So this came up in a game recently and it did get us thinking a bit. I had blinded an entire room of vikings with Pyrotechnics. When we got into the thick of the fight, we weren't sure how to deal with melee attacks when the attack is blind and probably doesn't know where you are. I couldn't find much about it in the core rules so I now come here. How does a blind attacker target an enemy?
Look in the conditions appendix (IIRC) it has blinded.
50/50 miss chance if they can even target the right square.
Look in the conditions appendix (IIRC) it has blinded.
I know the modifiers for blindness. I'm just wondering, is there any way to actually target the right square in melee or know they are there when you are blinded? Would you need to make a perception check to listen for where someone is? Would scent help? Would you treat everyone around you as invisible (minus the +20 bonus)?
I think TCG has it correct. I thought under the penalties it mentioned enemies get an x% concealment.
The way I have always done it is a non targeting perception roll to locate the correct square. Scent states that if the target is within 5' it pinpoints the exact location. I have always taken that to mean that it can attack without penalty. So with scent if it is within 5' you can attack normally.
When blinded, all others are considered Invisible to the blinded fighter. Look up Invisibility in the Glossary to find the Perception checks needed to find the correct squares, or figure out general direction. LINK
Enemies get total concealment (50%)
Again, I understand that enemies get concealment and such from page 565 of the core rulebook, in addition to the halved movement from page 172 about vision. Just trying to see if you need to pinpoint an enemy before rushing towards them like you do with invisible people. I guess it really seems a bit odd that you are blind but you can still move towards a target that may have moved away since your blindness. If thems the rules, then thems the rules. Just want to get it cleared.
I'm pretty sure if you attack someone, that someone knows which square you attacked from.
The bigger problem in such a scenario for the viking guys is the question "Is that guy making the noise to my left my body Olaf, or that stupid Half-orc?"
And then he maybe thinks "If it's Olaf and I punch him, that's bad, but I can always blame it on Erik later. If it's the half-orc and I don't punch him then he'll slice me up. PUNCH!"
You have to remember a blinded person can still see. They just can't see well.
They can't charge or anything major and they might have a hard time hitting you, but they can still see your outline.
Trust me even our modern flashbang grenades aren't the ultimate I can't see my hand in front of my face blindness.
Again, I understand that enemies get concealment and such from page 565 of the core rulebook, in addition to the halved movement from page 172 about vision. Just trying to see if you need to pinpoint an enemy before rushing towards them like you do with invisible people. I guess it really seems a bit odd that you are blind but you can still move towards a target that may have moved away since your blindness. If thems the rules, then thems the rules. Just want to get it cleared.
If you are blinded, than you treat everyone else as invisible. Including having to pinpoint them.
You have to remember a blinded person can still see. They just can't see well.
They can't charge or anything major and they might have a hard time hitting you, but they can still see your outline.
Trust me even our modern flashbang grenades aren't the ultimate I can't see my hand in front of my face blindness.
I don't think that's true. Under Blindness, it specifically says that a blind creature cannot see at all. In addition, anything that requires vision (like reading) automatically fails. I can understand Pyrotechnics not being a full blinding experience, but things like the spell Blindness would feel odd if it wasn't a fully blinding experience.
If you are blinded, than you treat everyone else as invisible. Including having to pinpoint them.
What page is that on? We couldn't find anything on that on Friday but we were certain we read it somewhere.
Gonna give this a good ol bump
Hmm, I could have sworn it says somewhere that blind people treat everyone else as having invisibility, but can only find where it says that they have Total Concealment.
The pinpointing stuff though is mentioned in the Invisibility section
We've always played.
If you are blind you will need to make a perception check with the appropriate minuses. However, you can get aided by an ally (i.e he can tell you "walk straight ahead" or lead you to the enemy If you succeed you know the approximate location of the enemy. Once you move to that location you can take a swing with a 50% miss chance.
If you have scent and you make the initial perception check you know exactly what square he is in but still have the 50% miss chance.