D&D 5E Darkvision in a Gothic Setting

[Azurewraith]

I would just have Barovian light be different to other light so it doesn't play wit dark vision similar to how the sunlight is different or just out right remove it, currently dming a game where i wish i had darkvision sucks.

 

[Tormyr]

So what would you guys do about darkvision the spell? the monk ability? the robe of eyese? the warlock's devil sight?

 

[Quickleaf]

Just add more definition or depth to dark vision. For example, dark vision can only work in complete darkness, and any light spoils it. Guess how brave the dark vision race is going to be wandering off by themselves, or the lack of light impacts the detail you may pick up in a black and white world. And then change some monsters that adapt to dark vision as a defense mechanism, so they basically are camoflauged. Undead are a perfect fit. By changing some basic assumptions for mechanics in the game like sight, you create some uncertainty on how it may work, and that can add to the tension.

So what would you guys do about darkvision the spell? the monk ability? the robe of eyese? the warlock's devil sight?

[MENTION=6806920]TenkayCrit[/MENTION] I think with several magical sources of darkvision, coupled with the "otherness" of elves and dwarves in Barovia, I'd play off the idea of the warlock's devil sight. Keep the darkvision ability as is, perhaps playing it "hard" as [MENTION=6775000]Uchawi[/MENTION] suggests, however...make it pick up EVERYTHING in the shadows, even the things we're not supposed to see.

In other words, introduce lots of illusions that only characters with darkvision can see, but make it as ambiguous as you can whether they're illusions or not. That hideous writhing shadow cast from a sliver of your companion's torch light in the background could actually be a shadow, a medusa, or just a moth crawling on the wall. The way the stone floor warps to appear as a concealed pit trap may be completely unreal...or it could hide the real threat — a sheen of slippery and flammable oil covering the floor. Strange shapes lurk at the edges of peripheral vision. Too much time in the darkness could be maddening for anyone, but it is a slower less immediately obvious for of madness for humanoids with darkvision...they becomes consumed by hallucinations and paranoia (a flaw perhaps?).

Picture this scene: The PCs investigate a haunting. Little boy says there's a monster under his bed. PCs check and there's nothing there. The Elf ranger says "put out the light", and now she sees a writhing tentacle and hears a vaguely ominous hissing voice. Other PCs without darkvision don't see it. The boy sees it too though, so maybe it's real? The Elf begins to hold a conversation with the writhing shadow, but it speaks in Deep Speech. So she has to get another PC to translate, only he hears nothing, so the Elf repeats the sibilant words to him. Is there a monster or isn't there? Maybe it's just Strahd speaking through the shadows? Maybe the Elf is going batguano crazy?

 

[Sunseeker]

In much the same way that CoS mentions that Barovian sunlight is not true sunlight and does not affect Vampires and other evil creatures as it should, one could likewise claim that the same magic that darkens the skies, turns normal darkness into some level of magical darkness, reducing or even eliminating darkvision as a useful racial feature. Personally, I'd let the races that have it, keep it, but drastically limit it to say, 10 feet. That's enough to give them an edge, but not enough to break the gothic setting.

On a personal note I do feel that darkvision is far too prolific in 5E.

 

[Leugren]

I've been in a couple of campaigns containing rogues without darkvision. Watching these guys try to perform their scouting duties while holding torches aloft to light the way was pathetic enough that, as a DM, I was sorely tempted to make the monsters pretend not to see them--like when you play hide-and-seek with a four-year-old kid:

Beholder: Now where could that little rascal be hiding?!?
Rogue with Torch: <high-pitched tittering>

After letting this go on for a couple of levels, my compassionate nature got the better of me, so the group just happened to stumble upon some Goggles of Night.

The ubiquitous mists are enough; let them keep their darkvision. Your well-intentioned rules alterations are apt to negatively impact some character archetypes far more than others.

 

[MechaPilot]

I know the OP specifically mentioned "gothic" settings, but I'm going to go ahead and say that the problem is one of horror/suspense, regardless of whether the setting is gothic, medieval, modern, or futuristic. I mean, just imagine how much tension and suspense would have been sucked from the film Alien if most of the crew had darkvision.

Darkness, and the fear of what could be lurking in it, watching, waiting, possibly even salivating, makes up a very large part of the horror genre. Naturally, this is representative of larger horror themes: 1) the handicapping or downright powerlessness of the protagonists, and 2) the fear of the unknown. Darkness is also prominent in horror because of the psychology of fear: that which we can imagine will always be more terrifying than something that is defined (consequently, once the threat is actually revealed in a definable sense the resolution of the final conflict should occur in relatively short order).

When I'm running a horror campaign, in order to avoid tossing around magical darkness as if it were Halloween candy I generally just remove darkvision from the lists of racial benefits. I have no qualms about doing this because I don't generally see a real need for most races to have darkvision in the first place: it makes sense to me for the drow to have it specifically because they have a vulnerability to sunlight that when combined with darkvision helps to represent an overall adaptation to living in lightless places that you don't see in the other darkvision-equipped races.

I do like the suggestion mentioned earlier about changing darkvision to low-light vision, and I may try that one the next time I run a horror campaign (which will be a little while because PotA is the next adventure on deck for my group).

 

[Sunseeker]

It's worth noting that as [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION] alludes to but I don't think quite says outright: Being able to SEE isn't always in your best interests. Taking a page from CoC, you don't want to see what lurks in the darkness. That groaning and crunching sound in the shadows may very well be a sight that could traumatize your character or it could be a creaky old tree. There are advantages to not seeing and subsequently, not knowing. It's a kind of plausible deniability that the mind relies on IRL in order to rationalize things it can't process. If you can allow yourself to pretend it was just a creaky old tree and not some undead monster gnawing on the bones of a little girl, you can keep from going crazy.

But enforcing such horror rules is hard and requires systems that D&D dances with in the moonlight but doesn't really embrace fully.

 

[MechaPilot]

It's worth noting that as [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION] alludes to but I don't think quite says outright: Being able to SEE isn't always in your best interests. Taking a page from CoC, you don't want to see what lurks in the darkness.

I'll certainly agree to that. However, I will add that it's dependent on what you're trying to create. If you're trying to create fear, which is probably best described as the evil twin of anticipation, then being able to see into the concealing darkness is usually going to be a hindrance to creating and maintaining that mood.

Horror on the other hand is generally all about bearing full witness to something that shakes you to your core. In those instances, the more you can see, the more affected you may be.

But enforcing such horror rules is hard and requires systems that D&D dances with in the moonlight but doesn't really embrace fully.

That's also quite accurate.

 

[Sunseeker]

Horror on the other hand is generally all about bearing full witness to something that shakes you to your core. In those instances, the more you can see, the more affected you may be.

Sure, a player/character has to have a reason to not want to look into the darkness. Natural curiosity is going to want to make them look to begin with and then of course that's when you hit them with a truck. Afterwards it's a slow buildup to terror as they won't know if the next shadow is going to eat them, terrorize them or be nothing at all. Eventually, if you do it right they'll be jumping at shadows, but still determined to resolve things.

 

[hbarsquared]

What [MENTION=6803126]Jediking[/MENTION] said.

Horror is about the unknown, what you don't see. So, what are thr disadvantages of Darkvision?

Dim light more than 60ft is still dim, and in shadows. Darkness is still dim, imposing disadvantage. "You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray."

So, as other posters have mentioned, play these up! Heighten the tension with half-descriptions of swirling shadows.