Blindness?

[bradius]

A character in my game has been the victim of Blindness (Player's Guide pg. 102).

Anyone have any idea of how to cure him?

Thanks;

 

[Clovenhoof]

I don't have the Player's Guide, but off hand I'd say just have your resident Scholar concoct a healing salve out of obscure ingredients, and let the character go blindfolded a few days before the ointment does the trick. ^^

 

[Voltumna]

I think that's a pretty harsh spell, if I remember correctly, it actually rips the eyes of the victim, so there is no cure for that.

If you are the GM you could change the spell to actually cause blindness, then a counterspell should take care of that.

 

[Stygian Devout]

sounds like it's time for him to pick up the blind-fighting feats.

 

[Vortigern]

Sounds like it is time for a quest to the lost city of X, on far side of the mountain range A, where grows the mystical tree of Y, guarded by the hideous mishappen degenerate race of B, to get the superduper regenerative fruit Z.

Or something like that.

'Healing' magic is something I'm glad is not common in the game. True regeneration of something destroyed like that... even more rare, and even more glad.

To me this is something that shouldn't be easily done. A great quest at the very least, if it even can be done. And possibly not without some kind of great sacrifice or sorcery involved on top of the quest.

 

[Teriudin]

The oriental magic "Harmony of somethin' or other" in secrets of skelos MIGHT be interpreted as able to repair something like that - though you may require he actually have recovered said eyeballs.

Golden Wine maybe able to deal with it, if specially applied.

Demonic pacts would definately be able to fix it, but I don't know if the price would be worth it. This solution fits the Conan world I know.

There are 3 blind fighting feats - 1 in player's guide, and 2 in Hyboria's Fallen. I might be tempted to give the character the ability to gain these feats in exchange for skill points at the next level up and let them flounder around until that time.

That's a nasty spell, probably one of the nastiest in the game that isn't necromantic or summoning based.

 

[bradius]

Here's the suggestion from the unfortunate player: They're in Stygia and I told hiim to research Ancient Egypt to see if there is any spell or some such that dealt with this. His character is a scholar.:

"From my readings -- -- the ancients
believed that ox livers were curative for eyes and they would touch a mummy's
eye-areas with an ox heart to (hopefully) grant vision in the afterlife. As far
as a definite spell, the Wekbet Eye -- or whatever that eye drawing was called
-- was the only definite thing used to provide vision across the great divide.

I was going to include the use of ox testicles, drained
and calcified, smooth as obsidian and immersed over many moons in the spinal
fluid of bats. Once ready, these new eye-balls are lubricated in a specially
prepared solution of fruitseed extracts and herbs -- possibly even a lotus --
and kept lubricated once in place..."

 

[Sutek]

Clearly a scholar will need to be located to tell that player that the dead eyes of the witch of the forest, scooped from her cery skiull, can be put in place of his own, and he'll tell the party the secret to killing her and aid them in the ritual....for a price!

:twisted:

 

[Violetsaber]

A character in my game has been the victim of Blindness (Player's Guide pg. 102).

Waitaminute.... forgive my ignorance, but the Player's Guide has spells that the main Narrorator's Guide and Secrets of Skelos do not? If someone could be so kind, I'd like to know just how many spells, feats, and the like made it into this book that cannot be found anywhere else. Would it be worthwhile for me to invest in this book, or is it just one or two additional spells here and there?

 

[Demetrio]

A dozen spells and two variants.

There are also two dozen or so feats and a couple of combat manoeuvers as well as Aquilonian fencing.

 

[Vortigern]

Here's the suggestion from the unfortunate player: They're in Stygia and I told hiim to research Ancient Egypt to see if there is any spell or some such that dealt with this. His character is a scholar.:

"From my readings -- -- the ancients
believed that ox livers were curative for eyes and they would touch a mummy's
eye-areas with an ox heart to (hopefully) grant vision in the afterlife. As far
as a definite spell, the Wekbet Eye -- or whatever that eye drawing was called
-- was the only definite thing used to provide vision across the great divide.

I was going to include the use of ox testicles, drained
and calcified, smooth as obsidian and immersed over many moons in the spinal
fluid of bats. Once ready, these new eye-balls are lubricated in a specially
prepared solution of fruitseed extracts and herbs -- possibly even a lotus --
and kept lubricated once in place..."

I have to say the spell he came up with there is actually rather spiffy sounding. I might let him come up with something that would grant some sort of spiritual sight like that, while being incredibly horrible looking and whatnot. Probably not as good as regular sight for physical things, but perhaps giving him some benefits to being able to see spiritual/magical stuff.

 

[Violetsaber]

A dozen spells and two variants.

There are also two dozen or so feats and a couple of combat manoeuvers as well as Aquilonian fencing.

Thank you very much, I'll have to invest.

In response to the OP, I would PERSONALLY (and I'm not a very forgiving Game Master) make the unfortunate player learn to fight blind. There are several reasons for this, mostly that scholars are rare enough in Hyboria as it is. Finding one who knows healing arts instead of face-melting arts is even harder. Finding a healing scholor who wants to help you instead of rule the world? That's next to impossible...maybe if he's lucky, his character will find one twenty years from now.

Also, having someone RP'ing a deadly blind character is glorious, and very Conan in my opinion.

If that option is too unforgiving for you, then I'd at least recommend that the player have to do something horrible to get eyes again, like get new ones from a dead enemy...and have to pay a price to the scholar who binds the new flesh into his skull. This price may vary, but I imagine something like the loss of another sense (scent, hearing, touch, or taste) or a beloved body part (arm, leg, tounge, or something even more personal).

On the other hand, is it possible for the players to track down the scholor who did it and force him to cast a reversal spell?

Just some ideas.

 

[LilithsThrall]

A dozen spells and two variants.

There are also two dozen or so feats and a couple of combat manoeuvers as well as Aquilonian fencing.

Thank you very much, I'll have to invest.

In response to the OP, I would PERSONALLY (and I'm not a very forgiving Game Master) make the unfortunate player learn to fight blind. There are several reasons for this, mostly that scholars are rare enough in Hyboria as it is. Finding one who knows healing arts instead of face-melting arts is even harder. Finding a healing scholor who wants to help you instead of rule the world? That's next to impossible...maybe if he's lucky, his character will find one twenty years from now.

Also, having someone RP'ing a deadly blind character is glorious, and very Conan in my opinion.

If that option is too unforgiving for you, then I'd at least recommend that the player have to do something horrible to get eyes again, like get new ones from a dead enemy...and have to pay a price to the scholar who binds the new flesh into his skull. This price may vary, but I imagine something like the loss of another sense (scent, hearing, touch, or taste) or a beloved body part (arm, leg, tounge, or something even more personal).

On the other hand, is it possible for the players to track down the scholor who did it and force him to cast a reversal spell?

Just some ideas.

I disagree on a couple of points, but agree with the overall tone
If I were a Sorcerer who wanted to take over the world, mastering the healing arts is certainly a great way to do it. Nothing can twist the screws on an enemy more tightly than you being the only one who can cure his disease (and, hey, if you just happened to be the one who afflicted him with it in the first place *shrug*). The power to save lives is much more potent than the power to take lives. A sorcerer may figure out how to heal the character in return for a favor or two (an assassination attempt against one of the sorcerer's enemies?). Or a demon could demand that the blind character offer up the eyes of one of the character's friends - just making that offer in front of the other PCs is enough for all kinds of interesting story lines.
But I'd also consider giving the blind character the blind fighting feat for free as long as he's blind and I may put the party in a few situations where the blindness is a benefit - fighting a medusa type demon, for example - every once in a while to keep the player from getting discouraged. Clever thinking on the part of the player - blowing out candles and the like to balance the playing field - would be rewarded. I could also see him getting a faithful servant to serve as a guide.

 

[Ichabod]

Lot of concern over being able to fight blind. No concern for how Decipher Script, Spot, Search, et al are nearly or completely useless? For how every environment needs to be described? For how hard it is to determine which way to go? To run?

On a general note, I can understand players who would rather be dead than maimed; it's a lot easier creating a new character than playing with a cripple.

 

[LilithsThrall]

Lot of concern over being able to fight blind. No concern for how Decipher Script, Spot, Search, et al are nearly or completely useless? For how every environment needs to be described? For how hard it is to determine which way to go? To run?

On a general note, I can understand players who would rather be dead than maimed; it's a lot easier creating a new character than playing with a cripple.

Decipher script? Really? Do your sighted characters use that skill a lot? As for search and spot, I'd still let the player use them. I'd just describe the results of succesful roles non-visually.

 

[Voltumna]

Look for a thread on Asuran mysteries in this forum, the mysteries let you get increasing powers of perception based on sound (listen checks). I always tkought you could make a Zatoichi character with those.

If you look at the invisibility rules on the 2e, you can see how the mystical powers of transcendental sound perception of the Asuran initiates, can very well overcome blindness.

 

[Teriudin]

If the player happened to learn "Shed the Skin" from the serpent school, I'd let them reform with eyes.

Also, some of the divination spells can give unnatural sight for a short while, like projection and visions.

 

[bradius]

Wow! Great suggestions. Thanks.

There still is some hope for the unfortunate PC.

Blindness is a horrific spell. But, considering the circumstances, I don't feel bad about infliciting it on this player.

 

[Sutek]

Lot of concern over being able to fight blind. No concern for how Decipher Script, Spot, Search, et al are nearly or completely useless? For how every environment needs to be described? For how hard it is to determine which way to go? To run?

On a general note, I can understand players who would rather be dead than maimed; it's a lot easier creating a new character than playing with a cripple.

Spot, Search and Survival-based "Know Direction" are very easily explained, as blind people do it all the time. They use auditory and touch sensory cues instead, is all. Smelling the direction of a river to locate fresh water; feeling the heat of the rising sun and keeping it to your left before midday keeps you walking North; hearing the slink of a sword being drawn, because opponents can move silently by not draw weapon silently...

Watch a Zatoichi movie, man.

I had a blast for long while playing a fighter/rogue in D&D that had lost his left arm to a weird vine creature, and losing points off of climb and stuff like that was never so much fun. It really helped me form an idea of who he was after such a trauma.

 

[Teriudin]

I have to concur - a seriuos disability is a lot of fun to roleplay on occasion, or at least very memorable and should not be avoided. Sure, if the player wants out, a path should be available within reason. However, I just had my character maimed (not blindness, but took a big charisma and listen hit - guess what I lost) and I had a blast roleplaying that out (and some non-roleplaying humor too).