So I was thinking of a Druid who was born blind. She grew up not being able to see, and so she developed a really good memory. She could memorise places down the smallest detail, and use her memory to navigate.
This was still not perfect though because if something was moved she would walk into it, and as she lived in the natural environment, the paths that she had to travel down often grew weeds and things, which she would tip over.
She managed though for 15 years of her life, although she hated being blind and wished that she could see like everyone else.
When she was 15, she came across an Archfey (though not being able to see, she didn't know what it was) who offered her "new eyes". Now she was so desperate to be able to see like everyone else, that she didn't really ask what the cost would be, or why a stranger would just randomly offer her such a thing. She had also been seen by the healers of various villages and they couldn't do anything for her, so she didn't really believe that this stranger could either.
So she pretty much laughed and said yes, if this stranger had the power to give her "new eyes" then she wanted them. Remember though, the stranger is an Archfey, who had felt sorry for this blind little girl, and who was a little annoyed that her offer of a gift "new eyes" was being laughed at.
So the stranger kept her word, but twisted her word as well. Instead of just giving the girl new human eyes, she gave her the eyes of a Fey.
So now she can see, but she sees the world as being drab and grey, and has become obsessed with brightly coloured shiny things. She craves them, hordes them, will do anything to possess them, because the brighter and more shiney the thing is, the more her eyes attracts her to it because the more it stands out in the drab grey world that she sees.
Also because she has the eyes of a Fey, she can into the Ethereal. Obviously her family, and people in her village can not see the things she sees there and they think she is sort of going mad, seeing imaginary things. Especially because she can often been seen talking to seemingly thin air, when in fact, she is talking to Fey beings and sometimes other creatures that exist beyond the Ethereal border, and as such, are out of sight to normal human eyes.
Because she can see them, she can Interact with them and has made friends with some of them and this talking to and playing with what the other people think are "imaginary friends" has socially isolated her from her peers in her village.
They don't understand her and she doesn't understand them. Although she has learned that they can't see what she sees; because they pick on her, call her names, bully her, think she is mad or a witch, she has just stopped paying any attention to them and because she no.longer pays any attention to them, she is becoming ever more distant from them.
Basically, having the eyes of Fey has made her even more isolated and lonely than she was before and the more lonely she feels, the more she relies on her interactions with the Fey and other beings that she has made friends with on the Ethereal.
She misses them when they are not there, and dreams of leaving her village and the people whom she believes no longer care for her behind, and and going to be with the "people" she believes are her true friends and eventually leaves her village (runs away really) because she can't stand it there anymore.
Just wondering what you guys all thing of a character like this and whether or not you think it would work.
Looking forward to hearing what you all think
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A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
As a PC: maybe. The fact that she sees in the Ethereal plane could create some problems in terms of actual mechanical impact (which would need to be thoroughly discussed with the DM), but other than that and a possibly overwhelming distrust for normal people (and kleptomaniac tendencies that can get her into trouble) she should work just fine, imho.
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
This is an intriguing concept to look at mechanically. If we assume she views the world as though seeing from her location in the Border Ethereal, we can modify her vision with the following effects:
You already established you want her to be colorblind, which doesn't affect too much mechanically.
Visibility in the Border Ethereal is limited to 60 feet.
Things in the material plane would be visible but hazy, as though seen through a mist. I would treat anything on the material plane as being lightly obscured. She would have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
She would see creatures and objects in the ethereal plane.
If that is not exciting enough, you could add a few more effects to really boost her power if you wanted to.
see invisibility lets you see into the ethereal plane, but seeing into the ethereal plane doesn't necessarily let you see invisible things on the material plane. But it could...
Natural and magical darkness don't extend into the ethereal plane so maybe she could see through them as well.
The ability to see invisible is pretty powerful. Maybe doing so takes immense concentration, meaning she couldn't use concentration spells while doing so and it only lasts for a minute. Furthermore, maybe she has to take a short or long rest to recover the ability to do it again.
I know as a dm that this kind of character in my own game would drive me nuts. It’s cool, but... that’s the problem. You see, characters that are already the hero/vip before the campaign starts tend to drive everyone nuts. It’s like every angsty 90’s superhero.
So I was thinking of a Druid who was born blind. She grew up not being able to see, and so she developed a really good memory. She could memorise places down the smallest detail, and use her memory to navigate.
This was still not perfect though because if something was moved she would walk into it, and as she lived in the natural environment, the paths that she had to travel down often grew weeds and things, which she would tip over.
She managed though for 15 years of her life, although she hated being blind and wished that she could see like everyone else.
When she was 15, she came across an Archfey (though not being able to see, she didn't know what it was) who offered her "new eyes". Now she was so desperate to be able to see like everyone else, that she didn't really ask what the cost would be, or why a stranger would just randomly offer her such a thing. She had also been seen by the healers of various villages and they couldn't do anything for her, so she didn't really believe that this stranger could either.
So she pretty much laughed and said yes, if this stranger had the power to give her "new eyes" then she wanted them. Remember though, the stranger is an Archfey, who had felt sorry for this blind little girl, and who was a little annoyed that her offer of a gift "new eyes" was being laughed at.
So the stranger kept her word, but twisted her word as well. Instead of just giving the girl new human eyes, she gave her the eyes of a Fey.
So now she can see, but she sees the world as being drab and grey, and has become obsessed with brightly coloured shiny things. She craves them, hordes them, will do anything to possess them, because the brighter and more shiney the thing is, the more her eyes attracts her to it because the more it stands out in the drab grey world that she sees.
Also because she has the eyes of a Fey, she can into the Ethereal. Obviously her family, and people in her village can not see the things she sees there and they think she is sort of going mad, seeing imaginary things. Especially because she can often been seen talking to seemingly thin air, when in fact, she is talking to Fey beings and sometimes other creatures that exist beyond the Ethereal border, and as such, are out of sight to normal human eyes.
Because she can see them, she can Interact with them and has made friends with some of them and this talking to and playing with what the other people think are "imaginary friends" has socially isolated her from her peers in her village.
They don't understand her and she doesn't understand them. Although she has learned that they can't see what she sees; because they pick on her, call her names, bully her, think she is mad or a witch, she has just stopped paying any attention to them and because she no.longer pays any attention to them, she is becoming ever more distant from them.
Basically, having the eyes of Fey has made her even more isolated and lonely than she was before and the more lonely she feels, the more she relies on her interactions with the Fey and other beings that she has made friends with on the Ethereal.
She misses them when they are not there, and dreams of leaving her village and the people whom she believes no longer care for her behind, and and going to be with the "people" she believes are her true friends and eventually leaves her village (runs away really) because she can't stand it there anymore.
Just wondering what you guys all thing of a character like this and whether or not you think it would work.
Looking forward to hearing what you all think
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
As an NPC: sure, it could work pretty well.
As a PC: maybe. The fact that she sees in the Ethereal plane could create some problems in terms of actual mechanical impact (which would need to be thoroughly discussed with the DM), but other than that and a possibly overwhelming distrust for normal people (and kleptomaniac tendencies that can get her into trouble) she should work just fine, imho.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
This is an intriguing concept to look at mechanically. If we assume she views the world as though seeing from her location in the Border Ethereal, we can modify her vision with the following effects:
If that is not exciting enough, you could add a few more effects to really boost her power if you wanted to.
The ability to see invisible is pretty powerful. Maybe doing so takes immense concentration, meaning she couldn't use concentration spells while doing so and it only lasts for a minute. Furthermore, maybe she has to take a short or long rest to recover the ability to do it again.
Also, you could give her synesthesia.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
I know as a dm that this kind of character in my own game would drive me nuts. It’s cool, but... that’s the problem. You see, characters that are already the hero/vip before the campaign starts tend to drive everyone nuts. It’s like every angsty 90’s superhero.
that said, you do you.
I did NOT eat those hikers.
On the other hand, I am *really* feeling this character for an NPC. Hey SocialFoxes, give her a name and I'll work her into my game :)
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Here you go @TexasDevin
She would be called Sabrina (Breena) Brackenweed
An awesome name eh?
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.