Wow it's been awhile since I've been on here. Had some financial troubles, but now I'm back and I have a problem I thought you could help me with. I have a player that wants to play a blind character. He has taken all the feats to get blindsense. How would I do search and spot checks for this character, since they can't technically see? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Wow it's been awhile since I've been on here. Had some financial troubles, but now I'm back and I have a problem I thought you could help me with. I have a player that wants to play a blind character. He has taken all the feats to get blindsense. How would I do search and spot checks for this character, since they can't technically see? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The rules for blindness and blindsense are pretty cut and dry. If something is inside the blindsense range, he can make Search and Spot checks normally. If it is outside the range, the checks automatically fail. 'Search' and 'Spot' do not imply actual SIGHT, they could really be summed up as the 'Notice' ability. For example, if a tiny spider lands on someone's shoulder, you would make them roll Spot to see if they felt it, would you not? In a dark room, can you not use your hands to feel along the walls for a secret door, warranting a Search check? Seems pretty simple to me and that's what I would do.
Blindsense: Other creatures have blindsense, a lesser ability that lets the creature notice things it cannot see, but without the precision of blindsight. The creature with blindsense usually does not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice and locate creatures within range of its blindsense
"Usually" a creature with blindsense does not have to make a Spot or Listen check. I don't think the rules define what "usually" means, but we pretty much play that as "never" - No spot checks needed at all to "see" a creature, whether invisible, hiding, etc.
The Search skill though is not listed in there though and it says that Blindsense is "lesser ability" "without precision". I wouldn't allow a Search check to use Blindsense. I'd give a blind character a -20 to his search.
A blind PC does sound kind of interesting though. I'd try to work with that to make it playable.
I know in 2nd edition Dark Sun there was a blind gladiator who adventured with our group. I have heard their website has many new prestige classes, you might find something there to help your character. Sorry if I don't have any details, I am a player so I do not use the website.