DDM Preview 6 Cyclops

[BASHMAN]

Actually I'm not sure, is there some mythological precedent for cyclops having supernatural perception of some sort? I can't think of one off the top of my head, but it seems like part of the cyclops theme for some reason.

No, the mythological precedent is they have 1 eye that can be poked out with a sharp stick, inducing total blindness. This is how Odysseus survived his encounter with a Cyclops. That and telling the cyclops his name is "Nobody" so that when the other cyclopsi asked him who had blinded him, he replied "Nobody", to which they assumed that he was stricken blind by the gods.

 

[gothmaugCC]

Hehe..If I only had 1 eye, and was a monster in DnD, you better believe the first feat I took would be blind-sight!

As to the rationale on the mini.....Well looking at the Oddesy as the prime example for the cyclops...well I can't think of a good rationale besides the designers going "Hehe, lets suprise the crap out of a whole new generation of gamers by giving a cyclops blondsight. They will never see it comming!!" Then a bunch of nudges and winks thrown across the Dev room table.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Why does a cyclops have blindsight? Doesn't that defeat the point?

I don't quite get it either. Unless the "real" game provides an oppertunity to poke out his eye and disable his blindsight ability (and normal vision). Which would be very cool.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

I´d just rule that the blindsight ability is tied to the existence of the central eye. If it functions, the eyesight of the Cyclops is MUCH better than it could realistically be. No eye, no blindsight, though. And yes, i know this is houseruling territory. But those are not 4e Stat cards, are they?

 

[Kunimatyu]

What if the Cyclops loses the eye when Bloodied, and starts running around stabbing things in a blind rage?

 

[WhatGravitas]

I´d just rule that the blindsight ability is tied to the existence of the central eye. If it functions, the eyesight of the Cyclops is MUCH better than it could realistically be. No eye, no blindsight, though. And yes, i know this is houseruling territory. But those are not 4e Stat cards, are they?

I have no problem with the blindsight: Blindsight could represent a shortcut to represent a super-eye with perma-True Seeing and possibly divinatory powers.

Cheers, LT.

 

[FadedC]

In all fairness, D&D has never been a game where you can target specific body parts to stab out a monsters eye in the first place (except maybe for beholders). So the issue where blindsight would negate an eyestab is one that would never actually come up in the rules, and if your running house rules that allow eye stabbing, you could also house rule the cyclops.

 

[Baby Samurai]

But those are not 4e Stat cards, are they?

No.

 

[delericho]

What if the Cyclops loses the eye when Bloodied, and starts running around stabbing things in a blind rage?

That would be cool.

 

[Nebulous]

Another vote for blindsight on a cyclops being odd.

hmm. think about it like this: what might many parties try to do when they meet a cyclops? BLIND it! Maybe the designers were trying to second guess player tactics. Oh, i didn't read all the way down, someone already said that. :\