So I've been looking up some lvl 2 spells and Blindness/Deafness caught my attention.
For convenience here is the text regarding the spell.
BLINDNESS/DEAFNESS
School necromancy; Level bard 2, cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one living creature
Duration permanent (D)
Saving Throw Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance yes
You call upon the powers of unlife to render the subject blinded or deafened, as you choose.
My question would be, is it really useful and if so what are the benefits of using it. Moreover, what are the drawbacks for someone who is either blinded or deaf? Can one not cast spells when they are either?
You can cast spells while blind, but since you can't see, you can't target anyone. That really puts a damper on the wizard (and since it's a Fort save, the wizard will probably fail).
Deafness isn't as good, since it only gives a 20% chance of failure, and only on spells with verbal components.
Grab a metamagic rod of either Bouncing Spell or Persistent Spell, and you can pretty much completely neutralize one enemy with a well-placed Blindness spell.
You can cast spells while blind, but since you can't see, you can't target anyone. That really puts a damper on the wizard (and since it's a Fort save, the wizard will probably fail).
Deafness isn't as good, since it only gives a 20% chance of failure, and only on spells with verbal components.
Grab a metamagic rod of either Bouncing Spell or Persistent Spell, and you can pretty much completely neutralize one enemy with a well-placed Blindness spell.
So for the blindness part of it, it should be able to counter spellcasters quite well? However Magic Missle would still hit right?
Also this is just me thinking about home rules but if you are deaf, you cannot hear yourself speak therefore it will give the same effect as trying to speak while hearing a recording of your own voice. Doesn't this immediately take care of most spellcasters since they need to voice the spell to use it?
They cant target by vision, but they could use other senses to target (would require perception checks), or still cast area spells.
EDIT: To clarify, i would say that any spell requiring a "target creature" would instant fail as you dont meet the targeting requeriment, you would need to pinpoint their location and know where he is before casting.
Also, a creature with a normal reach hitting you reveals its position, so you could target them normally if you know they are exactly in front of you.
You can still deliver touch spells with the normal 50% miss chance from total concealment.
As for ranged touch spells:
As with a ranged weapon, you can fire into the dark or at an invisible creature and hope you hit something. You don't have to see the creature you're trying to hit, as you do with a targeted spell. The target will have Total Concealment and a 50% miss chance, though.
Also this is just me thinking about home rules but if you are deaf, you cannot hear yourself speak therefore it will give the same effect as trying to speak while hearing a recording of your own voice. Doesn't this immediately take care of most spellcasters since they need to voice the spell to use it?
Thats where the 20% comes from, they cant hear their own voices, thus can fail at casting.
The spell, otherwise, would be instant death to any caster, being a lv2 spell.
They cant target by vision, but they could use other senses to target (would require perception checks), or still cast area spells.
Also, a creature with a normal reach hitting you reveals its position, so you could target them normally if you know they are exactly in front of you.
You can still deliver touch spells with the normal 50% miss chance from total concealment.As for ranged touch spells:
As with a ranged weapon, you can fire into the dark or at an invisible creature and hope you hit something. You don't have to see the creature you're trying to hit, as you do with a targeted spell. The target will have Total Concealment and a 50% miss chance, though.Also this is just me thinking about home rules but if you are deaf, you cannot hear yourself speak therefore it will give the same effect as trying to speak while hearing a recording of your own voice. Doesn't this immediately take care of most spellcasters since they need to voice the spell to use it?Thats where the 20% comes from, they cant hear their own voices, thus can fail at casting.
The spell, otherwise, would be instant death to any caster, being a lv2 spell.
I think I understand now. So how highly would you recommend this lvl 2 spell? Assuming I do not take possible alternative lvl 2 spells. Seeing as we are starting to come across enemy spellcasters, this might come in handy.
I still prep 1 or 2 blindness/deafness on my cleric, who is level 11 (and he has to use 3rd-level spell slots for it). It's that good.
Against spellcasters in general, silence is strong.
But i find blindness specially effective against enemy healers and ranged attackers.
Deafness probably should be moved to a different spell and downed a level (lv1), its not even half as useful as blindness.
As for the penalties caused by both:
Blinded
The creature cannot see. It takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class, loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and takes a –4 penalty on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks and on opposed Perception skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception checks based on sight) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) against the blinded character. Blind creatures must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than half speed. Creatures that fail this check fall prone. Characters who remain blinded for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.
Deafened
A deafened character cannot hear. He takes a –4 penalty on initiative checks, automatically fails Perception checks based on sound, takes a –4 penalty on opposed Perception checks, and has a 20% chance of spell failure when casting spells with verbal components. Characters who remain deafened for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.
A deafened and blinded character is pretty much out of combat.
Well I guess that decides it!
Thank you guys very much for your help on this :)
I will most certainly use this.
Cheers~
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Target or Targets: Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target. You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.
Effect: Some spells create or summon things rather than affecting things that are already present.
You must designate the location where these things are to appear, either by seeing it or defining it.
Area: Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below.
Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don't control which creatures or objects the spell affects.
Line of Effect: A line of effect is a straight, unblocked path that indicates what a spell can affect. A line of effect is canceled by a solid barrier. It's like line of sight for ranged weapons, except that it's not blocked by fog, darkness, and other factors that limit normal sight.
You must have a clear line of effect to any target that you cast a spell on or to any space in which you wish to create an effect. You must have a clear line of effect to the point of origin of any spell you cast.
As you can see, the spellcaster isn't quite out of the fight yet.
As you can see, the spellcaster isn't quite out of the fight yet.
I see what you did there.
I have a party that insist their good. They blind,deafen,KO opponents loot them of EVERYTHING and leave them.
As far as their concerned waste not want not with xp ...share the love. On the chance some survive, level as fast, and become grudge monsters that is just more xp and treasure.
Our party keeps a zoo of Feebleminded former spellcasters on an Abundant Demiplane.
Yep, we're the good guys all right.
Blindness is basically a "I win" card versus most enemies in the game. If they fail the save they are permanently blinded until you can get a remove blindness or successful dispel magic cast on them. Whether you are a caster or not, blinded is probably the worst of the two options since the following is true when you are blind.
The creature cannot see. It takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class, loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and takes a –4 penalty on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks and on opposed Perception skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception checks based on sight) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) against the blinded character. Blind creatures must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than half speed. Creatures that fail this check fall prone.
You basically ruin them. Their AC plummets, they can't make AoOs, everyone can stealth vs them, they auto-fail sight-based perception checks, all foes have total concealment, you lose your Dex to AC (which means if you're fighting something with sneak attack it's about to be painful), you have to make a DC 10 acrobatics check with a -4 penalty every time you try to move faster than 1/2 speed or fall prone.
I have a party that insist their good. They blind,deafen,KO opponents loot them of EVERYTHING and leave them.
As far as their concerned waste not want not with xp ...share the love. On the chance some survive, level as fast, and become grudge monsters that is just more xp and treasure.
Leaving them alive is merciful. Leaving them alive and armed is just foolish.
I have 2 low level casters with this spell and I can say IT IS AWESOME! At least the blindness option is. Lvl 8 necromancer with Greater Spell Focus Necromancy (and cheesy high Int by dint of some luck) means that even high fort savers need to fear this spell!
If you cannot see us, we can gut you like yesterday's catch! (yes it's an evil campaign :P )
50% miss chance, reduced AC & speed and auto sneak attacks tend to kill opponents in 1 round flat. And if we aren't killing them then we can safely ignore them as they are essentially harmless as long as you stay out of their way, which only requires a 5 ft step in most cases.
As the duration is PERMANENT it also means they are unlikely to escape to come back another day