D&D 5E Blind Characters in 5e

[JPL]

If I understand correctly . . . Tasha's Cauldron will introduce a new fighting style granting blindsight, and a feat that allows any character to take a fighting style.

According to the SRD, "A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings without relying on sight, within a specific radius."

That really opens up the door for some cool character ideas. Can't quite do a blind Zen archer (unless he's shooting reeeeeallly close), but a blind monk or swordsman type works great.

Plenty of precedent for a blind bard, whether a poet or a musician.

Blind warlock has potential, especially if it was a trade for magical power.

For any wizardy character, probably want to set up a new cantrip that allows you to read by touch.

I like the idea that a spellcaster might know a few spells that you really shouldn't cast blind, but sometimes does anyway. Every party needs a blind guy throwing fireballs.

 

[JPL]

And bladesinging. Think about that. Same mechanics, but imagine that it's a tradition of self-defense staff fighting practiced by blind wizards.

 

[Eltab]

Sonar like a bat. The character's weakness is being near Fibber McGee's closet when the door is opened.

 

[Stattick]

I just wrote up a blind character. Vhuman. 1st level, Fighter w/ Blind Fighting style (2nd Wind will be nice too). That gives him 10' Blindsight. With the 1st lvl feat, I took Magic Initiate (Wizard) w/ Prestidigitation, Mold Earth (15 Int that won't be improved is irrelevant since no attack spells chosen), & Find Familiar (will usually be a bat).

The rest of the build was Death Cleric 2: gives me an extra necro cantrip from any list, using Wis as casting ability (chill touch), and the ability to twin necro cantrips so long as the targets are within range and within 5' of ea other. (Other cleric cantrips: Spare the Dying, Thaum, Toll the Dead, so that's necro spell attack and a necro save attack cantrip). Can turn undead. Has a handful of slots for things like Healing Word, False Life, Ray of Sickness, Bless, Shield of Faith). Can channel divinity to do an extra 9 HP of necro damage.

Everything else goes into Long Death Monk. I considered putting another level into Fighter and/or Cleric. Fighter 2 would give Action Surge, while Cleric 3 would give 2nd level slots. But either way, you'd loose Touch of the Long Death.

A two class variant on this build would to scratch Fighter off. Start Death Cleric, as that gives you Martial Weapons at 1st. Then take the Fighting Initiate Feat (prereq: Martial Weapons). Jump to Monk @ 2nd lvl, and continue until at least Monk 4th and grab that Magic Initiate Feat.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Just chiming in that I'm really excited about the new fighting style.

Next time I roll a monk I'll be really tempted to make it a vHuman and take the feat.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I've been thinking Blind Drow Swordsman. Being able to innately cast Darkness is both a good strategy for a blindfighter and one that explains how he got into this line of work. It would also presumably mean being able to trade away sunlight sensitivity with the vision, which both makes it easier to commit to the handicap for the power gamer in me and is evocative of how this character came to be dwelling away from his sun hating brethren.

Naturally he should become a samurai.

 

[Stattick]

They say the swamp witch comes with the fog.

Fog Cloud + bat familiar. If you're a wizard, you don't even need to burn a feat on it.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Human echolocation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

See the subsection: real life:

Blind Weaponmaster - TV Tropes

They hold their staff (or other weapon) like they know what they're doing, but since they're completely without sight surely they aren't that dangerous, right? Wrong. The Blind Weaponmasters are some of the most deadly adversaries a character can …

tvtropes.org

 

[Weiley31]

One could flavor your Warlock as being blind already, but the only reason why they can see perfectly fine or whatever is because they are looking through their patron's eyes as it views the world through your warlock eyes.

 

[Oofta]

One could flavor your Warlock as being blind already, but the only reason why they can see perfectly fine or whatever is because they are looking through their patron's eyes as it views the world through your warlock eyes.

The blind PC made a deal with the devil in order to see? I can see potential for cool story telling.