I'm trying to get a handle around the Medusa Petrifying Gaze ability when the player is allowed to avert their gaze.
The Stat Block Reads
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see the medusa until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the medusa in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.
Question:
1) If the players and the Medusa approach each other without a Suprise situation would it be based on Initiative Order if the players can avert their eyes to avoid petrification?
2) When the eyes are averted, I'm thinking this would be a 'blind'-like condition for the players where "Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage." Would this be an accurate assumption or a different condition should be applied?
1. At the start of their turn, they can decide whether or not to avert their gaze, initiative will not change how it works.
2. You have disadvantage on attack rolls if you avert your gaze but you are not considered blind. If it was like the blind condition, the creature would have advantage to attack those averting their gaze. You are still aware of the enemy and roughly where they are on the battlefield.
1. At the start of their turn, they can decide whether or not to avert their gaze, initiative will not change how it works.
2. You have disadvantage on attack rolls if you avert your gaze but you are not considered blind. If it was like the blind condition, the creature would have advantage to attack those averting their gaze. You are still aware of the enemy and roughly where they are on the battlefield.
Incorrect. If you cannot see your opponent, they benefit from Unseen Attackers and Targets, which gives the unseen creature advantage when attacking.
I'm trying to get a handle around the Medusa Petrifying Gaze ability when the player is allowed to avert their gaze.
The Stat Block Reads
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see the medusa until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the medusa in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.
Question:
1) If the players and the Medusa approach each other without a Suprise situation would it be based on Initiative Order if the players can avert their eyes to avoid petrification?
2) When the eyes are averted, I'm thinking this would be a 'blind'-like condition for the players where "Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage." Would this be an accurate assumption or a different condition should be applied?
To 1. I’d have competing perception rolls. And i’d allow a bonus +2 to whoever had the higher initiative. Something like that. But realistically.... just the “who noticed whom first” should suffice. Medusa sees you first. You won’t avert eyes in time. You see Medusa first. You can avert.
Situation with multiple people. I’d roll a die for which char the Medusa is looking at to start. From there Medusa’s gaze will change targets on her initiative. As seen fit.
1) The first save is on each creature's turn, so they don't have to worry about it until their first turn within 30ft. Initiative won't matter.
2) The rule only mentions the creature having disadvantage against the Medusa, but logically, the Medusa should have advantage against it due to unseen attacker. That's what the sentence of Purifying gaze is about; if the creature looks to avoid Unseen attacker, it has to make the save.
But this isn't CLOSING eyes completely. These effects wouldn't apply to any other creature. That said, even though I don't use facing, I'd probably rule that the character can't see anything else in the same direction as the Medusa.
I'm trying to get a handle around the Medusa Petrifying Gaze ability when the player is allowed to avert their gaze.
The Stat Block Reads
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see the medusa until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the medusa in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.
Question:
1) If the players and the Medusa approach each other without a Suprise situation would it be based on Initiative Order if the players can avert their eyes to avoid petrification?
2) When the eyes are averted, I'm thinking this would be a 'blind'-like condition for the players where "Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage." Would this be an accurate assumption or a different condition should be applied?
On 1) the save occurs at the start of the players turn, so it doesn't really matter where in the initiative order the player is relative to the Medusa or anything else. The averting of eyes starts at the start of the PC's turn, and lasts until the start of their next, unless they deliberately look at the Medusa beforehand. For this particular monster (and others with similar abilities), it would be important that initiative start no later than the moment any creature comes within 30 feet of the Medusa, so this effect can be adjudicated appropriately
On 2), they are effectively blinded in relation to the Medusa but the actual rule in play is the unseen attackers rule found below, which grants you disadvantage on attacks against the unseen creature and grants them advantage on attacks against you.
It only says that you have advantage if the enemy can't see you. It should apply to your enemies as well but RAW it doesn't seem to apply to your enemies when they can't see you. Or am I reading it wrong?
It only says that you have advantage if the enemy can't see you. It should apply to your enemies as well but RAW it doesn't seem to apply to your enemies when they can't see you. Or am I reading it wrong?
Not sure what you're saying. The text doesn't specify that it only applies to some characters, so if character A can't see character B, character As attacks have disadvantage, character Bs attacks have advantage.
I'm trying to get a handle around the Medusa Petrifying Gaze ability when the player is allowed to avert their gaze.
The Stat Block Reads
Question:
1) If the players and the Medusa approach each other without a Suprise situation would it be based on Initiative Order if the players can avert their eyes to avoid petrification?
2) When the eyes are averted, I'm thinking this would be a 'blind'-like condition for the players where "Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage." Would this be an accurate assumption or a different condition should be applied?
1. At the start of their turn, they can decide whether or not to avert their gaze, initiative will not change how it works.
2. You have disadvantage on attack rolls if you avert your gaze but you are not considered blind. If it was like the blind condition, the creature would have advantage to attack those averting their gaze. You are still aware of the enemy and roughly where they are on the battlefield.
Thank you for that information.
Incorrect. If you cannot see your opponent, they benefit from Unseen Attackers and Targets, which gives the unseen creature advantage when attacking.
To 1. I’d have competing perception rolls. And i’d allow a bonus +2 to whoever had the higher initiative. Something like that. But realistically.... just the “who noticed whom first” should suffice. Medusa sees you first. You won’t avert eyes in time. You see Medusa first. You can avert.
Situation with multiple people. I’d roll a die for which char the Medusa is looking at to start. From there Medusa’s gaze will change targets on her initiative. As seen fit.
2. That is correct.
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1) The first save is on each creature's turn, so they don't have to worry about it until their first turn within 30ft. Initiative won't matter.
2) The rule only mentions the creature having disadvantage against the Medusa, but logically, the Medusa should have advantage against it due to unseen attacker. That's what the sentence of Purifying gaze is about; if the creature looks to avoid Unseen attacker, it has to make the save.
But this isn't CLOSING eyes completely. These effects wouldn't apply to any other creature. That said, even though I don't use facing, I'd probably rule that the character can't see anything else in the same direction as the Medusa.
On 1) the save occurs at the start of the players turn, so it doesn't really matter where in the initiative order the player is relative to the Medusa or anything else. The averting of eyes starts at the start of the PC's turn, and lasts until the start of their next, unless they deliberately look at the Medusa beforehand. For this particular monster (and others with similar abilities), it would be important that initiative start no later than the moment any creature comes within 30 feet of the Medusa, so this effect can be adjudicated appropriately
On 2), they are effectively blinded in relation to the Medusa but the actual rule in play is the unseen attackers rule found below, which grants you disadvantage on attacks against the unseen creature and grants them advantage on attacks against you.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/combat#UnseenAttackersandTargets
It only says that you have advantage if the enemy can't see you. It should apply to your enemies as well but RAW it doesn't seem to apply to your enemies when they can't see you. Or am I reading it wrong?
Not sure what you're saying. The text doesn't specify that it only applies to some characters, so if character A can't see character B, character As attacks have disadvantage, character Bs attacks have advantage.
I read it as "you" as in the player. Does this also apply to any creature the DM controls?
Yes, it applies to all characters and creatures.