"Blind-fighting" Prestige Class?

Does anyone know if there an existing prestige class that's focused on blind-fighting? For example, an order of monks that fights blind, or psychic warriors that rely on their other senses in combat?

The Blind Monk, in Quint. Monk.

Thanks- just found it. Do you think it would be unbalancing to not require the character to actually be blind? The class specifically states that just using a blindfold is not sufficient to qualify for the class, but I think a blindfolded (yet sighted) monk would be interesting...

Otherwise- does anyone have any other suggestions for PrCs?

It might be a little to much, but hard to tell

I think it adds to the PrC, and makes it interesting they have to be blind. But that's just me.

Or maybe give them stiff penalties if they EVER take the blindfold off and use thier eyes. Sort of like a Paladin violating their code, have to atone before they get some of their abilities back.

DWARF said:

Or maybe give them stiff penalties if they EVER take the blindfold off and use thier eyes. Sort of like a Paladin violating their code, have to atone before they get some of their abilities back.

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That could go well with a new Blessed feat from Book of Hallowed Might: a Vow of Sightlessness like the other Vows (Chastity, Poverty, Silence, etc.).

But I wouldn't otherwise let a sighted character become a Blind Master.

I was considering a "middle-of-the-road" approach- that they lose all class-related abilities if they (or another) remove the blindfold. The blindfold would then become a liability- if an opponent were to snatch it from the PC's face, they'd be at a severe disadvantage.

Ever seen "Drunken Master?"

Great, fun movie and it has a simlar concept. The hero has to get drunk (technicaly disabled in some fashion) in order to access his style of combat to its fullest. When he's sober, his fighting prowess is very limited.

While it is cool to think up funky fighting styles and classes to go with them, it is even better to give a reason why.

Blind fighting monk (thinking out loud)

Well, historicaly such monks learned marital arts to protect themselves and others in a land where only the noble could legally have weapons. So we can still use that.

But why blind? Did this particular brand of monk specialize in night time raids? Perhaps they learned how to ambush enemies in the dark of night? Or perhaps they belonged to a community that had a lot of mines and then the mines were infested with green skins. The monks learned how to fight the monsters in the dark. Perhaps they come from a land of no sun.

Now with some ideas to give some "logic" why monks fight "blind," we have come up with a couple of extra ideas to add to the mix and flavor.

The ambush monk could potentialy have the track ability, but it's only useable by touch. Meanwhile the mine monk could have some special close fighting techniques or avoid some reach weapons (spear) that were used by the orcs in their mining raids.

We also have to remember that the original concept behind the PrCs was not to just give players access to cool, funky abilites, but to offer a unique class that reflected something from the GM's unique world.

Kryndal Levik said:

I was considering a "middle-of-the-road" approach- that they lose all class-related abilities if they (or another) remove the blindfold. The blindfold would then become a liability- if an opponent were to snatch it from the PC's face, they'd be at a severe disadvantage.

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Well, the original conceit of the class was that those characters who select the PrC are blinding themselves to show their absolute and unswerving dedication to the perfection of self.

Basically, the PrC plays off the martial arts concept of the inner eye, the spiritual vision that shows things as they truly are - eyes can be deceived, the spirit cannot.

Also, I've always been fond of Daredevil, the Man Without Fear

That said, I don't think it would be too out of line to do as you propose. Combine the loss of class abilities with a strict vow (as Chun-tzu and others suggested) and you would be alright.

I also suggest if you go this route, you come up with a good reasoning for it, a "tradition", as Voneth suggested.

Patrick Y.