Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Marius_Khushrenada 09-18-06, 10:59 PM	I'm starting a new char, and as the title suggest, my plan is to be blind. Which will be quite the challenge. Any Ideas on how to survive, especially considering how I'm starting at first level. I'm level 1, and on a 28 point. Strongly Leaning towards sorceror at this point.
epifreak 09-18-06, 11:19 PM	I saw a thread like this once and ended up sigging Gedrin when he said, "In all honesty, who's eager to travel with the blind guy who's chosen weapon is grenade launcher?" Good luck getting a party.
ZeroEffect 09-18-06, 11:36 PM	My first thought is that you need to get Blindsight. The problem is that the range on Blindsight isn't very impressive, and certainly won't be long enough for you to target many ranged spells.
Wrathamon 09-19-06, 12:30 AM	take one level of Spirit Shaman.
Hanniball 09-19-06, 12:31 AM	I simply cannot think of any viable options for playing a Blind Arcanist. That isn't to say that there aren't any. My mind may be failing me. However, here are some low-level means of obtaining Blindsight/sense or the ability to "see": Blindsense (a weaker version of blindsight) can be gained through the feat of the same name from Complete Adventurer. It is powered via Wildshape uses. A caster level 4 Embrace the Wild will allow you to emulate the Blindsight of a Desmodu Bat (120 ft!). Unfortunately, this is negated by Silence. A Psion/Wilder can manifest Sense Link to gain an ally's sense of sight for 1 min/lvl. Synesthete allows the manifester to "feel light or sound" to emulate sight. Finally, I think Savage Species has some version of a Blindsight spell, but I don't own the book nor do I have the specifics. Either way...just my 2 cp Edit: take one level of Spirit Shaman. I fail to see how this would be beneficial. Care to elaborate?
Titan W 09-19-06, 12:40 AM	Apparantly using detect spells will allow for the automatic sight of certain auras so a permanant item of detect: Magic, Good, Evil, Chaotic, and Lawful, would allow you to see those things (in a 15' cone), however that's also going to be very pricy, later higher level spells (Arcane Sight) can be made permanent and can grant better than normal vision. Other than that blindsense, and or blindsight are the only real ways to go that I can think of and as has been stated, the range is prohibitive, maybe play a character with really bad vision (Like 20/600 sort of vision) but with the natural talet to have it recover to like 20/40 when they cast a spell, it would be basiclay blind when not casting that way.
Drill_Sgt 09-19-06, 01:21 AM	Races of stone: Earth sence (feat) Req's: con 13, wis 13. Effect: take a move action to sense the number of creatures within 20 feat, and the direction to each. Result: well, it cant pinpoint, but it can help. I believe the prestige class, earth dreamer eventually grants tremorsense, which will make it so you can sence anything on the ground within 30ft.
efraker 09-19-06, 01:48 AM	I kind of admire this project so expect this to be a lengthy reply. First things first, go to page 300 of the DMG and read the description of Blinded. The highlights are: "-2 penalty to AC, lose Dex bonus to AC, move at half speed, -4 penalty on Search checks and on most Strength and Dexterity based skill checks. All checks that rely on vision automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment to the blinded character. Characters who remain blinded for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them (DM's discretion)." Show that to your DM. Then ask for the Blindfight feat for free. This would negate the -2 penalty, the loss of Dex bonus, and increases your movement speed to 3/4ths normal (presumably that's 22.5 ft, or 20 ft when rounded down). Tell him that in a sense all you're asking for is a custom Flaw, a la the Flaws in Unearthed Arcana. If you're unfamiliar, when you take a Flaw you gain a free feat. Remind him that you're still gimpy as hell vs. say, archers 60 ft away from you? :P One of the other cool points about the Blindfight feat is that it allows you to roll twice on the 50% miss chance for melee attacks. Unfortunately, a sorcerer probably won't be making many of those. If your DM will give you Blindfight for free, then be a human (or some race that gets 2 feats at level 1), and take your first level in Swordsage (first two for the Wis-to-AC, imho). Now, for your first stance, the one you're going to spend every waking moment in, choose the Tiger Claw stance "Hunter's Sense". You gain the Scent ability. Now, for your first two feats, go to Savage Species and select Improved Scent, and Uncanny Scent. With these two feats and the Tiger Claw stance, you have no miss chance against something within 20 ft, and know which square every thing within 60 ft is. If it stinks, like a kobold or dung heap, you may detect it up to 120 or even 180 feet away. If your DM won't give you Blindfight for free, take your first two levels in Warblade instead, so that you get Uncanny Dodge. Still take the Tiger Claw stance and Improved/Uncanny Scent. At level 3, I would consider taking the Complete Adventurer feat "Hear the Unseen", which allows you to make a DC 25 Listen check as a move action that doesn't provoke AoO, to know the location of everything within 30 ft. If you live long enough to make it to +6 BAB, consider the Woodland Archer feat from Races of the Wild. Personally, I would say that the first tactical maneuver applies to any ranged attack, whether it be from a +1 arrow or the melf's acid variety. I think the "Weapon-like Spells" discussion in Complete Arcane agrees with me, too. But the 2nd tactical maneuver is the one you like; hit something once, and next round you get to hit it again. No problems. Another sorcerer-y idea: if you have 4 [Draconic] feats, Draconic Senses gives you Blindsense 20 ft. A Spellscale who takes the Dragonblooded Sorcerer substition level from Races of the Dragon can ditch his familiar in exchange for Draconic Heritage feat for free at lvl 1. For your other lvl 1 feat, take Draconic Vigor (you're going to need the extra healing. :P). For your lvl 3 feat, take Draconic Power (+1 CL, +1 DC for heritage energy type), and for your 6th level take Draconic Senses. Voila! Now you know which square everyone within 20 ft is in.
Carnon 09-19-06, 03:10 AM	A level in Mindbender (CA) and the Mindsight feat (LoM) will let you locate (but not pinpoint, so they still have full concealment) creatures within 100 ft. Unless your int is lousy you should be able to get the cc skills, enter Mindbender at 6th character level and take Mindsight as your 6th level feat. The good thing is you won't be losing any spellcasting levels. Be careful casting fireballs though, even when you can locate your enemies you can't locate intervening walls 10 ft from you. Summoning is a great way to go when you're blind, buffing allies is another option. The less you have to target enemies the better you're doing.
rilem 09-19-06, 08:23 AM	The Incarnum Feat Soulsight lets you get a form of limited blindsense — you'd probably need some Incarnate levels to get enough essentia to make it work, which pretty much sets you up for a Soulcaster build. Psion has more options, earlier, than does sorceror.
Aegeu 09-19-06, 09:22 AM	Hear the unseen (a feat from CV) is a move action and listen check to pinpoint all enemies within some short range. Listening lorecall is a druid spell that grants you blindsigth/sense depending on how many ranks you have in listen. At high levels, Polymorphing into a non-blind form will let you see normally. Lastly, somewhere online was an expanded list of traits. IIRC, the Bliindness trait granted a +10 on listen checks. Remember, it's only a +20 DC to pinpoint an invisible creature...
Daemoniss 09-19-06, 09:29 AM	Ask a cleric to grow back your eyes =) Blind Sorceress... I saw one in the Ragnarok anime... but she doesnt have any problems with it...
rilem 09-19-06, 10:02 AM	Hear the unseen (a feat from CV) is a move action and listen check to pinpoint all enemies within some short range. Listening lorecall is a druid spell ... Right, but this is a sorceror request. They don't have listen as a class skill and don't get the spell. Blind druids (and melee types) are easy to handle. This one's a lot tougher, especially at first level.
sciguy98 09-19-06, 10:06 AM	Ask a cleric to grow back your eyes =) Blind Sorceress... I saw one in the Ragnarok anime... but she doesnt have any problems with it... She wasn't actually blind, though, she just wore a blindfold. And to be really technical, it wasn't even a blindfold, but a Blinder, an item in the game that grants a bonus to Dex (Archer had one). And if the character was born blind, the Cleric can't do anything about it since there technically isn't anything wrong with the eyes XÞ And any form of shapechanging spell should grant sight, including the lower-level Alter Self or a druid's Wild Shape
Surreal 09-19-06, 12:48 PM	Blindsight combat awareness, feat, PHB2 - 5 feet Eye of Gruumsh 5 (ecl 11), PrC, Complete Warrior, 5 feet, 10' at level 8 Henshin Mystic, PrC, Oriental Adventures Shade Hunter 10 (ecl 15) , PrC, Champions of Ruin Slime Lord, PrC, Player's Guide to Faerun Mindsight, feat, Lords of Madness (not quite blindsight... arguably better, but requires telepathy) Blindsighted, weapon enhancement, Underdark Scout 20 (CV), 30 feet Blindfold of True Darkness, item, Arms and Equipment Guide, p.130, Grants 60' Blindsight and immunity to gaze attacks, but negates all other vision. Tentacle whip, symbiote, Eberron Campaign Setting - the symbiote has blindsight 60 feet and can communicate what it "sees" telepathically Cerebral hood, symbiote, Fiend Folio - see above Shadow Mantle, soulmeld, Magic of Incarnum, 5' or more Shade Hunter 10, ecl 15, FR: Champions of Ruin, 30' Orthos, vestige, ecl 17, Tome of Magic, 30' Umbral Disciple 7, ecl 12, Magic of Incarnum, 10' per essentia Blindsense glaring eye, graft, Races of the Dragon Scout 10 (blindsense), Complete Adventurer Warlock 6, Complete Arcane, voidsense invocation, 30' blindsense, wild feat, CV Dragon Disciple 5 (ECL 10), DMG, 30 feet, 60 feet at level 10 Ardent Dilettante 9, ecl 14, Planar Handbook Dragonborn template, Races of the Dragon, mind aspect, at 15 HD gain blindsense 30 feet Sacred Fist 6, ecl 11, Complete Divine, 10 feet Dungeon Delver 5, ecl 12, Complete Adventurer, 30 feet Disciple of the Eye 5, ecl 10, Races of the Dragon, 30 feet or plus 30' Atavist 5, ecl 10, Races of Eberron, 5 feet Ardent Dilettante 9, ecl 14, Planar Handbook, 10 feet Geomancer 9 (stage 5 drift), ecl 15, Complete Divine, 30' Deformity (Tongue), vile feat, Heroes of Horror, 30' Yrthank Mask, soulmeld, Magic of Incarnum, 10' or more Soulsight, incarnum feat, Magic of Incarnum, 5' or more, use as move action Elder Spirit, soulmeld, Dragon Magic, 5'/essentia Scent Beastmaster 8, ecl 13, Complete Adventurer Bloodhound 9, ecl 13, Complete Adventurer Bear Warrior 3, ecl 10, Complete Warrior Wildrunner 2, ecl 7, Races of the Wild Ardent Dillitent 5, ecl 10, Planar Handbook Weretouched Master 3, ecl 8, Eberron Campaign Setting Ardent Dilettante 5, ecl 10, Planar Handbook Primeval 5, ecl 13, Frostburn Geomancer 7 (stage 4 drift), ecl 13, Complete Divine, 30' shifter w/Wildhunt trait, race, Eberron Campaign Setting Scent, wild feat, Complete Adventurer Hunter's Circlet, soulmeld, Magic of Incarnum Zagan, vestige, ecl 12, Tome of Magic Tremorsense tremor graft, graft, Magic of Eberron Darkrunner 4 (LoM) (ecl 8) Earth Dreamer 3 (RoS) (ecl 10), lesser tremorsense: 10 feet only Horizon Walker 6 (DMG), 30 feet Insectile Template (Savage Species), LA+2 Scorpion Sense, ecl 1, feat, Sandstorm, 10' or 20' Scorpion Carapace, armour, Sandstorm Geomancer 9 (stage 5 drift), ecl 15, Complete Divine, 30' Landshark Boots, soulmeld, Magic of Incarnum, 10' or more
dvlsadvct 09-19-06, 01:25 PM	Not that this is a great benefit, but if you take a bat as your familiar it has blindsense. You also get a +3 on your listen checks. Every little bit helps eh. BTW, Surreal did you just have that list hanging around? Kudos.
Skeeve 09-19-06, 01:35 PM	Actually, that's not a half bad idea. Not necessarily taking a bat, but until you get to a higher level and can take a higher level spell or feat or something, why not use your familiar as an empathic seeing-eye animal?
Marius_Khushrenada 09-19-06, 02:08 PM	that familiar idea could work. Thanks.
gaedan 09-19-06, 03:12 PM	Sort of 'Crow'-like... Also, I don't know if Sorcerer is a good choice for this, but some sort of Diviner seems like thematically a good fit, the whole "blind prophet" bit and what not. Plenty of material out there to pull from for inspiration, too. Now that I think about it, there is a character in David Eddings' Mallorean series that was a blind "Seer", I don't think she was really blind, but wore a thick blindfold that prevented her normal sight so that she could see the future with good clarity. She might be a good inspiration for you as well - she definately had magic abilities, and the whole idea of your vulnerability and ability to see the future/far away would probably inspire your party to vigorously defend your character. Also, running with that concept, the character I mentioned had a protector who was a mute. I think someone else mentioned burning a feat on Leadership to gain a physical protector, some hulking brute of some sort. Divine Oracle seems like a good fit, improved uncanny dodge, bonuses to divination, immunity to surprise, better hit dice, domain spells. Also, someone else mentioned Mindbender, use the telepathy power from that class to speak with your cohort, and run with the mute idea, see if your DM would allow that as a custom flaw (though it's not hardly as limiting as others). A Devoted Bodyguard (is there a 3.5 update? I just remember the one from Sword & Fist) is another idea for a cohort as well. Just some ideas - this actually sounds like a fun concept. If, ya know, you live to later levels. :p One goblin with a bow might just wreck your day. :(
Surreal 09-19-06, 05:23 PM	BTW, Surreal did you just have that list hanging around? Kudos. Check the "lists of stuff" link in my sig :)
Hanniball 09-19-06, 05:37 PM	that familiar idea could work. Thanks. If you just want something hanging around that can relay information to you, take a Raven familiar. They may speak one language and with their Intelligence boost could (theoretically) tell you how far away and which direction your enemies are. The coolest thing about a raven familiar (IMO) is that they use your skill ranks; including Use Magic Device. A raven with a wand of Scorching Ray could easily rain death from above. Either way...just my 2 cp
Mecheye 09-19-06, 06:05 PM	yeah, a familier is a good way to go if they can do that. they can be your vision! just hope it doesnt kick the bucket. other then that, maybe you can haggle your DM for an augmented True Seeinng/Ultravision/See Invisability spell called Infared or something that allows you to see body heat. more cp for the coffers
rilem 09-19-06, 06:09 PM	Oh, yeah, a familiar is practically required for you (shame about that, given the PHBII sorceror variant, but you just can't spare it). Again, a psion is better for this b/c you actually have a mindlink, not just an empathic link, with your crystal.
Bonzai 09-20-06, 09:52 AM	Yup, I would focus on letting your familiar do a bunch for you. You might especialy focus on getting the feats in the PHB2 that allow you to better deliver touch attack spells, and gain familiar benifits over greater distances. Spell wise, I would focus on group buffs, summons, and touch attack spells that your familiar can deliver for you. That way you won't have to target things specifically. As was suggested earlier, permanency's will help some. Like detect spells, and arcane sight. I love the RP aspects of this, and wish you well with your endevour. As others mentioned, you may want to try divine oracle, and go for a blind seer type.
tarbrush 09-20-06, 02:42 PM	You can take the variant sorcerer option in the PHBII and then take obtain familiar. That wy your familiar continues to advance even when you multiclass away from sorcerer.
Wrathamon 09-20-06, 03:04 PM	Check out the Spirit guardian (their familiar of the spriit shaman) it says that you see hear etc through its senses... and its intangible so it cant be killed like a familiar.