Can Undead Be Blinded? A Comprehensive Guide

Yes, undead creatures can be blinded, though the specifics often depend on the rules system you’re using (like Dungeons & Dragons) and the nature of the blindness effect. While undead are immune to some conditions and effects that specifically target living creatures, blindness itself is generally a sensory impairment that can affect any creature relying on sight, regardless of whether they’re alive or undead. It’s crucial to understand the nuances of undead physiology, their reliance on senses, and the mechanics of blindness to make informed decisions in your gaming sessions.

Understanding Undead Senses

To determine if an undead creature can be blinded, we must first examine how undead perceive the world. Not all undead rely on sight in the same way that living creatures do.

• Visual Undead: Many undead, such as skeletons and zombies, are animated remains that, in their initial creation, might have retained functional (or partially functional) eyes.
• Alternative Senses: Other undead, like ghosts or some varieties of wraiths, might rely on non-visual senses to perceive their surroundings.
• Magical Senses: Some undead might have senses granted by the magic that animates them, such as tremorsense or even truesight.

If an undead creature relies on sight, then any effect that impairs or eliminates its vision can effectively blind it. However, if an undead relies on other senses, blinding it visually may have little to no effect.

The Mechanics of Blindness

Blindness, as a condition, generally imposes specific mechanical penalties:

• Disadvantage on Attack Rolls: The blinded creature has disadvantage on attack rolls.
• Attacks Against the Blinded Creature Have Advantage: Attack rolls against the blinded creature have advantage.
• Inability to Perceive: The blinded creature automatically fails any ability check that requires sight.

These penalties can severely impact a creature’s effectiveness in combat and other situations. However, if a creature doesn’t rely on sight, it will be unaffected by these penalties.

Common Blindness Effects and Undead

Different spells and abilities can cause blindness. Some common examples include:

• Blindness/Deafness Spell: In D&D 5e, this spell specifically targets creatures that rely on hearing or sight. Note that, some versions of this spell may only target living creatures.
• Deity’s Decree Spell In D&D 5e, it does not specify that you must be a living creature.
• Environmental Effects: Darkness, fog, or other visual obstructions can impose the blinded condition.
• Physical Obstructions: Blindfolds, magical darkness, or other physical barriers that block sight can cause blindness.

The effectiveness of these effects on undead varies. Spells or effects that specifically target living creatures might be ineffective against undead due to their undead nature. However, physical obstructions will work if the undead relies on traditional sight.

Blindsight and Truesight

Some creatures, including some undead, possess blindsight or truesight. These senses allow them to perceive their surroundings without relying on sight.

• Blindsight: Allows a creature to perceive its surroundings within a specific range using other senses, such as echolocation or vibrations.
• Truesight: Allows a creature to see things as they truly are, ignoring illusions, shape-shifting, and invisibility.

If an undead creature has blindsight or truesight, blinding it visually will have little to no effect, as it can still perceive its surroundings using these alternative senses. Blindsight and truesight effectively negate the penalties of being blinded.

Undead-Specific Considerations

Consider these specific points when dealing with undead and blindness:

• Skeletons: As the article states, skeletons may not have working eyes. Whether they rely on sight or some other form of perception is up to the DM’s interpretation.
• Zombies: Due to their decaying nature, zombies might have degraded or non-functional eyes. It’s plausible that many zombies are already effectively blind.
• Ghosts and Specters: These incorporeal undead often perceive the world through magical or spiritual senses, making visual blindness irrelevant.

Conclusion

While undead can be blinded if they rely on sight, their undead nature and potential reliance on alternative senses require careful consideration. Always refer to the specific rules and lore of the game system you’re using, and be prepared to make rulings based on the unique characteristics of the undead creature in question.

Remember to consider the rules of the game and the lore of the world you are playing in when ruling on these questions. The Games Learning Society offers great resources for understanding the intersection of games and learning, which can provide a deeper appreciation for the complexities of these scenarios. You can find out more at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can a skeleton be blinded by a blindfold?

It depends on how the skeleton perceives the world. If the DM rules that the skeleton relies on sight through its eye sockets, then a blindfold would impose the blinded condition. However, if the skeleton perceives the world through magical means or some other form of sensing, a blindfold would have no effect.

2. Does the blindness/deafness spell always work on undead?

Not necessarily. Some versions of the blindness/deafness spell specify that it only affects living creatures. In this case, the spell would be ineffective against undead. Always check the spell description carefully.

3. Can zombies be blinded given their decaying state?

Yes, it’s plausible that zombies are often already effectively blind due to the rapid decay of their eyes. A DM could rule that zombies have disadvantage on attack rolls due to poor vision, even before any specific blindness effect is applied.

4. How does blindsight interact with invisibility?

Creatures with blindsight can perceive invisible creatures within their blindsight range, as invisibility only affects sight-based perception. Blindsight relies on other senses like hearing, vibrations, or smell.

5. If an undead creature has blindsight, does being blinded do anything to them?

No. Blindsight effectively negates the penalties of being blinded. The undead creature can still perceive its surroundings within its blindsight range.

6. Can a rogue hide from an undead creature with blindsight?

No. A rogue cannot hide from a creature with blindsight within the creature’s blindsight range, unless the rogue uses magic that specifically cloaks their presence from all senses.

7. Does darkness blind undead?

If the undead creature relies on sight and the darkness is magical, the answer is maybe. If the creature uses darkvision to see, magical darkness may negate that, thus blinding them.

8. Can you sneak past a zombie if you mask your scent?

Maybe. As the article mentions, Morgan uses this strategy in The Walking Dead. It may also be used for D&D or other similar games. A DM may allow this depending on the game and the situation.

9. Are zombies immune to all forms of pain?

While the article mentions zombies don’t react to pain, it does not say they are immune to it. It would be up to the DM on whether they feel pain or not.

10. Can Hide from Undead make you invisible to undead?

No, Hide from Undead does not provide invisibility. It is a Divine spellcaster’s spell to hide someone from Undead. Invisibility is a different spell.

11. Can undead see invisible creatures?

Not automatically. Undead do not inherently possess the ability to see invisible creatures, unless they have blindsight, truesight, or some other magical means of perceiving them.

12. Would zombies be deaf?

It’s plausible that zombies have impaired hearing due to the decay of their inner ear. A DM could rule that zombies have disadvantage on perception checks that rely on hearing.

13. Do zombies starve to death?

No, zombies do not starve to death. However, their bodies will continue to decay over time, eventually leading to their collapse.

14. Is there anyone immune to zombies in The Walking Dead?

No. In The Walking Dead, everyone is infected with the virus that causes zombification upon death. There is no immunity.

15. Can zombies talk?

It’s generally accepted that zombies cannot speak due to their limited brain function. However, they often moan or groan, which could be considered a form of limited communication.