D&D 5E Just About Sick Of Darkvision.

[Warbringer]

42!!!!!

What's the question?

 

[Zaran]

My entire party has darkvision but I am still casting Light so I can read inscriptions and examine rooms in color. Darkvision is great for sneaking up on enemies but if you want to look at your surroundings you are going to want to be able to see in a full spectrum of light.

 

[Agamon]

Githyanki Knight
Githyanki Warrior

42!!!!!

So long and thanks for all the gish.

 

[jgsugden]

As Bacon Bits points out: Darkvision will get you by, but all races are better off with real light. Accordingly, relying only on darkvision puts them at a disadvantage (literally).

Try taking things a step further and factor in the darkvision reliance of certain races in game design. If Darkvision is the norm, then light is the aberration... and some creatures might use light as a way to hide and reveal secrets. For example, multiple colors can appear identical in greyscale. Thus, a message written in one color set against a background of another color might appear like a blank sheet in darkvision... but be clear as day in light.

As for how it interacts with other vision, the way I play darkvision is not as a form of vision per se, but instead as a unique lightsource. Darkvision is effectively a dim 'black and white' light source that only the PC can see and is always on and available to the PC. It works really well to think of it this way and keeps the game simple.

 

[Bacon Bits]

Black and white doesn't prevent reading, and doesn't prevent discerning details. There are a lot of details (eg visual textures, saturation) that can be discerned independently of colour.

Dim light/partial obscurement strikes me as the bigger issue, although I think someone with good eyesight might be able to read large text held close, even in dim light.

Being able to read isn't affected by the lack of color. It's simply due to not having enough light to make out the letters regardless of contrast.

I really encourage you to try the experiment I mentioned where you try to read 10 feet away from a candle, tablet/smartphone on flashlight mode, or similar light source in an otherwise dark room. You can read very easily when you're adjacent to the light, but moving just 10 feet away makes it impossible, and 10 feet away is where there's dim light. You can probably make out the letters on the cover of the PHB, but you really won't be able to read the contents at all.

 

[PnPgamer]

What's the question?

How many enemies cannot do surprise shenanigans with darkness against players in fifth edition of dungeons and dragons?

 

[billd91]

Being able to read isn't affected by the lack of color. It's simply due to not having enough light to make out the letters regardless of contrast.

I really encourage you to try the experiment I mentioned where you try to read 10 feet away from a candle, tablet/smartphone on flashlight mode, or similar light source in an otherwise dark room. You can read very easily when you're adjacent to the light, but moving just 10 feet away makes it impossible, and 10 feet away is where there's dim light. You can probably make out the letters on the cover of the PHB, but you really won't be able to read the contents at all.

Ultimately, that's going to vary more with the materials being read than any blanket property of darkvision.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

[MENTION=93444]shidaku[/MENTION]
I'd want more creatures to have heightened senses though. Gnoll, Owlbears, etc. should have a better sense of smell for example that they could use to hunt in the dark. This is something you could even give to creatures that aren't necessarily bestial, such as Vampires.

Owlbears have owl eyes. Which are eyes designed to work in the dark. Vampires are "children of the night". Do you really want vampires having to carry around lanterns while sneaking about?5th edition darkvision is actually sub-par for what I would expect.

Where as I'd allow; Drow, Duerger, Deep Gnomes, Mind Flayer, Beholder, Drider, Gargoyle, Quaggoths, Umber Hulks, Formorian, Hags, Merrow and Merfolk to all have Darkvision... these all make sense to me. Anything else, not so much. I especially hate the idea of Kobolds, Goblins, and Orcs having darkvision as I consider them "starter enemies", and I like to encourage my players to use tactics to take down the enemies. If they get used to the enemies all having "I can always see everything" vision, they'll never try cleaver tactics in the future.

I'd say your hatred carries a bit too far, particularly that kobolds, goblins and orcs are subterranean/cave dwelling races that evolved underground. Orcs used to have a penalty to hit in 1st edition from light sensitivity IIRC. Also, as noted, 5E darkvision sucks. It just gives you crappy 60' vision, at disadvantage. -5 to passive perception is hardly "I can see everything" vision. Its more like "can your 10 dex untrained doofus not roll a 4 or less to sneak past me" vision.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

My personal opinion is that "Normal Darkvision" should be LESS effective than wandering around with a candle. Therefore, I would houserule:
* It is fine for going through familiar terrain or very slowly through unfamiliar terrain, sufficient that you do not simply fall down into holes or other overt hazards.
* You cannot read, other to know there are markings on the paper.
* Stuff more than 20 feet away? Hazy hints only.
* The usual underground races like dwarves simply know how to live their lives while nearly blind beyond 20 feet. When they require more visual information than that, they use a light source.
* There are specific races with Super Darkvision, but that is very rare.
* Angels/Devils, for example, can get light magically when they care.
* Devils/Demons see through magical darkness the same as usual darkness. Only a few have Superior Darkvision.

 

[scholz]

I know 5E is all about simplicity, but I wanted to make it more complicated to distinguish the races a bit.
My House Rule:
Dwarf/Gnome (Hill) – Deepvision - Generations of living underground have given these races acute eyesight, and a keen sense for where things are in relation to them based on non-visual cues. Double the range of light from any sources when underground or inside buildings. Also, no disadvantage/advantage to/from melee attacks caused by darkness. So if a Dwarf finds herself in complete darkness she can still fight (in melee) without penalty.
Elf/Half Elf/Gnome (Forest) – Feysight – Treat dim light as bright light outside. Treat foliage as one level lower obscurement. Life in the forest have given these races a natural ability to see in starlight or moon light. In addition, their affinity for plants makes it difficult from them to hide using them.
Tiefling/Half Orc/Goblin/Orc/Drow – Darkvision as per PHB.