Blind Characters

[phindar]

I was going to mention that feat Darklone, and ask if it had ever made it to 3.5. (If is hasn't, but I had a player who wanted to play a blind character, I'd probably allow it.)

I've thought about blind characters. I had one in 2ed, but that was when my old GM was allowing every one to play two characters because of the high mortality rate of the late-period TSR mega-dungeons, and my tactic was either to make two characters who always worked together (like a husband and wife fighter/thief and mage/thief), or one main character and one back-up (like a frontline fighter and a blind healer). [/pointless gaming story]

Here's how I'd do it. Blind-fighting is a must. (That one seems so obvious I'd almost not mention it, except that if I didn't someone would ask "What about Blind-fighting?" and I'd have to reply "Of course blind-fighting," and that's three minutes of our lives we could never get back.) I'd take a class with Listen and I'd max it. And then I'd endlessly wheedle the GM to give me some sort of special ability-- preferably a game-breakingly powerful one-- by repeatedly using the phrase, "Come on, my character is bliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind!" (I never said I was a joy to play with.) Scent would be a good idea too, if I could get it.

From a GM's perspective (aka "The Enemy"), I'd be inclined to make a progression like: Blind-fighting to Blindsense (60') to Blindsight (30'). Blindsense would have prereqs like Blind-fighting and Listen 8, and Blindsight something like Blindsense and Listen 12 or 15 (depending on what levels constitute the sweet spot for the group.) I'd probably also stick something on there like, "character must not be able to rely on normal sight," and maybe a Wis requirement just so it doesn't become a feat every sighted character takes or every blind person has. (Not everybody is going to be the Human Bat.) The rationale being that only people who must rely on their non-visual senses will become that sensitive to them. So just the blind and maybe someone who gets trapped in the Underdark and lives long enough to adapt. Call Blind a flaw and give them a free feat.

Is it playable? I dunno. Is it balanced? Not sure. But if someone wanted to play a blind character I wouldn't need to stack the deck with a lot of mechanical bonuses, because they already want to play a blind character and I wouldn't want everyone else to be all like, "Blind people are awesome!" I probably wouldn't make a blind character that was based around hitting people in combat, just because of the miss percentage. (I mean, there's roleplaying and then there is deliberately screwing yourself.) But non-targeted spells would probably be fine. (It might be kind of scary for the group, but so be it.)

You could also go druid and work on shifting into forms that relied on senses other than sight. In my game, I'd probably point a player towards the Bat Totem Warrior I'm working on over in the d20 forum. (I'd make the 8th level Blindsense ability Blidsight if they already had blindsense, because I'm a nice guy.)

Edit for shameless plug

 

[Darklone]

It is playable, there used to be a storyhour here with a blind barbarian.

 

[The Blow Leprechaun]

I would also consider the Scent ability if it makes sense for the character.

 

[exempt]

I think in the end, regardless of what you do, the character should be less powerful or effective than a sighted version of the same. Sure, there might be a few situations when they shine ("The evil wizard casts darkness in the middle of your group." Blind character: "So?" while everyone else runs around tripping over stuff.), but my guess is that the player wants the challenge, wants to experience vicariously what it's like and what frustrations and opportunities these frustrations grant. I'm not saying being blind is the end of teh world -- there are plenty of blind people out there who are happy. But I rarely see them driving. And for a good reason.

 

[Klaus]

Give the following feats for free:

- Blind-Fight
- Hear the Unseen (Complete Adventurer)
- Keen-Eared Scout (PHB II)

- Make Listen a class skill for all classes the character takes.
- Remove Spot from the class skill list for all classes the character takes.

- If the blindness ever gets cured permanently (through Remove Blindness or whatnot), the character looses the bonus feats over the course of the next month.

If the character wants, later, to circumvent the blindness, let him multiclass into a psionic class and take Synesthete (iirc), which will effectivelly let him see with other senses, but not continuously (he has to use power points).

 

[brendan candries]

From a GM's perspective (aka "The Enemy"), I'd be inclined to make a progression like: Blind-fighting to Blindsense (60') to Blindsight (30'). Blindsense would have prereqs like Blind-fighting and Listen 8, and Blindsight something like Blindsense and Listen 12 or 15 (depending on what levels constitute the sweet spot for the group.) I'd probably also stick something on there like, "character must not be able to rely on normal sight," and maybe a Wis requirement just so it doesn't become a feat every sighted character takes or every blind person has.

This comes close to the SC Listening Lorecall Spell (Druid/Ranger 2).

+4 insight bonus to listen checks
5 ranks listen = blindsense 30ft
12 ranks listen = blindsight 15ft

you could adapt this to a permanent ability dependent on char level.

e.g.

every 2 ranks in listen = 5 ft blindsense
every 6 ranks in listen = 5 ft blindfight

 

[pawsplay]

I'd called it a Flaw (UA style) and grant Blind-Fight and Hear the Unseen as bonus feats as compensation. If the blindness is cured, the bonus feats go away, too.

 

[Roger]

Probably the most straightforward way to proceed under the rules is to make the character a Grimlock.

In general, the rules on being blind are pretty clear. Did you have some question on the rules in particular?



Cheers,
Roger

 

[exempt]

If the blindness is cured, the bonus feats go away, too.

What if they tie on their blindfold every time a fight breaks out? Hmmm... maybe still you'd lose it arguably, if you weren't using your ears as eyes all the time.

 

[Vrecknidj]

I have recently played a character that was blind (no eyes, they were gouged out in his youth).

The campaign (World of Warcraft RPG) did not have monks, and I wanted to do that as well. So, I ended up taking levels in Rogue and Fighter to approximate it. And, I used some feats I found here on ENWorld, that allows a Fighter to approximate the monk's fighting style (higher dice for unarmed strikes, flurry, etc.).

My DM gave me to Blindsense as a bonus ability (since the character had grown up blind). I took Blind-Fight at first level.

In addition, we created a feat that did something like this:

Improved Blind-Fight
Prerequisite: Blind-Fight, BAB +6
Benefit: For purposes of determining your miss chance, total concealment is treated as concealment for your non-reach melee attacks. You may take attacks of opportunity against creatures with total concealment relative to you.

Blindsight would have been great, but it never became an option for me, and, for game-based purposes, my character never sought a powerful healer to have his eyes healed. I've played him from 1st to 22nd level, and have had a blast playing him. The reduced miss chance has been wonderful.

Dave