D&D 5E Everyone has Darkvision - too generous?

[CapnZapp]

I have no issues with Darkvision. It works perfectly.

I just wish forest creatures like Elves did not have it.

Everything else is just a matter of "shouldn't they get some other vision then?"

 

[evilbob]

We end up completely ignoring vision 99% of the time. It's a personal choice; I know some people like that stuff - we just don't bother. So every character having darkvision works really well for us.

 

[rollingForInit]

I don't mind that vision was simplified, but I do mind that the majority of the races have darkvision, and only (I think) humans, halflings and dragonborn lack it. Instead of being an extra perk for some races, not having darkvision is now a handicap, because suddenly someone needs to carry a torcn and there has to be management of light resources and all that.

 

[CapnZapp]

I don't mind that vision was simplified, but I do mind that the majority of the races have darkvision, and only (I think) humans, halflings and dragonborn lack it. Instead of being an extra perk for some races, not having darkvision is now a handicap, because suddenly someone needs to carry a torcn and there has to be management of light resources and all that.

That's one way of looking at it, that's close to what I think.

My solution, of course, is that once Elves are shifted over to team "No-Darkvision", the balance is much restored, and having Darkvision is again more of a bonus than not having it is a penalty [emoji4]

 

[Vicaring]

Anyone else thinking how the simplification of "special" vision into only having Darkvision perhaps went too far?

Anyone else contemplating reintroducing "low light vision" in the game?

Yes and no, at least not before reading your post.

I don't like 90% of races having Darkvision, and no I hadn't considered adding LLV into my campaigns.

I'm not opposed to it, actually. I'd probably call it Starlight Vision or something though, in order to better differentiate it from Darkvision.

I think your LLV might be a little too complicated. Why not just remove the "see in the dark" aspect of Darkvision? So they see better in dim light, but are as lost as anybody else when it comes to moving around in inky black.

EDIT: Also, is anybody else a little bothered by the fact that races that supposedly spend all their time in utter darkness can see so well? In reality, there are plenty of examples of creatures that live in total darkness, like cave systems. And they are all, without exception, blind. Now that I think about it, I think I'm going to start making all my Svirfneblin, Duergar and Drow blind. Yeah, I like that. Superior Darkvision my ass.

 

[CapnZapp]

Yes and no, at least not before reading your post.

I don't like 90% of races having Darkvision, and no I hadn't considered adding LLV into my campaigns.

I'm not opposed to it, actually. I'd probably call it Starlight Vision or something though, in order to better differentiate it from Darkvision.

I think your LLV might be a little too complicated. Why not just remove the "see in the dark" aspect of Darkvision? So they see better in dim light, but are as lost as anybody else when it comes to moving around in inky black.

As long as you're exceptionally generous as to what constitutes dim light, that would do the trick, yes.

As in "dim light is - for creatures with LLV - not just on the boundaries of light sources like lanterns, but moon light and starlight too".

As for the name, I'm mostly going with low-light vision because it's an established term in D&D lore.