Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Wargamer 04-14-06, 02:29 PM	Basically, for those who haven't seen the film, Zatoichi is a blind swordmaster with a sword-cane. He has amazing hearing; so good he can tell which way up a dice lands by what it sounds like, and good enough to fight when blind better than most men can with sight. He's also got non-combat skills; specifically, he's a masseuse. I'm thinking make him Level 8. Suggestions welcome.
unusualsuspect 04-14-06, 02:33 PM	Blindsight would be best, Blindsense with Blindfight would be a close second. Now how the hell to get those? Damned if I know.
Ironcleaver 04-14-06, 02:52 PM	I havn't seen the film and the concept sounds very interesting. The only tiniest, littlest thing would be the name of the class. Is'n Zatoichi a name of a type of cane-sword, and not the name for the one wielding it? I very much like the idea of the class though. Perhaps he gains his "sight" as a trade-off for taking Vow of Poverty. Remove some of the special/unneeded abilities of VoP and add in any sight you'll need. Great flavor :) ~ Iron.
Tony Vargas 04-14-06, 03:03 PM	The Zatoichi films were a long series of very popular japanese chambara flicks. There was also one made recently, The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363226/), that got limitted release in the US - I got to see it on the big screen, and it was very good. Though, at the end, it's revealed that Zatoichi may not really be blind (in a typically Japanese ambiguous fashion). You could go for comparative realism - the character doesn't really quite have supernatural powers - and stick with Blindfight, an amped-up Listen skill, and all the usual Samurai tricks. Massuse, of course, is a proffession - ranks of healing wouldn't be in apropriate, either. Or, you could go the other direction and use a psionics to build up apropriate supernatural senses - psychic warrior would be the obvious choice, I suppose, but someone else would have to fill in the details. In any case, it's key to remember that a solo character from a movie translated into a game won't have quite the same impact. For one thing, he's not the main character anymore. For another, if you were to have a solo D&D character, the CR/EL system would call for him to face challeges like a party /four levels lower/ than himself. You can see how, with a 4+ level advantage, you could make up for little things like blindness.
Wargamer 04-14-06, 03:19 PM	Any ideas for class?
OamuTheMonk 04-14-06, 05:00 PM	There are a variety of feats in complete adventurer that help in building a blind warrior-type character, many of which are available as fighter bonus feats. Scouts also get access to them as bonus feats, as well as vital class features for a blind swordsman (like uncanny dodge, which lets you not be flat-footed all the time, per the blindness rules). The two feats I can think of offhand are hear the unseen and tactile trapsmith, both of which sprout from the Blind-fight feat tree. Scouts also get fast movement, which helps with a blind character's reduced land speed (half, I think, as per the blindness rules). Give the character Flaw: Sightless (you were born blind), Flaw: Shaky (bad at ranged attacks, I forget the penalty). Make him human (for the bonus feat), and alternate levels of Scout with levels of Fighter. You will begin at first level with three or four feats. Spend one on Blind-fight, one on Able Learner (from Races of Destiny, so you can use those skill points wherever), and one on Hear the unseen. See if you can use weapon proficiency groups from unearthed arcana, so you don't need to spend a feat to wield a bastard sword. Concentrate on feats that aid mobility (Dash), Sword wielding (Weapon Focus/Specialization), and Listening (Alertness/ Skill Focus: listen). You need Skill ranks, so don't skimp on INT. Do not be tempted to simply give the character Blindsense, Blindsight or some other munchy slapdash solution. This character will only be interesting if you use the RAW to do it. Being a blind warrior can be done, and done well, but it should not be thrown in as an afterthought, simply devised to make the character immune to gaze attacks, and offering no mechanical penalties.
OamuTheMonk 04-20-06, 02:47 PM	Scared 'em all off, once I started talking about doing things using the RAW.
John Q. Mayhem 04-20-06, 05:03 PM	I believe there's a feat in Sword and Fist (or perhaps somewhere else) that requires something like Wis 19 and grants Blindsight 5 ft.
Nephlite 04-20-06, 05:27 PM	Basically, for those who haven't seen the film, Zatoichi is a blind swordmaster with a sword-cane. He has amazing hearing; so good he can tell which way up a dice lands by what it sounds like, and good enough to fight when blind better than most men can with sight. He's also got non-combat skills; specifically, he's a masseuse. I'm thinking make him Level 8. Suggestions welcome. 3.5 Psionics okay? 1. Know Direction and Location: You discover where you are and what direction you face. So he doesn't get lost. 2. Synesthete: You receive one kind of sense when another sense is stimulated. So you can see while blind while power is up. Synesthete Psychometabolism Level: Psion/wilder 1, psychic warrior 1 Display: Material Manifesting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 10 min./level (D) Power Points: 1 You receive one kind of sensory input when a different sense is stimulated. In particular, you can either feel light or feel sound. You can shift your stimulated sense between these two options once per round as a swift action. Your senses continue to work normally as well, unless they are impaired for some reason. Your face must be uncovered to use this power, because it is the skin of your face that acts as the sensory receiver. If you are feeling light by absorbing ambient light onto your skin, you have your normal visual abilities (except for darkvision), even if your eyes are closed or you are blinded. If your eyes are working normally, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on all Spot and Search checks. While feeling light, you are immune to gaze attacks. If you are feeling sound by absorbing sound onto your skin and your ears are working normally, the expanded audio input provides you with a +4 circumstance bonus on Listen checks. Psionic or magical displacement effects, invisibility effects, illusions, and other similar effects confuse your synesthete senses just as they would your normal senses. You can also use this power to see sound if you are deafened, or hear light if you are blinded, thus removing all penalties associated with either condition (though you gain no bonuses for using the power in this way if you are not deafened or blinded). If you are feeling light by absorbing ambient light onto your skin, you have your normal visual abilities (except for darkvision), even if your eyes are closed or you are blinded. If your eyes are working normally, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on all Spot and Search checks. While feeling light, you are immune to gaze attacks. So by absorbing light you can see temporarily. But possible at least.
OravennasBrother 04-20-06, 05:52 PM	Any ideas for class? Zatoichi is a gambler, so Rogue might be appropriate. However he is also a powerful combatant so Fighter level could also be appropriate. Certainly need the Blindfight Feat.
Osedox 04-20-06, 08:39 PM	Epic level Sneak Attack Fighter who uses a Speed weapon with feats like Blindfight, Whirlwind Attack and Improved Feint, liberal use of Bluff, Sense motive, and Intimidate along with that feat that John Q. Mayhem mentioned. Any fans will agree that he is supremely bad ass and finishes his combat in the first round so Improved Initiative and Quick Draw too. Zatoichi is a GOD!
OamuTheMonk 04-20-06, 11:57 PM	Epic level Sneak Attack Fighter who uses a Speed weapon... A Blind character would be unable to use sneak attack, as it is precision-based damage (Scout's Skirmish is in the same boat). I believe there's a feat in Sword and Fist (or perhaps somewhere else) that requires something like Wis 19 and grants Blindsight 5 ft. That feat has yet to be updated to 3.5, but it seems pretty true to the spirit of the character (and rules compatible). It would let a blind character use sneak attack on adjacent targets, and negate concealment. 2. Synesthete: You receive one kind of sense when another sense is stimulated. So you can see while blind while power is up. What, then, is the point of playing as a blind character? This is just saying: "I want to play as a character who suffers no drawbacks and gets free immunity to gaze attacks." Munchy. Ugh. The OP is never going to come back and establish what he's really looking for...
Archmagi1976 04-21-06, 01:36 AM	From my understanding he wanted a blind warrior and was looking for ways to pull it off. Sadly we can never truely translate things like that into the game world but we can always come close... With that being said. In Quentasential monk, there was a Blind Monk PrC, but that was a 3.0 book. In all honesty, people who are blind get around town fine all the time. At realitively fast paces. With that said, I think the slowed movement should only work in combat and not in real life. That I can easily see... Sonic attacks should do more damage and or cause a stunning affect on top of normal damage. Any sonic affect, sheild hitting sword, ect. Should cause some difficutlies. Honestly a modified Monk or a Swashbuckler seems to fit this character if memory serves.
Osedox 04-21-06, 09:16 AM	A Blind character would be unable to use sneak attack, as it is precision-based damage (Scout's Skirmish is in the same boat). Where does it say that you can deal precision based damage while blind?
beat_takeshi 04-21-06, 11:13 AM	Any concealment negates sneak attack Actually in the recent Zatoichi movie with Beat Takeshi playing the blind swordsman, he turned out to be able to see at the end (right?) A good option would be the masochist on the character optimization forum Wears no armour and does lots of damage This is such a popular character concept they should make it a base class (instead of the crappy samurai class they made)
Kyuketsukiouji 04-21-06, 12:45 PM	I agree with OamuTheMonk. If you're going to make a blind character, you should actually keep the "blind" part intact. Lots of listen, Blindfighting, Danger Sense are all good feats to have. And, of course, Iaijutsu Focus.
trolloc 04-21-06, 01:13 PM	In the movie, Zatoichi always roll a natural 20 on his initiative and Iaijutsu Focus skill.
Engilbrand 04-21-06, 03:30 PM	I would recommend making a PrC. He was an adventurer who lost his sight. A few levels of fighter or rogue would probably work. After he was blinded, he started to train harder. 5 level PrC that grants Blindfight at 1, Blindsense at 3 and Blindsight at 5. Middle BAB, Good Fort and Will and a d8 hit die. Listen would be on the skill list. Maybe give him a +2 Listen bonus at 2 and 4. Could even give him the feat that allows a character to make search checks when they can't see. This is probably way too much, but it's easier to reduce things than add them.