Bonus for blind character

[diaglo]

ditto to what Mark and the Jester said.

 

[der_kluge]

If I gave him anything, it might be a +2 to listen. That's about all I would recommend.

 

[jesseghfan]

If you were feeling generous, you could allow him to take Scent as a feat. Not as hardcore, of course, but would simulate other senses adapting, etc.

 

[radferth]

I'd give him the blind fighting feat for free (just freeing up another feat, in his case), maybe alertness to signify his enhanced other senses (or skill focus: listen). I had a blind NPC in an old 2nd ed. game, and she was built normal except for the blindness and blindfighting. She wasn't really a combat type, so it worked out fine for the most part.

Just out of curiosity, what sort of shaman is he? OA? GR? other?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Personally, I'd inform him that he will gain no gaming bonuses from being blind and try to determine what exactly he's seeking to accomplish.

D&D is a role playing game and that means some acting and some game play. The GM should not have to start awarding 'special' characters abilities to make up for 'concepts'.

There are plenty of games that do reward such disadvantages and if the player has an interest in playing such a character and 'getting' something for it, Champions and GURPS may be good alternatives as opposed to D&D or Palladium.

 

[DM-Rocco]

I had a player who was foolish enough to challenge the power of the Gods, at level 12. Rather than kill the PC, I had the God prove his power in a long line of trials and then he switched from Avatar for to his God form and just viewing the form cause his eyes to melt from his sockets and dropped his CHR to 3, not good since he was a Sorcerer. I viewed it as a deformation, so I allowed him to still be able to cast spells, but his DCs were based off of 3 CHR. Yeah, sucked to be him.

Anyway, I gave him bonuses to hearing, otherwise he would have great trouble even being able to find the enemies.

Be ready though, blind characters become smart arses real quick.

DM: You walk into the room and see...
Blind Player: I can't see...
DM: You healed now shut up!!!

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Wow, you guys are hardcore...

Just wanted to restate, he has not asked for anything in return; I am just concerned that he will be close to useless.

My feeling is that if a player chooses a really serious flaw for a character, it's up to him to come up with ways for the character to be viable, and to then get the DMs approval. Besides, if the PC is useless, he'll die quickly and the player can then create another character, and be more judicious in thinking through the implications of his choices. I think that would be a positive thing, overall.

 

[sniffles]

If I gave him anything, it might be a +2 to listen. That's about all I would recommend.

That's what I was thinking. Now I'm just wondering why a blinded character would take penalties to strength-based skills? Well, I guess it would be hard to jump accurately...

 

[snarfoogle]

I would give some form of blind-fighting or blindsight to compensate -- in Unearthed Arcana, the flaw rules give you a bonus feat for a mere -4 on spot and listen -- I think that even if you don't think you should get a feat for -4 Spot & Listen, you have to agree that there is some sense in giving a BLIND character a bonus feat.

 

[fafhrd]

You might point him the Hear the Unseen feat in the Complete Adventurer. A friendly reading could allow him to target others with his spells and such.