Hello, I recently had a situation where a PC casts Black Tentacles against a creature with a Blink spell active. Would a successful grapple roll succeed, since, with the Blink spell, the creature can simply escape on the first fade to etherealness. I played it that the creature, having been grappled by the spell, took the initial damage and grappling condition from the turn it was cast, then it escaped on it's own turn automatically, left the area, and continued it's action.
What do you think should have happened?
From a quick reading of both spells, I think I might have just applied a 50% miss chance for the grapple by the tentacles every round the defender is within the AoE. I read the descriptions quickly, though, so might have missed something important.
I have to agree with Dosgamer. It's a weird combination of spells, but the simplest solution is 50% miss chance for the black tentacle's grapple check while within the AoE.
Since Black Tentacles is a conjuration (creation) spell, the tentacles are actual things (more like a summoned creature than, say, a fireball), I'd rule them as essentially a physical attack.
As a physical attack, the blinking creature gets a 50% miss chance against being grappled (CMs are attacks). If it missed, it missed. If it succeeds on both the miss chance and CMB roll, the blinking target is grappled.
However, since blinking seems to be "rapid", it can be assumed to happen several times during a single round. The target should be more or less immediately freed from the grapple.
However (again), because Black Tentacles says that it applies its damage on a successful grapple check, and not on the subsequent round like a normal damage-during-a-grapple check, the damage should apply immediately. For a normal grapple check (which just restrains the target and applies the grappled condition), Blink essentially acts as a very specific version of Freedom of Movement.
The blinking character would, on his turn, be able to move and act as normal. I might even let the blinking character roll the 50% chance to be ethereal while in a physical object to avoid the difficult terrain caused by Black Tentacles. I would probably only allow this if it wouldn't bog down combat. For simplicity, I'd probably just make every other square difficult terrain for the blinking character (statistically equal, but faster to do).
I'd rule that the character with Blink is essentially immune to Grappling, as incorporeal creatures cannot be grappled; apply the grapple damage normally if the initial grapple check succeeds (and goes through the miss chance), but the grappled condition never actually applies.
+1
While "blinking out" the character would be immune to the grappled condition. If another creature, or spell, attempted to grapple him, they would roll the 50% miss chance, as per usual, if successful, the character would be grappled momentarily, then cease to be grappled when he "blinked out".
I would just run it as normal Black Tentacles Grab attacks.
Blink is happening multiple times per round, if you are Grabbed and then Blink out you may no longer be Grabbed, but once you Blink back into the area, you would be subject to another Grab attack (with more damage). Once it gets to the character's turn, they can try moving when they are Ethereal, but more than likely they will Blink back into the same square before they can leave it, making another chance for Grab (with more damage). Most realistically, you have to decide how many times per round Blink 'blinks', and on every 're-entry' to the square re-roll Grab (and damage if it's succesfull). Given that is alot of extra die-rolls, that are negative to the character with Blink (extra damage on each succesful CMB) just as much as they may be positive (the chance to act un-grappled), I think it's alot simpler to just ignore Blink's effects for Black Tentacles.
Black Tentacles only make grab attacks at the beginning of the caster's turn and when a creature enters the area. Once you've entered the area you're safe, the Tentacles will not continue making attacks until the caster's next turn.
When a character blinks out, he doesn't leave the area, he becomes ethereal in that same square; the Tentacles do not get repeated attacks.