D&D 5E Darkvision and whiteouts

[merwins]

You've probably figured out where this is headed.

Would you rule that darkvision works in a whiteout, which is an overload of light rather than too little light?

 

[Inglorin]

Depends. Does the whiteout give the blinded condition? Then Darkvision wouldn't work there.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

If we're talking whiteout, as in from extreme snowy conditions: No. A character with Darkvision would see what everyone else sees - lots of snow.

However you choose to define whiteout as an excess of light? Akin to a flashbang?

If so: No. The character sees what everyone else sees: Too much light (and is probably blinded).

Darkvision lets you see in an absence of light, not in an overabundance of light.

For that a character would need really cool looking sunglasses.

 

[happyhermit]

Nope, doesn't make sense to me, and certainly not RAW or RAI.

 

[delericho]

It's a "no" from me, too. If such conditions were suitably common (on the Demiplane of Light, or something), I might introduce a race that had a racial trait for handling this, but I wouldn't just use darkvision.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

It's a "no" from me, too. If such conditions were suitably common (on the Demiplane of Light, or something), I might introduce a race that had a racial trait for handling this, but I wouldn't just use darkvision.

Lightvision?

 

[CapnZapp]

no.

 

[Umbran]

"Yes, you can see in the dark. You see lots of snow."

 

[Mercule]

I'm with everyone else. Either definition of "whiteout" still leaves the poor dwarf blind.

 

[Khisanth the Ancient]

No. Darkvision lets you see in darkness or see better in dim light... not in just any situation where 'normal' beings can't see.