Okay, so I posed this question to the Order 66 and got a great reply back and have told my player 'no'. However, he and the other players are really trying to push the issue.

Let me set up this little tale, I am running a campaign where the players play commando squadron pilots. Think Wraith Squadron, a group able to pilot starfighters well, but also land and perform ground commando missions as a team. It worked exceptionally well for another campaign.

This new group is interesting, we have some fantastic characters...including a blind force user (this is pre-Rogue One coming out I will have you note).

Now I have categorically said 'no' thanks to feedback in regards to there being anyway a blind person can pilot a starfighter. I have told him that he can be a gunner on board a ship and that some starfighters such as the Y-Wing do have gunner seats and due to there being targeting computers it's not too farfetched to believe a blind gunner could work.

However, he and the rest of the group are now heavily pushing the issue...:

"Well, what if there was a neural link where you could link to the fighter and use it's sensors to 'see'?"

"I'm an astromech what if I fly with him and work as a spotter for him?"

I don't LIKE having to put my foot down as a GM, but it seems the person playing the blind character thinks I have it out for him. In my opinion, I have given him chances to 'correct' his characters blindness in the game, I have mentioned several times there are cybernetic eyes you can buy.

It just seems he's not willing to deal with the consequences of him being blind.

Hell, I love the idea they are talking about making an entirely new technology where you can interface with starships and use their sensors...and I am sitting here thinking: "That's needlessly complex and probably expensive in terms of time and resources when you could just REPLACE THE EYES!"

This whole situation has gotten me so stressed that I am just thinking of calling it quits entirely on the group.

I guess what I need from you guys are your arguments for why a blind pilot is a bad idea just so I can illustrate to him that it's not just me. That being said if you think it's perfectly reasonable, comment below!

I heard the podcast where they addressed this question - odd, since I never listen to it - and completely agreed with their thoughts. Since he's pushing the issue, I'd like to hear why he wants his PC to be blind. How would a blind person ever have gotten pilot training? Was the PC born blind or did it happen after they'd already trained as a pilot? I've got other questions and thoughts, but let's start there.

Just present the penalties for blindness and declare that he's free to accept them or to ignore them, but if he chooses to ignore them, then he's never really been blind but keeps sticking to that tired old scam even when it's painfully obvious to everyone that he can see.

I think we can all agree that it is BETTER than a blind navigator with cybernetic eyes, though.

If it were my player, I'd just say that he's a latent Force sensitive and that he can perceive his surroundings just enough to make up for his lack of sight and no more.

The blind character is a fun trope, but may not be suitable for this campaign. See if he's willing to hold off the concept for next campaign.

The blind character is a fun trope, but may not be suitable for this campaign. See if he's willing to hold off the concept for next campaign.

I'll be honest Kasoe, out of my group he's the one I have the most problems with, there may not BE a next campaign with him. Shame because I like him as a person, I just hate him as a player.

The blind character is a fun trope, but may not be suitable for this campaign. See if he's willing to hold off the concept for next campaign.

I'm not at all a fan of the "hyper-compensated disability" type of character, especially not in a setting where there's no purpose for it. Get cybernetic eyes or a guide droid, or go without and accept that there are actions that simply will suffer for a lack of vision. And no, I don't think that the blind monk from Rogue One was a cool character. I love that actor, but I couldn't stand that crappy character.

Is the player himself blind? If so I'd just give him whatever accomidation he wants part of these games is about wish fulfillment.

"Neural link?" My first thought was that this tech probably doesn't even exist. Thinking about it more, you'd need a customized expensive attachment (with a hardpoint) on the ship (to gather the sensor data/organize it in an understandable way and to be a cyborg (which he doesn't seem to want to be) to even plug in. Obviously this would only mitigate the drawbacks while he was in the cockpit.

ernetics

"I'll spot for him!" That sounds like an assisted skill check so sure, but it'll be both of their actions each round they want to do it. Note the RAW effect of an assisted skill check doesn't impact the difficulty at all, so any penalties would still apply. If it's just the assist maneuver the astromech could only spend a maneuver to help, but they'd have to be engaged w/ each other (which may or may not be possible depending on the ship).

Honestly, if the player doesn't see the possibilities where he -could- fit in and you're also unwilling to totally shut him out, then I'd suggest being upfront with the penalties and stick to them. Specifically, unless he's using cybernetics or the Farsight force power from Savage Spirits then I'd start with the Blinded critical injury penalty. If you think learning to live with the disability deserves a mechanical reflection you could lessen the number of upgrades. The "softest" I'd go would be to add 3+ setback to any check which would require sight.

I'd say just make his blindness a completely narrative thing. He doesn't get any special benefits or suffer any penalties - it's just part of his character that he can have fun making up explanations as to why his "blind" character can actually see.

If he wants the actual benefits those explanations bring into play (e.g., being able to see through the Force would negate penalties for darkness or obstruction) he has to actually buy Talents/Force Powers with XP or purchase gear/cybernetics etc.

A player that wants to add a "flaw" to their character but then immediately and completely erase it via magic/tech is either looking to manipulate the game to get a free benefit or they are really just looking to add some unique aspect to their character.

So, I'd say just let the PC be blind but not really blind and go on with the game. If they want benefits, they've got to pay.

Answer your players with: I can't see what the problem is....then wait for the penny to drop.

Ask the player to close their eyes, keep them closed. and say 'Now, find your way to the kitchen, get me a Mountain Dew and return to the gaming table.' Then ask the player to open their eyes and do the same. That is how their 'blind' PC sees the SW gaming world..he ain't blind at all!!!

Any tech that corrects visual impairment or blindness makes the disability obsolete. A neural link seems hard core sci-fi to me, not space opera. Go play Star Trek as Geordi La Forge.

'...This whole situation has gotten me so stressed that I am just thinking of calling it quits entirely on the group...'

I've had problem players in the past that have meant throwing the towel in. YOU are running the game for them. YOU read the splat, YOU prep the game. YOU run the game. They turn up, game, joke, (eat empty calories). Do they even bring their own dice or do you supply these as well? A soon as our GM said he was willing to run an Edge campaign I got 3 sets of dice. Yes 3, so I can have 5 of those yellow bad boys once I get enough XP for my non-career Ranged (Light) skill

If the player is unwilling to compromise for YOUR efforts take some time out, then see if they're willing to start again and set the house rule: THE GM HAS FINAL SAY - YAY OR NAY - FOR EACH PC CREATED AND NO QUESTIONS ASKED!

Or you could just let the player have his or her fun. This doesn't seem like an issue to me at all. I agree with Jedi Ronin about this. Why is it a problem for the player to have fun the way he or she wants to? You could save yourself what sounds like a tremendous amount of stress and allow your players to have fun the way they want to by handwaving this and getting to the game. I assure you they're feeling just as needlessly oppressed right now by your drawing a hardline over something so trivial.

I'd let him but he'd have the critical injury penalties applied.

Here is an alternative for your player. As a Force sensitive, have him pick up the Farsight Power Tree (Savage Spirits). I am AFB right now, but I thought you dedicate a Force Die, then can "See" at a distance. He could pilot that way. It might take a house rule, but is not that big a stretch.

A neural link seems hard core sci-fi to me, not space opera. Go play Star Trek as Geordi La Forge.

Remember to use the perfect narrative GM response: YES, and ...

From droid crafting to wilderness combat, we see charts suggesting how to spend dice pool results (i.e.: threats, triumphs, etc.). Consider doing the same for blind piloting.

If the astromech wants to guide the pilot, why not have the droid roll for Perception, and consult your pre-made Dice Pool Results Table? Or Cool, or Computers, or whatever dump skill/stat that droid PC has if being cruel.

If the PC wants some super-fantastic vision gear, compel them to add +x Obligation to whomever 'gifted' this device to the PC. Does the group know, too? They seem keen on making this character stick, so make them pay for your book-keeping headaches by adding +x Obligation to the PARTY, too.

When the PC wants to use the device, they have some options, too. Again, another Dice Pool Results table can help. Perhaps a Perception despair triggers a tracking signature, and the crafters of the sight device now see what the PC sees. The PC can hear slight radio chatter, too, which may prompt a fear check over sanity/hearing voices. Oh, this device eats at least one cybernetics slot, too.

Compel them to buy Farsight with upgrades to see with the Force. RAW, this might be the easiest option, and brings an economy of scale to the use of this ability. Once those valuable XP start trickling away, they may reconsider how much they'll enjoy a blind pilot over other choices. You still smell like a hero, for allowing it to be done in the first place, and simply point to the rules.

I suggest you, NOT THE PCS, create how threats and despair can be spent, up to and including utter crashing the craft! Similarly bad things happen to PCs rolling despair. Let the PCs decide, with input/feedback, how good dice rolls are interpreted. They have their fun, you have less headaches, and you set firm precedence of being open-minded and realistic.

Finally, the PCs now have an authority they cannot blame nor rebuke: themselves, on their tables.

Take a step back from the forums. Remember, this is a game designed for fun. If it's not fun, re-evaluate your available commitment while juggling RL stresses, too. For examples: being late on a payment, with an elderly sick dog, and neighbors who party til 3am every night may magnify your stresses. With fresh eyes (pun intended), their request may not seem so insurmountable.

May the Force be with you...always.

EDIT: encouragement added

I would present him with two options, one of which he must commit to:

1. His blindness is just character fluff - it's compensated by his force sensitivity in a unique way, so it has no positive or negative effect on any aspects of the game. At any time. It's no more relevant than a character having red hair, or blue skin, or an extra lekku, or whatever. He can't leverage it for extra Boost dice (nobody would worry about a blind man), and doesn't suffer any consequences. (This begs the question as to why bother, but hey, some people juggle geese.)
2. His blindness is mechanically relevant. He has chosen to roleplay a character with a serious disability, which will have a profound effect on everything he does, even with the power of the Force. This includes a vast number of setback on many checks, along with an inability to fly a ship.

Hope that helps.

Oh, also...

And no, I don't think that the blind monk from Rogue One was a cool character. I love that actor, but I couldn't stand that crappy character and everything about his character was awesome and anyone who didn't literally break down and cry at [ROGUE ONE SPOILER MOMENT] is probably a psychopath or something.

Fixed that for you.

Make every piloting check an Impossible check (Player has to flip a destiny point to attempt), upgraded at least once (maybe more) due to the fact that the character literally cannot see that asteroid field dead ahead.

That would be my response. If you look at the current canon, we have Kanan Jarrus from Rebels who is blind and a force user. He hasn't piloted anything since he lost his eyesight. He's been a gunner, sure, but never a pilot.

Agree with the others who suggest just handwaving it.

As Edwardarven just said, make him choose if it's just fluff or if he's going to want some mechanical advantage at any time.

If it's Mechanical, then pg 217 EotE offers a tremendous help with the Blinded critical injury: Upgrade Difficulty of ALL checks twice, three times for Perception and Vigilance. Done. Now he can feel free to correct that at his leisure through cybernetics or Force Powers or what have you.

I suspect though, that he's just looking for Fluff. Our favorite example via Yen. Technically blind, but as far as we could tell, suffered zero penalty for it what-so-ever. The flip side to that being that others don't treat him as being blind. Nobody in Rogue One changed their interaction with him at all due to this. Even his humorous line "Are you kidding me?" No, we aren't kidding, we just watched you singlehandedly take out a whole squad of stormtroopers without much trouble so you can CLEARLY see somehow. Treated as such, there wasn't anything the monk couldn't have done with regular sight and the basic Sense power, so I would probably suggest just doing it this way.

A third option is to have him take the Farsight power from Savage Spirits. I don't have the book with me at the moment, but I seem to recall it functioning as "replacement sight" for blind characters.

You got this, bruh-

Consider skipping Farsight, since its sooo obvious (even the PC can see it!), and encourage them to take Sense and Seek. Demonstrate how hard being blind may actually be. I submit how a few sessions of not fully being able to do exactly what the PC wants will cause them to lessen the design demands of their character.

Farsight doesn't work in a starfighter combat scenario since it allows to see up to medium range on the personal scale, and space combat happens at the planetary scale.

The Mastery for Farsight allows you to see up to Planetary Close, which would allow for you to at least shoot the targets at Close range.

Farsight doesn't work in a starfighter combat scenario since it allows to see up to medium range on the personal scale, and space combat happens at the planetary scale.

You only need to see the instruments. As long as the sensors can pick up what's happening beyond the cockpit, they can display that to you well inside of medium/personal. Windows on a starship are really rather unnecessary.