Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Khur" data-source="post: 2031066" data-attributes="member: 5583">The Blind Path is a release of the Liber Sodalitas (Book of Societies) line from <a href="http://www.dmperez.com/highmoon/" target="_blank">Highmoon Media Productions</a>. The PDF was written by Daniel M. Perez and illustrated (one drawing) by Marcio Fiorito. It retails for $2.00.One notes first how extensively and excellently this PDF is indexed for use in electronic format. Atop that, the graphic design is an attractive blend of green and black with a good layout. On the first page, Fiorito ably drafted a depiction of The Blind Path's mistress, Mang-Ren. It's a nice addition to such a tiny publication. Inside The Blind Path we find a story behind the formation of this enigmatic group, as well as its belief structure, organization, and rules for joining. The history reads much like a bodhisattva story. Mang-Ren falls from the heights of power and decadence to a fight for mere survival and a change of mind and spirit. She also loses her sight. All of The Blind Path's other ideals are built on the foundation of how material sight is untrustworthy. Transcendental awareness must be developed.So, with great originality, the Blind Path focuses on those who are blind, with some leaning toward the lawful. In fact, despite what the text in part of the PDF reads, a sighted person gains no measurable benefit by adhering the Blind Path.  Further, the reader is given no useful information on how a sighted character might utilize the teachings of the Blind Path. Too little material is given for these would-be adherents, even though the text suggests they exist, revealing a failing of the tenets of the path (and the document detailing it). That creed does fit the mechanical core of the PDF, which is the unsighted prestige class. A would-be unsighted must, first of all, be totally blind. She must also possess an array of skills indicating her sensitivity to her environment and a couple feats to back this up.  A monk, with the ability to acquire all the prerequisites by 5th level, makes the best unsighted character. This is borne out by the statistics for Mang-Ren and the average Blind Path initiate. Many unsighted are not monks, however, and that's good for them--see Critical Fumble.A few minor issues exist with the unsighted class, as well. Most of this has to do with whether or not an unsighted is considered flanked. The awareness ability states clearly that a 5th-level unsighted cannot be flanked. Improved Uncanny Dodge grants less than this (can be flanked by a rogue four or more levels higher), but is not gained until 7th level. It seems that Improved Uncanny Dodge is the right choice here, but probably at a lower level, eliminating the statement in awareness.Critical HitThe Blind Path is quite original in that it approaches the idea of blindness as the key to a path of character development. Blind martial artists are a well-known stereotype, so it's good to see this concept brought to the gaming table. And the feel behind allowing the unsighted to eventually see ethereal creatures is right on. Critical FumbleThe unsighted prestige class is too weak considering its requirements, notably the one necessitating a character be and stay blind. A monk who takes this class loses too much, for which the blindsight aspects of the unsighted class do not compensate. If the class had given some stacking bonuses with the monk class, this would have almost alleviated the problem. Finally, despite the focus of its back-story, little would have been lost to open the class to sighted characters. Blind characters could have garnered extra bonuses.The abilities granted by unsighted, further, just don't stack up against real sight. While invisibility and darkness are irrelevant to the unsighted at a low range, that fails to make up for being totally unaware of anything beyond about 40 feet. Awareness, an extraordinary ability allowing the character to substitute Sense Motive checks for Listen/Spot checks--for those times the character doesn't have a line of effect on a target--doesn't help this fact. Its range is too short. This not only takes the class down another notch, but it also serves to make Mang-Ren's philosophy ring hollow.Coup de GraceThe Blind Path takes a wonderful and novel concept and presents an intriguing organization. Unfortunately, the philosophical part of the society needs more meat to make it more useful to both players and DMs. Further, the mechanical aspects of the book don't live up to the problem of making blind characters viable in a sighted world. The presentation is good, but the price is actually not worth it. Just like it's not worth staying blind in a magical fantasy world--despite the availability of the Blind Path.Final Grade: 3.45  :\ Available at <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=3537&src=EnWorld.com" target="_blank">RPG Now</a>.This review originally appeared at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com" target="_blank">d20 Magazine Rack</a>.</blockquote>

Verification