Unseeing Seer

[Hario]

So I was thinking of making a diviner who is completely blind. Then it struck me that if they are blind, they can't read books, are there any 'braile' like spell books in D&D or the likes, Any focus points might be good, I've been trying to think of how a blind person could become a wizard so easily, I can see sorcerer doing it very easily but its tough with a blind wizard.

[Dhavaer]

Complete Arcane has several spellbook variants, some of which would be appropriate for a blind mage.
You might also consider looking at the Prophet special ability from the DMG2.

[Ramza00]

Replace spellbooks with magical gems you attune yourself with.

[Quietus]

Personally, I'd run with a sorceror. If, however, you want to go for a wizard, why not? Just talk to the DM about there being braille in your world, or have him make it so you developed your own "language". I do like some of these other options, though.

The only issues with blind characters are their penalties... everything can sneak attack you, you have -4 to so many skills, and touch spells will be poor at best. But I think the biggest problem would be with Scrying, where some DMs run it mainly visual. But it does sound like a fun character idea! By the way, do you have a story behind him being blind? Or was he simply born that way?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Focused Perception (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Focused_Perception,CoP) and Hear the Unseen (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Hear_The_Unseen,CAd) would help you out greatly if blind.

I don't think it'd allow you to read however...

[J_Muller]

So, what, you're making Tiresias? How appropriate that you ask this question near G-B Week...

[The_Snark]

Blind-fight is pretty essential also; it means, among other things, that you keep your Dex to defense. There's a feat stemming off that that will let you get 5' blindsense, but I don't know how much use that would be to a wizard.

Blind seers are fun; I did one once, a cleric/loremaster.

For spellbooks, pretty much what everyone else said; use an alternative medium or a braille-like language. Scrolls are going to be the real sticking point.

[Ramza00]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34290
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19290

[Hario]

So, what, you're making Tiresias? How appropriate that you ask this question near G-B Week...
I don't quite understand this... girl/boy week?

edit: ramza I've seen the blind monk topics, but I see this a little different though blind sight is nice, I just basically want a seer who can scry and everything, also I got the idea from a character of another player in a larp I'm in, that character is currently obliterrated, its also harder to always be blind in a larp, than in D&D.

[crazedloon]

If you ask me you dont even need a special book of anysort. Spell books are not writen in english or even a normal language they are writen in code or signs it all depends on the writer (this is why you need to decode a book). So as far as yourspells you can just explain that your code is a series of indentations much like braile. Your real trouble comes when you want to transcribe someone elses book/scroll/spell becuase thats when you cant see it :smallwink:

[Hario]

If you ask me you dont even need a special book of anysort. Spell books are not writen in english or even a normal language they are writen in code or signs it all depends on the writer (this is why you need to decode a book). So as far as yourspells you can just explain that your code is a series of indentations much like braile. Your real trouble comes when you want to transcribe someone elses book/scroll/spell becuase thats when you cant see it :smallwink:

Now thats where I have it figured out, technically I can have an arcane eye prepped and read magic (I think it could work this way...), oh ho ho... or simply have the other spellcaster read it out for me...

[Everyman]

I agree with crazedloon. It is completely reasonable that your way of recording texts is simply a braille equivalent.

However, I would ask your DM one important question: Can I see when I scry? Just because your character is physically unable to see the world around him doesn't necessarily mean that spells could not enable him to do so. This works great when mixed with one of the various "eye" spells (assuming your DM allows it). It would also explain your incentive to learn arcane magics.

[Ramza00]

I don't quite understand this... girl/boy week?

edit: ramza I've seen the blind monk topics, but I see this a little different though blind sight is nice, I just basically want a seer who can scry and everything, also I got the idea from a character of another player in a larp I'm in, that character is currently obliterrated, its also harder to always be blind in a larp, than in D&D.

Understandable, though there is some overlap, and since it is useful to post past links to save people some time and to give you ideas.

[J_Muller]

I don't quite understand this... girl/boy week?

Gender-Bending. Check the thread in FB to understand.

To clarify, let me explain Tiresias.

In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a priest of Zeus, god of gods. One day, while he is walking in the forest, he sees two snakes... well, he sees two snakes getting it on. So he whacks them with his staff.

Angered by his treatment of the simple act of lovemaking, the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus, cursed him by turning him into a woman.

After spending seven years as a woman (becoming a priestess of Hera), Tiresias again sees two snakes coupling, and decides to leave them alone this time. As a reward, Hera turns him back into a man, and he resumes his position as a priest of Zeus.

Some time later, Zeus and Hera are arguing, this time about whether the man or the woman gets the greater pleasure from lovemaking. Zeus says women do, Hera says men do. Finding themselves at an impasse, they decide to go ask Tiresias, since he had made love as a man and then experienced it from the other side during his time as a woman.

Tiresias says that the woman experiences nine times the pleasure as the man during lovemaking. Angered over losing the argument, Hera curses him with blindness. Since Hera is too powerful for Zeus to restore Tiresias's sight, Zeus gives him the gift of prophecy.

Thus, bind seer who is also appropriate around the time of G-B week.

[Dant]

Hmm, this actually made me think of a character concept. Blind character who can only see magic. So everything is black except for sources of magic, which are basically glowing shapes or something. I don't think I've seen it anywhere but I'm probably subconsciously stealing it.

As for that whole GB thing, that sounds suspiciously like the plot for a certain FR epic magic user.
.

[Caelestion]

Actually, no Greek god can remove any divine gift or curse. Apollo gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy but, when she angered him, he couldn't remove it so he cursed her that she would never be believed. Thus, the "consolation prize" from Zeus.