D&D 5E Can you see when you're Blinded?

[Mr Fixit]

Well, that's the thing, we don't know the other side. The OP may have misunderstood or misrepresented what the rest of the group was saying. On the single clear point of contention--can the blinded rogue move around the battlefield without penalty?--I'm in agreement with the group: Yes, he can, unless the battlefield changes or he moves into unfamiliar terrain.

I feel this might be one of the "rulings, not rules" situations. You are right that there's nothing in the rules that says otherwise (sneak attack is another matter). However, it does run contrary to some common sense. Sure, a blinded character could maybe navigate an area he's familiar with, but how's he going to know where specific enemies are at any given moment? He might try to deduce their positions using hearing or party members' instructions, but it shouldn't be with automatic GPS-enabled accuracy.

This presents an additional interesting dilemma if a group adopts the Theater of the Mind style. It's easy enough to handwave all of this away when there are miniatures right there on the table and everyone is 100% clear on where everyone and everything is. But if they are not, and the blinded character's player declares that he's going in a certain direction or towards a particular creature... well, how do we determine that? I'd argue some kind of check is appropriate here.

 

[Dausuul]

I feel this might be one of the "rulings, not rules" situations. You are right that there's nothing in the rules that says otherwise (sneak attack is another matter). However, it does run contrary to some common sense. Sure, a blinded character could maybe navigate an area he's familiar with, but how's he going to know where specific enemies are at any given moment? He might try to deduce their positions using hearing or party members' instructions, but it shouldn't be with automatic GPS-enabled accuracy.

I didn't say he could know where opponents are. I just said he can move from Point A to Point B without penalty, assuming no changes in the battlefield. If an orc steps into your way, that's a change in the battlefield! If you want to know an enemy's location, that's a case for the Stealth rules--you have to beat their Stealth check with your passive Perception.

As for sneak attack, the rules already prevent sneak attacking while blind unless you have a source of advantage and an ally adjacent to the foe*. I might allow it under those circumstances.

IMO, "rulings, not rules" applies when dealing with corner cases. The rules are written in broad strokes, and specific circumstances can arise where it makes more sense for the DM to make an on-the-spot adjustment. This is a different situation: The rules are pretty clear that there is no blanket movement penalty when blinded. Other conditions (restrained, grappled) do apply such penalties, so it's not as if this is beyond the scope of the condition rules. Applying a blanket penalty would be a house rule--not an unreasonable one, but it's definitely changing the design intent. Furthermore, not applying the penalty is quite defensible on the grounds of keeping the game moving quicker and reducing the amount of stuff players and DMs have to think about.

[size=-2]*There are two ways to get sneak attack. The first is to have advantage on the attack, which is flat impossible while blinded. The second is to have an ally adjacent to the target, and no disadvantage on the attack. This is possible, but only if you have a source of advantage to cancel out your disadvantage.[/size]

 

[Crothian]

If one of my players tried to seriously make this argument I might just hit them over the head with the PHB.

 

[Mr Fixit]

I didn't say he could know where opponents are. I just said he can move from Point A to Point B without penalty, assuming no changes in the battlefield. If an orc steps into your way, that's a change in the battlefield!

Sure, but that's an awful lot of assuming. Unless combatants are completely immobile, which is possible I guess (3E full attack, I'm looking at you), there are going to be constant changes in positioning. Having that in mind, I still contend that for all practical purposes a blinded character can't just freely move across the battlefield, especially if he wants to engage in a melee or maneuver around others (and that was implied in the opening post).

 

[Kaychsea]

Blinding shouldn't impact your movement allowance much, particularly if you are being lead or following a wall, but moving across open ground on your own is different, even if you've seen it. Very few people can walk a straight line blindfold, let alone at normal pace.
As for attacks, it sort of makes a mockery of "pin the tail on the donkey"!

 

[Authweight]

It's pretty clear that a blinded character can't see.

However, the rules don't make it clear what that actually means. I would start off by assuming that the PC is a way awesomer than an average joe, due to them being a PC. So they are going to be way more on the ball about using their other senses and their memory than you or I would be. From there, I would rule that a blinded character has a general sense of where everyone is. Nothing in the blinded condition says this isn't the case, and it aligns well with my idea of what a PC should be able to do. They can hear, their vision may still be a little bit there, and they are fairly savvy. In game terms, they know what square on the grid everyone is currently occupying. That doesn't mean they literally know where everyone is, but they can figure out enough to get to that functional level. Their disadvantage on attacks represents their lack of specific knowledge of where an enemy is well enough.

I would also, for the sake of simplicity, rule that they remember the major features of the room. They don't need to roll a check to remember where the table is - they just know that. Now, once again this is a general idea. If they want to interact with the table, they will have disadvantage and/or other problems, because they can't actually see it. But they know enough to place the table on the grid. The blinded condition doesn't say the character moves any slower, so I wouldn't penalize them on speed. Once again, the presumption is that the PC is good enough to deal with this. If they tried to dash, I might make them roll a check or something, but for regular movement I would leave it alone.

Their biggest trouble would come from entering an area they haven't seen before. In this case, I would make them feel along a wall or something else narratively appropriate to figure out what's happening. Skill checks would be in order to figure the room out.

I feel this ruling goes well with the blinded condition. I don't want to attach a ton of baggage to it, because that would make blind effects way more powerful than they were meant to be. If you assume the PC is awesome, and give them the benefit of the doubt, I feel you can make blinded make perfect sense as written.

 

[aramis erak]

There are several sources of blindness...
Absolute lack of light: No, can't see anything.
Overcast starlit night: can make out vague shapes...
Magical Darkness: nothing.
No eyes: Nothing. (But if a PC, how come no eyes?)
Eyes covered: depends upon the cover, but at best disadvantaged. A good fitting sleep mask is a no, welder's goggles is downgrade the light a step and apply disadvantage...

Keep in mind: really, the light the attacker is in matters little. It's the light the defender is in.

Also keep in mind: a light source can be seen quite a way. A single torch can be spotted in the real world at over a quarter mile (or 1320')... provided there is line of sight.

Also: Magical Darkness is an area impenetrable to light... if you're in it, there's no light reaching you, and so none in your eyes to see by, and non leaving for others to see by.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Well, that's the thing, we don't know the other side. The OP may have misunderstood or misrepresented what the rest of the group was saying. On the single clear point of contention--can the blinded rogue move around the battlefield without penalty?--I'm in agreement with the group: Yes, he can, unless the battlefield changes or he moves into unfamiliar terrain.

Argh! You've blinded me with (social) science!

In studying this thread, I'm double blind.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Thank Dog]

Argh! You've blinded me with (social) science!

In studying this thread, I'm double blind.

Thaumaturge.

Double-blind studies tend to be the most accurate, therefore I'd allow sneak attack

 

[Hand of Evil]

Peered pressured by your players. Find it interesting that this augment gives the rogue Blindsense without waiting until 14th level, making that skill worthless.