The blind mage, A problem with targeting? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[Karoline]

So, I've seen it come up a couple times before, and was having trouble finding a thread on it (I'm sure there has been), so I figured I'd make a new thread to ask:

Can a blind mage target anything on the physical plane without touching it?

Now, it seems like most people accept that a blind mage can target the physical plane without trouble while astrally perceiving. The problem I have with that is that an aura cannot be used to target something, and there is never anything which states that astral can target a spot on the physical plane by saying 'that spot right there but on the physical plane'.

The closest I can find is

An astrally perceiving
(or otherwise dual natured) magician can cast spells on a
target in either the physical world or in astral space.

but it doesn't specify that you can use astral sight to target something, simply that it is possible to cast a physical spell while perceiving, which can be done via touch spells, or in the case of duel natured creatures, by viewing through their physical senses.

So, is there anything more concrete that says you can in fact use astral sight to target a spell on the physical plane?

[DeathStrobe]

I think the idea is that you're channeling the mana to a location, not a person per se. Its just coincidence that there is a person standing there.

If you can't do that, then what's the point of making some spells work only in the real world while others don't. Basically, if I'm dual natured, and I cast fireball, it can ONLY hit dual natured critters. It can't start fires, like it says it can, it can't hit spirits or astral projecting mages, so basically there is no way you can REALLY cast fireball if you're blind.

While it does make some sense, I'd say because you're dual nature while astrally perceiving that you can channel mana on both the physical and the astral.

But of course, if there is something in the astral that breaks your line of sight, like a mysterious mountain or whatever, that only exists in the astral, you clearly can't hit the mobster in the physical that doesn't even perceive that there is a mountain that he is standing in. If that' makes sense.

Basically, you can only channel mana to locations you can see. And because you can't see through walls, it means everything in the real world that would normally break line of sight, still does break LoS in the Astral (no psychic radar). And in the case of glass or astral phenomena (like Alchera) things that wouldn't break LoS in the physical would can still break LoS in Astral.

Does having Blind/Reduced Sight mean that you cannot physically see a target at all?

That's true, you (only?) take a -6 targetting modifier if you wanted to try and make a blind shot.


While on the topic of blind awaken characters, while astral perception can't see through glass, I was wondering if the blind character is wearing glasses would that make them blind in the astral? My concept would be that blind mages aren't really using their eyes, its more of a 6th sense thing, so it wouldn't matter. But if that's the case too, if they wear any helmet that would theoretically blind them because they couldn't use their "minds eye" to see the astral. Maybe I'm over thinking this too much...

This post has been edited by DeathStrobe: May 9 2010, 04:15 PM