blinded gunslinger


Rules Questions

Grand Lodge

got a question....a gunslinger has been blinded via spell. that means he cannot shoot his musket at a target not adjacent to him, correct?

via the blinded condition:

All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception checks based on sight) automatically fail.


He can shoot at anyone he is aware of.

Well, he can try. There is that whole '50% miss chance' thing, which seems like a 'problem'.

Anyway, you just need to figure out which square people are in (not sure abou the rules for finding people while blind- my first instinct is to use invisbility rules, and give people a +40 to stealth if they stay still). Or you could just ahve a sighted friend give you directions.

So really...you are about as effective close up as at range...which means not at all. Blind fight can help with that usually...but unfortunately, that is melee only.


For real fun, have the player sit at the table wearing a blindfold. You and the other players describe the combats to him:

GM: Of to your left, you hear a monster's roar and the sound of claws tearing into flesh. Fred's cleric let's out a scream of pain.
BlindBob: I shoot the monster.
GM: OK, tell me which square you shoot.
BlindBob: Which square is the monster in?
GM: You don't know that. You know it was somewhere to your left, not adjacent to you. Probably 6 or 7 squares away, give or take.
BlindBob: So I have to guess where to shoot?
GM: No, you can roll a Perception check, -20 because the monster is invisible to you but it is moving so it's not a -40. Also, it's terrible conditions with combat raging all around you everywhere, so that's a -5 penalty on the roll. Net penalty is -25.
*The player gropes around, finds a d20, and the player next to him tells him he rolled a 10.
BlindBob: If I recall, my Perception skills is a 7, so that's a 17.
GM: The DC is -10 to hear the sounds of battle.
BlindBob: Sweet: I got a -8, that beats -10, so where is he?
GM: Not so fast, Blindbob. The distance modifier is +1 for every 10'. Without giving it away, that's at least +3 to the DC, so the DC is at least -7, maybe higher. You got a -8, so you're not sure.
BlindBob: OK, well, then I guess I'll shoot the square 6 squares to my left and one square forward. What did I roll?
Nearby Player: A 20! Nice, it's a crit threat. And you rolled a 26 to confirm! Crit!
GM: OK, Fred's cleric is actually standing in that square, so, uh, you'll crit him unless he rolls that 50% miss chance for total concealment...

OK, maybe that's a bit much?


OK, here's the rules you probably should apply.

Unfortunately, these rules apply to Darkness and therefore a good rules lawyer could argue that they don't apply to other kinds of blindness.

Personally, I don't think there is any difference at all between "being blinded" and "being blinded by darkness" other than someone can turn on the lights and cure you of the latter - but, in my opinion, while either condition applies, the blinded individual would suffer the exact same consequences.

Pathfinder SRD, Environment, Darkness wrote:

Creatures blinded by darkness lose the ability to deal extra damage due to precision (for example, via sneak attack or a duelist's precise strike ability).

Blind creatures must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than half speed. Creatures that fail this check fall prone. Blinded creatures can't run or charge.

All opponents have total concealment from a blinded creature, so the blinded creature has a 50% miss chance in combat. A blinded creature must first pinpoint the location of an opponent in order to attack the right square; if the blinded creature launches an attack without pinpointing its foe, it attacks a random square within its reach. For ranged attacks or spells against a foe whose location is not pinpointed, roll to determine which adjacent square the blinded creature is facing; its attack is directed at the closest target that lies in that direction.

A blinded creature loses its Dexterity modifier to AC (if positive) and takes a –2 penalty to AC.

A blinded creature takes a –4 penalty on Perception checks and most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, including any with an armor check penalty. A creature blinded by darkness automatically fails any skill check relying on vision.

Creatures blinded by darkness cannot use gaze attacks and are immune to gaze attacks.

A creature blinded by darkness can make a Perception check as a free action each round in order to locate foes (DC equal to opponents' Stealth checks). A successful check lets a blinded character hear an unseen creature “over there somewhere.” It's almost impossible to pinpoint the location of an unseen creature. A Perception check that beats the DC by 20 reveals the unseen creature's square (but the unseen creature still has total concealment from the blinded creature).

A blinded creature can grope about to find unseen creatures. A character can make a touch attack with his hands or a weapon into two adjacent squares using a standard action. If an unseen target is in the designated square, there is a 50% miss chance on the touch attack. If successful, the groping character deals no damage but has pinpointed the unseen creature's current location. If the unseen creature moves, its location is once again unknown.

If a blinded creature is struck by an unseen foe, the blinded character pinpoints the location of the creature that struck him (until the unseen creature moves, of course). The only exception is if the unseen creature has a reach greater than 5 feet (in which case the blinded character knows the location of the unseen opponent, but has not pinpointed him) or uses a ranged attack (in which case the blinded character knows the general direction of the foe, but not his location).

A creature with the scent ability automatically pinpoints unseen creatures within 5 feet of its location.


You can still aim, you just probably won't hit what you're aiming at. As stated, 50% miss chance, unless you have Seeking on your weapon, which (maybe) alleviates that problem. However, you can shoot things not adjacent to you, so long as you can pick out what square they're in without seeing (e.g. getting a teammate to call out where to aim, making a sound-based perception check at -10 because you're in a battle, or just pure guesswork). Then pick a square, and blast away.

Once this battle is over, ring up the nearest 5th level or higher Cleric as soon as possible.

Grand Lodge

DM_Blake wrote:


Pathfinder SRD, Environment, Darkness wrote:


All opponents have total concealment from a blinded creature, so the blinded creature has a 50% miss chance in combat. A blinded creature must first pinpoint the location of an opponent in order to attack the right square; if the blinded creature launches an attack without pinpointing its foe, it attacks a random square within its reach.

So it would appear (haha) that if the Gunslinger were blinded and does not know which square an enemy is on after that enemy moves or simply because he never saw the square to begin with that the Gunslinger would not be able to pinpoint the right square- thus, there is no miss chance of 50%, it would be a random shot in the dark- just like a blinded person would do in real life.

Just like I thought.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / blinded gunslinger All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.