Blindswordsman (Zatoichi) type characters. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Blindswordsman (Zatoichi) type characters. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ront Iron-Roar
07-14-05, 09:18 PM I don't know if many of you are familiar with the Zatoichi films. Old Japanese movies about this blind masseur who is an estabolished swordsman. But, have any of you guys ever tried a blindswordsman before. I'm planning on using one, either by using the Warrior class from the Unearthed Arcana to customize a class based around suh a character.
Sinaz
07-14-05, 10:00 PM Man... there are SO many posts on this already... if only the search function were working, I'd link you to every one.

there are some cool feats invented to give the player a way to overcome the blindness without hokifying the class.

I just can't bring myself to start retyping all the stuff I've read...

try the "site:http://boards1.wizards/com" tag in a google search and see what you can dig up.
Ront Iron-Roar
07-14-05, 10:09 PM I remember a prestige class on the threads about blindswordsman.
theif lord
07-14-05, 10:23 PM i play a blind rogue but i just gave 2 abilitys that my dm said were fine 1. he can see through his allies eyes and 2. he has blind sight
OamuTheMonk
07-15-05, 01:22 PM The class features and bonus feat choices are perfectly suited to this type of character. Resorting to blindsight is pretty munchy, from a mechanical angle. A character with blindsight is just basically not blind, out to 60 feet. He can even 'see' around corners--in a dark dungeon, that's pretty powerful. Conveniently immune to gaze attacks, too, without all the negative ramifications of being blind.

Two feats to look for (in Complete adventurer): Tactile trapsmith, and Hear the Unseen. Good stuff--should get you started.
ashcat_lt
07-15-05, 03:09 PM Take a level of Psychic Warrior and get Synesthete. You will need a high enough Wis to be able to manifest it a few times per day, but it lasts 10 min/level, and you only really need it during combats.

What about PW/Monk with Whirling Steel Strike (from ECS)? If you wanted to go back and forth between PW and Monk you'd have to take Monastic Training (also ECS).
Ront Iron-Roar
07-15-05, 09:32 PM The scout thing doesn't make much sense to me, that blindsense thing doesn't work very well because you'd have to be high level to get it. And the advent of a blindman running around for skirmish doesn't seem promising even with blind-fight and precise swing.
OamuTheMonk
07-16-05, 01:13 AM It's precision-based-damage, which a blind character could not inflict.

I was saying that you should look at the Scout class features and related Bonus feats to help devise your custom class.

A Scout gets Fast movement, which will help counteract the blind character's reduced move speed.

Uncanny dodge, which a scout gets at 2nd level, negates the -4 AC penalty that blindness causes, mechanically, as well as allowing him to retain his dex bonus to AC. Both good for a blind swordsman.

Blind-fight lets a character re-roll a miss chance caused by concealment, making it more likely he will hit his target.

Hear the unseen lets a character make a listen check to pinpoint the location of foes near him, without needing to see them.

Tactile trapsmith eliminates blindness-related penalties on search and disable device checks, allowing a blind character to work effectively as an adventurer.

Quick reconnoiter lets a character make listen checks as a free action, freeing up needed actions for fighting.

These are all good suggestions for devising a blind swordsman class. If you aren't really interested in building this class with clever and balanced use of already existing rules and material, just give the guy Blindsense at first level, and call it a class.
katarl
07-17-05, 07:13 AM This is quite interesting because I'm playing a blind swordsman in my DMs Spider Queen campaign. He didn't allow Psionics, and i thought synsthete was missing the 'point' of a blind fighter, since you're just replacing your sight. I didn't have Complete Adventurer at the time, and neither did I have access to the boards here. I just decided to take levels in Iajutsu master, max out my listen rank score, max out Dex, take blindness as part background, part flaw, and took the blindfold of true darkness from Arms and Equipment guide. Its a real handicap, only being able to hear things over 60ft away, but it doesn't matter a great deal underground, and the dm appreciates the cinematics (its the only things he cares about in DnD really)

Blindness should be a real problem, but blindsight probably fits the description of the blind swordsman best, since they can feel the world around them.

Just don't expect them to make a spot check.
Cadfan
07-17-05, 02:59 PM There was a 3.0 feat that gave blindsight out to 5 feet. The reasoning was that you were feeling vibrations in the air, etc, from your heightened senses. It required the normal blind fighting feat as a prereq.

5' is exactly enough to let him fight powerfully at point blank range, but still feel appropriately blind.

I think the feat was designed with Zatoichi in mind. His style of fighting, where he just sat there, at the ready, until the enemy charged, and then leapt up at the last moment to strike a kiling blow, seems adequately represented by a 5' blindsight.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ront Iron-Roar 07-14-05, 09:18 PM	I don't know if many of you are familiar with the Zatoichi films. Old Japanese movies about this blind masseur who is an estabolished swordsman. But, have any of you guys ever tried a blindswordsman before. I'm planning on using one, either by using the Warrior class from the Unearthed Arcana to customize a class based around suh a character.
Sinaz 07-14-05, 10:00 PM	Man... there are SO many posts on this already... if only the search function were working, I'd link you to every one. there are some cool feats invented to give the player a way to overcome the blindness without hokifying the class. I just can't bring myself to start retyping all the stuff I've read... try the "site:http://boards1.wizards/com" tag in a google search and see what you can dig up.
Ront Iron-Roar 07-14-05, 10:09 PM	I remember a prestige class on the threads about blindswordsman.
theif lord 07-14-05, 10:23 PM	i play a blind rogue but i just gave 2 abilitys that my dm said were fine 1. he can see through his allies eyes and 2. he has blind sight
OamuTheMonk 07-15-05, 01:22 PM	The class features and bonus feat choices are perfectly suited to this type of character. Resorting to blindsight is pretty munchy, from a mechanical angle. A character with blindsight is just basically not blind, out to 60 feet. He can even 'see' around corners--in a dark dungeon, that's pretty powerful. Conveniently immune to gaze attacks, too, without all the negative ramifications of being blind. Two feats to look for (in Complete adventurer): Tactile trapsmith, and Hear the Unseen. Good stuff--should get you started.
ashcat_lt 07-15-05, 03:09 PM	Take a level of Psychic Warrior and get Synesthete. You will need a high enough Wis to be able to manifest it a few times per day, but it lasts 10 min/level, and you only really need it during combats. What about PW/Monk with Whirling Steel Strike (from ECS)? If you wanted to go back and forth between PW and Monk you'd have to take Monastic Training (also ECS).
Ront Iron-Roar 07-15-05, 09:32 PM	The scout thing doesn't make much sense to me, that blindsense thing doesn't work very well because you'd have to be high level to get it. And the advent of a blindman running around for skirmish doesn't seem promising even with blind-fight and precise swing.
OamuTheMonk 07-16-05, 01:13 AM	It's precision-based-damage, which a blind character could not inflict. I was saying that you should look at the Scout class features and related Bonus feats to help devise your custom class. A Scout gets Fast movement, which will help counteract the blind character's reduced move speed. Uncanny dodge, which a scout gets at 2nd level, negates the -4 AC penalty that blindness causes, mechanically, as well as allowing him to retain his dex bonus to AC. Both good for a blind swordsman. Blind-fight lets a character re-roll a miss chance caused by concealment, making it more likely he will hit his target. Hear the unseen lets a character make a listen check to pinpoint the location of foes near him, without needing to see them. Tactile trapsmith eliminates blindness-related penalties on search and disable device checks, allowing a blind character to work effectively as an adventurer. Quick reconnoiter lets a character make listen checks as a free action, freeing up needed actions for fighting. These are all good suggestions for devising a blind swordsman class. If you aren't really interested in building this class with clever and balanced use of already existing rules and material, just give the guy Blindsense at first level, and call it a class.
katarl 07-17-05, 07:13 AM	This is quite interesting because I'm playing a blind swordsman in my DMs Spider Queen campaign. He didn't allow Psionics, and i thought synsthete was missing the 'point' of a blind fighter, since you're just replacing your sight. I didn't have Complete Adventurer at the time, and neither did I have access to the boards here. I just decided to take levels in Iajutsu master, max out my listen rank score, max out Dex, take blindness as part background, part flaw, and took the blindfold of true darkness from Arms and Equipment guide. Its a real handicap, only being able to hear things over 60ft away, but it doesn't matter a great deal underground, and the dm appreciates the cinematics (its the only things he cares about in DnD really) Blindness should be a real problem, but blindsight probably fits the description of the blind swordsman best, since they can feel the world around them. Just don't expect them to make a spot check.
Cadfan 07-17-05, 02:59 PM	There was a 3.0 feat that gave blindsight out to 5 feet. The reasoning was that you were feeling vibrations in the air, etc, from your heightened senses. It required the normal blind fighting feat as a prereq. 5' is exactly enough to let him fight powerfully at point blank range, but still feel appropriately blind. I think the feat was designed with Zatoichi in mind. His style of fighting, where he just sat there, at the ready, until the enemy charged, and then leapt up at the last moment to strike a kiling blow, seems adequately represented by a 5' blindsight.