Blindness *and* Deafness

[Cheiromancer]

When you are deaf, you can rely on visual information to get around. Similarly, when you are blind, you can use auditory information to react to your surroundings.

What happens if you are both blind and deaf? Are there any additional penalties to a character? Should there be?

 

[ValhallaGH]

The two status conditions are not mutually exclusive. Each adequately covers the disadvantages of the state. Combining both on a single character would be highly debilitating but shouldn't require any further ruling.

 

[Hypersmurf]

What happens if you are both blind and deaf?

Like Anne Frank!

-Hyp.

 

[ForceUser]

Like Anne Frank!

-Hyp.

Is that a joke in poor taste or a mistaken reference?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Is that a joke in poor taste or a mistaken reference?

Both, and yet deliberate.

You haven't seen Clerks II, I take it?

-Hyp.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I was just thinking that blindness+deafness would be more than the sum of its parts, as far as incapacitating enemies on the battlefield would go. In the absence of blindsensing abilities it might mean that targets of attacks and spells couldn't be chosen. I don't recall reading any rules to this effect, though.

 

[moritheil]

If you really want to emphasize that, you could rule that such a person is helpless:

A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy.

This might not sit too well with others, though, as it's something of a stretch.

 

[Stalker0]

Other than deafness is way too weak as a status condition, I have no problems just lumping the penalties together.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

In the absence of blindsensing abilities it might mean that targets of attacks and spells couldn't be chosen.

Remember - in order to cast a targeted spell, you must be able to see or touch your target.

Personally, in such a case, I'd have the player close his or her eyes, and give all their PC commands without looking - as in, "I cast fireball ... uh ... three squares north and ... um ... 6 east." "Okay - roll a Reflex save as your fireball hits something in front of you and prematurely detonates."

 

[Quartz]

Better hope they've got Tremorsense or something.