What about being deaf as a perk? You can't hear whats going on around you, you speak about as well as an ogre...but thunderclap? Whats that? Chorus of the damned, lot of sound based things you could shrug off.
new perk?
Its an idea, but i think not listening to others brings a detriment to the game interactions that no one wishes. There is a reason groups of 3 gives more XP than solo hunting.
It would be cool if there was a sound based weapon...
Ah... How would you RP/Know anythign thats going on?
I know you can argue that being deaf IS your rp but it would make gameplay so out there... Talking to your clannies/cabal mates would be impossible, as would grouping with anyone or talking to any one in any RP besides you being Deaf as a post.
Having a mute character would still be really difficult, but more plausible.
I believe it was Spiegel06 who had a Knight that was mute. He communicated by drawing in the ground with a stick, and similar.
Dey
This sort of RP could easily be done... As soon as you became a PSI. How can you hear people? You can't... You read their minds! Mawahahaha!
In the past I hve RP'ed my illithids as not having the same sensory organs, ie ears and sense of smell. They would psionically hijak the senses of someone near them. 