Blind Adventuring
Listen to Episode 46: Blind Adventuring
Crit Academy is joined by special guest Cody Care. Cody's blind condition doesn't stop him from embarking on fantastic journeys to realms unknown. He shares with us challenges of playing Dungeons and Dragons while blind, and the cool tools that he uses to overcome those challenges. Also, we laugh our asses off nearly the entire time. :)
Segment 3: Main Topic: Adventuring for the Blind!
Challenge: Learning rules:
Does the book come in braille? No legal PDF.
A text document?
Audiobook
Update: NLS at the Library of Congress has made #DnD more accessible with the release of the #DungeonsAndDragons Player's Handbook in a fully navigable audio form (DB91838)!! Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual to follow soon. Learn more: http://loc.gov/thatallmayread.
How to overcome:
DnDbeyond.com app with speech synthesizing software
Have a friend help read rules
Youtube videos - dawnforgedcast - Jorphdan - Nerdarchy
Characters:
It’s important to describe your characters, not just their class and background:
Physical appearance - color of equipment, unique designs/sigils
Smells
Mannerisms
Pushes for descriptions by doing combo points; action point/surge
Challenge: Character Sheets:
How do you fill out and utilize a character sheet?
Created special word document - bastardized templates from internet
Once filled out, can it be converted to braille?
How to overcome:
www.robobraille.org can convert and document to an accessible format. Requires braille printer.
DnDbeyond.com
Roll20 has digital forms
Challenge: Dice Rolls
Vast majority of polyhedron dice are tiny numbers are hard enough to see with 20/20 vision.
How to overcome:
Extra large dice. Enough to feel imprints. Or add braille labels to them.
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/dots-rpg-project-dice-shop
Braille dice. Seem very difficult to find.
Dice roller app.
The Scene:
You can’t just point to a map and say “The room looks like this.” Room needs to be described in detail.
Room shape and dimensions
Terrain features and obstacles
Make note of other senses, smell, sounds. Touch.
Challenge: Game Board Combat:
While you can play Theatre of the mind, sometimes position tracking can get overwhelming.
Tracking Conditions:
I attack, is not acceptable
How to overcome:
Cork board. Use thumb tacks or attach minis to the tacks, allows for feeling out of the board and location.
Braille labeled tokens.
Pen Friend. Use as tool of the week.
Condition braille cards.
Flushed out combat descriptions, “ I dash towards the goblin, slide on my knees as a pass sweeping my short sword at its midsection.”
Segment 4: Unearthed Tips and Tricks! (We give you creative content for your next adventure)
Character Concept: The Blind Fighter -
Young street gutter, arrogant, dick head, tough shit,
Meets old man, tries to mug him, gets the shit kicked out of him ends up blind
Blindfolded bandana
Advantage on all perception checks not involving sight.
Learns his humility
Monster Variant: Sightless Kobolds
Blindsight -
Weak vs thunder damage - a loud noises - leads to disadvantaged
Can’t be blinded
Give access to the Darkness Spell at will, giving the kobold the edge.
Encounter: Labyrinth of Darkness
Adventures can’t see at all, magical darkness
Shut lights off
Creepy statues with no eyes trigger darkness
Monsters abduct characters
Slenderman shit
Magic Item: The eye of Sonar!
This amulet is adorned a coiled silver dragon with obsidian gems for eyes.
This magic item has 1d4 charges and recharges at dawn.
You can use your action to speak the command word of this item. Granting blindsight up to 10 ft for 1 minute.
Dungeon Master Tip: Don’t rely on the grid for your room descriptions.
The grids are helpful, yes, but they don’t show every detail.
Often they are just a shape with some boxes in them.
Use all senses when describing a room, size, color, smell, touch(is it cold/warm/sticky)
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick!
Don’t be blind to those around you.
Next time you play your own session, take note on what is described vs what is assumed based on what you can see. Then ask yourself, are my descriptions adequate enough, that if Cody was here, he would know what just happened?