| Depue21 |
TL;DR: Mind Blank is super good, all divination that specifically looks at you or searches for you fails. Counter the other things that the person is using in conjunction with it. When all else fails, dispel magic is always a good choice, except when it’s not.
The way I see it is that while under the effect of a Mind Blank spell, you are completely and utterly invisible to ALL forms of magical divination detection. This includes True Seeing, See Invisibility, Detect Magic, Arcane Sight, etc. If the spell is trying to glean information from observing the target in some way via divination, it fails.
A good example of the scope and specifics of this spell comes from its reference to Arcane eye and scrying.
"In the case of scrying that scans an area the creature is in, such as arcane eye, the spell works but the creature simply isn’t detected."
From that I read that the subject of the MB is simply invisible to the Arcane Eye. Because of this I could argue that the subject would be invisible to other things like detect magic as well. Because these spells create an area of effect that detect things and creatures. Arcane Sight of course uses the Detect Magic template which by proxy is similar to Detect Evil, which is specifically blocked. Then True Sight is worded in a way that makes it appear that it confers a special power of vision to root out the truth. It allows you to see things “as they really are” at a range of 120 ft similar to how an Arcane Eye allows you to see as you normally do, but through the sensor.
Another point to make, is that the person under this effect would also have their gear protected. Hence detect magic failing to see that the armor they are wearing glows with any magic. Or that the Sword that they carry is radiating an overwhelmingly evil aura. They are truly invisible to magic. To me, it’s as simple as that. It’s an 8th level spell. They’re that hard to cast for a reason. If it can block Wish and Miracle, then I don’t know that it can be beaten by anything in regards to Divination.
As a side note to the reference to just dispelling it. There is a prestige class that gets the ability as a constant effect that they can lower and raise at will. The Envoy of Balance’s ability, “Utterly Inscrutable” gives it to them as a constant effect that they can suppress as a swift action and resume as an immediate. Okay so you dispel it, they then use their immediate action to raise it again. It’s a little good and my GM is a little worried about the extent of its power, especially considering I have gotten it at level 13. So this whole thread is relevant to my interests.
Now, a really interesting question that I pose to the hive mind here, what about symbols and things that trigger based on alignment, race, living, etc. Are they “detecting it magically” or simply observing it in a mundane fashion. Alignment is obvious. It would have to be magic. But Race and Living or Undead? The spell specifically references Spells and *devices,* would they count?