D&D 5E A whole group with Darkvision!

[Rhenny]

Like others, I think that dakvision limitations (disadvantage to perception and investigation in dim light or less) should keep balance enough.

Heck, I'm playing in a group now where my Bladesinger may even take light cantrips (at 4th level) so that we can see better without having to use torches and we have 4 darkvision pcs and one human cleric in our party.

 

[discosoc]

It's not a big deal in 5e because all but 2 (I think) races have it. It seems like they really just wanted to trivialize things like rations and lighting and such.

 

[Caliban]

It's not a big deal in 5e because all but 2 (I think) races have it. It seems like they really just wanted to trivialize things like rations and lighting and such.

Three - humans, halflings, and dragonborn in the PHB don't have darkvision.

Plus lizardfolk if you use Volo's. (And possibly more, I don't have the book with me)

 

[evilbob]

Hi,
Now I realize that the players did this on purpose to give them an clear advantage during exploration, but none the less it still bothers me some what.

Are you kidding, I love it when this happens! Keeping track of mundane things like light sources is always just a chore - it's SO much easier when they all have darkvision and I can just ignore it completely. (Things don't have to be in the dark to be scary / hiding / jump out at you.)

 

[pdzoch]

I have a party that did the same thing, too. And they did it on purpose also. (they got tired of carrying around torches I guess). But it really hasn't been a problem. Darkvision has a limited range -- they can't see forever across a dark cavern. They can't see invisible creatures. And they can't see through things that obscure vision (dark or light), so there are plenty of ways to limit the vision IF Necessary. However, I find that a group of elves with darkvision makes sense -- why wouldn't they hang out as a group?

 

[Bladecoder]

Pretty much no one has answered my question. I am not asking how Darkvision works, but I am asking ways I can challenge them differently now that they have this added bonus.

Some of you have answered that they would not be able to read in the dark, but I don't fell like this problem is nearly as cool as wondering what is lingering in the surrounding darkness.

 

[Caliban]

Pretty much no one has answered my question. I am not asking how Darkvision works, but I am asking ways I can challenge them differently now that they have this added bonus.

Do you need to? I mean presumably they did this as a group and are hoping to get some benefit from it. If you immediately shut it down, that's not fun for the players. It's annoying and feels very adversarial. What's the point of making the characters good at something if the DM is immediately going to punish you for it? Why even play the game if you aren't allowed to get even minor benefits from your decisions?

But assuming you aren't planning on being a jerk DM right away, there are plenty of ways to challenge a party of dark-vision characters.

Use opponents that have longer range on their darkvision (drow - 120 ft darkvision, Duergar - 120 ft darkvision, etc) and then use ranged attacks with hit'n'run tactics.

Send Warlocks with Devil Sight and Darkness against them.

Have enemy casters use Fog Cloud (heavy obscurement that darkvision doesn't help with), Invisibility (darkvision is no help), etc.

Have enemies burrow up from below.

Have enemies use deception to get close before attacking. (i.e. appearing helpless, appearing like peasants or townsfolk, appearing to be mugged, etc.)

There are many, many situations where darkvision is irrelevant.

 

[pdzoch]

Several ways to foil darkvision:

Several spell effect nullify darkvision (and all vision): darkness (2nd level), Fog Cloud (1st Level), sleet storm (3rd level), stinking cloud (3rd level), as well as the obvious invisibility (2nd level), as well as several other higher level spells.

Several monsters employ magical darkness or other vision impairing effects: darkmantle (magical darkness) (CR 1/2), drows and driders (spell effects), oni (spell effect). The dretch has a fetid cloud that obscures vision, and the Kraken's and octopus ink will heavily obscure vision.

Which leads to the other aspect of changing the environment. A congested or claustrophobic environment where the field of view is never more than 15 or so feet makes all combat up close and personal, breaks up the party, and completely removed long range vision advantages (in light or dark). The underdark is perfect for this, especially if you want to add echoing effects so they could not use their perception to determine where sounds are coming from. A thicket (bramble forest) also works this way. Place the group in a volcanic environment where the air is filled with ash, reducing all sight to 15 feet. The plane of air call also be a giant cloud environment that also reducing vision to 15 feet. Or take away another sense from them, like sound. (I recently ran an adventure is a "echo chamber" where the party could not communicate or use any hearing senses. The constant noise also nullified verbal spells like a silence spell.) Lastly, you can take away something else more vital, like oxygen -- place the adventure underwater. They might be able to see, but breathing is a whole other issue, especially if they can not swim as well as natural swimming beats in the oceans and seas.

 

[Rhenny]

To add, as others have said, you could play up the black and white limitation of darkvision too and make sure that rooms/areas have more interesting objects of varied colors and use clues/puzzles that need to be seen in color.

But, from my experience, even just forcing them to make perception checks at disadvantage (and making their passive perception -5) tends to lead to easier ambushes so you can work with this. Also, for the stealthy ones, you can use creatures with blindsight, tremor sense and echolocation (Flying Sword, Rug of Smothering, Ankheg, Needle Blight, Twig Blight, Vine Blight, Bulette, Crawling Claw, Darkmantle, Many Demons and Devils, Dragons, Gas Spore, Shrieker, Violet Fungus, Galeb Duhr, Grell, Hook Horror, Intellect Devourer, Puddings/Oozes, Piercer, Purple Worm, Shambling Mound, Umber Hulk, Water Weird, Xorn, Mezzoloth, Nycaloth).

Oh, by the way, Darkmantles are really scary for lower level PCs. They can each cast darkness and function in the dark and if they hit, they basically engulf the head and begin to suffocate the target. I ran an encounter of 6 of these creatures vs. a group of 4 4th level PCs, and it was really scary for only 300 xp.

Cheers

 

[akr71]

-lots of above ground daytime encounters
-narrow passages where they can only travel/fight in single file
-hidden/hard to see side passages in said passages where things can spring out at you
-sudden, blinding bright lights