Psycrystal-sighted [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psycrystal-sighted [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
deathbane
10-04-07, 12:41 AM The books says this allows the psycrystal to see and hear as well as a normal creature, but then it says magical darkness, and silence don't affect it. Is this equal to touchsight or blindsight?
CrimsonDeath
10-04-07, 03:49 AM The books says this allows the psycrystal to see and hear as well as a normal creature, but then it says magical darkness, and silence don't affect it. Is this equal to touchsight or blindsight?

No, because the psicrystal still needs to make Spot and Listen checks in order to detect creatures within its sight radius.
deathbane
10-04-07, 04:00 AM That is what I thought, just needed validation.
AntiDjinn
10-04-07, 04:52 AM Think of it as having sight where the information is delivered by something other than light. Shutting off the light in an area does not block this sense. It still needs line of sight (can't look through walls, around corners). It gets full visual information including color of objects. It still needs to make perception checks; sighted means it is entitled to make a spot check when another creature might not be, not that it automatically detects everything in range.

Despite the fact that lack of light does not blind a psicrystal, it is possible to "flash" a psicrystal's senses with the right effect; you just have to check the specifics of each against its construct traits. Blindness does not work; it is a necromantic effect, and also calls for a Fortitude save and does not affect objects. It is immune to Color Spray because the spell is a pattern. Glitterdust might work; the blinding effect is vs. a Will save, and it bears no descriptors to which a psicrystal is immune. Sunbeam and Sunburst can also work because they each call for a Reflex save to avoid being blinded. They are not immune to be dazzled, but some effects that inflict it call for a Fortitude save. So while you can't blind a psicrystal with magical darkness, if one happens to be snooping around you might be able to target it with other spells or powers that will knock its senses offline.
CrimsonDeath
10-04-07, 12:00 PM Think of it as having sight where the information is delivered by something other than light. Shutting off the light in an area does not block this sense. It still needs line of sight (can look through walls, around corners). It gets full visual information including color of objects. It still needs to make perception checks; sighted does not means it is entitled to make a spot check when another creature might not be, not that it automatically detects everything in range.

You might want to double-check your negatives. I think you said the opposite of what you meant a couple of times.
AntiDjinn
10-04-07, 03:26 PM Edited. what I get for trying to post via PDA webapp.

My group argued once about whether or not glitterdust should blind it given that the rock doesn't require light and doesn't have eyes. We decided that spray-painting it gold still gives the entire rest of the universe full concealment. The dust is a (temporary) physical substance that blocks LoS, not a dazzle effect.
Lokathor
10-05-07, 03:11 AM Note however that the psycrystal doesn't need to make spot checks against creatures that are using darkness for concealment while making their Hide checks, because they have no concealment against the Sighted ability, and so they can't be hidden.

Cover lets the creature make Hide checks normally though.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
deathbane 10-04-07, 12:41 AM	The books says this allows the psycrystal to see and hear as well as a normal creature, but then it says magical darkness, and silence don't affect it. Is this equal to touchsight or blindsight?
CrimsonDeath 10-04-07, 03:49 AM	The books says this allows the psycrystal to see and hear as well as a normal creature, but then it says magical darkness, and silence don't affect it. Is this equal to touchsight or blindsight? No, because the psicrystal still needs to make Spot and Listen checks in order to detect creatures within its sight radius.
deathbane 10-04-07, 04:00 AM	That is what I thought, just needed validation.
AntiDjinn 10-04-07, 04:52 AM	Think of it as having sight where the information is delivered by something other than light. Shutting off the light in an area does not block this sense. It still needs line of sight (can't look through walls, around corners). It gets full visual information including color of objects. It still needs to make perception checks; sighted means it is entitled to make a spot check when another creature might not be, not that it automatically detects everything in range. Despite the fact that lack of light does not blind a psicrystal, it is possible to "flash" a psicrystal's senses with the right effect; you just have to check the specifics of each against its construct traits. Blindness does not work; it is a necromantic effect, and also calls for a Fortitude save and does not affect objects. It is immune to Color Spray because the spell is a pattern. Glitterdust might work; the blinding effect is vs. a Will save, and it bears no descriptors to which a psicrystal is immune. Sunbeam and Sunburst can also work because they each call for a Reflex save to avoid being blinded. They are not immune to be dazzled, but some effects that inflict it call for a Fortitude save. So while you can't blind a psicrystal with magical darkness, if one happens to be snooping around you might be able to target it with other spells or powers that will knock its senses offline.
CrimsonDeath 10-04-07, 12:00 PM	Think of it as having sight where the information is delivered by something other than light. Shutting off the light in an area does not block this sense. It still needs line of sight (can look through walls, around corners). It gets full visual information including color of objects. It still needs to make perception checks; sighted does not means it is entitled to make a spot check when another creature might not be, not that it automatically detects everything in range. You might want to double-check your negatives. I think you said the opposite of what you meant a couple of times.
AntiDjinn 10-04-07, 03:26 PM	Edited. what I get for trying to post via PDA webapp. My group argued once about whether or not glitterdust should blind it given that the rock doesn't require light and doesn't have eyes. We decided that spray-painting it gold still gives the entire rest of the universe full concealment. The dust is a (temporary) physical substance that blocks LoS, not a dazzle effect.
Lokathor 10-05-07, 03:11 AM	Note however that the psycrystal doesn't need to make spot checks against creatures that are using darkness for concealment while making their Hide checks, because they have no concealment against the Sighted ability, and so they can't be hidden. Cover lets the creature make Hide checks normally though.