Creating a Blind character? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Creating a Blind character? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Martel732
03-31-08, 12:06 PM So, I am attempting to create a blind PC. The character is slightly inspired by Zatoichi and would most likely be a monk or Oriental Adventure Samurai. However, I need help on a way to make the character actually playable. I could take the blindfight feat but that doesn't help out of combat. My DM is cool but would constantly question how my character could manage adventuring without sight. I was looking at blindsight which would probably fit Zatoichi's ability to use other senses to survive and fight. However, I don't know of a easy way of gaining the ability. Pretty much anything 3.5 is allowable (I might just not have the book). Also, I am not a big fan of LA or templates but if you know of one please mention it.

P.S. If you can think of anything else beside blindsight that would fit thats fine. That was just my best guess at a good ability for the character.

Anyway, thanks for reading and any ideas.
Zillah
03-31-08, 12:14 PM psionics. there is a 2nd level power i believe that gives you "sight" in all directions. 360' around you. you can pump it to go out like 500-600 feet. that would be perfect for you. combat starts, or you feel uneasy, cast it. anything entering your "bubble" within the range of the spell you "see" and know where it is exactly.
Demetri_Knighthawk
03-31-08, 12:18 PM boots of tremmor sense, I think its out of arms and equipment or the savage species. I think.
animunculi
03-31-08, 12:39 PM Touchsight
Psychometabolism
Level: Psion/wilder 3
Display: Visual
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal; see text
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Power Points: 5

You generate a subtle telekinetic field of mental contact, allowing you to “feel” your surroundings even in total darkness or when your sight would otherwise be obscured by your physical environment. Your touchsight field emanates from you out to 60 feet. You ignore invisibility, darkness, and concealment, though you must have line of effect to a creature or an object to discern it. You do not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice creatures; you can detect and pinpoint all creatures within 60 feet. In many circumstances, comparing your regular senses to what you learn with touchsight is enough to tell you the difference between visible, invisible, hiding, and concealed creatures.

Augment: For every 2 additional power points you spend, the radius of your touchsight field increases by 10 feet.
Zillah
03-31-08, 12:43 PM ^^^ that
Suspect_Unusual
03-31-08, 01:02 PM Remember how Zatoichi is always searching for the "Sound" of colors?

There actually is a physical/psychological phenomenon that does that, called Synesthesia.

Guess what? Psionics can give you Synesthesia!

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/synesthete.htm

Synesthete
Psychometabolism
Level: Psion/wilder 1, psychic warrior 1
Display: Material
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Power Points: 1

You receive one kind of sensory input when a different sense is stimulated. In particular, you can either feel light or feel sound. You can shift your stimulated sense between these two options once per round as a swift action. Your senses continue to work normally as well, unless they are impaired for some reason.

Your face must be uncovered to use this power, because it is the skin of your face that acts as the sensory receiver.

If you are feeling light by absorbing ambient light onto your skin, you have your normal visual abilities (except for darkvision), even if your eyes are closed or you are blinded. If your eyes are working normally, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on all Spot and Search checks. While feeling light, you are immune to gaze attacks.

If you are feeling sound by absorbing sound onto your skin and your ears are working normally, the expanded audio input provides you with a +4 circumstance bonus on Listen checks.

Psionic or magical displacement effects, invisibility effects, illusions, and other similar effects confuse your synesthete senses just as they would your normal senses.

You can also use this power to see sound if you are deafened, or hear light if you are blinded, thus removing all penalties associated with either condition (though you gain no bonuses for using the power in this way if you are not deafened or blinded).

Synesthete is obviously available to Psychic Warriors AND Psions - Psychic Warriors make great ki-empowered characters, and there are even a few monk-like PrCs that are great for psionics, especially when combined with a feat from Secrets of... Sardona, was it? The feat is called Talashtora, I believe, or something very similar.

Alternatively, consider going Swordsage for your "Monk" needs (or even just dip into it, say at 5th and 8th level). If you're JUST taking Swordage, at 1st level you can get a stance that gives you Scent. At 9th level you can pick up a stance that will give you 30 ft Blindsense.

There are also several feats that you might consider, including 5-Ft Radius Blindsight (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#blindsight5FtRa dius) and a few feats from Complete Adventurer (Keen Eared Scout, was it? Quick Reconnoiter?). Races of Stone has a sort of pseudo-tremorsense you can get from a feat, though it requires an action on your part to utilize it.

Item-wise, the Arms and Equipment Guide had a Blindfold that granted blindsight out to a certain distance. The Magic Item Compendium may have reprinted it.
Shadowshimmer
03-31-08, 01:30 PM Make him a Monk like Master Po from Kung Fu TV series. "Never assume because a man is blind he cannot see." Psionics seem like it would be cheating. If he is a true martial artist wouldn't he rely on his other senses and skill? Of course he can have a walking stick or staff and if he has feats in that weapon then if I was the DM, I would just apply the numbers to situation when he is not in combat. If I was a DM, I would also give him bonuses in listen and move silent rolls.
Martel732
03-31-08, 01:37 PM Thanks for the replies everyone. I never think about psionics but I think my DM has the books so that might work.

Thanks for the link Suspect Unusual not only is it a useful ability, it also had a link to the rules on blindness. And yes the MIC has the Blindfold of True Darkness, which should be helpful.

I'm not to worried about the actual class. I could play a psionic class and just flavor him out to be Zatoichi-ish.

The only other concern I have is how big of a problem would blindness be to an adventuring party? I wouldn't want my character to constantly hold-up the party.

Once again thanks everyone. This has given me a good starting point but I will welcome any further advice.

P.S. I like where your coming from Shadowshimmer but I am not sure which of two DMs this character will be played with, so I don't want to worry about getting houseruled yet. Once I know who the DM is, this might be an option.
Suspect_Unusual
03-31-08, 02:15 PM Blindness is difficult, and it should be - being blind isn't an easy way to go, especially for someone inclined towards adventure, danger, and physical combat.

Will it be harmful for the party? Well, unless you're spending the power points to have Synesthete up at all times, that's a round's buff to make you, well, basically normal... and 1 round is a lot of time in D&D combat. The party can't count on you, for the most part, for guard duty on your own unless you can somehow get Blindsight or Blindsense with a good (60+ feet) range. When you don't have your powers up, you'll need to invest in Blindfight unless you don't care about your dex mod to AC and the ability to move at full speed (See if your DM will allow your non-magical, utterly permanant blindness to count as a Flaw (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm), using that bonus feat to pick up Blind Fight). You won't be able to read, nor will visual clues help you unless a party member performs a running commentary, without Synesthete running.

At early levels, a lot of your power point resources will end up being used for Synesthete, leaving you with less for your actual combat needs.

I guess this should be repeated, since it's so important for the concept of a blind warrior build: Being a blind adventurer should NOT be easy, and making the concept work (and still be viable in combat) is going to require optimization, clever uses of resources, and sacrifice.
Suspect_Unusual
03-31-08, 02:22 PM Make him a Monk like Master Po from Kung Fu TV series. "Never assume because a man is blind he cannot see." Psionics seem like it would be cheating. If he is a true martial artist wouldn't he rely on his other senses and skill? Of course he can have a walking stick or staff and if he has feats in that weapon then if I was the DM, I would just apply the numbers to situation when he is not in combat. If I was a DM, I would also give him bonuses in listen and move silent rolls.

How is psionics cheating? The martial artist takes his life energy and enhances his non-visual perception until it reaches an equivalent effect of actual vision with working eyes. Does not ki, by any other name, kick just as much ass?
Wheldrake
03-31-08, 02:37 PM Get a few levels in druid, and find a seeing-eye dire wolf. Or a level in mage, and have a seeing-eye raven perched on your shoulder. Don't use ray spells, but prefer area effect spells, so your raven can just squawik: "30 degrees to your left!"

Cheers, --- Wheldrake
geekling
03-31-08, 03:10 PM Get a few levels in druid, and find a seeing-eye dire wolf.

Or ask if the DM will let you take the Wild Cohort feat (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) for a seeing-eye animal.
Martel732
03-31-08, 03:54 PM I had already been thinking of taking a cohort but didn't like the idea of the cohort basically preforming all the actions out of combat. So, I like the Wild Cohort Idea. That would reduce the strain on the rest of the party of having to lead my character around and if I choose a wolf or dog it should be able to make the spot and listen checks during my guard shift.

I am not to concerned about the personal difficulties in playing a blind character, I enjoy having to think around problems. But, I didn't want the game to turn into the other PCs taking care of mine. With an animal cohort it should work out.
geekling
03-31-08, 04:21 PM I am not to concerned about the personal difficulties in playing a blind character, I enjoy having to think around problems. But, I didn't want the game to turn into the other PCs taking care of mine. With an animal cohort it should work out.

Plus of course the wild cohort will progress as you gain experience. Unlike an animal companion or familiar, if you just take a level or two dip into a class to gain it.

So it won't be quite as vunerable when you reach higher levels.
Shadowshimmer
03-31-08, 04:31 PM Hmm, I guess it seems like cheating to me because I always pictured the blind martial artist to be like Master Po from Kung Fu and that they were so impressive with the skill and talent that they were just as deadly using their other senses. When they are blocking a punch, it is because they heard the person approach, heard the movement of the arm and sensed the strike. Now if a blind martial artist defended himself and I found out they were using Psionics, it seems less impressive if they are projecting a visual bubble around them. Maybe because I never really played a character with Psionics and I have played Monks since the 1st edition when playing a Monk was extremely difficult that I feel if I had had Psioncis that would be cheating and a truly blind monk would be very impressive.
Bedeverekm
03-31-08, 04:44 PM Check out the Synesthete psionic power. Allows the skin on your face to function as either eyes or ears for a while.

The thematics of this fit with a monk, in that you are relying on yourself, and it is a purely self affecting power.
Krusk
03-31-08, 05:03 PM How about rolling up a character as normal. Then saying "oh but i am blind".

No mechanical penalties or bonuses at all. For roleplay reasons you could consider not putting ranks in spot, or you could max spot. Then you call spot your magical ki aura that lets you know where things are.

How I would do it, or have any of my players do it.
Suspect_Unusual
03-31-08, 05:47 PM Check out the Synesthete psionic power. Allows the skin on your face to function as either eyes or ears for a while.

The thematics of this fit with a monk, in that you are relying on yourself, and it is a purely self affecting power.

Thank you for your utterly unique and creative contribution. :D :P
Khadmus
03-31-08, 05:56 PM I've seen some of Krusk's other explanations, and greatly applaud them; and in fact even considering applying his method to this...
But I, personally, find this example a bit of a stretch.
Suspect_Unusual
03-31-08, 07:24 PM I've seen some of Krusk's other explanations, and greatly applaud them; and in fact even considering applying his method to this...
But I, personally, find this example a bit of a stretch.

It could be nothing more complicated than an innate (rather than use activated) Synesthete effect, with the caveat that gaze attacks and other vision-based attacks affect him normally.
Krusk
03-31-08, 09:28 PM I've seen some of Krusk's other explanations, and greatly applaud them; and in fact even considering applying his method to this...
But I, personally, find this example a bit of a stretch.

Well thanks, ill try to unstretch it for you.

Have you seen any of the zatoichi movies? I have only seen one of them, so I might be totally off base here, but the character only behaves blind when he needs to. In combat, walking around, any other time he is perfectly fine. He simply walks with a walking stick.

Have you ever read/seen daredevil (i hope not seen). The character is blind, but in all other ways is perfectly ok. Even more so than most people. The easiest way to build him in dnd would be with swordsage or monk, and turn his crazy radar vision into sight, and maybe take the blindfighting feats to emulate seeing sounds.

These characters in all ways functions as one with sight, but when asked if they can see, they would reply no, his eyes do not work.

Now in game situations-
if target of blindness deafness, and the enemy chooses blindness not knowing he is blind. The spell, being magic, warps itself to his own unique sense of "vision" and turns that off.

In an example of someone sneaking up on the character he has such an attuned sense of awareness he can "see" his opponents behind the bushes even though other characters in the party may not. (amazing spot check+high wis monk). The others in the party atribute this to his other sense, but mechanically it is simply a spot check.

In the events of a gaze attack, an interesting small rules tweak on the monster makes it work as normal. The flesh to stone of a medusa now targets the eyes themselves, not the sight they possess. Many a rumor has been started about how these abilities turn all who see them into stone. Recent scientific discover actually points out that the effect is a pheremoneal reaction to the fluids in ones eyes themselves. So closing ones eyes, will prevent the stone, and in most cases doing so is enough to prevent the petrification. A blind character also needs to do the same.

A blind character who sees through his altered perception of the world cannot simply always wear a blindfold to help against specific things. At least not without having the same effects as normal. You see, ones world awareness comes from within a persons body, and is percieved through the eyes. While not in the form of light, it still cannot pass through solid matter.

If you can come up with a situation, I can probably do similar to it. And these do elimenate the problem of creating a balanced Blind LA +0 template that is balanced. Instead requiring minor house/creative additions to rules which is certainly easier. Even the game designers have a hard time judging LA.
Bedeverekm
04-01-08, 03:39 AM Thank you for your utterly unique and creative contribution. :D :P

hehe. I'd missed the second page when I posted, and was only skim reading anyway.

Posting fast before I go to work has it's down sides. :(
Dag
04-01-08, 01:46 PM Well it's the first of the month... Must be time for yet another "I'm making a blind character" thread.
Suspect_Unusual
04-01-08, 05:52 PM Yeah, what an *******... what is he thinking, trying to keep a character concept with a glaring and painful weakness playable in a fun/exciting way that doesn't drag the rest of his party down?

Edit: That's... unfair of me. Sorry about that.

These threads always seem to bring posters that degrade the character concept the OP is working towards. Could the OP have searched former threads? Sure. These threads get so bloated, however, with arguments about what should or should not be granted PCs that take on more or less debilitating weaknesses.

My apologies.
Martel732
04-01-08, 08:51 PM I attempted to search the forums using google, with the search within a domain function, but found no threads relavent to my needs. (Granted I am not an Epic level internet searcher so I may have missed them)

But, thanks to everyone for the advice, I am pretty sure I can make the character now, I just have to wait to see whose campaign its going to be in so I know more specifically what level we will start at and houserules will be used.
geekling
04-02-08, 06:17 AM These threads always seem to bring posters that degrade the character concept the OP is working towards. Could the OP have searched former threads? Sure. These threads get so bloated, however, with arguments about what should or should not be granted PCs that take on more or less debilitating weaknesses.

To be fair, almost every 'blind character' thread on these boards are of the:

'How do I talk the DM into giving me a load of advantages for free, blind sight, blind sense, blind fighting, be immunity to gaze attacks, etc. etc. by making my character blind and still suffer no inconvenience at all from it?" - variety of cheese.

So I guess I can sort of see the knee-jerk response if you've not read the OPs posts. As this time the OP appears to be of a different stripe. More interested in realising a concept without becoming a burden to the party, not just doing it because they think they've come up wih an original way to get mad-powerz!!elventyone!!!
natas_v
04-02-08, 11:55 AM hey i played a blind monk for some time. before my party found out i wasnt actually blind. they constantly tested me. but there is a order in the orentals adventures hand book or the monk hand book its called the order of the sightless eye they have to cut out there own eyes but since your blind already it shouldent be a problem....lol:D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Martel732 03-31-08, 12:06 PM	So, I am attempting to create a blind PC. The character is slightly inspired by Zatoichi and would most likely be a monk or Oriental Adventure Samurai. However, I need help on a way to make the character actually playable. I could take the blindfight feat but that doesn't help out of combat. My DM is cool but would constantly question how my character could manage adventuring without sight. I was looking at blindsight which would probably fit Zatoichi's ability to use other senses to survive and fight. However, I don't know of a easy way of gaining the ability. Pretty much anything 3.5 is allowable (I might just not have the book). Also, I am not a big fan of LA or templates but if you know of one please mention it. P.S. If you can think of anything else beside blindsight that would fit thats fine. That was just my best guess at a good ability for the character. Anyway, thanks for reading and any ideas.
Zillah 03-31-08, 12:14 PM	psionics. there is a 2nd level power i believe that gives you "sight" in all directions. 360' around you. you can pump it to go out like 500-600 feet. that would be perfect for you. combat starts, or you feel uneasy, cast it. anything entering your "bubble" within the range of the spell you "see" and know where it is exactly.
Demetri_Knighthawk 03-31-08, 12:18 PM	boots of tremmor sense, I think its out of arms and equipment or the savage species. I think.
animunculi 03-31-08, 12:39 PM	Touchsight Psychometabolism Level: Psion/wilder 3 Display: Visual Manifesting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal; see text Target: You Duration: 1 min./level (D) Power Points: 5 You generate a subtle telekinetic field of mental contact, allowing you to “feel” your surroundings even in total darkness or when your sight would otherwise be obscured by your physical environment. Your touchsight field emanates from you out to 60 feet. You ignore invisibility, darkness, and concealment, though you must have line of effect to a creature or an object to discern it. You do not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice creatures; you can detect and pinpoint all creatures within 60 feet. In many circumstances, comparing your regular senses to what you learn with touchsight is enough to tell you the difference between visible, invisible, hiding, and concealed creatures. Augment: For every 2 additional power points you spend, the radius of your touchsight field increases by 10 feet.
Zillah 03-31-08, 12:43 PM	^^^ that
Suspect_Unusual 03-31-08, 01:02 PM	Remember how Zatoichi is always searching for the "Sound" of colors? There actually is a physical/psychological phenomenon that does that, called Synesthesia. Guess what? Psionics can give you Synesthesia! http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/synesthete.htm Synesthete Psychometabolism Level: Psion/wilder 1, psychic warrior 1 Display: Material Manifesting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 10 min./level (D) Power Points: 1 You receive one kind of sensory input when a different sense is stimulated. In particular, you can either feel light or feel sound. You can shift your stimulated sense between these two options once per round as a swift action. Your senses continue to work normally as well, unless they are impaired for some reason. Your face must be uncovered to use this power, because it is the skin of your face that acts as the sensory receiver. If you are feeling light by absorbing ambient light onto your skin, you have your normal visual abilities (except for darkvision), even if your eyes are closed or you are blinded. If your eyes are working normally, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on all Spot and Search checks. While feeling light, you are immune to gaze attacks. If you are feeling sound by absorbing sound onto your skin and your ears are working normally, the expanded audio input provides you with a +4 circumstance bonus on Listen checks. Psionic or magical displacement effects, invisibility effects, illusions, and other similar effects confuse your synesthete senses just as they would your normal senses. You can also use this power to see sound if you are deafened, or hear light if you are blinded, thus removing all penalties associated with either condition (though you gain no bonuses for using the power in this way if you are not deafened or blinded). Synesthete is obviously available to Psychic Warriors AND Psions - Psychic Warriors make great ki-empowered characters, and there are even a few monk-like PrCs that are great for psionics, especially when combined with a feat from Secrets of... Sardona, was it? The feat is called Talashtora, I believe, or something very similar. Alternatively, consider going Swordsage for your "Monk" needs (or even just dip into it, say at 5th and 8th level). If you're JUST taking Swordage, at 1st level you can get a stance that gives you Scent. At 9th level you can pick up a stance that will give you 30 ft Blindsense. There are also several feats that you might consider, including 5-Ft Radius Blindsight (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#blindsight5FtRa dius) and a few feats from Complete Adventurer (Keen Eared Scout, was it? Quick Reconnoiter?). Races of Stone has a sort of pseudo-tremorsense you can get from a feat, though it requires an action on your part to utilize it. Item-wise, the Arms and Equipment Guide had a Blindfold that granted blindsight out to a certain distance. The Magic Item Compendium may have reprinted it.
Shadowshimmer 03-31-08, 01:30 PM	Make him a Monk like Master Po from Kung Fu TV series. "Never assume because a man is blind he cannot see." Psionics seem like it would be cheating. If he is a true martial artist wouldn't he rely on his other senses and skill? Of course he can have a walking stick or staff and if he has feats in that weapon then if I was the DM, I would just apply the numbers to situation when he is not in combat. If I was a DM, I would also give him bonuses in listen and move silent rolls.
Martel732 03-31-08, 01:37 PM	Thanks for the replies everyone. I never think about psionics but I think my DM has the books so that might work. Thanks for the link Suspect Unusual not only is it a useful ability, it also had a link to the rules on blindness. And yes the MIC has the Blindfold of True Darkness, which should be helpful. I'm not to worried about the actual class. I could play a psionic class and just flavor him out to be Zatoichi-ish. The only other concern I have is how big of a problem would blindness be to an adventuring party? I wouldn't want my character to constantly hold-up the party. Once again thanks everyone. This has given me a good starting point but I will welcome any further advice. P.S. I like where your coming from Shadowshimmer but I am not sure which of two DMs this character will be played with, so I don't want to worry about getting houseruled yet. Once I know who the DM is, this might be an option.
Suspect_Unusual 03-31-08, 02:15 PM	Blindness is difficult, and it should be - being blind isn't an easy way to go, especially for someone inclined towards adventure, danger, and physical combat. Will it be harmful for the party? Well, unless you're spending the power points to have Synesthete up at all times, that's a round's buff to make you, well, basically normal... and 1 round is a lot of time in D&D combat. The party can't count on you, for the most part, for guard duty on your own unless you can somehow get Blindsight or Blindsense with a good (60+ feet) range. When you don't have your powers up, you'll need to invest in Blindfight unless you don't care about your dex mod to AC and the ability to move at full speed (See if your DM will allow your non-magical, utterly permanant blindness to count as a Flaw (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm), using that bonus feat to pick up Blind Fight). You won't be able to read, nor will visual clues help you unless a party member performs a running commentary, without Synesthete running. At early levels, a lot of your power point resources will end up being used for Synesthete, leaving you with less for your actual combat needs. I guess this should be repeated, since it's so important for the concept of a blind warrior build: Being a blind adventurer should NOT be easy, and making the concept work (and still be viable in combat) is going to require optimization, clever uses of resources, and sacrifice.
Suspect_Unusual 03-31-08, 02:22 PM	Make him a Monk like Master Po from Kung Fu TV series. "Never assume because a man is blind he cannot see." Psionics seem like it would be cheating. If he is a true martial artist wouldn't he rely on his other senses and skill? Of course he can have a walking stick or staff and if he has feats in that weapon then if I was the DM, I would just apply the numbers to situation when he is not in combat. If I was a DM, I would also give him bonuses in listen and move silent rolls. How is psionics cheating? The martial artist takes his life energy and enhances his non-visual perception until it reaches an equivalent effect of actual vision with working eyes. Does not ki, by any other name, kick just as much ass?
Wheldrake 03-31-08, 02:37 PM	Get a few levels in druid, and find a seeing-eye dire wolf. Or a level in mage, and have a seeing-eye raven perched on your shoulder. Don't use ray spells, but prefer area effect spells, so your raven can just squawik: "30 degrees to your left!" Cheers, --- Wheldrake
geekling 03-31-08, 03:10 PM	Get a few levels in druid, and find a seeing-eye dire wolf. Or ask if the DM will let you take the Wild Cohort feat (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) for a seeing-eye animal.
Martel732 03-31-08, 03:54 PM	I had already been thinking of taking a cohort but didn't like the idea of the cohort basically preforming all the actions out of combat. So, I like the Wild Cohort Idea. That would reduce the strain on the rest of the party of having to lead my character around and if I choose a wolf or dog it should be able to make the spot and listen checks during my guard shift. I am not to concerned about the personal difficulties in playing a blind character, I enjoy having to think around problems. But, I didn't want the game to turn into the other PCs taking care of mine. With an animal cohort it should work out.
geekling 03-31-08, 04:21 PM	I am not to concerned about the personal difficulties in playing a blind character, I enjoy having to think around problems. But, I didn't want the game to turn into the other PCs taking care of mine. With an animal cohort it should work out. Plus of course the wild cohort will progress as you gain experience. Unlike an animal companion or familiar, if you just take a level or two dip into a class to gain it. So it won't be quite as vunerable when you reach higher levels.
Shadowshimmer 03-31-08, 04:31 PM	Hmm, I guess it seems like cheating to me because I always pictured the blind martial artist to be like Master Po from Kung Fu and that they were so impressive with the skill and talent that they were just as deadly using their other senses. When they are blocking a punch, it is because they heard the person approach, heard the movement of the arm and sensed the strike. Now if a blind martial artist defended himself and I found out they were using Psionics, it seems less impressive if they are projecting a visual bubble around them. Maybe because I never really played a character with Psionics and I have played Monks since the 1st edition when playing a Monk was extremely difficult that I feel if I had had Psioncis that would be cheating and a truly blind monk would be very impressive.
Bedeverekm 03-31-08, 04:44 PM	Check out the Synesthete psionic power. Allows the skin on your face to function as either eyes or ears for a while. The thematics of this fit with a monk, in that you are relying on yourself, and it is a purely self affecting power.
Krusk 03-31-08, 05:03 PM	How about rolling up a character as normal. Then saying "oh but i am blind". No mechanical penalties or bonuses at all. For roleplay reasons you could consider not putting ranks in spot, or you could max spot. Then you call spot your magical ki aura that lets you know where things are. How I would do it, or have any of my players do it.
Suspect_Unusual 03-31-08, 05:47 PM	Check out the Synesthete psionic power. Allows the skin on your face to function as either eyes or ears for a while. The thematics of this fit with a monk, in that you are relying on yourself, and it is a purely self affecting power. Thank you for your utterly unique and creative contribution. :D :P
Khadmus 03-31-08, 05:56 PM	I've seen some of Krusk's other explanations, and greatly applaud them; and in fact even considering applying his method to this... But I, personally, find this example a bit of a stretch.
Suspect_Unusual 03-31-08, 07:24 PM	I've seen some of Krusk's other explanations, and greatly applaud them; and in fact even considering applying his method to this... But I, personally, find this example a bit of a stretch. It could be nothing more complicated than an innate (rather than use activated) Synesthete effect, with the caveat that gaze attacks and other vision-based attacks affect him normally.
Krusk 03-31-08, 09:28 PM	I've seen some of Krusk's other explanations, and greatly applaud them; and in fact even considering applying his method to this... But I, personally, find this example a bit of a stretch. Well thanks, ill try to unstretch it for you. Have you seen any of the zatoichi movies? I have only seen one of them, so I might be totally off base here, but the character only behaves blind when he needs to. In combat, walking around, any other time he is perfectly fine. He simply walks with a walking stick. Have you ever read/seen daredevil (i hope not seen). The character is blind, but in all other ways is perfectly ok. Even more so than most people. The easiest way to build him in dnd would be with swordsage or monk, and turn his crazy radar vision into sight, and maybe take the blindfighting feats to emulate seeing sounds. These characters in all ways functions as one with sight, but when asked if they can see, they would reply no, his eyes do not work. Now in game situations- if target of blindness deafness, and the enemy chooses blindness not knowing he is blind. The spell, being magic, warps itself to his own unique sense of "vision" and turns that off. In an example of someone sneaking up on the character he has such an attuned sense of awareness he can "see" his opponents behind the bushes even though other characters in the party may not. (amazing spot check+high wis monk). The others in the party atribute this to his other sense, but mechanically it is simply a spot check. In the events of a gaze attack, an interesting small rules tweak on the monster makes it work as normal. The flesh to stone of a medusa now targets the eyes themselves, not the sight they possess. Many a rumor has been started about how these abilities turn all who see them into stone. Recent scientific discover actually points out that the effect is a pheremoneal reaction to the fluids in ones eyes themselves. So closing ones eyes, will prevent the stone, and in most cases doing so is enough to prevent the petrification. A blind character also needs to do the same. A blind character who sees through his altered perception of the world cannot simply always wear a blindfold to help against specific things. At least not without having the same effects as normal. You see, ones world awareness comes from within a persons body, and is percieved through the eyes. While not in the form of light, it still cannot pass through solid matter. If you can come up with a situation, I can probably do similar to it. And these do elimenate the problem of creating a balanced Blind LA +0 template that is balanced. Instead requiring minor house/creative additions to rules which is certainly easier. Even the game designers have a hard time judging LA.
Bedeverekm 04-01-08, 03:39 AM	Thank you for your utterly unique and creative contribution. :D :P hehe. I'd missed the second page when I posted, and was only skim reading anyway. Posting fast before I go to work has it's down sides. :(
Dag 04-01-08, 01:46 PM	Well it's the first of the month... Must be time for yet another "I'm making a blind character" thread.
Suspect_Unusual 04-01-08, 05:52 PM	Yeah, what an *******... what is he thinking, trying to keep a character concept with a glaring and painful weakness playable in a fun/exciting way that doesn't drag the rest of his party down? Edit: That's... unfair of me. Sorry about that. These threads always seem to bring posters that degrade the character concept the OP is working towards. Could the OP have searched former threads? Sure. These threads get so bloated, however, with arguments about what should or should not be granted PCs that take on more or less debilitating weaknesses. My apologies.
Martel732 04-01-08, 08:51 PM	I attempted to search the forums using google, with the search within a domain function, but found no threads relavent to my needs. (Granted I am not an Epic level internet searcher so I may have missed them) But, thanks to everyone for the advice, I am pretty sure I can make the character now, I just have to wait to see whose campaign its going to be in so I know more specifically what level we will start at and houserules will be used.
geekling 04-02-08, 06:17 AM	These threads always seem to bring posters that degrade the character concept the OP is working towards. Could the OP have searched former threads? Sure. These threads get so bloated, however, with arguments about what should or should not be granted PCs that take on more or less debilitating weaknesses. To be fair, almost every 'blind character' thread on these boards are of the: 'How do I talk the DM into giving me a load of advantages for free, blind sight, blind sense, blind fighting, be immunity to gaze attacks, etc. etc. by making my character blind and still suffer no inconvenience at all from it?" - variety of cheese. So I guess I can sort of see the knee-jerk response if you've not read the OPs posts. As this time the OP appears to be of a different stripe. More interested in realising a concept without becoming a burden to the party, not just doing it because they think they've come up wih an original way to get mad-powerz!!elventyone!!!
natas_v 04-02-08, 11:55 AM	hey i played a blind monk for some time. before my party found out i wasnt actually blind. they constantly tested me. but there is a order in the orentals adventures hand book or the monk hand book its called the order of the sightless eye they have to cut out there own eyes but since your blind already it shouldent be a problem....lol:D