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Old 08-16-2019, 02:20 AM   #1
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: No Depth Perception and One Eye

No Depth Perception [-15] and One Eye [-15] are mundane physical disadvantages, with the same basic effect, a lack of binocular vision. With One Eye, you had two eyes, but have lost one, or your species naturally has only one eye. With No Depth Perception, you have two eyes, but their fields of vision don’t overlap, you have a vision disorder that means only one of your eyes is useful, or your brain doesn’t handle two eyes effectively. In any case, you can only have one of these disadvantages, unless you have a good excuse, such as two heads. Both these disadvantages appeared during the 3e period: No Depth Perception in Compendium I and One Eye in the 3e Basic Set.

The lack of binocular vision imposes significant handicaps for adventuring: -1 to DX in combat and for all tasks involving hand-eye coordination, and -3 on un-Aimed ranged attacks and for operating any vehicle “faster than a horse and buggy.”

If you’re missing an eye, you can wear an eye patch, or a glass eye. The latter should mitigate the loss of a level of Appearance that some cultures impose for an obvious missing eye. If you start play with One Eye, that’s already built into your existing Appearance level.

One Eye is a fairly common disadvantage on published templates for experienced warriors, and also shows up on Cyclopes, Meyhom and other monsters who are severely distorted people. Action points out that night-vision and thermal-imaging goggles impose No Depth Perception. Bio-Tech allows replacing missing eyes, which cures relevant disadvantages and can add advantages, and DF 15 Swashbucklers has a far more cinematic way of overcoming One Eye. Madness Dossier has drugs that can confuse your brain to give No Depth Perception, and Enhanced Senses delves into binocular vision in more detail. Several Reign of Steel robots have One Eye (a single camera), and Tactical Shooting has tactics for using one eye at a time in rapidly varying light levels. Ultra-Tech has bionic eyes, and makes it easy to lose an eye to laser damage.

I have No Depth Perception, because my brain ignores one of my eyes unless the other one is closed. The penalties seem plausible, after a lifetime of reality-checking them. With those added to less-than-wonderful DX, my driving instructor advised me to give up, because I was frightening him.

I’ve poked a few monster’s eyes out in GURPS combats, but I’ve never seen a PC with either of these disadvantages. Have they been seen in your games?
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