Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jason Snyder 11-29-06, 11:23 AM	According to the PHB, blinded means: Unable to see. A blinded character takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class, loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), moves at half speed, and takes a -4 penalty on Search checks and on most Strength and Dexterity-based skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Spot checks) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) relative to the blinded character. That's all well and good. The other day I blinded something and my wizard friend proceeds to blast it with a fireball. It appears that according to RAW, the blinded character takes no penalty to his reflex save due to his blindness. Note the description above refers to AC penalties and skill checks, but no mention is made of saves. This seems fairly ridiculous - that a blinded guy can quickly leap aside from an attack he can't even see coming - so am I missing something here? An unseen errata? A misinterpretation? Is it simply house-ruled in general? Thoughts?
PolasKasDorion 11-29-06, 11:30 AM	Hmmm... could be a couple of ways of looking at this.... 1. He heard the incantations for the spells (probably not enough to give him a save though... just to know that it was coming). 2. He basically reacted to the heat wave just before the actual fire reached him... might add that to the fact that he just heard the Wizard chanting. This enables him to puts his hands up, block his face, pee himself (dampness reduces fire damage :P ) Basically it's a primal REACTION... not necessarily diving for cover or dodging out of the way... it's just covering up enough.. maybe ducking a little... doing that cool DragonBallZ-esque block where they cross their arms in front of them... just enough of a reaction to reduce the damage, cover their vitals, whatever...
nightwyrm 11-29-06, 03:56 PM	When DOES a person lose his dex bonus or get a penalty to reflex save? Flat-footed? Stunned? Paralyzed? Grappling with black tentacles?
tarkin 11-29-06, 04:29 PM	Conditions that give penalties to Reflex Saves: Cowering in fear.: loses Dex bonus, but no other penalty Entangled in any way, shape or form: -4 to dex = -2 to reflex Exhuasted: -6 to dex = -3 to reflex Fatigued: -2 to dex = -1 to reflex Helpless (including is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, but not pinned in a grapple.): Treat Dex as 0 (-5 instead of normal dex bonus/penalty to reflex)
nightwyrm 11-29-06, 04:33 PM	Thanks. So if I cast Evard's black tentacles, the opponent is grappled but not entangled and saves as normal? And how does a person get fatigued other than sleeping in armor or getting hit with a spell? I tried to find it in the PHB and DMG but can't see it anywhere.
Nom 11-29-06, 05:03 PM	PH Chapter 9: forced march. The same rules work well enough for any attempt to continue activity without sleep beyond 8 hours.
runestar 11-30-06, 09:26 AM	This seems fairly ridiculous - that a blinded guy can quickly leap aside from an attack he can't even see coming - so am I missing something here? An unseen errata? A misinterpretation? Is it simply house-ruled in general? Maybe he just happened to be standing in the stop where the fireball is the least hot?:P