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

[Oofta]

using an item to bypass it means the item can be lost stolen or knocked around. Goggles or a visor can be taken off someone's head or broken in a fight. the item could be stolen or confiscated due to in game reasons. Its not like you are just letting them have it for free.

Having the option to take away an item is pretty meaningless unless I'm actually willing to do it on a regular basis. I wouldn't do that any more than I'd take away a wizards spell book, have rust monsters eat a fighter's armor in the middle of the night. I'm not going to do that because it would feel vindictive and I'm not that kind of DM.

If you want to play a drow for RP purposes without the benefits I have a solution. Want to play a drow because it gives you advantages over other races while ignoring the penalties? Nope.

Oh, and you do realize you're responding to something I wrote 3 years ago, right?

 

[Horwath]

If you want to play a drow for RP purposes without the benefits I have a solution. Want to play a drow because it gives you advantages over other races while ignoring the penalties? Nope.

Why do you buy armor? It negates advantages over other races that have natural armor.

Why do you buy weapons? It negates advantages over other races that have natural weapons.

Why do you buy a horse? It negates advantages of fast races.

Why do you buy winters clothes? It negates advantages of races with cold resistance.


In the end, it's just an item that helps you on your adventures.

 

[Oofta]

Why do you buy armor? It negates advantages over other races that have natural armor.

Why do you buy weapons? It negates advantages over other races that have natural weapons.

Why do you buy a horse? It negates advantages of fast races.

Why do you buy winters clothes? It negates advantages of races with cold resistance.


In the end, it's just an item that helps you on your adventures.

Being a drow without the penalties simply to have a PC with advantages over the rest of the group is not someone I want to have as a player.

 

[Reynard]

Being a drow without the penalties simply to have a PC with advantages over the rest of the group is not someone I want to have as a player.

I think the important question is whether sunlight sensitivity is an appropriate balance for what advantages drow gain, relative to other PC lineages.

I would argue it isn't. It is too harsh. Compare the drow to deep gnomes that do not suffer sunlight sensitivity.

 

[Oofta]

I think the important question is whether sunlight sensitivity is an appropriate balance for what advantages drow gain, relative to other PC lineages.

I would argue it isn't. It is too harsh. Compare the drow to deep gnomes that do not suffer sunlight sensitivity.

That assumes I'd allow deep gnomes.

 

[Reynard]

That assumes I'd allow deep gnomes.

Sure, in your particular case. But in more general terms, is sunlight sensitivity an appropriate balancing factor for extended darkvision and drow magic? Compared to the tiefling having no disadvantages and fire resistance, or dragonborn breath weapon and resistance?

 

[delericho]

I'd be inclined to allow either a fairly simple (and cheap) workaround or a permanent fix (with a trade-off), with the player being able to choose.

The simple and cheap fix is just some goggles, of the sort described up-thread. Which work fine, almost all the time. But occasionally (and I do mean occasionally), the PC will lose those goggles for a time, and will have to deal with having disadvantage.

The permanent fix is either a ritual, or simple acclimatization over time. Either way, the character loses the sunlight sensitivity, but they also lose the extended darkvision of most drow.

As I said, I'd lay out both options, including the trade-offs, and allow the player to use either (or indeed neither) of them.

 

[DavyGreenwind]

Parasol.

 

[Reynard]

I'd be inclined to allow either a fairly simple (and cheap) workaround or a permanent fix (with a trade-off), with the player being able to choose.

The simple and cheap fix is just some goggles, of the sort described up-thread. Which work fine, almost all the time. But occasionally (and I do mean occasionally), the PC will lose those goggles for a time, and will have to deal with having disadvantage.

The permanent fix is either a ritual, or simple acclimatization over time. Either way, the character loses the sunlight sensitivity, but they also lose the extended darkvision of most drow.

As I said, I'd lay out both options, including the trade-offs, and allow the player to use either (or indeed neither) of them.

I would argue that the drow magic is far and away more powerful and useful than the extended dark vision. Dark vision isn't even that good, and extended darkvision even less so when usually within 30 feet there is a turn in the corridor or street, or something else that breaks line of sight.

 

[Oofta]

Sure, in your particular case. But in more general terms, is sunlight sensitivity an appropriate balancing factor for extended darkvision and drow magic? Compared to the tiefling having no disadvantages and fire resistance, or dragonborn breath weapon and resistance?

If you want to play someone with a drow heritage I have a work-around that puts them level with other elves. The only reason at that point to insist on playing a drow that ignores the sunlight sensitivity in my campaign is because as a player, you want a power-up.

I've stated what I do and why, I'm not going to argue about this any more. Different DMs will make different judgement calls, I've stated mine.