Animal companion "blind" trick

[Tinalles]

I have a druid in my group of PCs with a hawk animal companion, and she wants to teach it a trick called "blind". The idea is that she'll train it to fly over and peck out the eyes of opponents. I can't let that be an auto-success kind of thing -- the "blinded" condition is a pretty major debuff.

Here are the mechanics I've worked out:

'Blind' trick wrote:

The animal companion makes an attack roll against the target's AC +4. If the attack hits, roll damage normally; this damage is applied to the eye specifically, not to the creature's general pool of hit dice.

For purposes of this trick, an eye has hit points equal to the creature's hit dice. If an eye is reduced to zero or lower, that eye is destroyed. When the first eye is destroyed, the creature treats opponents as having a partial miss chance (20%). When its last eye is destroyed, the creature gains the blinded condition.

The "AC + 4" target is to represent the difficulty of hitting an eye squarely. They're not that big, and generally people (and other creatures) have fast reflexes in place to protect them.

Does that look fair? Suggestions or comments?

[Adamantine Dragon]

There is a reason that combat in PF is an abstraction instead of a real-world simulation. This sort of thing is one reason why.

This is more or less the same as a called shot. If you allow called shots, then this can be done the same way. If you don't allow called shots, then you shouldn't allow this.

This is just a road I wouldn't go down.

[mplindustries]

Shouldn't blinding someone just be a Dirty Trick maneuver?

[Adamantine Dragon]

mplindustries wrote:

Shouldn't blinding someone just be a Dirty Trick maneuver?

Permanently?

[SkyHaussmann]

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateCombat/variants/calledShots.html

Here is the section on Called Shots. Aiming for an eye takes a -10 to the attack roll, but it does not give stats for eyes or what the effects would be, so I'd say use your HP=HD idea, and that the first eyes gives partial concealment, and once they're all out, its blind.

[Tinalles]

I thought about both called shots and dirty tricks, but neither really seemed quite right.

I'd rather not allow called shots -- the called shot mechanics in Ultimate Combat aren't bad, but they do add a fair bit of extra complexity to the book-keeping on my side of the screen, in terms of tracking temporary penalties and so on.

As for dirty tricks -- that would be perfect for short-term blindness, such as having sand thrown in your eyes. Not so much for longer-term effects, which is (I presume) why the designers didn't use a dirty trick maneuver for the Eye Rake ability of a Murder of Crows.

[Chaos_Scion]

That seems really over powered IMO. Maybe if the move provoked an attack of opportunity but even then its out of character with other available tricks. The question I would ask is if the hawk had this trick would it ever do anything else in combat. My guts says no because it is significantly more powerful then the other options available to a hawk.

[666bender]

it's WAY too powerfull...
blind with rogue in the party = kill
you CAN however, if the pet got int 3, teach it to attack for dirty trick - yes without the feats related it shall suck - but its a options.

[jlord]

Raven swarms have "eye-rake" which might give you an idea.

Eye-Rake (Ex)

Any living creature damaged by a raven swarm must succeed on a DC 11 Reflex save or be blinded as the swarm scratches and tears at the victim's eyes. The blindness lasts for 1d4 days or until healed with a remove blindness or a successful DC 11 Heal check. The save DC is Constitution-based.

I would recommend AT LEAST making your druid's animal companion spend a feat to do this, in addition to the the trick.

[Umbranus]

You should ask the party what they think about this rule and the possibilities that you use it against them as well.

My vote would be a strong NO.