First off, I wanted to thank you all for your assistance and suggestions for the kobold warlock I asked about earlier. Unfortunately, my DM has expressed interest in the
recharge magic variant, which seriously dampens the appeal of the warlock, as now everyone can cast all day, everyday, and the lack of a recharge time just doesn't seem worth the hit they take in versatility.
So I have a second question. Knowing my group, I will be stuck playing the arcanist. I first wanted to play a Necromancer aiming for the True Necromancer prestige class from Libris Mortis, buuuut knowing my group no one would go for that. Then I considered a conjurer with an emphasis on summoned monsters. Then I remembered we already have 6 people playing and adding in a ridiculous amount of monsters is just going to slow things down, especially at higher levels.
Then I noticed Divination. Diviners are legendary (as in you hear about them and see feats and prestige classes for them but you've never actually seen one), and I wanted to try it out and see if they really do suck or are just severely underrated. The first character concept that came to mind, however, is that of a character with black hair, black robes, and a black blindfold. The stereotypical blind seer.
However, a blind character is SEVERELY hampered, so how might you balance a character with innate blindness with a standard character? An extra feat or two? Some other special ability? Is it too much effort to even try?
[EDIT]I should have added what Blind actually does.
Blinded
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.
crazy__sunshine - (no subject) [+6]
If you just want some flavor, you can easily say that your character is blind, but attains a sight-like awareness of the world through frequent premonitions. There's no mechanical effect, though, so I don't know how satisfying that would be.
I also realized he wouldn't be able to attack, as even area-effect spells would require some kind of aiming.
I didn't notice that about the spells, though. It's ironic how many divination spells actually require sight, considering some of the greatest diviners in fiction tend to be blind. :P
I thought of that but, at least in 3.0 with its pre-Nerfed Darkness spell, that is too easy to abuse in the company of enemies that really need light to see. An episode of "Hart to Hart" and pretty much every film with a blind character in peril relies on that twist.
Prying Eyes...no problem. The caster's vision doesn't enter into the picture at all. OTOH, your sense of internal consistency might be offended by the idea of a blind man being able to correctly interpret those funny sensations in his brain when the eyes play back their video.
Arcane Sight...change to Arcane Hearing, and magical auras have distinctive magical sound harmonics :)
True Seeing...definitely wouldn't work.
As previously noted, the spellbook could be in braille. Scrolls would be a bitch, though.
That's right. I didn't think of that. My familiar will be able to speak Common and be quite intelligent by that time, so that will work.
OTOH, your sense of internal consistency might be offended by the idea of a blind man being able to correctly interpret those funny sensations in his brain when the eyes play back their video.
If he suffered damage to the occipital lobe, then yes, but if he lost his blindness due to injury to the eyes or nerves, his brain is still capable of interpreting images. I haven't quite decided which I wanted for him.
True Seeing...definitely wouldn't work.
True Seeing would actually be quite useless anyway, since invisibility and visual illusions are already powerless against blind people.
"See anything unusual?"
*Squeek*
"Good."
Another fun variation might be a Transmogrifist (sp). Maybe the character has a lame leg or is very weak, but has a lot of spells that buff himself up and later transform his body. Check out psionics too.
Another spin on a caster is to go the "elementalist" route, but pick something different. Many people go for fire. I played one character that focused on air. He was very creative with using air-based spells for ways in which they were not intended. At higher levels he mixed in a lot of lightning, including taking a feat that let him change any elemental damage to his preferred type (in Tomb & Blood, back when that came out).
Just some ideas.
I did consider evoker. I was considering perhaps cold or lightning. I may end up doing that, since I can't seem to come up with a character concept that is not A) evil, or B) completely unworkable.
Option 1: You are blind as a bat. Your spellbook is in some form of arcane braille. Whenever you cast a spell, you "feel" the presence of others. Drawback: Cannot cast spells from scrolls, other spellbooks. Cannot copy spells from scrolls or other spellbooks without assistance, which requires someone who can read magic and takes twice as long to scribe. Benefit: While spellcasting, you gain Blindsight to a radius of 40'. Whenever you have a spell active that requires vision (such as True Seeing), the spell functions as if you could see.
Option 2: Your blindness is more for flavor and for an occasional roleplay device/benefit. Think Toph from Avatar. Your magical abilities have granted you a sort of second sight, which allows you, through magic, to see normally. Drawback: Select some likely condition that prohibits you from seeing normally. When in an area that suppresses magic, such as within an Anti-Magic Field, you are also unable to see. Benefit: Immune to gaze attacks and any other abilities that require the target to see.
Your character is "blind", but also a liar. In other words, he's not blind, but pretends to be blind to adhere to the prejudice that good diviners need to be blind.
;)
Though the more I think about it and the more I read these comments the more I realize how bad of an idea it really is. It seems to be far more trouble than it's worth.
For a Diviner, you might consider the Unseen Seer PrC from Complete Mage--it's a rogue/diviner cross that isn't shabby. Also, if you guys aren't irrationally afraid of Psionics, the psionic Seer type does a really good Diviner while still being able to contribute in fun and interesting ways.
Finally, if your group is the kind that makes it so you are "stuck playing an arcanist," you probably ought to do something about that. Play whatever class you want. If you really think you need an arcane caster (and for the record: you don't), let someone else do it (or you can play something with UMD to half cover the role if necessary). Getting stuck playing a character you don't like isn't all that fun.
It's not that I don't want to play an arcanist, I'm quite happy playing anything, it's just that each person in my group has a "favorite role" and never really breaks from it, and arcanist is the only one usually left open (managing a spellbook is considered too complicated by some people). One person always plays the rogue, one person always plays an elf, one person always plays the biggest, baddest character the rules allow, etc. I have been considering asking everyone to pick a race and class they've never played before, just to mix stuff up.
Everyone, meet your new characters!"