I'm blind!!! Blind PCs, what to do.

[Corlon]

A PC of mine approached with a player concept that makes him a venerable age blind hermit/monk that lives on the sea shore (ocean campaign).

And I don't know about everyone else, but blindness seems like a bit of an extreme disability, especially to a monk, so I thought of giving him benefits.

I thought of having a "improved blindsight" which is a feat following blindsight 5ft. radius that gives a character 20, 30, or 40 ft. blindsight, but I don't know how unbalancing this is, because blindsight is a really good ability, but it would also use of three of his feats.

So basically, two things being asked in this post, what should I do to help the player with his blind character, and how does the new feat sound (and should a prereq be being blind, because when you don't use one sense, your others become better).

 

[Oni]

I know it's not exactly what your asking for here, but there is a blink monk PrC in Quintessential Monk I believe.

 

[Jeph]

Wait . . . what? I played a lawyer, kevin was a fighter, curran was a navigator, carter was a druid, and robin was some freaky half ogre thingy. Who wanted to be a blind hermet?

 

[Corlon]

well, carter and robin never played, so carter thought of a blind hermit.

 

[nameless]

Giving him blindsight within 5 feet should be good enough to get him by. Using the aging benefits, he should fairly easily get the required wisdom to take the Blindsight 5' radius feat. He'll be able to fight without a miss chance, and doesn't lose his Dex bonus in melee. Maybe just give him some bonuses to Listen (I'd go with a +2 concentration bonus [since he's not using his eyes] and a +2 synergy bonus [to represent strengthening his remaining senses].

It would probably be reasonable to let him operate normally in most situations, because his blindsight works to a big enough distance [and his Wisdom is high enough] that he'd be able to react to things like stairs, doors, and other obstacles. If he gets high enough, maybe give him the Blind Monk PrC, or just write up some feats that would improve his blindsight, and encourage him to get Uncanny Dodge somewhere.

 

[Corlon]

what's the blind monk prc, I don't have the quissential for anything besides rogue.

 

[Geoff Watson]

There's no real point in giving special bonuses for being blind, because as soon as he can find a cleric who can cast Cure Blindness he'll be able to see and have the special bonuses.

Geoff

 

[Corlon]

no, he's not a munchkin like that, he wants to be blind for the pure purpose of being blind, and he didn't even ask for the bonuses, I just thought of em.

Plus clerics aren't all that common, and I wouldn't let that happen one way or another.

 

[Lord Ravinous]

I'm sure your aware of the Blind Master prc from Sword and Fist, or maybe not, also don't know it thats what he's after, but I attempted to help all the same

 

[Tonguez]

I'd give him Alertness for free and allow him to take scent (or improved hearing) if he wanted it.

If he wants to be blind then let him be - don't give him a direct compensation. If he wants blindsight one day then let him use his feats to get it.

Also I wouldn't allow Cure Blindness to work on any type of natural blindness (as opposed to that caused by injury/disease) - its called Cure Blindness not Grant Sight, implying that something has to be cured.