Blindness and Astral Percept, Shadowrun Rules Options

[Orion]

If you are blind, can you take Astral Perception? Also, if you use Astral Perception to fire a weapon, do you negate all sight penalties except for the +2 applied for using Astral Perception.

I ask because we have a player in a game whose character is blind. He's a physical adept with Blind Fighting and Astral Perception. He centers against penalties imposed from the astral perception and even if its in total darkness, raining, or smog, he only has the +2 modifier.

Granted, I'm a little jealous cause I didnt think of this abuse of the rules first, but I keep thinking there must be a catch somewhere.

So now I'm running a game, and a friend of his has asked to make the same character in my game. While I'm going to say no just because its annoying, it would really be helpful if there is some way I can explain this as being wrong.

Any ideas?

[mfb]

yes. yes.

i believe that fog imposes perception modifiers on astral perception. check out MitS.

the downside to percieving all the time is, you're always subject to attack from the astral plane.

[Shockwave_IIc]

It would be worse if the Character in question was Dual Natured. No +2 at all that way.

A thread that might be worth reading.

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...s,and,blindness

[Kanada Ten]

Also note that the source of light on the Astral Plane is from life. Sterile areas and those where life is choked from existence (say, for instance, inside some smog clouds), astral light is reduced.

[Orion]

[Kanada Ten]

Background Count is added to Astral Perception TNs and areas with heavy pollution do create a Background Count, as do totally sterile areas. That table is in MitS along with descriptions of the various levels.

[Sokei]

ok I have a question along these lines. Dual natured pc's see the astral plane and the physical plane simutaniously like thermo vision in trolls , am i correct? Now along the lines of light and dark modifiers would a dual nature being be able to see in total PYHSICAL darkness but with the faint light given off on the astral. also would they ever gain bonuses for or against them based on number of people/life present (ie jungle fighting etc). I realized alot of that last question is probably up to the GM but i was just curious what the general concensus was.

[mfb]

light and dark modifiers don't apply to anyone viewing the astral plane. the astral is sufficiently lit by the astral form of the earth itself to see just fine, even in otherwise total darkness.

mods for excessive life (jungle, the top few meters of the ocean) are covered in MitS.

[Sokei]

thanks

[akarenti]

[Kanada Ten]

Microbiologcials also light the astral plane. No words can be read while projecting, though percieving characters can since their normal vision also applys (unless they are blind, but reading is not as important in the 6th World).

[mfb]

you can see non-living objects with astral perception just fine. they appear in muted colors, but you can still see them, and they're still lit by the light of the earth's astral form.

[Kanada Ten]

I don't remember any mention of the Earth's glow third edition. I'm not even sure it's considered alive anymore.

[akarenti]

[hahnsoo]

[Kanada Ten]

It can't be dual natured.

[hahnsoo]

[Kanada Ten]

Which makes no sense. And I am being an ass about it. It is not logical to allow astral beings to pass through dual natured objects.

[hahnsoo]

[Kanada Ten]

Oh, I remember the whole section now, and why I blocked it out. But thanks for looking it up.

[hahnsoo]