Sensory-replacing magic?

[Cadd]

I'm slowly prepairing to run my first DF (or FATE, for that matter) game, and one of the players are kicking around a very interesting concept.

A blind character, born seeing but with some kind of disease or damage that made her lose her sight before ~2 years old. Magically talented but not properly aware of it, her magic has been making up for her lost eyesight, but when she realises (probably needs someone to give her the idea, even) her talents are much broader than that she will be able to start affecting more and more, essentially growing into her magic in game.

The inspiration started off with Agent Tilly (Changes), who uses a magical talent for recognizing lies without realising it's magic.

How would you represent this mechanically?

[InFerrumVeritas]

Agent Tilly has Supernatural Sense, pretty simple.  It would let him "hear" lies. 

Alternatively, it could be an aspect he invokes.

For a blind character: I would not charge to let them do something other plays get to do for free.  Just have a "I see with my magic" aspect which could be compelled (like with reading) or invoked (to see in darkness).  If their abilities started progressing past this into things which would be rather impossible, then that is precisely what Supernatural Senses was designed to be.

[Mr. Death]

My game has a wizard PC who's blind and sees through auras. The way we handled it was that the character has an aspect for it, and she has Supernatural Senses to have Lore stand in for Alertness when there are available auras to detect (such as rolling against ambushes, to notice people, etc.).

[Crion]

I'm going to second both Mr. Death and InFerrumVeritas.

If the character simply uses magic to "see," I'd throw it in as an Aspect to note that in some places, it can be a hindrance or a benefit (get a FP for being blind in a magic-null zone, or spending an FP for being able to see a spell being woven discreetly in a crowd). It also is a core part of the character, so I'd consider that an aspect regardless of any special powers.

It also ties in to what InFerrumVeritas said: this allows the player to do what everyone else at the table is doing, which can be a big thing depending on your group (I had a blind character in game; metagaming was an issue since they always "saw" what the group saw).

Now, if the player wanted to make it something a bit more than a "sometimes tag" and mesh in some aspects of a power that the character uses instinctively, then take Mr. Death's approach with the Supernatural Senses. I'd ask to have the player flesh out how EXACTLY they plan on seeing, and doing something fitting. Do they see Auras? Then Mr. Death's idea works. Do they see the general "life" in things, a flow of mana, or do they rely on magic the way Elaine does her hypersensitivity?

I think you get the picture, here.

[Cadd]

Thanks for the help, everyone! Some really awesome suggestions, and I think we'll probably run with simply having Aspects (probably HC, maybe Trouble aswell) to describe her different sensory input (Compel/Invoke when it differs drastically from regular sight), narratively "explained" by her having a magic ability (leaning toward Evocation), but another Aspect stating that she's unaware of her real potential.

This way, she gets to "see" roughly what everyone else does (cutting down metagaming), and can easily grow into her magic later (by gradually changing the aspect blocking it from use).

Does this seem like a manageable sollution?

[Quantus]

Is the plan for the extra senses to eventually develop into full blown Sight?  Sight is supposed to encompass all 5 senses and then some, so it might be interesting to progressively "unlock" different aspects of it, until eventually the player has the Sight.  It might make for some interesting games if something triggers their first Soulgaze, for example.  And at some point their senses would cross the threshold into the Indelible Memory bit, and they'd have to start dealing with the consequences of that until they learned to start turning their supernatural senses off (something they probably never had a need for up to that point).  Just a thought, but it could make for some interesting development arcs.

[Cadd]

I hadn't specifically thought that here eyesight-replacing magic was going to be later replaced by The Sight, but the plans are to have the character ultimately develop the full Wizard package.

For the eyesight-replacement I was thinking describing it as the latent magic supercharging her senses of touch and hearing enough to let her build a three-dimensional image of her immediate surroundings from non-visual senses, so no capacity to notice colors, only very limited ability to notice textures without touching and rapidly getting "fuzzier" at any distance more than 20 feet or so, but on the other hand more aware of what's behind her than others and sometimes able to notice things just around bends.

When she eventually develops (or rather discovers in-character) The Sight I was thinking letting it practically give her actual eyesight along with it, to make it all the more enticing to use. ("I can see colors, for God's sake!")
As for Soulgazes, my idea was for her to simply not be able to initiate a soulgaze before figuring out a way to use another sense. It could be an interesting thing that her nature as wizard (once it's fully realized) will make anyone locking eyes with her trigger a Gaze, but she can't actually willingly make it happen herself. Only later, after studying, she figures out a way to use touch - maybe touching someone else's eyes, or maybe "third eye" could trigger it.

The Soulgaze bit I'm not entirely sure of though, so I'd love input on that!

[Mrmdubois]

I don't see why a touch or something couldn't still initiate a soul gaze.

Palm reading for instance can be done via touch, and there are metaphors for examining people's hands to find out what kind of person they are.  Soft hands have led a life of leisure, an honest handshake is a firm one, etc.  Having a soul gaze triggered by a handshake could be really interesting.

[Quantus]

Hadnt really thought about the Blindness limiting the Soulgaze bit, but that is certainly an interesting Twist.  Having it triggered by a handshake might be interesting, though it might trip over the Aura sensing that normally comes from touching a practitioner's aura.  But then by the time Soulgazes would develop, it doesnt sound like the character would need actual contact for basic aura sensing.  I like the image of a Blind Palm-Reader, and that at least has some historic support.  Id stress that it takes a little more than instant contact to trigger, though, or it could become an annoyance to be triggering Soulgazes every time she meets somebody.  Recall that harry /can/ meet somebody's eyes for a moment or two, can can make eye contact that is particularly impersonal.  I would make it akin to a quick, professional handshake to somebody that lingers with the touch a bit, making it more personal. 

[Cadd]

Oh, nice! Thanks for the Soulgaze-through-handshake idea! Love it, and I think it can go over really well with the player aswell!

Thanks for all the help, I have some solid stuff to work off now

[Mrmdubois]

No problem.  Honestly coming up with narrative reasons why it can be done seems to be my favorite part of this game.

[Mr. Death]

In our game, the main provision is that the wizard (who wears sunglasses or a blindfold most of the time, the latter when she wants to appear more mystical) can see visually with The Sight open, and The Sight also allows her to Soulgaze.

[Quantus]

In our game, the main provision is that the wizard (who wears sunglasses or a blindfold most of the time, the latter when she wants to appear more mystical) can see visually with The Sight open, and The Sight also allows her to Soulgaze.

I never really thought about how something as simple as sunglasses would prevent a soulgaze, but if they are dark wnough to prevent eye contact I guess it makes sense.