Creating a blind character [Archive] - Wizards Community

Creating a blind character [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Verinus
06-19-07, 06:10 PM Is it within the rules somewhere for creating a blind character? Are there any benefits to doing so and what are the limitations? obviously the character would need something like the blind fight feat, but what else? If someone could give me anything regarding this it would appreciate it.
Kamin_Majere
06-19-07, 06:14 PM http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#blinded

this is what you get with a blind character.

You do not become zatoichi or anything else "cool" you will more often than not simply die as a 1st level PC as soon as you enter an encounter
Verinus
06-19-07, 07:11 PM What sort of class is a zatoichi and what book might I find the class in? Additionally, what other 'cool' options would be available to a blind character?
Cthulhu3125
06-19-07, 07:21 PM What sort of class is a zatoichi and what book might I find the class in? Additionally, what other 'cool' options would be available to a blind character?

Troll, perhaps?

Given the frequency that this sort of thread surfaces, I suspect so.

In before the lock.
Kamin_Majere
06-19-07, 07:25 PM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zatoichi

I think you misunderstand me. There is nothing cool for a blind character. Your simply handicapped. You suffer the penalties for the condition and you don't get anything for it. You'll more than likely get the party killed as well as they are effectively a PC short.

You can take a few feats to "try" and correct the condition (assuming your character actually survives any encounters) but feats that help are few and far between and will never give you much that will compensate for your lack of sight.
Prostonovich
06-19-07, 11:36 PM I've thought about doing this before, but I get to play so few games that I never got around to it. Making yourself blind no doubt give you a big handicap, but there are a few things you can do to overcome some of the penalties.
First get these feats; blind fight- feat it allows you to reroll attacks that miss due to your blindness, quick reconnoiter- allows you to make listen checks as a free action, hear the unseen- allows you to make a listen check and know the position of people within a certain radius.
Depending on the books allowed by your DM, look into the Quinessentail Monk. Inside you'll find a prestige class called Blind Master. It will give you the blindsight ability, with this and the other benifits of the prestige class will balance out some/ or most of the penalties to being blind.
Hope this helps, and have fun!
vineyard
06-20-07, 12:49 AM This threads brings me to an interesting question. Lets say someone did, for whatever bloody aweful reason, make a blind character.
Now, they get an item, presupposing they do not die before the end of the first play session, that grants them Darkvision or LowLight vision or whatever.
Would you think that even though blind they would still get the benefits of whatever vision the item grants them?
My personal opinion would be that as the granted style of vision is magical in nature the blind character should be allowed it. It of course would not enhance their normal vision, or rather their lack thereof.
Prostonovich
06-20-07, 01:54 AM Sorry to say this, but a blind character would not gain darkvision or low light vision, because those abilities work off of a character's natural ability to see. Even if the it is a magical ability granted by an item, a blind character has no natural vision for the enhancements to take effect upon.
ArcTan
06-20-07, 01:59 AM This threads brings me to an interesting question. Lets say someone did, for whatever bloody aweful reason, make a blind character.
Now, they get an item, presupposing they do not die before the end of the first play session, that grants them Darkvision or LowLight vision or whatever.
Would you think that even though blind they would still get the benefits of whatever vision the item grants them?
My personal opinion would be that as the granted style of vision is magical in nature the blind character should be allowed it. It of course would not enhance their normal vision, or rather their lack thereof.

Darkvision and Low-Light Vision are still both kinds of *vision*. They don't give you your vision back any more than you can get your lost arm back by increasing your strength.
ArcTan
06-20-07, 02:00 AM This threads brings me to an interesting question. Lets say someone did, for whatever bloody aweful reason, make a blind character.
Now, they get an item, presupposing they do not die before the end of the first play session, that grants them Darkvision or LowLight vision or whatever.
Would you think that even though blind they would still get the benefits of whatever vision the item grants them?
My personal opinion would be that as the granted style of vision is magical in nature the blind character should be allowed it. It of course would not enhance their normal vision, or rather their lack thereof.

You don't need Quintessential Monk. If you want to *make up* a class or a feat or just say "My character is blind but is so bloody awesome that he functions as a fully sighted person", go right ahead. It's your game.

People tend to get offended at the idea, though, that it should be considered "natural" or the default for blinded characters to gain really cool abilities that fully compensate for their blindness, when this is far from true in real life and far from the default way everyone thinks fantasy blind characters should work.
Seeker95
06-20-07, 08:34 AM I have no problem with a player choosing a disability -- even blindness. I also have no problem with that player using all his feat and skill choices to compensate for the disability. In the end, it is still a disability with gimping results. Give the same items and Feats to a sighted PC, and the blind PC is still less than the equivalent sighted PC.

Want to gimp yourself? Go for it. What such a decision lacks in wisdom may be balanced by the fun you have. But it's not for me.
CryoSilver
06-20-07, 10:44 AM If you start at high enough levels, the swordsage's Hearing the Air can help.

Psionic power Synthesete (sp?) is also a suitable offset if you can keep it active all the time.
Astron the Wizard
06-21-07, 09:11 PM Seeing as people in this thread have already shown you the penalties of being blind, may I suggest just poking out one eye. Many of my characters do this to become closer to Gruumsh.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Verinus 06-19-07, 06:10 PM	Is it within the rules somewhere for creating a blind character? Are there any benefits to doing so and what are the limitations? obviously the character would need something like the blind fight feat, but what else? If someone could give me anything regarding this it would appreciate it.
Kamin_Majere 06-19-07, 06:14 PM	http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#blinded this is what you get with a blind character. You do not become zatoichi or anything else "cool" you will more often than not simply die as a 1st level PC as soon as you enter an encounter
Verinus 06-19-07, 07:11 PM	What sort of class is a zatoichi and what book might I find the class in? Additionally, what other 'cool' options would be available to a blind character?
Cthulhu3125 06-19-07, 07:21 PM	What sort of class is a zatoichi and what book might I find the class in? Additionally, what other 'cool' options would be available to a blind character? Troll, perhaps? Given the frequency that this sort of thread surfaces, I suspect so. In before the lock.
Kamin_Majere 06-19-07, 07:25 PM	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zatoichi I think you misunderstand me. There is nothing cool for a blind character. Your simply handicapped. You suffer the penalties for the condition and you don't get anything for it. You'll more than likely get the party killed as well as they are effectively a PC short. You can take a few feats to "try" and correct the condition (assuming your character actually survives any encounters) but feats that help are few and far between and will never give you much that will compensate for your lack of sight.
Prostonovich 06-19-07, 11:36 PM	I've thought about doing this before, but I get to play so few games that I never got around to it. Making yourself blind no doubt give you a big handicap, but there are a few things you can do to overcome some of the penalties. First get these feats; blind fight- feat it allows you to reroll attacks that miss due to your blindness, quick reconnoiter- allows you to make listen checks as a free action, hear the unseen- allows you to make a listen check and know the position of people within a certain radius. Depending on the books allowed by your DM, look into the Quinessentail Monk. Inside you'll find a prestige class called Blind Master. It will give you the blindsight ability, with this and the other benifits of the prestige class will balance out some/ or most of the penalties to being blind. Hope this helps, and have fun!
vineyard 06-20-07, 12:49 AM	This threads brings me to an interesting question. Lets say someone did, for whatever bloody aweful reason, make a blind character. Now, they get an item, presupposing they do not die before the end of the first play session, that grants them Darkvision or LowLight vision or whatever. Would you think that even though blind they would still get the benefits of whatever vision the item grants them? My personal opinion would be that as the granted style of vision is magical in nature the blind character should be allowed it. It of course would not enhance their normal vision, or rather their lack thereof.
Prostonovich 06-20-07, 01:54 AM	Sorry to say this, but a blind character would not gain darkvision or low light vision, because those abilities work off of a character's natural ability to see. Even if the it is a magical ability granted by an item, a blind character has no natural vision for the enhancements to take effect upon.
ArcTan 06-20-07, 01:59 AM	This threads brings me to an interesting question. Lets say someone did, for whatever bloody aweful reason, make a blind character. Now, they get an item, presupposing they do not die before the end of the first play session, that grants them Darkvision or LowLight vision or whatever. Would you think that even though blind they would still get the benefits of whatever vision the item grants them? My personal opinion would be that as the granted style of vision is magical in nature the blind character should be allowed it. It of course would not enhance their normal vision, or rather their lack thereof. Darkvision and Low-Light Vision are still both kinds of vision. They don't give you your vision back any more than you can get your lost arm back by increasing your strength.
ArcTan 06-20-07, 02:00 AM	This threads brings me to an interesting question. Lets say someone did, for whatever bloody aweful reason, make a blind character. Now, they get an item, presupposing they do not die before the end of the first play session, that grants them Darkvision or LowLight vision or whatever. Would you think that even though blind they would still get the benefits of whatever vision the item grants them? My personal opinion would be that as the granted style of vision is magical in nature the blind character should be allowed it. It of course would not enhance their normal vision, or rather their lack thereof. You don't need Quintessential Monk. If you want to make up a class or a feat or just say "My character is blind but is so bloody awesome that he functions as a fully sighted person", go right ahead. It's your game. People tend to get offended at the idea, though, that it should be considered "natural" or the default for blinded characters to gain really cool abilities that fully compensate for their blindness, when this is far from true in real life and far from the default way everyone thinks fantasy blind characters should work.
Seeker95 06-20-07, 08:34 AM	I have no problem with a player choosing a disability -- even blindness. I also have no problem with that player using all his feat and skill choices to compensate for the disability. In the end, it is still a disability with gimping results. Give the same items and Feats to a sighted PC, and the blind PC is still less than the equivalent sighted PC. Want to gimp yourself? Go for it. What such a decision lacks in wisdom may be balanced by the fun you have. But it's not for me.
CryoSilver 06-20-07, 10:44 AM	If you start at high enough levels, the swordsage's Hearing the Air can help. Psionic power Synthesete (sp?) is also a suitable offset if you can keep it active all the time.
Astron the Wizard 06-21-07, 09:11 PM	Seeing as people in this thread have already shown you the penalties of being blind, may I suggest just poking out one eye. Many of my characters do this to become closer to Gruumsh.