How should I allow a deaf PC?

[der_kluge]

So really, it's just a terrible, terrible idea and you should ban all deaf characters immediately.

ROFL!

HARP has a "signaling" skill which represent your ability to give hand gestures to convey crude communications. Sign language might constitute such a skill, but I agree with Diaglo - just taking speak language (sign) would work, in d20, you only have to spend 1, maybe 2 skill points for that to be an expert in it.

 

[Voadam]

Have him be partially deaf, ask him not to take ranks in listen, and let it be a mostly roleplay issue. Simplest solution I'd think.

 

[ST]

I think this should probably just be handled as a color issue. A lot of people who are partially, even mostly, deaf compensate for it very well. In that kind of setting, he'd likely try to hide it as well. If the player's fine with being mostly deaf but not totally so, then I don't think you'll have problems in roleplaying (especially if you bring up your concerns beforehand).

In game terms, I'd let him buy ranks in Lip Reading instead of Listen. I think the rare situations where this would come in useful would be very interesting, especially for someone who was using lip reading to fake being able to hear. What if he thought he saw something suspicious said by a NPC the party trusts? Did he just read it wrong? If he tells the party, will they believe him? I see this as being a lot of fun to play out.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Deafness isn't nearly as debilitating as many of the people on this thread seem to think. That said, it depends on the maturity of the players. If this is a comic relief character, no go.

 

[drose25]

I will tell you as a person completely deaf in my right ear that, on the surface, partial deafness isn't too bad. You can carry on conversations and interact for the most part without difficulty.

Unfortunately, however, it carries several practical side-effects. Most notably, you don't hear in stereo and really have no concept of sound/spatial correlation. Which means you never know from where a sound is coming.

So when one of the other characters yells "Over here!" your deaf character will have no clue where "here" is...

On the bright side, no need to waste money on high-end surround sound equipment.

 

[JoeBlank]

JoeBlank and i played in a game where he played a deaf halforc bodyguard. and i played his interpreter employer.

we each took speak language (sign)

Correction: the character was mute, but not deaf. This made for some interesting communication problems, as he could make simple, obvious signs such as nodding to other PCs or NPCs, but if he wanted to actually communicate in complete sentences he had to do so through diaglo's character.

This was actually fun, as sometimes I would state that he "signs to" diaglo's character something long and drawn out, and then diaglo would turn to the group and say Joe's PC "says okay" or some other shorthand. Of course, we had to all trust each other to roleplay properly, and to keep out-of-character knowledge out of the game, or else I would not have been able to speak as a player, other than to describe my PCs actions. Sometimes it was an advantage, as I could write notes to diaglo and just tell the others that my PC signed something to him.

Playing a deaf PC would be more difficult, unless you assume the PC is an excellent lip reader. Otherwise, the player will have to assume that his PC has understood little or nothing of the conversation around him.

 

[Kyrail]

Well, for someone who is deaf, not someone who has been deafened recently, I would make the stats on it tottally differant than just the deafened rules.

Obviously, no listen checks, +4 natural bonus on spot checks, no initiative penalty as they should be able to compensate after years of deafness. An additional -2 AC when flanked. Immune to sonic spells that require they hear the subject. A big bonus there. And the player must also not meta game and be able to hear the other players during battle, and pretty much be left up to simple hand jestures like "come, go, stay" as no one has time for sign langauge or lip reading during combat.

You really shouldn't make it have a big impact as it's more a flavor thing and variety should be encouraged. If D&D had facing rules this would be much easier to adjucate.

 

[Hanuman]

Read KoDT 100.........nuff said

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Immune to sonic spells that require they hear the subject.

I'd make that immune to spells with the [Language-Dependent] descriptor, rather than some flavor of "sonic spells."

Also, I'd keep the Initiative penalty; if you're deaf, you just aren't going to hear the rush of someone running up behind you to give you those precious milliseconds of warning.

Otherwise, I like your list.

 

[diaglo]

I'd make that immune to spells with the [Language-Dependent] descriptor, rather than some flavor of "sonic spells."

Also, I'd keep the Initiative penalty; if you're deaf, you just aren't going to hear the rush of someone running up behind you to give you those precious milliseconds of warning.

Otherwise, I like your list.

won't your heightened sense of touch and smell compensate. you feel the rush of air. you feel the vibrations in the steps approaching. you smell the nasty ogre's breath from a mile away.