Darkvision through a telescope
Kahuna Burger
First Post
If the pirate ship is within the range of the darkvision (usually 60 feet, I think), it works, if not, it doesn't. Unlike lowlight vision which interacts with penalties from distance, darkvision has a clearly defined cutoff - to this point you see in spite of the dark, beyond this point you do not, the end. The spyglass is not magically moving your point of reference to another location like scrying would, it's just making the things you have line of sight to look bigger. I wouldn't prevent it from giving the normal benifits of darkvision in range, but I would not allow it to extend the range of darkvision either.
frankthedm
First Post
oops
frankthedm
First Post
Mainly because those objects are transparent to light which darkvision does not operate by. I feel interpreting in this way, while it IS a bit of a stretch, is not completely invalid and anything that takes darkvision down a notch is a good thing.Bagpuss said:
Matthias_Gloom
First Post
If we step back a couple of E's, we find that darkvision used to be infravision. I don't think infrared light has a 60' range cap. But then, infravision had a 60' range too.
I suppose it isn't supposed to make sense?
Edit: Due to the index of refraction of glass, infrared is almost completely reflected anyway.
I suppose it isn't supposed to make sense?
Edit: Due to the index of refraction of glass, infrared is almost completely reflected anyway.
Last edited:
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
OK, the consensus sounds like, no matter what, it's not going to work, it's just a question of how badly it doesn't work.
Jack Simth
First Post
Well, whatever it is, it's specifically not light (which, if you're using a scientific definition of light, includes infrared and x-ray, plus a lot of other stuff). It works great for a fixed distance and suddenly cuts off. Can't say "it's magic" though, as it's specifically an extraordinary ability. It might be a form of blindsense, except that it operates by different rules (it doesn't discern illusions, and doesn't location invisible things, for instance) and still relies on having sight.darthkilmor said:
It's imaginary - it doesn't really have physics attached. A telescope does (it's based on bending light) and darkvision specifically does not use light. Thus, a telescope is useless (in theory, at least).
Pagan priest
First Post
I rather like that idea about a darkvision telescope. Now the question is to decide just how far out it extends the darkvision, and does it effect regular vision at all.
[HouseRules]
I'd say no. You need different scopes for regular vision and Darkvision.
The cheapest Darkvision Spyglass would double vision ranges (just like a regular Spyglass) and would cost 2,000gp (Twice the cost of a standard spyglass).
A x5 range-multiplier would probably be the best I'd allow for portable equipment and would probably cost around 10,000gp.
Anything better than that would be fantastically expensive and would be fixed in place in an tower/observatory.
[/HouseRules]
I'd say no. You need different scopes for regular vision and Darkvision.
The cheapest Darkvision Spyglass would double vision ranges (just like a regular Spyglass) and would cost 2,000gp (Twice the cost of a standard spyglass).
A x5 range-multiplier would probably be the best I'd allow for portable equipment and would probably cost around 10,000gp.
Anything better than that would be fantastically expensive and would be fixed in place in an tower/observatory.
[/HouseRules]
Zurai
First Post
frankthedm said:
There is absolutely NO rules support for this in any way, shape, or form. Further, you seem to be completely misunderstanding the term "black and white" as it relates to vision. Darkvision is greyscale - they presumably didn't use "greyscale" because it's a technical term and everyone at least gets the gist of "black and white".
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