Listening Like a Boss

[kirerellim]

So. I'm making a blind character with listen and seeking arrows among other things lol. I want all the listen. I'll dip in classes, feats(if good), magic items. So far I have just a wisdom bonus, a dip in nightsong enforcer, and am a halfling.

[shylocke]

So. I'm making a blind character with listen and seeking arrows among other things lol. I want all the listen. I'll dip in classes, feats(if good), magic items. So far I have just a wisdom bonus, a dip in nightsong enforcer, and am a halfling.

Blind fight feat? Buy a blindfold of true darkness. Gives sixty foot blind sight. Where you born blind or was there an incident?

[Diovid]

Listen to This skill trick (Complete Scoundrel)
Hear the Unseen feat (Complete Adventurer)
Keen-Eared Scout feat (Player's Handbook II)
Quick Reconnoiter feat (Complete Adventurer)
Alertness feat
Skill Focus (Listen) feat

Edit, here are some more ideas:

Play a scout (Complete Adventurer)
Get the Combat Awareness feat (Player's Handbook II)
Take 1 level of the Horizon Walker prc
Take 1 level of the Exemplar prc (Complete Adventurer)
Take Levels in the Reachrunner prc (Races of Eberron), requires you to be a Shifter*

*This does allow you to take the Shifter Instincts feat (Races of Eberron).

[kirerellim]

Blind fight not needed cause I'm using seeking arrows, and I'm going to be born that way. I don't want to cancel out the blindness I just want to max my listen to be able to hear things and shoot at them far away. I've got a ... 25 listen check so if there is a battle nearby for example, I could shoot then at 250 ft away lol. It's why I need seeking arrows. I'm also going into soulbow for the phase arrows.

[shylocke]

Then in would listen to Diovid. Maybe look into a bow of true arrows. Gives a +20 to hit. Arms and equipment I think.

[Venger]

if you like soulbow check out this awesome class (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20030426b)

[bekeleven]

Like all non-full-caster concepts, Factotum/Chameleon is the right answer or close to it.

Factotum 8 / Chameleon 3, for instance, gets you +8 to listen 1/day (Factotum), plus a number of excellent spells: That art Thou (Divine 1, +20 for R/L), Primals Senses (Divine 3, +5 Competence, all day), Unity Wine (D1, +1 Morale for H/L), Wieldskill (D1, Competence +5, M/L), Fleeting Fortune (D1, Immediate action +5 Luck to 1 check), Divine Insight (D2, Discharge for +6 insight to 1 check), Good Hope (D3, Morale +2 for M/L), Focusing Chant (D1, Circumstance +1, M), Immediate Assistance (D1, Immediate action reroll 1 skill), Improvisation (D1, +3 Luck to 4 listen checks), and you're two levels from Essence of the Raptor (D4, +8, 10M/L). Oh, and Horse's Nose (Divine 2, Scent for H/L). Plus a number of ways to grant yourself forms of vision, but I assume you don't want those for concept reasons.

Biggest problem with this build is Int/Wis split, which is really hard to eliminate. Especially since Keen Intellect gives int to every wis-based skill except listen.

Ranger would also be a good entry to chameleon if you can swing the requirements.

[The Viscount]

If you're maximizing listen, anthropomorphic bat has +6 to wis, though small reduces soulbow damage (for some reason).

[Fouredged Sword]

Needs more listening lorecall!

[bekeleven]

Needs more listening lorecall!

Oh, duh. I never optimize listen specifically (most everything I listed were general skill boosts) so I forgot about it. Yes, it gives +4 insight for 10M/L and if you have ranks it can give you blindsense 30 and blindsight 15.

Also: If you don't take Blind-Fight, Clarity of Mind is a 2nd level divine spell that grants most of the benefit for H/L. And Caster Level = double your chameleon level.

Final note: My favorite vision-booster is Dragonsight, a 5th level Bard/Wizard spell. It grants high-range LLV, Darkvision, and Blindsense.

Spells for blindsight (besides Lorecall) include Sandform (turn into sand ooze, tons of immunities, blindsight 60, Wiz/Drd 4); Blindsight (BS30 for M/L. Divine 2, Arcane 3); Greater Blindsight (BS60 for M/L, Drd4). And, um, shapechange?

[kirerellim]

I like quick reconnoiter and keen eared scout, those are amazing.

Mostly looking for dips rather than builds as I'm focusing on soulbow. Though I might switch to the one mentioned above lol that phase shot is stronger.

Listening lorecall is nice enough for the +4, but I care not for the other effects lol.

[Venger]

Spells for blindsight (besides Lorecall) include Sandform (turn into sand ooze, tons of immunities, blindsight 60, Wiz/Drd 4); Blindsight (BS30 for M/L. Divine 2, Arcane 3); Greater Blindsight (BS60 for M/L, Drd4). And, um, shapechange?

amorphous form gives the exact same bonuses/immunities as sandform (less the hide bonus in sandy terrain, but that doesn't come up that often), lacks the will save vs penalty on anything when you want to be useful, and is one level lower.

aspect of the wolf, a 1st, gives scent and LLV.

scorpion sense, a feat from sandstorm, gives tremorsense.

[bekeleven]

amorphous form gives the exact same bonuses/immunities as sandform (less the hide bonus in sandy terrain, but that doesn't come up that often), lacks the will save vs penalty on anything when you want to be useful, and is one level lower....But doesn't give blindsight.


aspect of the wolf, a 1st, gives scent and LLV.A solid spell. I'm not 100% sure the mechanical interaction of giving LLV to a blind character, and I kind of think it won't work - and even if it did, that would probably invalidate the character concept even more than blindsight would (hey, it's in the name). I chose Horse's Nose because it's an all-day buff, but Aspect of the Wolf isn't a bad source of smell at 10 Minutes / Level.

[kirerellim]

Venger: Also, I just want to say, that Ballister class is what the soulbow should have been lol. I love the soulbow, I really do, but I think as a psionic class, even if it didn't get abilities it should have gotten power points and the toggleable abilities like that class did.

[eggynack]

Linked perception (PHB II, 117) is a druid 2 or ranger 1 spell that grants allies (including yourself) in a 20 ft. radius a +2 to spot and listen for each ally in that radius, for minutes/level. In other words, it can theoretically provide a ridiculous bonus to listen checks, especially if you define ally broadly. A sack of rats, made friendly by wild empathy, could let you beat just about any listen check in existence.

[kardar233]

You could also dip Binder for Malphas and get a raven to spot for you, if that doesn't violate your concept.

[kirerellim]

Eggynack: Hmm... I like that spell, maybe with leadership lol.

Kardar233: Naw, I want him to be unable to see. It just seems awesome to have a blind character with no sight at all lol.

[Invader]

Without blindfight aren't you still going to take the penalty for being blind even with a high listen modifier even with seeking arrows.

[kirerellim]

Seeking: Only ranged weapons can have the seeking ability. The weapon veers toward its target, negating any miss chances that would otherwise apply, such as from concealment. (The wielder still has to aim the weapon at the right square. Arrows mistakenly shot into an empty space, for example, do not veer and hit invisible enemies, even if they are nearby.)

I can use listen to find the right square. So... as far as I know, no lol.

Edit: Well, technically yes for completely silent foes, and a few other situations.

[Invader]

Seeking: Only ranged weapons can have the seeking ability. The weapon veers toward its target, negating any miss chances that would otherwise apply, such as from concealment. (The wielder still has to aim the weapon at the right square. Arrows mistakenly shot into an empty space, for example, do not veer and hit invisible enemies, even if they are nearby.)

I can use listen to find the right square. So... as far as I know, no lol.

Edit: Well, technically yes for completely silent foes, and a few other situations.

Right but you still have to aim it as well. Unless there's a rule that says listening really well negates blindness you'd still take the penalties.

[Fyermind]

There isn't a to-hit penalty for targetting an invisible foe (which everyone is when you are blind), just a 50% miss chance that seeking avoids. Seeking really is the key here.

[Invader]

There isn't a to-hit penalty for targetting an invisible foe (which everyone is when you are blind), just a 50% miss chance seeking avoids. Seeking really is the key here.

But you still have to know where your target is. You cant just blindly fire and say the arrow hits the target I want to, unless again listening allows you to identify a targets exact location. It might, I'm not saying it doesn't, I'd just need to see the rules on it.

[kirerellim]

A creature can use hearing to find an invisible creature. A character can make a Listen check for this purpose as a free action each round. A Listen check result at least equal to the invisible creature's Move Silently check result reveals its presence. (A creature with no ranks in Move Silently makes a Move Silently check as a Dexterity check to which an armor check penalty applies.) A successful check lets a character hear an invisible creature "over there somewhere." It's practically impossible to pinpoint the location of an invisible creature. A Listen check that beats the DC by 20 pinpoints the invisible creature's location.

That is how I would locate them. This is because....

The character cannot see. He takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class, loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), moves at half speed, and takes a –4 penalty on Search checks and on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Spot checks) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) to the blinded character. Characters who remain blinded for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.

Edit: Also I have Keen-Eared Scout (thanks Diovid!) which lowers that check to +10, and give me a +5 bonus to listening for invisible creatures.

[Invader]

Ahh I never play in epic campaigns, I wasn't familiar with that rule.