Illumination?

[DimitriX]

I'm wondering how illumination and vision works in 4e. They are both mentioned in KotS, but not really addressed. This may be more of a rules disclosure than what WotC wants to get into right now. But, let me explain what I'm seeing and see if someone from WotC will verify/correct/explain.

There are three types of illumination mentioned: bright light, dim light, and darkness. Players can have two types of vision: normal and low-light. Monsters can have any of those and darkvision.

I'm thinking that in bright light conditions, all creatures can see in bright light conditions.

In dim light conditions, creatures with normal vision can't see anything and creatures with low light vision can see things up to 3 squares away and creatures with darkvision can see just fine.

In darkness, creatures with normal vision and low-light vision can't see anything, but creatures with darkvision can see just fine.

If a light source is used, then it creates a zone of bright light up to 3 squares away from the light source and dim light conditions three more squares from the zone of bright light. So, creatures can see up to three squares away and creatures with low-light vision can see up to six squares away. Creatures with darkvision just complain about how bright it is now.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Not quite how I've been doing it but it sounds okay to me.

I've got it
Dim light provides concealment (-2 to attack) at range but not melee (Low light and Darkvision negates)
Darkness provides total concealment (-5 to attack) which only Darkvision negates.

Light sources provide bright light (as per source range) surrounded by dim light LOS.

Fitz

 

[DimitriX]

Not quite how I've been doing it but it sounds okay to me.

I've got it
Dim light provides concealment (-2 to attack) at range but not melee (Low light and Darkvision negates)
Darkness provides total concealment (-5 to attack) which only Darkvision negates.

Light sources provide bright light (as per source range) surrounded by dim light LOS.

Fitz

That sounds a lot simpler. I might use that instead. I was basing my structure off of something I saw during a demo of the DDI game table. It appeared that two different characters had different size illuminated areas from the same light source. But, that may be easier with a computer program than a real battle mat situation.

In your interpretation, does darkness provide total concealment to all attacks or just ranged? What is the range of the light sources you've been using?

 

[Ilium]

This may not be strictly on-topic, but I've found a different way of thinking about illumination that has been helpful, regardless of edition. This may be stating the obvious, but I've seen arguments that don't seem to take this into consideration.

A light source's range is the range at which it lights things up. So if a light source gives bright light within 10 feet, everything within 10 feet is brightly lit. A brightly lit object can be seen at any distance (as long as you have line of sight, and the distance isn't so great that things are just too small to see).

Say a PC is carrying a light source that gives bright light to 10 feet and dim (shadowy, whatever) light to 20 feet. The light source (and the PC carrying it) are visible at ANY reasonable range. Attackers have no penalties to attack that PC due to darkness, because he can be seen just fine. Another PC 15 feet from the first is in dim light for any observer, regardless of where the observer stands. Appropriate penalties would apply.

Again, I'm probably stating the obvious, but there's my 2 coppers.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

In your interpretation, does darkness provide total concealment to all attacks or just ranged? What is the range of the light sources you've been using?

All attacks, it's total darkness. The range I've been using is the range of the Light cantrip (I've been using the same for the sunrods) which is a Close Burst 4 from the origin square (same as the location of the rod) so 4 inches in all directions.

I should stipulate that the Line of Sight dim light is for indoors only. Outdoors I make it adjacent squares to the lighted squares.

As Ilium points out people outside the lightsource can see INTO it fine, no matter what their vision. Seeing OUT into darkness is harder, as your eyes have adjusted.

Fitz

 

[DimitriX]

Oh yeah, I didn't think to look at the Light cantrip. I can use that as my ranges for the light source.

 

[DimitriX]

:bump: