Making a combat-viable blind PC

blindpathfinder-2especial-senses

A streamer I found was talking about the P2E Reading Ring, which is designed to give blind characters a way to read in-game. That got me wondering: How would one go about making a combat-viable PC who is blind? I'm thinking like the blind master in Circle of Iron, or perhaps even Daredevil.

I'm assuming (so probably wrong) that a P2E blind character would effectively always have the blinded condition. The big handicaps there being that they effectively move at half speed (everything is rough terrain), and you have to use other senses, which will be by default imprecise (hearing) or even vague (smell). Imprecise means that other creatures are hidden, which in turn means -2 to your own AC, and a DC11 flat check (50/50 chance) to be able to target them.

That seems too harsh to be viable. Which means we probably need to find a way to upgrade our other senses to precise, or at least mitigate that precise hidden penalty up to Concealed.

So what are the workable options here? Or are there really none, short of throwing myself on the uncertain mercy of my GM and asking for hearing to get upgraded to precise (on the theory that this would put the PC no better off than a standard character)?

One thing I found is the level 1 focus spell hyperfocus, which sharpens imprecise senses to precise for up to a minute. Assuming the character refocuses between fights (and can purposely fail the saves), that would allow them to operate effectively in melee range at will. I'm not sure what one has to do to get access to it though. Perhaps be a Champion or Cleric with the Delirium domain.

Another option would be a Barbarian that took acute scent and instinctive strike. However, that's a 2 feat investment, doesn't come online until level 8, and only allows that one 2-action strike without the flat check. Supernatural Senses at level 4 would reduce the check on other attacks to a flat check of 3, for another feat spent.

Heat Vision might work, if you could come up with a good explanation for how PC can see heat but not light (I guess real-world Vipers do this). However, its a rank 3 spell, so it doesn't come online until level 6, and only lasts an hour until upcast to 6 (at level 12).

That's all I've been able to find. Is there anything else/better I missed?

Best Answer

Paizo's Suggestion

Paizo writes about this in the Core Rulebook, saying specifically:

Conditions such as blinded and deafened aren’t a good fit for a character who has been living with a disability long-term.

So don't use the blinded condition verbatim. Their specific recommendation for blindness:

A blind character can’t detect anything using vision, critically fails Perception checks requiring sight, is immune to visual effects, and can’t be blinded or dazzled. You might give this character the Blind-Fight feat for free.

A character with impaired vision might take a –2 to –4 penalty to vision-based Perception checks. Spectacles or other corrective devices might reduce or remove this.

Related Topic