Just quickly, a little something that might come in handy for TG (TA is really stuffed to the brim as it is).
When one fights monsters long enough, someone is bound to be scarred for life down the line.
And sometimes these scars will take the form of mangled limbs, brain damage, and depressingly common, blindness.
Some hunters simply hang up the cloak and throw in the towel at this point.
But others, especially in this cinematic universe, not only The Band Of Light overcome such minor considerations, they master their weakness and turn it into a
strength. These are of course advanced play options that only experienced and/or mature player should take.
The proposed "Crippled Master" abilities are:
1) Options that can be taken by characters who have been maimed, brain-damaged or blinded that allows them to still be heroic, albeit at a terrible cost.
2) Taken at the begining of character creation as a tragic background; perhaps it being crippled by (and perhaps simultaneously losing loved ones to) a monster that inspired you to overcome your weakness to become an angel of vengeance.
Over the next three posts, I will discuss the following iconic disabilites that hunters can acquire during (and before) their careers, and how they can be made STRONGER for it.
BlindnessEmotionally Lobotimized (Insanity or actual brain damage)Mangled LimbsFor the sake of brevity, I will focus on ONE disability per post.
Today,
The Blind Weapon Master and Martial BlindessThe Blind Weapon Master, as her name implies, is lost forever to the world of light. One can ill-afford to underestimate this unseeing warrior, however, for she "sees" the
entire world around her clearer than any eye can through her hearing, smell, touch and taste, honed to the peak of human perfection. Typical weapons of choie include The Sword, The Bow (or crossbow) and of course, the Cane and Walking Staff (with a hidden sharpened end to welcome the occasional bloodsucking visitor.....)
AdvantagesThe Blind Weapon Master "sees" much in the way a bat does, being able to discern distance and position of opponent, friend, weapon and foe through the relative sound of the object. Hence not only can they fight as well as the unimpared in light, they are not in least hindered by complete darkness either. Their tactile sense, coupled by the feel of air flowing around them, ensures that they will always be aware of where their position in battle.
Although this naturally makes challenging blind melee combatants in darkness a dangerous prospect, it is the blind sniping-archer that truly becomes deadly in the dead of night. Foolish is the monster that thinks the shadows of the forrest will offer refuge from her silvered arrows if he makes a single sound, be it a barely audible footstep or merely breathing too heavily.....
Aside from combat, the perpetual acuity of the Blind Weaponmaster's awareness makes them impossible to surprise, and even harder to lie to if he or she can feel your pulse. Not to mention that she is able to pick up clues otherwise literally over-looked by people with sight, such as the texture of a victim's dress, the smell of rare chemicals, or be just in time to taste that walnutty-texture of cyanide.
Not to mention that with their exact sense of distance and position, not even the Dark Fairy Queen's eternal Hedge-Maze or even The Minotaur's Maze can defeat their exact memory of their footsteps.....
DisadvantagesClear as day, being blind in 19th century Europe comes with many unpleasant complications. Before the invention of brail, your character is effectively illiterate in a world where information is transferred through writing.
There is also the
social stigma of blindness being associated with the poor and destitute, which can be awkward in the occasional business deal with important potential allies who simply cannot overcome the prejudices of their 19th Century Victorian Upbringing.
And though you may be an archer without peer, do note that clamorous din of firearms can do much to throw off your preternatural senses, which is why they are useless to you.
Indeed, your character can be "blinded" so to speak by loud enviroments, be it a fire-fight or the pipe organs and church bells of a cathedral.
And of course, you'll never catch on to the rude gestures those urchins make at you, even if you CAN easily catch them picking your pocket.
Realistic Examples of Martial Blindness1) Taiwan has a thriving community of blind masseuses, whose acuity of touch allows them to play the nerves and tendons of your body like the way a bard plays an instrment. The most soothing and theraputic of experiences.
2) Blind musicians, who through touch and sound, become one with their instruments in a way musicians with sight never can. Bernadine, the sightless accordianist of Melbourne, Australia puts on a lovely, lovely show every weekened on the Bridge of Souhbank; do pay her a visit if ever you stop by Melbourne.
3) Olympic Judo Champions for the visually impared.(
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zei ... 04854.html ) Just
try to grapple someone who can "see" your weight distribution, footwork and muscular movement better than you can see yorself. Been nice knowing you.
4) And of course, everybody's favourite blind-father of Piano-Soul-Music: Ray Charles!!
Inspirations in Media include:Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman (Zatoichi series of Japanese Films) (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNlSoDoE ... re=related )
Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (Scent of a Woman) Just watch this AWESOME "Blind Tango" scene (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXCiLub8DZg )for what I meant about "spatial awareness" and "footstep memory."
Utsutsu Mujuro (Ninja Scroll) "Your Sight is a Weakness!!" (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPG1UMpbe1w )
Toph (Avatar The Last Airbender)
General Sha-Shing (Painted Skin 2: The Ressurection)
and of course
Daredevil (The Marvel Comics and Movie)
And the following TV Tropes Sites Can Offer Some Amusing Insight also.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... aponmasterhttp://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... SuperpowerComing Soon:
Tears of the Nighted Eye: A Vengance-Society of blinded monster-hunters.
Dead Inside: The Emotionally Lobotomized.