Blind Wizard?

[Taskill_Mckennan]

I've been running my game for at least a month or so now. and I've an NPC Zoe, who is a blind wizard. She's got no formal training because she's never been able to actually do her magic since she doesn't really know the difference. However she has innate control over air magic and uses it as a sort of Echo-location (Objects disrupt the flow of air, she can "see" where the air is "Missing" ) I was just wondering if by DresdenVerse rules it's possible for a wizard to be Born with disabilities and keep them through there life, or if i'll have to go the "Eyeball's plucked out" route to explain her blindness

[Mr. Death]

Make it one of her aspects, and compel it whenever it should pose a problem. A group I'm in has a similarly blind wizard (she sees Auras, but that's it), and it works the same way. What we did was give her the Supernatural Senses (Aura) power, with the in-game effect that she uses Lore instead of Alertness to detect things that have an aura (so badguys, yes, mundane objects no). Zoe could have something similarly themed.

[Taskill_Mckennan]

Make it one of her aspects, and compel it whenever it should pose a problem. A group I'm in has a similarly blind wizard (she sees Auras, but that's it), and it works the same way. What we did was give her the Supernatural Senses (Aura) power, with the in-game effect that she uses Lore instead of Alertness to detect things that have an aura (so badguys, yes, mundane objects no). Zoe could have something similarly themed.

Cool, That was my original idea, I just wasn't sure if it was proper for the setting what with wizards amazing healing powers

[Mr. Death]

What "wizards amazing healing powers"?

If you're referring to the fact they heal completely, that still takes a lot of time--they heal at exactly the same speed as normal humans, and it's unclear if it would count for inborn disabilities, if at all.

[Manifest]

I have a question would this wizard's blindness give the NPC or PC a refresh point lets say:

[+1] Blind

I was debating this ever since I started listening to the new Fandible Actual Play release where they introduced a blind NPC.

[Mr. Death]

I saw on the custom powers list something called Disability Super(natural) Power that allows for benefits like that. It's not really in the rules to give back refresh for that sort of thing, but you can read that thread for info on it. I would say to just handle things like that as an aspect.

[Taskill_Mckennan]

What "wizards amazing healing powers"?

If you're referring to the fact they heal completely, that still takes a lot of time--they heal at exactly the same speed as normal humans, and it's unclear if it would count for inborn disabilities, if at all.

yeah I meant full healing I was rushed so didnt really say it proper

[Sanctaphrax]

I have a question would this wizard's blindness give the NPC or PC a refresh point lets say:

[+1] Blind

I was debating this ever since I started listening to the new Fandible Actual Play release where they introduced a blind NPC.

I'd advise against it. Aspects are probably a much better way to handle a problem like this.

[InFerrumVeritas]

I'd advise against it. Aspects are probably a much better way to handle a problem like this.

This.  I may allow it only if it's used to offset the cost of Supernatural Senses or something. 

[gantrakk]

Could have a very interesting trade with use of the sight there alow you to see where you are going with the constant risk of insanity.

[Praxidicae]

This topic has raised an interesting thought problem, I'd wonder if the Sight would even work for a blind wizard, or if it did, how it would manifest, would the ability simply tag onto another sense instead?

My understanding (and I'm sure someone will tell me if I'm way off base) is that the Sight 'simply' takes the metaphysical nature of the wizards immediate area, along with the input of all senses and channels that into a visual image that a mere mortal mind can comprehend and hopefully interpret.

Assuming that the Sight translated whatever the input was at least partially into some form of imagery, would a blind wizard be able to actually utilise that imagery in a useful way? Wouldn't interpreting the visual constructs require some form of reference point regarding what things actually look like, not a problem for someone who was sighted at some point in their life (though as mentioned they would probably heal anyway through Wizard's Constitution), but for someone who was born blind, some of the esoteric imagery that usually accompanies a viewing through the Sight would likely be entirely incomprehensable.

I'm pretty much basing all of this on the line in YS on pg 223:

"When you open your Third Eye, you perceive everything about the world visually"

Any thoughts, or am i massively overthinking things here.

NB: As a plus, the character would presumably be immune to Soulgazes.

[Katarn]

I'd run it a la Toph Bei Fong, from the TV Show A:TLA.

*She can see anything her Aeroamancy "touches"- so if something was inside a clear box, or behind a wall, she wouldn't know.
*A circle would limit her vision
*Immune to soulgaze, but no Sight either

[gantrakk]

I wouldn't say that the sight being an extra sensory perception ability and being occasionally referred too as your third eye would have anything to do with your actual eyes that merely being a name used because it is usually interpreted visually because humans are visual creatures and we to a large extent ignore our other senses in favour of sight. How it would be mentally interpreted for a person who had been blind from birth is an interesting question which I have no idea.

To the soul gaze issue that's another difficult one but since in game terms I belive soul gazes have to be consensual (is that right?) so may not come up a lot and could go either way could be an interesting pain to accidently soul gaze someone because you didn't realise you were looking into their eyes. But then there is a case in the books I can think of in which a doctor looks into Harry's eyes and nothing happens because it's just business.

Something to consider is also that the sight and soul gaze are musts for the wizard template and I would guess at leased the sight would be needed to be accepted as a wizard so Sorcerer may fit better this also goes with the back story in the OP as it seems a major difference is that sorcerers have no proper training and Wizards do.

To the healing question I really have no idea but something like blindness could take many many years to heal if it could be done for a wizard so the character could have a few decades/centuries to go and so no need to worry or possibly if born with it can you heal something that isn't an injury?

[Vargo Teras]

Ghost Story contains the explicit statement that the Sight is not purely visual: someone using the Sight can hear things that would be otherwise inaudible.  Since most humans rely on vision most heavily of the senses, it makes sense that they would translate information that they expect to see (e.g., a demonic presence lurking in the corner) in visual terms, but information they'd expect to hear (e.g., said demonic presence threatening them with torment unending) will translate aurally.

[Orladdin]

To the soul gaze issue that's another difficult one but since in game terms I belive soul gazes have to be consensual (is that right?)

Soulgazes are non-consentual (though, in the game you can avoid them through RP)...

But then there is a case in the books I can think of in which a doctor looks into Harry's eyes and nothing happens because it's just business.

... but they're all about intimacy.  A blind wizard with soul gaze, instead of meeting someone's eyes for a prolonged period,  might have to touch foreheads with someone, or press hands palm-to-palm with them.  Blind people commonly feel faces to become accustomed to how someone "looks" so maybe this would be when its triggered.  It's new territory, but don't be afraid to explore it.