Hi all. I'm going to be running a solo campaign for my son and want to have a blind Jedi mentor for him. He's in love with rebels, and I always liked general Kota in force unleashed. Anyway, the new farsighted power seems to cover what I'm looking for, mostly. It functions for rounds at a time. How would someone like this be able to function as a viable character if they're completely blind most of the adventure?

Well, as GM, you could just bend the rules to say this mentor has Farsight activated at all times, since they're blind. Mechanically, if the mentor has a Force rating higher than 1, they could actively devote one Force die to keep Farsight up as long as he/she is awake

There is actual force power related to this in I think Savage Sprits rulebook (I think it was that). It's designed for blind characters and characters who are in darkness or thick smoke or something.

Hi all. I'm going to be running a solo campaign for my son and want to have a blind Jedi mentor for him. He's in love with rebels, and I always liked general Kota in force unleashed. Anyway, the new farsighted power seems to cover what I'm looking for, mostly. It functions for rounds at a time. How would someone like this be able to function as a viable character if they're completely blind most of the adventure?

Yes the power in Savage Spirits does allow you to create a blind jedi. The problem with the power, from what I remember, is that there is no force dice commitment ability to keep the power active. As a GM however, you can house rule that committing a force die will keep the power up as long as needed.

Here is an issue however, other than allowing the character to see in a 360 degree arc, the power does not inherently give any bonus for doing so (no bonus to defense for being able to see all attackers or a bonus to perception checks for example). This means that a blind character is using one of their force dice, (arguably the most important player resource in the game), and is not receiving any bonus to skills or combat checks. The solution? Probably tons of house rules via logic.

Here is an issue however, other than allowing the character to see in a 360 degree arc, the power does not inherently give any bonus for doing so (no bonus to defense for being able to see all attackers or a bonus to perception checks for example). This means that a blind character is using one of their force dice, (arguably the most important player resource in the game), and is not receiving any bonus to skills or combat checks. The solution? Probably tons of house rules via logic.

Farsight is not, strictly speaking, a Force power designed to be used in battle, as a combat buff or otherwise. The benefit for using a particular upgrade falls under the category of "right tools for the job."

Think of the spacesuit; it doesn't have any rules regarding its use, but it allows the user to do something they couldn't without it. Farsight allows the user to do something they couldn't otherwise. Exact particulars subject to GM discussion.

As for the OP's question, the character would be blind when not using the power, and fully capable of seeing when using the power, whenever that is necessary. Such a character would probably try to avoid getting into fights as much as possible, and if they do, take care of things as quick as possible. Giving the character Sense would probably be a decent idea.

Another option is the Pathdfinder's Animal Bond and Mental Bond talents. Commit a Force die and perceive through the senses of the animal companion.

Hi all. I'm going to be running a solo campaign for my son and want to have a blind Jedi mentor for him. He's in love with rebels, and I always liked general Kota in force unleashed. Anyway, the new farsighted power seems to cover what I'm looking for, mostly. It functions for rounds at a time. How would someone like this be able to function as a viable character if they're completely blind most of the adventure?

Well, as others have mentioned, just let him have a higher Force rating to justify it. Or, do what I do as the GM, and not worry about having the character have stats that align perfectly with the RAW. He's a Mentor character, by which I assume you mean he is actually the "Mentor" resource for the party yes? And thus won't actually be in the campaign much, so as not to overshadow the PC's. If that's the case, just have him stay on the ship. Why? Well...he's blind for one. Not much place for a dungeon crawling blind guy in your average adventure. He doesn't broadcast that he can see through the Force, so he pretends to be the helpless old blind guy or whatever. Even if he can see all the time, it would be in his best interest to pretend to be blind, just so he doesn't draw attention to the party and himself....Imperial attention specifically.

Or, just toss out the rules for this NPC and just say that he can see all the time by committing a Force Die. Why? Because you're the GM that's why, and you want a Blind Swordsman archetype in your game. It's hardly a new thing for Star Wars, so you have precedent for it.

You are the GM, you don't have to "show your work to the class" when you want to do something. Just do it and move on.

A character of mine got blinded by an explosion and I had to play it for some sessions. He was still the best pilot in the group.

It seems like a cool character concept, but you have to find an in-character reason for not fixing his blindness with the tech available in star wars.

I mean, in terms of game mechanics, this would just add 3 setback dice to all appropriate checks for being blind. As a mentor, he might be able to have enough skill to still succeed. You can save the farsight activation for when he's entering combat or whatever.

There's also an entry on the Critical Injury table that's called "Blinded" or some such. It means you have to upgrade the difficulty of all checks twice, and Perception (and Vigilance?) three times.

I play a blind Jedi, at least I do since that accident with the thermal detonator (and the "Blinded" Crit mentioned by Kreieger above). I've got bionic replacements now, but outside of combat tend to take them out and wonder around blind (part of his wild (aka crazy) man of the woods thing, not wanting to rely on technology). I have Sense and Mental Bond with my Animal Companion, so seeing things have never been an issue. We hand wave it outside of combat to say Sense is basically always on, although he tends to trip over if people leave things lying about in the corridors of the ship or quiet droids get under foot.

I appreciate the narrative-facing nature of this game and all, but you'll have to forgive me, cuz I don't see the point in having a blind Jedi just to turn around, hand-wave the rules for which are easily applied, and say, "Lol but not really, cuz y'know, the Force."

I don't have the book for Farsight, but seems to me that you could do this "properly" - actually apply the appropriate mechanics - and actually have an interesting NPC. Like a combination of Enhance (with the Coordination upgrade) to be less klutzy, Foresee (with at least the first two Controls) to navigate inanimate objects, Seek (with the first Control) to find house keys, and Sense (all the left side and most of the right) to navigate living things, and actually manage it. I mean, not to mention regular ppl manage it just fine - indeed even heightening their other senses and using echolocation, and what not.

No I did not total up all the Force die he'd need to use that all at once, but he wouldn't have to use it all at once to have a more than completely normal functioning life. Crimeny, regular ppl do it everyday, without the Force.

And of course you could do the Animal Bond route, as others have, though I'd still give penalties as a GM of such a PC cuz Coordinating your movements from an out of body perspective would still be really hard. And absolutely throw Farsight in the mix if you have the source material to do it.

But yea, if it's gonna be this Mentors "thing" why not actually make it a thing?

Farsight lets you see up to medium range as if it was a normal sunlit day for 1 minute or 1 round. It has 2 duration upgrades with no limit on the number of times you spend 1 force pip to activate them. So you can easily see out to medium range then burn multiple pips to keep farsight active. Honestly I would have no problem letting a player commit a force die to keep it going until uncommited.

But you can see at Medium range anyway that's nothing special (if you're sighted) - you can see at Extreme Range, is the implication that it removes any negative vision modifers? Or is it a "clairvoyance" thing, so you can "place your eyes anywhere at up to Medium range" beyond walls and things, also negating darkness?

But you can see at Medium range anyway that's nothing special (if you're sighted) - you can see at Extreme Range, is the implication that it removes any negative vision modifers? Or is it a "clairvoyance" thing, so you can "place your eyes anywhere at up to Medium range" beyond walls and things, also negating darkness?

There is an upgrade to see through objects, not sure if walls would count. Seeing through darkness or blindness is part of the core ability. My copy of Savage Spirits literally arrived today, so I'll probably be taking this power for when my GM makes my cybernetic eyes explode and starts giggling.

You see up to medium range with no penalties.

With upgrades you can see at extreme range

With mastery you can see things within close planetary.