Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ClementWillowbreaker 09-19-04, 06:20 PM	Hello all. One of my players (a Drow Rogue 5/Future Assassin/Future Invisible Blade) has been wondering about blindsight/blindsense, so that he can function better in bright light or in magical concealment and make sneak attacks. He already is keen on True Strike (command word items and eventually as one of his assassin spells), so he has that going for him under limited situations. I came up with a concept for a magic item that would be useful for him. An elaborate wooden stage mask, garishly painted in the style of Olidammara, that has no eye holes- just painted on winking eyes. When put on, the wearer gains vibrational blindsense or blindsight of some range (somewhere between 30 and 60ft) in place of vision while wearing it. The first time anyone puts on the mask, it is a disorientating experience, as sound and vibration translates into "light". So the item would come off kinda cursed, prompting him to most likely rip it off immediately, as party members' heartbeats translate into "blinding flashes of light" rather than sensible information, until he gets used to it. Since its magically vibrational, a silence or antimagic effect would block it in addition to the things that stop blindsense/sight by preventing line of effect. As for introducing this item, I was going to have it be a prize for a gladitorial contest run by an (literal and figurative) underground temple of Olidammara, which would also be the same group through which he gains admittance to the Invisible Blade (most likely in a previous story arc). So even though the temple will be introduced by lvl 7, I suspect the Mask would have to be acquirred much later, in a suitably complex quest/higher ranking tournement/daring robbery. So there's the idea, but I have no idea how to price it. So any suggestions? For either version (Blindsense or Blindsight, since the latter is going to be much more than the former).
obrysii 09-19-04, 06:26 PM	There is just the item you are looking for in the Arms and Equipment Guide. It is a blindfold that makes normal sight not work, but you gain Blindsight 60ft, if I remember correctly.
Razorblade Smile 09-19-04, 06:28 PM	An item like this already exists. It's the blindfold of true darkness from the Arms & Equipment Guide. For 9,000gp you get blindsight out to 60 feet, are immune to gaze attacks and other effects that rely on sight, and the wearer can't make use of any natural vision abilities while wearing it. It takes up the goggles body slot and can easily be described as a mask instead of a blindfold. So I'd suggest either using that or using it as a guideline. :)
Seeker95 09-19-04, 06:57 PM	Redundancy is classic! (so are clocks... that 2-minute apart thing happens a lot, doesn't it?) :D
ClementWillowbreaker 09-19-04, 07:57 PM	Ok, never read the A&EG, so that explains it. Are there any changes for 3.5 in Blindsight that would make the item more expensive?
Razorblade Smile 09-19-04, 08:11 PM	Not as far as I know. The lack of normal vision more than makes up for the cost; afterall, the character can't read, distinguish colors, or anything else we normally take for granted while wearing it.
Vanigo 09-19-04, 11:29 PM	Not as far as I know. The lack of normal vision more than makes up for the cost; afterall, the character can't read, distinguish colors, or anything else we normally take for granted while wearing it. More importantly, if there's something 65 feet away you probably won't know it's there.