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D&D Older Editions
4E: Darkvision and Low-light vision
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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 3787585" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>The thing is that compared to most animals human vision is pretty sucky at night (even if it is better than you think it is), but that is because it is pretty darn good during the day compared to most animals. The notion that humans are 'The Mario' needs to go away. There are some things we are good at. The problem with the current system is that there are no tradeoffs.</p><p></p><p>1) Neither low-light nor darkvision: base +2 racial bonus to spot and search. Humans, most avian creatures, </p><p>2) Low-light vision: No additional rules. You just see better in the dark. Most creatures should have this. A few (elves, owls) might also have a racial bonus to spot, but it should be rare.</p><p>3) Dark-Vision: Supernatural creatures only. Try to limit it to undead and naturally subterranian creatures only. Everything else that has it should default to low-light vision. Creatures with this should by default have some sort of light aversion, at minimum a base -2 racial penalty to spot and search when exposed to light, and more often than not a -1 morale penalty on all actions. Range is unlimited in total darkness, but is treated as low-light vision in the presence of any light at all.</p><p>4) True Seers: A few greater outsiders can have dark-vision without a light penalty, but it should be a rare thing.</p><p></p><p>A similar issue that bothers me is that Elves are about the only creature with CON penalties. That's ridiculous. Virtually every creature below medium size should have a CON penalty. Cat's of every sort are no more hardy than elves. Mice have exceptional consitutions _for thier size_, but they are still easier to poison/hurt than 160lb humans because they only weigh a few ounces. A rat is better treated as having like 4-6 CON plus natural disease resistance (a mouse, like 2-4 CON). And that doesn't even get into the fact that humans actually have above average con, and if humans average 10 CON most other medium size creatures ought to have a penalty (or alternately, humans should have endurance as a bonus feat).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 3787585, member: 4937"] The thing is that compared to most animals human vision is pretty sucky at night (even if it is better than you think it is), but that is because it is pretty darn good during the day compared to most animals. The notion that humans are 'The Mario' needs to go away. There are some things we are good at. The problem with the current system is that there are no tradeoffs. 1) Neither low-light nor darkvision: base +2 racial bonus to spot and search. Humans, most avian creatures, 2) Low-light vision: No additional rules. You just see better in the dark. Most creatures should have this. A few (elves, owls) might also have a racial bonus to spot, but it should be rare. 3) Dark-Vision: Supernatural creatures only. Try to limit it to undead and naturally subterranian creatures only. Everything else that has it should default to low-light vision. Creatures with this should by default have some sort of light aversion, at minimum a base -2 racial penalty to spot and search when exposed to light, and more often than not a -1 morale penalty on all actions. Range is unlimited in total darkness, but is treated as low-light vision in the presence of any light at all. 4) True Seers: A few greater outsiders can have dark-vision without a light penalty, but it should be a rare thing. A similar issue that bothers me is that Elves are about the only creature with CON penalties. That's ridiculous. Virtually every creature below medium size should have a CON penalty. Cat's of every sort are no more hardy than elves. Mice have exceptional consitutions _for thier size_, but they are still easier to poison/hurt than 160lb humans because they only weigh a few ounces. A rat is better treated as having like 4-6 CON plus natural disease resistance (a mouse, like 2-4 CON). And that doesn't even get into the fact that humans actually have above average con, and if humans average 10 CON most other medium size creatures ought to have a penalty (or alternately, humans should have endurance as a bonus feat). [/QUOTE]
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4E: Darkvision and Low-light vision
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