Blindness and Deafness...

[RigaMortus]

If a character becomes blind (from a spell effect for example), can they be affected by gaze attacks?

By the same token, if a character becomes deaf, can they be affected by sonic attacks?

 

[Eraslin]

Without quoting any actual rules; just going on inclination.

re blindness vs gaze attacks: I'm inclined to say that yes, the blind person is immune to the gaze attack. My understanding of gaze attacks is that one must look into the eyes of the thing doing the gazing.

re deafness vs sonic attacks: I'm inclinded to say that no, the deaf person is not immune to the sonic attack. I tend to think of sonic attacks as the concussive shock from an explosion -- only the waves produced are within the range of hearing. So, the deaf person wouldn't hear the sonic attack but he/she would still be struck by the shockwave and suffer the damaging affects.

-Eraslin

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

A deaf person would, however, be immune to any spell with the [Language Dependent] descriptor.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Gaze Attacks:
An opponent can shut his eyes, turn his back on the creature, or wear a blindfold. In these cases, the opponent does not need to make a saving throw.

Sonic Attacks:
Once a sonic attack has taken effect, deafening the subject or stopping its ears does not end the effect. Stopping one’s ears ahead of time allows opponents to avoid having to make saving throws against mind-affecting sonic attacks, but not other kinds of sonic attacks (such as those that deal damage).

Note that this means that a deaf creature is not immune to a mind-affecting sonic attack that allows no save.

Also note that Holy Word and Word of Chaos both require creatures to hear the spell for most of the effects to occur. (The same is not true of Blasphemy and Dictum.)

-Hyp.