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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.
In 5E, Lesser Restoration is free, so no one should really be blind, deaf, paralyzed, or poisoned. If they're missing a limb, though, Regenerate needs a vial of Holy Water that costs 25gp. For a commoner who makes 1sp a day, that's a lot.
"Restoration" is right there in the name. What's it "restoring" something to if someone was born blind?
In my setting if someone was born blind, paralyzed, etc, Regeneration wouldn't fix it. Regenerate brings you back to your normal state, which even your perceived self plays a role in.
For example the blind man mentioned in my post description) lost his eye sight decades prior. He has fully accepted his blindness to the point his perceived self is blind. A wandering adventurer tried to cast Regenerate on him to heal the old mans wounds he sustained helping the adventurer in a time of need years prior and when it failed to work on his eye sight the old man informed him that it's who he was. "The helpful old blind man bring aid to those that need it." And the old man continued on his way happier knowing he helped someone else that day.
Being blind isn't natural though. You're born blind because there was a DNA replication error or in vitro trauma. Humans didn't evolve to be blind.
Regenerate is also a 7th level spell - depending on the setting, the number of people capable of that kind of magic might not even exist outside of the confines of the party, or if they do, they're more preoccupied with the stuff worthy of NPCs with at least thirteen class levels.
If you've got someone willing to cast it for you for free, perhaps. But according to the PHB, most NPCs will charge far more than a typical peasant or low level adventurer could afford.
And that's if you decide a spell that primarily exists to cure fairly rare conditions is common enough to fit in that category.
5e "blindness" probably assumes blindness from a curse or spell on otherwise functional eyes since that's how I've seen the condition being afflicted. As you mentioned, losing a limb is a different thing so if they lost their eyes, had their eyes physically destroyed in some way, or were born with non-functional eyes I would rule it as the latter case at my table in those instances.
If someone is born without legs, it might take True Polymorph to add some.
Lesser restoration isn't free, it costs a 2nd level spell slot. Between you with the blindness that you've lived with your whole life, or this guy with dysentery who's about to die horribly and spread the disease to everyone nearby, I'm spending that spell slot on him
Lesser restoration doesn't cure permanent blindness, deafness, or paralysis. And it doesn't work on all forms of poison.
Lesser restoration specifically ends one condition that can be blindness, deafness, paralysis, or poisoned. Permanent traits of your character aren't conditions, and not every poison inflicts the poisoned condition.
I just have to ask... How difficult is making holy water in D&D because making it IRL is easy. 25gp for holy water seems quite expensive. But to be fair, it actually works in the game.
Yeah, the real kicker is the 25 gp worth of powdered silver.
Also, depending on your setting, finding someone that can cast Regenerate may be an order of magnitude or 2 more difficult than finding someone that can cast Lesser Restoration