. A normal chest. Totally mundane. The rug underneath the chest, however....
If I were DMing I would allow the investigation skill, properly applied, to reveal a mimic.
My solution to this is to simply allow such spells to be cast on objects, not by the book, but being able to attack objects tends to be more narratively interesting.
As for using investigation, if you mean noticing details about the surroundings that would cause you to believe a mimic is present, then I'd agree. If you mean examining the chest to determine if it is a mimic, that'd be perception and would inevitably fail because the mimic is 'indistinguishable' from what it's copying. The more reliable and commonly used test I've seen is an arrow or crossbow bolt, which is why I like to have 'Ming vase' mimics.
Hidden refers to a creature that isn't within your line of site such as by hiding behind an object or gaining substantial cover to keep themselves from your line of site, and Invisible means it could be in your direct line of site but you literally cannot see it. Blindsense therewith allows you to perceive the presence of a creature within a specific range, but usually refers to general surroundings. There are exceptions to this rule, but those exceptions are best explained and discovered with your DM or within the game.
Since a Mimic is doing neither of those things (granted if they're motionless they are indistinguishable from an ordinary object), Blindsense will not work because if the illusion surrounding them. I would argue, however, that Truesight may actually be able to accomplish what you're trying to achieve.
Mimics aren't so much a magical illusion as a natural ability to shape change. Effectively in some sense they are the object that they appear to be. But in other ways they are not since they are still living creatures. That's not even bringing up the issue of some of the conglomerate shapes that mimics can make such as whole towns and such when they function together.
There is nothing wrong also with letting a party figure out a mimic with a good enough investigation check. Investigation is a way of systematically looking at a particular thing or through multiple things to find what your looking for. Perception is more just looking in it's general direction to spot what is off. So Investigation would be the more suitable to finding the Mimic. There is nothing wrong with rewarding a careful party willing to spend the time an investigation requires to detect that mimic. That being said you do not have to make it easy for them and something in the range of a DC of say 25 or so is not out of the question when doing so.
Also there is nothing saying you have to reveal the mimic just because they shoot it with that arrow. It may take damage from it of course but it may not take enough to reveal it for a living creature just because they shoot it once. Trying to retrieve that arrow might actually be more of a clue they are dealing with a mimic than shooting it and at that point they are within snack range or potentially getting stuck to it anyway.
All that being said Truesight gives away almost everything. Which is part of why it is so hard to get your hands on and mostly reserved for High Level parties and situations.
My not-so-constructive addition to this conversation is to bring up metagaming and cantrips. Spells such as sacred flame or eldritch blast can only target creatures. So just attack every chest you see with a spell like that.... if the spell works, then it's a mimic. If not, it's a chest. A normal chest. Totally mundane. The rug underneath the chest, however....
If I were DMing I would allow the investigation skill, properly applied, to reveal a mimic.
My solution to this is to simply allow such spells to be cast on objects, not by the book, but being able to attack objects tends to be more narratively interesting.
As for using investigation, if you mean noticing details about the surroundings that would cause you to believe a mimic is present, then I'd agree. If you mean examining the chest to determine if it is a mimic, that'd be perception and would inevitably fail because the mimic is 'indistinguishable' from what it's copying. The more reliable and commonly used test I've seen is an arrow or crossbow bolt, which is why I like to have 'Ming vase' mimics.
If your mimic eats someone's hand off it would be dis-arm-ming.
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I’m about to start a new campaign as a tabaxi rogue and my DM made it very clear he’s going to be using mimics fairly often. As I was reading through the skills that rogues get I noticed Blindsense would be a great way to counter his mimics, but he insists it wouldn’t apply to them. Does anyone know which of us is correct? Can my rogue tell if the treasure chest or whatever is a mimic or not using that skill?
Because it states that as long as you can hear, you’re aware of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 ft of you. I would consider taking the shape of something else as being hidden. I could be wrong but I just wanted to see what someone with an unbiased opinion might think
A mimic isn't hidden or invisible. You can clearly see it. It just appears as something else.
Hidden refers to a creature that isn't within your line of site such as by hiding behind an object or gaining substantial cover to keep themselves from your line of site, and Invisible means it could be in your direct line of site but you literally cannot see it. Blindsense therewith allows you to perceive the presence of a creature within a specific range, but usually refers to general surroundings. There are exceptions to this rule, but those exceptions are best explained and discovered with your DM or within the game.
Since a Mimic is doing neither of those things (granted if they're motionless they are indistinguishable from an ordinary object), Blindsense will not work because if the illusion surrounding them. I would argue, however, that Truesight may actually be able to accomplish what you're trying to achieve.
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My not-so-constructive addition to this conversation is to bring up metagaming and cantrips. Spells such as sacred flame or eldritch blast can only target creatures. So just attack every chest you see with a spell like that.... if the spell works, then it's a mimic. If not, it's a chest. A normal chest. Totally mundane. The rug underneath the chest, however....
If I were DMing I would allow the investigation skill, properly applied, to reveal a mimic.
My solution to this is to simply allow such spells to be cast on objects, not by the book, but being able to attack objects tends to be more narratively interesting.
As for using investigation, if you mean noticing details about the surroundings that would cause you to believe a mimic is present, then I'd agree. If you mean examining the chest to determine if it is a mimic, that'd be perception and would inevitably fail because the mimic is 'indistinguishable' from what it's copying. The more reliable and commonly used test I've seen is an arrow or crossbow bolt, which is why I like to have 'Ming vase' mimics.
Mimics aren't so much a magical illusion as a natural ability to shape change. Effectively in some sense they are the object that they appear to be. But in other ways they are not since they are still living creatures. That's not even bringing up the issue of some of the conglomerate shapes that mimics can make such as whole towns and such when they function together.
There is nothing wrong also with letting a party figure out a mimic with a good enough investigation check. Investigation is a way of systematically looking at a particular thing or through multiple things to find what your looking for. Perception is more just looking in it's general direction to spot what is off. So Investigation would be the more suitable to finding the Mimic. There is nothing wrong with rewarding a careful party willing to spend the time an investigation requires to detect that mimic. That being said you do not have to make it easy for them and something in the range of a DC of say 25 or so is not out of the question when doing so.
Also there is nothing saying you have to reveal the mimic just because they shoot it with that arrow. It may take damage from it of course but it may not take enough to reveal it for a living creature just because they shoot it once. Trying to retrieve that arrow might actually be more of a clue they are dealing with a mimic than shooting it and at that point they are within snack range or potentially getting stuck to it anyway.
All that being said Truesight gives away almost everything. Which is part of why it is so hard to get your hands on and mostly reserved for High Level parties and situations.
If your mimic eats someone's hand off it would be dis-arm-ming.