CapnZapp
Legend
The rules don't say a human gets a penalty to (or even Disadvantage) to a perception check made at a distance. Yet I submit nobody has any issues adjucating such a situation, except possibly you, and even then probably to create a problem with my suggestion that really isn't there.As for the intermediate step I mention, it's really just the possibility that no matter what type of vision a creature has, there is some level of brightness that means they have disadvantage on Perception checks.
Just like a human can get penalties even in broad daylight, obviously an elf can get them under a full moon.
Otherwise abilities such as Barbarian Eagle Totem means nothing.
Your claim that you are prevented by the rules from applying disadvantage to low-light vision at night outdoors is just as feeble as it sounds like.
Sure, you've made up your mind not to use my suggestion (and what your business in this thread even is, well probably never know!)
But don't make my suggestion out to be problematic when it isn't.
I'm suggesting that what worked perfectly before can easily be used in 5th edition.
I'm saying that 5th edition made changes that themselves are the cause of the OPs case.
So maybe the simplest solution is to get rid of those changes?