Can you make ranged attacks when blind?

[Doug McCrae]

It seems ridiculous that one can make ranged attacks, such as using a bow, when blind but the rules don't spell it out.

According to the PHB, "All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Spot checks) automatically fail." Would missile fire count as an activity that relies on vision? Otherwise missile fire when blind is no harder than melee.

 

[The Blow Leprechaun]

At the very least, they would have total concealment to you, which means the best you could do is attack a specific square and have a 50% chance to hit.

Also, ranged weapons talk about "line of sight" - if you can't see, do you ever have line of sight?

 

[SlagMortar]

More rules on being blinded can be found here: darkness

 

[Nail]

Since you can't see the square you are targeting, I'm not sure it's fair to allow a blinded archer to even pick the square into which he gets the normal 50% miss chance.

A blinded archer could use his Listen skill, I suppose, as a standard action to first locate the square......

 

[lukelightning]

Since you can't see the square you are targeting, I'm not sure it's fair to allow a blinded archer to even pick the square into which he gets the normal 50% miss chance.

I'd say it should be even harder than trying to shoot an invisible creature. If you're blind you're you're to be really easily disoriented and lose track of the layout of the area.

 

[Nail]

I'd say it should be even harder than trying to shoot an invisible creature. If you're blind you're you're to be really easily disoriented and lose track of the layout of the area.

Right.

However, You could argue that a successful Listen check would allow the archer to....

...hear an invisible creature “over there somewhere.” It’s practically impossible to pinpoint the location of an invisible creature. A Listen check that beats the DC by 20 pinpoints the invisible creature's location.

 

[lukelightning]

The problem with the listen check thing is that the blind person would have the further challenge of trying to determine what is making the noise; it could very well be a party member.

 

[Mistwell]

I think in the very least you should have some vague, small chance of getting your shot off and actually hitting your target. It shouldn't automatically fail - since it's at least possible to hit something with a bow and arrow when you are blind - just very unlikely.

 

[Nail]

The problem with the listen check thing is that the blind person would have the further challenge of trying to determine what is making the noise; it could very well be a party member.

Sure.

Given what we have from other sources (PH II, frex), you could say that figuring out which person/creature you are listening to just increases the Listen check DC.

Let's say......beat the Listen DC by 30 and you know who you're aiming at.

 

[lukelightning]

DM: "You hear someone in heavy clanky armor approaching you while casting a spell."
Player: "I shoot it with my +2 flaming bow of poisonous smiting doom."
DM: "You hit and kill...the cleric that was coming to cast remove blindness on you."