Blindfold

[Hironomus]

in Strip 251 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0251.html) Haley is blindfolded.

I was just wondering why. I just read the theoretical combat and couldn't see a reason.

I'm sure there is a perfectly obvious reason, I just can't think of what it is.

[Gnoman]

Look at V. See the gag? That's because spellcasting usually requires you to speak, and Miko does not want the wizard using magic to escape.

Haley is a thief. Among her biggest talents are picking locks and escaping from chains. Both of these become a lot harder when you can't see.

[Hironomus]

I guessed as much, but it seemed wrong somehow. Sort of a mundane fix. Also Rogues aren't the only ones capable of such feats.
But I guess that's probably it.
Oh well. I was hoping for something more exciting.

[Alagaesian]

That, and Haley's a ranged fighter. In close combat, it's a lot easier to attack your target because you can hear them: hear their steps to see where they're standing, hear your sword clanging against theirs to know where their weapon is, and hear their breathing to get a good idea of where their head is. In ranged combat, it's a lot harder to use the sense of hearing to fight simply because your opponent is so far away. Sight becomes much more important. Hence, blindfold her, and she's essentially useless.

Yeah, she can use Elan's rapier again, but she's not exactly built for that kind of combat. Blindfolding her would still keep her from being able to dodge and use her reflex save appropriately, and she has very low hit dice compared to Roy, who excels at close combat.

[Hironomus]

or they could just break her bow. Which they did. and take her thieves tools which they probably did.
That just leaves escape artist which I don't think really requires sight to use effectively. Unless she wants to make sure her captor isn't looking her way.
It seems pointless to me.

[Kurald Galain]

Miko being spiteful would cover it. That's basically also why she locks Belkar in solitary confinement later.

[TriForce]

or they could just break her bow. Which they did. and take her thieves tools which they probably did.
That just leaves escape artist which I don't think really requires sight to use effectively. Unless she wants to make sure her captor isn't looking her way.
It seems pointless to me.


a good rogue always has a backup thieves tools, and a backup for those too probably... also, when using escape artist, its very useful if you see what your escaping out of.

yes its a mundane fix, but if it works, why do something else?

[Swordpriest]

a good rogue always has a backup thieves tools, and a backup for those too probably... also, when using escape artist, its very useful if you see what your escaping out of.

yes its a mundane fix, but if it works, why do something else?

Since the alternative would be something drastic, given the ability of rogues to get out of stuff in D&D, I'd say that was pretty much Miko's only choice, unless she wanted to Fall right away and get it over with. :smalleek:

[HappyBlanket]

Frankly, I don't see why she only blindfolded Haley. Granted it hinders her ability to escape and fight, but not much more than it would hinder any other member of the team.
Plus, with regards to ranged fighting, I just don't see a situation where someone (who is capable of fighting) keeping a blindfold on. She'd simply shrug it off before the first round.

Are there any other eye-based skills that Haley can perform that the other members can't?

[suszterpatt]

Are there any other eye-based skills that Haley can perform that the other members can't?
Petrifying gaze attack (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0378.html)

[SoC175]

Are there any other eye-based skills that Haley can perform that the other members can't? Being blind causes a penalty to her thievery skills. The others are just bad enough in these skills that Miko doesn't need to blindfold them

[Morquard]

Also the more people she blindfolds the higher the chances someone stumbles and pulls everyone else down with them, and then they have to stop, and it might cause a situation where one of them might actually get out of their chains or something.
Haley is dexterous enough to not fall that easily, I guess, so blindfolding her hinders her escape chances and doesn't severly lower the travelling speed.
Blindfolding all others would lower that without gaining any significant benefit.

[rayne_dragon]

Look at V. See the gag? That's because spellcasting usually requires you to speak, and Miko does not want the wizard using magic to escape.

Haley is a thief. Among her biggest talents are picking locks and escaping from chains. Both of these become a lot harder when you can't see.

Err... actually, neither of those require sight. Anyone who knows how to tie people up will make sure the knots or locks or whatever are behind you so if you want to be any good as an escape artist you have to be able to do it by feel. As for locks the mechanisms are all internal. You can't see any of the things you're manipulating to open the lock, so it is done completely by feel and sound.

[Swordpriest]

Err... actually, neither of those require sight. Anyone who knows how to tie people up will make sure the knots or locks or whatever are behind you so if you want to be any good as an escape artist you have to be able to do it by feel. As for locks the mechanisms are all internal. You can't see any of the things you're manipulating to open the lock, so it is done completely by feel and sound.

That's true in reality, not necessarily in D&D rules, though.

[Gnoman]

And even then it requires that you know that the paladin that captured you isn't looking at you. Harder to do that if you can't see.

[Dr.Epic]

Look at V. See the gag? That's because spellcasting usually requires you to speak, and Miko does not want the wizard using magic to escape.

Haley is a thief. Among her biggest talents are picking locks and escaping from chains. Both of these become a lot harder when you can't see.

Her hands are bound behind her back. She couldn't see the locks either way.

[HappyBlanket]

Her hands are bound behind her back. She couldn't see the locks either way.

It has already been established that D&D has a dice check penalty for blindness.

[martianmister]

I think Miko just dislike her for some reason... :smallamused:

[Hironomus]

I think Miko just dislike her for some reason... :smallamused:

I am going with that explanation. Actually I was wondering if there was some reference to eyes or something in an earlier comic, but that's unlikely since Miko has never known Haley to be able to talk.

[KillianHawkeye]

but that's unlikely since Miko has never known Haley to be able to talk.

Haley could talk just fine when Miko and the Order first met.

[zimmerwald1915]

I am going with that explanation. Actually I was wondering if there was some reference to eyes or something in an earlier comic, but that's unlikely since Miko has never known Haley to be able to talk.
Where did you get that idea? Haley lost her speech less than five strips before the second fight with Miko. She was able to talk, and did in fact talk quite loudly and often when Miko was around, all the time in between meeting Miko and her loss of speech.

[Hironomus]

You're right. My mistake.
But I still can't remember any reference to eyesight.

[SoC175]

Err... actually, neither of those require sight. However in D&D they get a -4 penalty without sight

But I still can't remember any reference to eyesight. It's under the rules for the blindness condition.

[Hironomus]

However in D&D they get a -4 penalty without sight
It's under the rules for the blindness condition.

I meant in the comic. As a personal reason why Miko would blindfold Hayley. If there is one. Which there probably isn't.

[HappyBlanket]

I meant in the comic. As a personal reason why Miko would blindfold Hayley. If there is one. Which there probably isn't.

Oh yeah! The blind penalty certainly has nothing to do with Miko's reasons. Afterall, what could possibly be the connection between D&D and OOTS anyway?

[Hironomus]

Oh yeah! Afterall, what could possibly be the connection between D&D and OOTS anyway?

The D&D rulebook does not contain information regarding Miko's personal reasons for inflicting pain on Hayley :smallannoyed:

[HappyBlanket]

What pain? As in the reason for using the blindfold?
The reason was, as stated by several posters prior, to impose a penalty to her dice check (which, if successful, would've allowed her to escape). The others are not subject to this particular inconvenience because they are already incapable of making the check, blind or not.

The pain of battle, which I'm almost sure you were not referring to, was because of her resistance. Everyone else who resisted received a similar beating.

Edit: Okay that was way too short. Elaboration in a moment.
Edit deus: I edited my last post after you quoted, but before you posted. That's probably significant.

[Hironomus]

Probably true. Almost definitely true. You'll have to forgive me for speculating.
IS there any reason why Miko would dislike Hayley in particular though?

[HappyBlanket]

I don't see why, or what the implications of an affirmative response would carry.

[Hironomus]

Dunno :smallcool:

[Swordpriest]

Well, V is gagged to prevent him from casting his spells, so presumably the blindfold serves a similar function -- that of preventing a class feature from being used.

[KillianHawkeye]

You can't Sneak Attack a target you can't see.

[snikrept]

Pshaaw. Everyone knows she's a half-something-that-has-a-gaze-attack.:smallbiggrin:

[zimmerwald1915]

Pshaaw. Everyone knows she's a half-something-that-has-a-gaze-attack.:smallbiggrin:
So Mia was a Ghaele (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/ghaele.htm)? :smallwink: