Level Up (A5E) Darkvision

[CapnZapp]

"One scout playing solo" doesn't have to mean mean "one scout gets a solo adventure while everyone else does nothing for an hour."

No it is not inevitable.

Just all too common.

What would have happened if that scout rolled badly? An exciting combat (or simply the Rogue getting herself killed) or chase scene or game of cat and mouse, is what. It's simply better with a gentleman's agreement nobody sneaks ahead. After all, another way of phrasing "scouting" is "spoiling the adventure content with only me being there to do anything about it". So if the scouts understand they should do modest and quick scouting, taking minimal risks, then it might not become an issue.

The secret with most official D&D adventures (in sharp contrast with many low fantasy games): you don't need to scout, since encounters aren't intended to be unwinnable. Trust you can handle anything the game throws at you. In the rare case where prudency is the wiser choice, this is nearly always clearly telegraphed as such.

However.

All too many players can't resist the "just one more corner" temptation... Scouting is safe - until it isn't. And when the princess has left her jewelry unguarded I'll just sneak up and take it... Newsflash - the adventure isn't about you acting alone. All your job is, is to confirm something like you aren't being set up - there aren't a dozen extra guards waiting in the shadows. Then you return and enjoy the content TOGETHER.

Or they're slow and cautious, becoming agitated if asked to hurry it along ("Don't force me to act rashly, it might get me killed"). The proper response to that is "okay so we'll skip scouting from now on, since you're apparently unable to get it done with minimal waiting for the rest".

Or... or... or...

 

[Scott Christian]

In thinking about it some more, I've decided the idea that one can gain darkvision by drinking a concoction is not a good one. For starters, darkvision is a 2nd-level spell. While admittedly, it's a spell that is incredibly unlikely to be on anyone's Must Prepare list, it's still 2nd level. To get it permanently, before gamestart, is really quite ridiculous, and borders on setting a bad precedent.

Secondly, it does feel like something that should be an inborn trait, not one that should be acquired. I can see, perhaps, reducing penalties for non-darkvision people raised by darkvision people, but I can also see it just being one of those things that your human or halfling who was raised by dwarfs just doesn't get. Removing it as an ability that raised-by-darkvision-folk also helps to give potential background elements: your PC was mocked by their darkvision-enabled classmates, leaving them bitter; your parents went out of their way to make things easier for you, even at the expense of their own eyeball comfort; you decided to learn magic/artifice in order to give yourself darkvision, etc.

You could alter the spell to have it affect multiple people, like six within range. You could tweak the concentration. You could add a spell at first level for low light vision. You could make the components uncommon. This way, one of the roles your caster might have is to help the party through settings that require darkvision. Maybe make a fourth or fifth level spell that requires no concentration?
Just spit-balling.

 

[FrogReaver]

I had a group do that, and then they just ended up using light sources anyway. Disadvantage on visual perception checks ran them into all kinds of traps and encounters that could have been avoided. If you run darkvision per 5e RAW, it's not that great.

Perhaps there's a huge lack of traps in others games?

 

[Horwath]

my two cents;

We should have night-vision(low-light vision) and darkvision.

Night vision, you treat dim light as normal light.
In darkness you can see 30ft but barely, you have disadvantage on Perception that relies on sight, disadvantage on attack rolls, and disadvantage on any check that relies on sight(usage of thief tools, Investigation checks, Acrobatic checks, Stealth checks while moving, Knowlegde checks for identifying things, etc...)

Every race that now has darkvision, would have this, plus anyone could take this as a "half feat" with Perception as a prerequirement.

Darkvision, after spending 10 minutes in darkness you can see in the dark.
If you eneter area of dim light for more than one minute, you lose darkvision,
If you enter area of normal light more than 1 round, you lose darkvision,
If you enter area of bright light(sunlight, daylight spell, sunrod), in addition to losing darkvision, you are blinded for 1 round, then for 10 minutes you have disadvantage on Perception that relies on sight, disadvantage on attack rolls, and disadvantage on any check that relies on sight(usage of thief tools, Investigation checks, Acrobatic checks, Stealth checks while moving, Knowlegde checks for identifying things, etc...)

You can keep your darkvision if you close your eyes while in brighter conditions that darkness and chosing to have Blinded condition.

If you are surprised by sudded increase in light you can atempt DC 10 dexterity save to close your eyes if you chose so. In case of any light spell, use that spell DC for dex save.

 

[Faolyn]

No it is not inevitable.

Just all too common.

I guess my experiences are just very different from yours.

 

[Haldrik]

No it is not inevitable.

Just all too common.

What would have happened if that scout rolled badly? An exciting combat (or simply the Rogue getting herself killed) or chase scene or game of cat and mouse, is what. It's simply better with a gentleman's agreement nobody sneaks ahead. After all, another way of phrasing "scouting" is "spoiling the adventure content with only me being there to do anything about it". So if the scouts understand they should do modest and quick scouting, taking minimal risks, then it might not become an issue.

The secret with most official D&D adventures (in sharp contrast with many low fantasy games): you don't need to scout, since encounters aren't intended to be unwinnable. Trust you can handle anything the game throws at you. In the rare case where prudency is the wiser choice, this is nearly always clearly telegraphed as such.

However.

All too many players can't resist the "just one more corner" temptation... Scouting is safe - until it isn't. And when the princess has left her jewelry unguarded I'll just sneak up and take it... Newsflash - the adventure isn't about you acting alone. All your job is, is to confirm something like you aren't being set up - there aren't a dozen extra guards waiting in the shadows. Then you return and enjoy the content TOGETHER.

Or they're slow and cautious, becoming agitated if asked to hurry it along ("Don't force me to act rashly, it might get me killed"). The proper response to that is "okay so we'll skip scouting from now on, since you're apparently unable to get it done with minimal waiting for the rest".

Or... or... or...

"Never split the party," is a motto for a reason.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I'm for a much simpler overhaul of the entire topic of lighting....

Lighting Categories:
Bright: Outside at noon on a cloudless day, Areas affected by daylight spell.
Normally Lit: Outside at noon on a cloudy day. Areas affected by a light spell. The primary area around a light source such as a torch.
Dimly Lit: Outside at night. Edges of artificial light sources. Any amount of ambient lighting.
Complete Darkness: Areas with zero ambient lighting. Deep caves. Darkness spell.

Vision Types:
Normal: You treat Dimly Lit areas as lightly obscured. You treat Complete Darkness areas as being heavily obscured.
Low-Light Vision: You treat Complete Darkness areas as being heavily obscured.
Darkvision: You treat Bright areas as being heavily obscured. You treat Normally Lit areas as being lightly obscured.
TrueSight: No vision penalties.
Echolocation: You treat silent areas as heavily obscured.
Blindsight: You treat areas farther than X' from you as heavily obscured.