So, long in short, I had a character concept I was sitting on that involves the character losing her eye-sight as part of a ritual forced on her as a child. She is a demonic Tiefling, in a Gestalt game as an Abyssal Sorcereress/Fighter, and as such, I wrote her sight as something not explicitly physiological in nature: even though her eyes were removed, and a permanent veil placed over her now missing eyes, she was begging to gain back her sight as a 6th sense and she eventually would eventually permanency an arcane sight.
One way to do this is to just refluff her regular vision not as a mechanical change, but simply that she now sees things differently, her Demonic influence still being rooted and adapting to the veil.
Another way would be to try and incorporate some scaling factor like the Clouded Vision Oracle Curse on top of that, but eventually gaining blindsight isn’t something to be freely handed out either. For anyone who might have an opinion on this, what would you say is a good thing to give up for the ability to gain an Oracle Curse and have it scale with your character level or even half character level like normal Oracle curses do? A feat, a Sorcerer Bloodline arcana/power, etc?
I would do that if I wanted any of the extra utility offered by a single level in Oracle or the VMC. However, I'd honnestly rather keep both the Fighter and Sorcerer level 20 abilities, and personally think that losing 5 feats is a little steep for the curse (as I don't really want or think that any of the other benefits from any mysteries would fit). Are you allowed to just take VMC at first level, and not continue it at later levels, because that would give the curse scaling for the first level feat, but if I can stop there and keep the feats, that would be ideal?
VMC is all or nothing, but it may be your best option.
There is also a trait for being blind, if that's most of what you want. Though that requires following a lawful good deity.
Blind Zeal
Source Divine Anthology pg. 19
Category Religion
Requirement(s) Vildeis
You are blind but trained by followers of Vildeis to sense your surroundings by sound and touch. You need not attempt a skill check to move at full speed. You take a –4 penalty from blindness on only Acrobatics, Ride, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks. You gain Blind-Fight as a bonus feat. You lose the benefits of this trait whenever you can see, but regain them if you once again become blind.
Its for Way of the Wicked actually, so yes, I do know it goes to level 20.
And just in case I was unclear, I am looking more for what people think would be a trade of equal power, if there is no RAW precedent for swapping something to gain a curse. I can always do without, but would rather have something to make the character choice more impactful without just making myself stronger long term.
It’s a weird class feature for trading. It starts out being about as much positives as negatives, but becomes more positives over time.
If you’re just house ruling, I think you’d be better off to go with making a trait like Blind Zeal, but without the deity.
I would say being Clouded Vision cursed is a pretty significant drawback for the majority of your career and the benefits while good, don't really outweigh the cons. Permanently being unable to single target anything outside of 60ft is and has been character ending.