D&D 5E Drow "Sunlight Sensitivity" workarounds?

[Lakesidefantasy]

Remove Sunlight Sensitivity but also remove Superior Darkvision (and maybe some other feature). Do it with magic, make it reversible, but don't make it instantaneously reversible (should take at least one day to reverse).

 

[Dire Bare]

I see an obvious problem

If there's an easy/cheap solution, ALL of the Drow would be using it and they'd be conquering the "sunlit lands" in your world.

If you really need a solution to the problem, I'd suggest that there might be something legendary or expensive that would allow Drow to operate in full daylight and that you could run an adventure that would allow the PC to find this item. Of course, he'd then become a target for every other Drow .... "Give me that X, or die, you Traitor! I...er ....WE need it to conquer the world."

Possible solutions (whether these would be magical or mundane is up to you)
1. Eye drops made from obscure mushrooms that only grow in a specific cave. These are both poisonous and addictive - but they do cause the eyes to be less sensitive to light. Consult your alchemist for a list of potential side effects. He's almost certainly got some other drugs that will help! Yes, those are ALSO expensive....

2. Snow goggles made from exquisitely crafted jewels and precious metals. Peripheral vision would be poor and it would be easier to surprise and ambush the wearer . Which could be a problem if another Drow is trying to steal the goggles..

3. A helmet that includes a "one way mirror" face shield (like Cobra Commander). This is really disturbing to encounter and should reduce all interpersonal skills. It's also rather fragile. Let's hope nobody hits you in the face. That could be messy!

Solutions for PCs do not (necessarily) have to equal solutions for world-building.

Allowing your PC drow to wear fantasy sunglasses or lose their sensitivity over time without any sort of penalty is the right call.

Doesn't mean that "logic dictates" that the entire drow nation is now going to strap on some fantasy sunglasses and start invading the surface lands . . . . . unless of course, that sounds like a cool story idea to you!

 

[Umbran]

I haven't read the entire thread, so forgive me if I cover ground already walked.

Why is this even an issue? The "solution" is simple, don't put some sort of cost on your player's character concept.

If the player thinks wearing fantasy sunglasses is a cool aspect of his character . . . allow it without some sort of constructed penalty. Or, just simply rule that as the character has spent time on the surface, his sensitivity to sunlight has faded . . . no game penalties applied.

If the player is willing to give up the Superior Darkvision and Drow Magic - basically taking a normal elf with dark skin, I'd be 100% down with that.

The superior abilities do call for a counterbalance, though.

 

[Vaalingrade]

What's next? Ban almost all non-Aarakocra, due to how strong flight is in 5e?

The 'strength' of flight is largely down to most DMs and game designers having never seen forests before.

Or the indoors.

Once they learn about weather look out.

 

[Oofta]

Solutions for PCs do not (necessarily) have to equal solutions for world-building.

Allowing your PC drow to wear fantasy sunglasses or lose their sensitivity over time without any sort of penalty is the right call.

Doesn't mean that "logic dictates" that the entire drow nation is now going to strap on some fantasy sunglasses and start invading the surface lands . . . . . unless of course, that sounds like a cool story idea to you!

Do what makes sense for your campaign of course, but if a PC can do it logically other drow could do it unless there's some very unusual extenuating circumstances.

If the player is willing to give up the Superior Darkvision and Drow Magic - basically taking a normal elf with dark skin, I'd be 100% down with that.

The superior abilities do call for a counterbalance, though.

That was my thought way, way back when. Pick a non-drow elf sub race mechanically but you look like a drow.

 

[MiraMels]

The way I'd run it as a DM (and how i'd like it run as the player of a drow character) is just that—there's nothing to be done.

Sunglasses are accessible, and sunglasses would certainly make being in the sunlight much more comfortable, but they don't change the drawback.

 

[see]

From a kobolds-living-under-a-desert project I'm working on:

Snow Goggles. Carved from opaque material to snugly fit the wearer’s face over the eyes, these goggles are strapped to the head, and have horizontally-wide, vertically-narrow slits. They eliminate the penalty to attack rolls from glare or the Sunlight Sensitivity trait but impose disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks using sight. First developed to counteract glare on snow, they work in any environment.

Sun Goggles. These goggles have lenses of smoky quartz or tinted glass. They eliminate the penalty to attack rolls from glare or the Sunlight Sensitivity trait, but also cause the character to suffer the effects of heavy obscurement in a lightly obscured area. When worn, they will be destroyed by being in the area of effect of a shatter spell if the wearer fails a saving throw against the spell.

They clearly are superior to just suffering with sunlight sensitivity, while still having drawbacks.

 

[Charlaquin]

From a kobolds-living-under-a-desert project I'm working on:

Snow Goggles. Carved from opaque material to snugly fit the wearer’s face over the eyes, these goggles are strapped to the head, and have horizontally-wide, vertically-narrow slits. They eliminate the penalty to attack rolls from glare or the Sunlight Sensitivity trait but impose disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks using sight. First developed to counteract glare on snow, they work in any environment.

Sun Goggles. These goggles have lenses of smoky quartz or tinted glass. They eliminate the penalty to attack rolls from glare or the Sunlight Sensitivity trait, but also cause the character to suffer the effects of heavy obscurement in a lightly obscured area. When worn, they will be destroyed by being in the area of effect of a shatter spell if the wearer fails a saving throw against the spell.

They clearly are superior to just suffering with sunlight sensitivity, while still having drawbacks.

These are pretty cool!

 

[Weiley31]

I didn't realize that Elton John was a drow.

Hey it happens to us all.

 

[Weiley31]

How about a feat that the player can take at later levels? Didn't Drizzt over come his sunlight sensitivity?

I believe that yes he did, but that was after getting acclimated to it after spending some time upon the surface.