Blind PCs [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Blind PCs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Halcyonn
09-09-04, 07:42 AM A player of mine wants to run a blind character to add some flavor. They are not doing it to gain other bonuses, but I know the rules allow the DM to alter the effects of being blind if the character is blind for a long time. What do you guys think? In addition, how does blind fight work with someone who is permanently blind? Do the advantages of blind fight just work all the time? Lastly, do any of you have any house rules or suggestions that would help with this situation? Thanks.
EatFlan
09-09-04, 09:21 AM you could let him have almost grimlock type abilities when it comes to 'seeing'

excellent hearing and sense of smell allow him to pin-point creatures within 30 feet. everyone beyond that is effectively invisible, spells such as silence and pass w/out trace really really stick it to him though.

I would require them to be a monk or a ranger, just b/c i see those types as the ones w/the mental fortitude and discipline to overcome obstacles like that.

Plus a blind monk would be a great grappler, grappling is all about the feel.
Lxarth
09-09-04, 10:10 AM Try searching for this topic, it was one the boards a couple weeks ago
bg2soatob
09-09-04, 12:02 PM Read Sojourn. Montolio, to be specific.

About specific penalties: I would force him to make a listen check to "replace" his sight with hearing whenever he tries to do something that should require seeing, but can be done with hearing. For example, he can't hit a silent archery targer (without a screeching hawk), but he can hit a man running away in full-plate mail. The DC is up to you. Once he's been blind for 1d6 months, I would let him take 10. Perhaps give him the Blindsight feat after a year.
Halcyonn
09-09-04, 05:19 PM Well the search option is not working right now on the boards, can you give me any hints? I mean, where the thread is or perhaps some more suggestions? I was just thinking that I could perhaps give him bonuses to listen checks and maybe take away the 1/2 speed penalty.
trapspringer
09-09-04, 05:35 PM Treat it as a flaw, as per the rules in UA. He would get a free feat, but would be blind. No coddling him. He wanted to be blind, now he's blind.

I would probobly allow him to 'know' where to walk. Allow him to metagame to a certain degree, so that his character will be playable.
Aliquid
09-09-04, 05:39 PM There are a couple classes I think would work well for this

1: A Druid. Have an animal companion that is a seeing eye dog (or some other animal).

2: A Wizard or Sorcerer. They can have a familiar who can act as a seeing aid.
myeviltwin
09-09-04, 07:02 PM Blindness is more of a penalty than any flaw i've heard of. Consider that the Blind-Fight feat offsets a little more than half the combat penalties of blindness, and none of the non-combat penalties, such as the inability to read (and therefore use scrolls or spellbooks).
I would probably give two feats to compensate for blindness and recommend that one of them be blind-fight. The player would also be advised to look into PrC's that grant blindsense or other extra-sensory perception type abilities.
trapspringer
09-09-04, 08:40 PM While I agree with your statement, you suggestion is highly unbalancing. As the post above yours suggests, blindness can be dodged by various classes, items, spells, and abilities. Keeping in mind that it will likely be difficult to completely dodge until level 6+ (to throw a number out there), it is only fair that they be compensated via a feat.

Two feats is to big a compensation for a temporary henderence, and a bad precident to set for future games which may start out with characters having more than 9k gold or the use of 'permenancy.'
shift244
09-09-04, 08:49 PM i agree with trapspringer. a feat to replace the flaw of being blind (likely blind fight). and perhaps a +5 bonus to listen checks.

allow him to move about normally as with most other cases, with limitations to jumping, balance (on tight ropes) and some other cases. perhaps require him to have a quaterstaff as a blindstick? but nothing that would hinder normal movement too much for playability purposes. hinder it does, but not too the point that it gets frustrating. blind people are surprisingly aware of the surrounding.

do note that while being permanently blind has drawbacks, they are also immune to a bulk of illusions and gaze attacks which you can place in some scenes to make the character shine. then have some ravine they must cross to highlight his need for companions
Aliquid
09-09-04, 09:10 PM allow him to move about normally as with most other cases, with limitations to jumping, balance (on tight ropes) and some other cases. perhaps require him to have a quaterstaff as a blindstick? but nothing that would hinder normal movement too much for playability purposes. hinder it does, but not too the point that it gets frustrating. blind people are surprisingly aware of the surrounding.

I don't know if I would just allow the character to move around normally, unless they came up with a good explanation as for how they get around. A "blindstick" would be a start, but do realize that in unfamiliar territory and uneven ground... a blind person can have quite a bit of difficulty getting around with any speed. I would really push for the seeing eye dog with some sort of empathic link (or some other animal). Put that in place, and I would allow the character to move around normally (excluding jumps etc as shift244 mentioned).

The character could go for the route of getting other extra-sensory preceptions (tremmor-sense etc), although I don't think that's the way he should go. If the character gets extra-sensory abilites, and feats to compensate for being blind.... what's the point? Eventually he would be played exactly the same as any other character. If you want to have fun role-playing, it would be best to keep the character blind, and not get any extra-sensory ability to replace it.

Maybe compensate the player by letting them play one level higher than the rest of the group.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Halcyonn 09-09-04, 07:42 AM	A player of mine wants to run a blind character to add some flavor. They are not doing it to gain other bonuses, but I know the rules allow the DM to alter the effects of being blind if the character is blind for a long time. What do you guys think? In addition, how does blind fight work with someone who is permanently blind? Do the advantages of blind fight just work all the time? Lastly, do any of you have any house rules or suggestions that would help with this situation? Thanks.
EatFlan 09-09-04, 09:21 AM	you could let him have almost grimlock type abilities when it comes to 'seeing' excellent hearing and sense of smell allow him to pin-point creatures within 30 feet. everyone beyond that is effectively invisible, spells such as silence and pass w/out trace really really stick it to him though. I would require them to be a monk or a ranger, just b/c i see those types as the ones w/the mental fortitude and discipline to overcome obstacles like that. Plus a blind monk would be a great grappler, grappling is all about the feel.
Lxarth 09-09-04, 10:10 AM	Try searching for this topic, it was one the boards a couple weeks ago
bg2soatob 09-09-04, 12:02 PM	Read Sojourn. Montolio, to be specific. About specific penalties: I would force him to make a listen check to "replace" his sight with hearing whenever he tries to do something that should require seeing, but can be done with hearing. For example, he can't hit a silent archery targer (without a screeching hawk), but he can hit a man running away in full-plate mail. The DC is up to you. Once he's been blind for 1d6 months, I would let him take 10. Perhaps give him the Blindsight feat after a year.
Halcyonn 09-09-04, 05:19 PM	Well the search option is not working right now on the boards, can you give me any hints? I mean, where the thread is or perhaps some more suggestions? I was just thinking that I could perhaps give him bonuses to listen checks and maybe take away the 1/2 speed penalty.
trapspringer 09-09-04, 05:35 PM	Treat it as a flaw, as per the rules in UA. He would get a free feat, but would be blind. No coddling him. He wanted to be blind, now he's blind. I would probobly allow him to 'know' where to walk. Allow him to metagame to a certain degree, so that his character will be playable.
Aliquid 09-09-04, 05:39 PM	There are a couple classes I think would work well for this 1: A Druid. Have an animal companion that is a seeing eye dog (or some other animal). 2: A Wizard or Sorcerer. They can have a familiar who can act as a seeing aid.
myeviltwin 09-09-04, 07:02 PM	Blindness is more of a penalty than any flaw i've heard of. Consider that the Blind-Fight feat offsets a little more than half the combat penalties of blindness, and none of the non-combat penalties, such as the inability to read (and therefore use scrolls or spellbooks). I would probably give two feats to compensate for blindness and recommend that one of them be blind-fight. The player would also be advised to look into PrC's that grant blindsense or other extra-sensory perception type abilities.
trapspringer 09-09-04, 08:40 PM	While I agree with your statement, you suggestion is highly unbalancing. As the post above yours suggests, blindness can be dodged by various classes, items, spells, and abilities. Keeping in mind that it will likely be difficult to completely dodge until level 6+ (to throw a number out there), it is only fair that they be compensated via a feat. Two feats is to big a compensation for a temporary henderence, and a bad precident to set for future games which may start out with characters having more than 9k gold or the use of 'permenancy.'
shift244 09-09-04, 08:49 PM	i agree with trapspringer. a feat to replace the flaw of being blind (likely blind fight). and perhaps a +5 bonus to listen checks. allow him to move about normally as with most other cases, with limitations to jumping, balance (on tight ropes) and some other cases. perhaps require him to have a quaterstaff as a blindstick? but nothing that would hinder normal movement too much for playability purposes. hinder it does, but not too the point that it gets frustrating. blind people are surprisingly aware of the surrounding. do note that while being permanently blind has drawbacks, they are also immune to a bulk of illusions and gaze attacks which you can place in some scenes to make the character shine. then have some ravine they must cross to highlight his need for companions
Aliquid 09-09-04, 09:10 PM	allow him to move about normally as with most other cases, with limitations to jumping, balance (on tight ropes) and some other cases. perhaps require him to have a quaterstaff as a blindstick? but nothing that would hinder normal movement too much for playability purposes. hinder it does, but not too the point that it gets frustrating. blind people are surprisingly aware of the surrounding. I don't know if I would just allow the character to move around normally, unless they came up with a good explanation as for how they get around. A "blindstick" would be a start, but do realize that in unfamiliar territory and uneven ground... a blind person can have quite a bit of difficulty getting around with any speed. I would really push for the seeing eye dog with some sort of empathic link (or some other animal). Put that in place, and I would allow the character to move around normally (excluding jumps etc as shift244 mentioned). The character could go for the route of getting other extra-sensory preceptions (tremmor-sense etc), although I don't think that's the way he should go. If the character gets extra-sensory abilites, and feats to compensate for being blind.... what's the point? Eventually he would be played exactly the same as any other character. If you want to have fun role-playing, it would be best to keep the character blind, and not get any extra-sensory ability to replace it. Maybe compensate the player by letting them play one level higher than the rest of the group.