Deaf gunslinger

Is this plausible? Technically you don't need to hear just to shoot, but I think there'd be communication issues (can't use sign language when you're using a gun), and inability to detect what's going on behind you probably wouldn't be a good thing in a life or death situation.

Well, they could figure out how to generally read lips. If they're deaf and continue to be a gunslinger, they must have a lot of drive. They could learn to do something like feel vibrations in the ground to detect people coming near. It generally seems that badasses with disabilities, especially in real life, learn to use their other three/four senses better.

So they'd just have to go around barefoot? Realistically, it'd still be hard to tell friend from enemy though...

I hadn't thought of lip-reading, I'll have to look into accuracy issues... there's also the fact that you'd have to have a clear view of the other person's mouth to lip-read, I can think of situations where that would be a problem.

Okay, it's kinda far-fetched, but smell would be really badass. I mean, how many characters have an awesome sense of smell? Rarely, I'm pretty sure.

Because there's a LOT of unpleasant smells around.

That's not quite as much a problem with sight and sound, since bright lights (besides the sun) and really loud sounds (excluding cities) aren't as common as smells (let's exclude slumms, just to be fir). To be honest, even pleasant smells would become very unpleasant with a really strong sense of smell.

^^ Like every werewolf and canine-themed character ever?

Can regular humans develop their sense of smell that far, though? I don't know if I want to take this into Charles Atlas Superpower territory...

edited 1st Nov '10 11:35:05 PM by melloncollie

I like this idea. Perhaps this gunslinger will be able to sense the change of lighting by muzzle flash and pinpoint where is assailant is and have him dead by the time he's done reloading.

That's assuming the shot that was fired doesn't hit him, right? I do think shadows would be useful, same issues as vibrations though. The guy'll just have to turn around and look, I guess. Or just have a quirk of trying to get his back to a wall whenever possible.

If he's one half of a team, with the other half being accustomed to dealing with his deafness, does plausibility go way up?

Are you writing a Gunslinger Girl/Katawa Shoujo crossover?

Yeah, a handler makes more sense, but is kinda less badass. The person going solo makes enough sense, given what people have accomplished despite disabilities in real life, and within the realm of fiction is still plausible.

Good lord, I hadn't thought of that . I haven't read either work though, so no.

I'm not necessarily going entirely for badass , it depends on what kind of work (sliding scale of realistic vs. Heroic Bloodshed) I'll make this if I actually go with this idea. I do feel like the lone gunslinger figure has already been done plenty of times, though, so it's no huge loss if I make this character slightly less badass.

I do see where you're coming from about the handler idea, it's almost the complete opposite of solo, self-made gunslinger. A less nanny-like teammate would look better?

Nice idea, and I actually prefer the route of a character without a Disability Superpower to make up for the lack of hearing - it would make him both badass (disabled and still the best shot around), realistic (he does suffer for his lack of hearing though) and tragic (exactly because he's so cool, yet so vulnerable and easily commiting fatal mistakes). I kinda get a vibe like Vin (Steve Mc Queen) fro the Magnificent Seven: cool, collected, silent, everything you need to be a legend - yet as he relentlessly pushes forward Determinator-style he's suddenly easily taken out by an enemy sneaking out by a bomb he does not hear drop, or does not notice that he has targeted the wrong person because he can't hear his teammates calling in the midst of battle...Yes, I think you could do a lot with such a character.

It's very plausible because people have a risk of hearing loss if they play with guns too much. (And don't take precautions such as earplugs)

edited 2nd Nov '10 5:45:42 PM by storyyeller

^ I always wondered why nobody ever talks about those people. It sounds like a situation that should be relatively common.

^^ Now all I need is a plot

Actually, Five X's suggestion about feeling vibrations in the ground could work, I used to know a deaf girl in school who did just that, you could stamp your feet from across the room and she'd turn her head since that was how we 'shouted' to her. It was good for getting her attention when you needed her. Unfortunately it was also good for messing with her, although in a way that's no different to shouting someone's name from across the room then ignoring them.

None of this would solve the communication issues though. It would be helpful for knowing where everybody nearby is though, your character could easily catch sneak attacks that way in ways that perhaps the hearing characters couldn't.

There's a difference between noticing someone stamping the floor, and someone trying to sneak up on you.

I don't think it's physically possible to notice vibrations that small, at least in most cases. It might be easier with certain types of floor, but I'm pretty sure it's not something that can be relied on generally.

If there were several people running and jumping about in the room that could cause confusion, I was thinking.

You went to school with Toph?

Trying to remember how they did it in Bangkok Dangerous. It had its advantages, as being deaf made it so that firing a gun left him unfazed.

Can't they just use their eyes? Not every person with a disability is Daredevil. Sure, they'd be disadvantaged, but that's what they're supposed to be. Also, they'd need to be extra carefull and look around a lot. So they'd still have a slight advantage. Plus loud gunshots etc are no problem.

It seems pretty plausible that a gunslinger may go deaf but still keep working.

edited 4th Nov '10 3:09:05 AM by Gvzbgul

One of his advantages is using high-caliber weaponry consistently, without worrying about hearing loss.

He may be a sniper of sorts, but he'll need another person to be his ears - after all, he's very vulnerable from the back and won't be able to hear people sneaking up on him.

I don't see any problem with this as long as there's plenty of Handicapped Badass and Rule of Cool to go around. This person would have to have excellent sight, reflexes and training, yes, but that's not impossible. Go for it!