Visibility by starlight

[Selganor]

Low-light vision lets you see twice as far in starlight and moonlight (among other things) but how far is that?

The SRD contains no clues to this (or did I overlook anything?)

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Low-light vision is like daylight vision, except that it works at night. There is no range limit beyond that distance to which you could normally see (so, at best, the horizon).

 

[Selganor]

And that's written in the rules WHERE?

BTW: Why would you need any light sources at night as long as some moonlight (or starlight) is visibile?

 

[moritheil]

Low-light vision is like daylight vision, except that it works at night. There is no range limit beyond that distance to which you could normally see (so, at best, the horizon).

Wow. I've seen it played thus in Shadowrun, but never in DnD.

 

[BeauNiddle]

And that's written in the rules WHERE?

BTW: Why would you need any light sources at night as long as some moonlight (or starlight) is visibile?

Glossary pg 310 PHB (3.5)

low-light vision: The ability to see in conditions of dim illumination as if the illumination were actually as bright as daylight.

So in general dim illumination (stars / moon) it as is bright daylight [so there is no reason for light sources at night except for lesser races ]. In specific dim illumination (torch light / candle) they can see twice as far as humans (Vision and light, pg 164/165 PHB)

Which coincedentally explains why Elves trance - have you ever tried sleeping in bright daylight

 

[moritheil]

Glossary pg 310 PHB (3.5)

low-light vision: The ability to see in conditions of dim illumination as if the illumination were actually as bright as daylight.

So in general dim illumination (stars / moon) it as is bright daylight [so there is no reason for light sources at night except for lesser races ]. In specific dim illumination (torch light / candle) they can see twice as far as humans (Vision and light, pg 164/165 PHB)

Which coincedentally explains why Elves trance - have you ever tried sleeping in bright daylight

specific dim illumination (torch light / candle): Right, familiar with that.

general dim illumination (stars / moon): Wait, what!? In most cases, that means that lighting a torch severely decreases visibility for elves, etc. I never thought of it that way. Interesting.

sleeping in bright daylight: Totally not a problem, if you're tired enough. Try it sometime. If you can't sleep, that just means you aren't tired enough.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Wow. I've seen it played thus in Shadowrun, but never in DnD.

Read your PH.

 

[moritheil]

So that means that races with Darkvision but no low-light vision are screwed for seeing things in the distance when outdoors at night, compared to races with low-light but no darkvision. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that.

 

[Steve Jung]

They're screwed just as much as characters with low-light vision, but not darkvision, are underground without any light.

 

[Quasqueton]

general dim illumination (stars / moon): Wait, what!? In most cases, that means that lighting a torch severely decreases visibility for elves, etc. I never thought of it that way. Interesting.

Wait, what!? How do you figure that? There's no limit on visibility (that I can think of or remember) at night with stars/moonlight -- you can see to the horizon, but everything has concealment (20% miss chance, and can use the Hide skill). Those with low-light vision don't have the miss chance.

Lighting a torch lets a human see fully (no miss chance) for the 20' radius of the torch. It has no effect on the elf, within the 20' or outside it.

Quasqueton