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Context: I am a player setting traps for other players

If I cast Glyph of Warding with Blink as the spell glyph, what would happen when it triggered? I think it would either:

  1. Teleport whatever triggered it to a predetermined location
  2. Teleport the caster of the glyph to a predetermined location
  3. Whatever triggered the glyph would be able to teleport as if they had cast Blink
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  • \$\begingroup\$ Related on Can a spell with a target of self be stored in a glyph of warding? \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Dec 7, 2018 at 18:10
  • \$\begingroup\$ A question based on a faulty premise can still be a good question because correction of the faulty premise could be valuable to users who share the same misunderstanding. \$\endgroup\$
    – user47897
    Dec 7, 2018 at 20:25
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think I was thinking of Misty Step when I made this, editing the question to clarify \$\endgroup\$
    – Geekdude3
    Dec 7, 2018 at 22:18
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Geekdude3 Just make a new question with Misty Step, let this one stand. \$\endgroup\$
    – Xirema
    Dec 7, 2018 at 22:27
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    \$\begingroup\$ Please don't make an edit of that magnitude after answers have been submitted. It completely invalidates them. It's better to just submit a new question. \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Dec 7, 2018 at 22:27

2 Answers 2

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None of the above

Blink would affect the creature who triggered it

Glyph of warding says1:

When the glyph is triggered, the stored spell is cast. If the spell has a target, it targets the creature that triggered the glyph.

Since blink has a target, the creature that triggers the glyph would become the target of the spell. So this would imply #1 or #3 to be correct except for...

Blink does not allow you to teleport to a location upon triggering

Blink, on a roll of 11 or above, transports a creature to the Ethereal Plane. It does not allow any creature to teleport to any predetermined location of its (or any other creature's) choice.2 The location of the creature in the ethereal plane depends only on where they were in the material plane. Thus none of your options are correct.

The real answer is:

4. The creature that triggers the glyph gets transported to the ethereal plane at the end of their turn if they roll an 11 or above.

1 - Important to note is that errata has changed the wording of the spell from "[Y]ou inscribe a glyph that harms other creatures," to "When you cast this spell, you inscribe a glyph that later unleashes a magical effect.". Thus, glyph of warding can indeed create non-harmful effects.

2 - Worth noting is that at the beginning of each of its turns that it starts in the ethereal plane, the creature will blink back into the material plane in a place within 10 feet of the one you left last turn. While not technically teleporting, this would indeed be the creature who triggered the glyph's choice.

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None of the above, as glyph of warding casts "causes harm" to the triggerer of the glyph.

You cannot store a spell that does not harm the triggerer. Blink helps the triggerer out as it allows them to avoid being damaged half of the time

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I think this could be correct as the spell says, "[Y]ou inscribe a glyph that harms other creatures," but offering further support for this answer's reading may help persuade the community. For example, I can imagine an argument saying that the blink spell does harm (as in hinder) a creature by making it more difficult for the affected creature to land successful attacks. Were this answer to offer a narrower in-game definition of harm — like deals damage — then I'm almost certain the answer would be more successful. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Dec 8, 2018 at 18:51
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    \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan (and Garret Gang): That part of the spell description was changed in errata at least a year ago to: "When you cast this spell, you inscribe a glyph that later unleashes a magical effect." \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast ♦
    Dec 8, 2018 at 18:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ @V2Blast O, okay. Cool. I'm not a 5e guy, and I was using as a reference this site. Should I avoid that site for rules in the future? Also, should this answer mention that errata so other folks don't fall for the same (harmful?) trap as Garret Gang and I? Finally, should the question link to the current version of the glyph of warding spell? \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Dec 8, 2018 at 18:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan: Hmm. I'm not sure why the spell description wasn't updated there; it's possible the SRD never got that change that was made to the PHB and basic rules. Though Roll20 has other issues specifically with capitalization anyway, as it capitalizes every term that's a link to another Roll20 Compendium page - so I'd recommend using a different source that doesn't deviate from the official stylization, and matches the latest version of the rules. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast ♦
    Dec 8, 2018 at 18:59
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    \$\begingroup\$ Since this answer is not correct you may want to consider deleting it to avoid downvotes. \$\endgroup\$
    – Rubiksmoose
    Dec 10, 2018 at 13:50

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