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Had this conversation with someone who chose to no longer be at my table after meeting a blind NPC
(files.catbox.moe)
Another player who was at the table during the incident sent me this meme after the problem player in question (they had a history) left the group chat.
Felt like sharing it here because I'm sure more people should keep this kind of thing in mind.
Couldn't a cleric heal partial paralysis tho?
There are plenty of reasons a disabled person could exist in a fantasy setting. A transaction, giving something up for power (e.g. Odin). A curse from an enchanter, that they do not have the power to remove. A religious superstition around those that have had accidents befall them (that it is the will of their god). Or even simply the fact that a number of common people may not be able to afford the services of a cleric (for a villager in the mountains, a journey to the city to have their paralysis cured may be beyond what they can manage).
Hell. After reading this I feel like permanent effects from magical damage resulting in physical disabilities should be a trope!
I can think of a few examples: The Magicians, Game of Thrones, etc. But as a gameplay mechanic it feels like it would have some seriously cool possibilities.
I don't find a disabilty appearing in fantasy surprising, but the uncured ones do surprise me. Or remedied ig. Prettu sure that if your setting can have a wheelchair, then theoretically you could stick Warforged legs onto that someone. Obviously not ideal, but it'd probably be an improvent for the person (in universe ofc)
In addition to the list of explanations for why disabled people can exist in a fantasy setting that [email protected] provided, I'll also just say:
Using diegetic explanations for why a problematic aspect exists in a piece of fictional media does not address the substance of the problem. The problem is that disability is often not represented in fantasy stories. Pointing out that there's an in-universe explanation for why this may be the case doesn't solve the lack of representation. These stories are fiction, and you can add any explanation for why disabled people exist as easily as you can erase disability completely.
This video does a good job of explaining this some more: https://youtu.be/AxV8gAGmbtk?si=YRvXjpZv_YP9Z5sC
Compared to a high fantasy setting, everyone is disabled. I cannot fight a dragon any more than a blind man can be magically cured of blindness.
I'm not arguing the representation angle, i just wouldn't expect to see many disable people in fantasy, because of magic and the other weird stuff that happens in there. Same with cuberpunk literature tbh
In cyberpunk and most futuristic settings, the only real disability is being poor
Dan Olsen, my beloved.
Absolutely a good point, answering the question 'why is it a problem?', to go alongside 'how can it be fixed?'. Thanks for the thought provocation
What if the cleric isn't around when it happens? I mean if you take an ax to the spine and don't run into a cleric for 3 years can they do anything? I would probably say no.
Well, i'd say that it probably depends on the kind of damage, and how well it has healed. I could see a method similar to rebreaking bones that haven't healed correctly (IRL), where a group of medical professsionals, magical and not, just hit you with an axe in the same spot, to try and get the spine to to heal before the surrounding tissue. Maybe.
There is nothing in the rules as written that prevents it
Edit: forgot i am not in the dnd community
What if they're born with it?
Healing magic limitations differ from medium to medium. Maybe the only thing that matters in this case is the damage being still there. Depends on the setting ofc, and if you want to be represented then go ahead, just don't get angry at me for being surprised
How do you know clerics exists in that world?
You'll get so much hate for stating the obvious
Perhaps. Ain't the first time, ain't the last time.