D&D 5E Just About Sick Of Darkvision.

[guachi]

If you look up how actual low light vision works, it's largely done by the rods. And that's basically black and white vision. So I assume that creatures with darkvision are like real-world animals with good night vision like a cat or an owl or something. If the description says they can see in color, I assume they have some cones that work in lower light, too.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

1) Yes, it's excessive. It has been for ages.

2) Fire isn't just used for illumination. Those humanoids were using it to cook and to keep away predators, even if they don't need it to see.

3) Unless you're looking at carved runes, you can't read using darkvision. You can't make out what a painting depicts. There's lots of scenarios where actual light is a necessary thing.

 

[Saeviomagy]

5e darkvision essentially is low light vision, but with extra restrictions. I think 5e has actually made the lighting situation palatable for those without darkvision.

 

[Mistwell]

I still don't see it. Darkvision gives you colorless dim light in darkness. Dim light is bad. Remember, even a candle produces bright light; darkvision is less light than a candle. Everything is lightly obscured. You explicitly have disadvantage on Perception, so that's -5 on passive Perception. Indeed, you probably have disadvantage on everything that requires sight more complicated than finding a target. In the confusion of battle, you might even have difficulty discerning freind from foe. You're also going to set off every trap you encounter. You can't discern color. You have no idea if you're looking at a pool of water or oil or sewage or blood. You can't tell if the walls are merely wet or covered in green slime. You have no idea if you're walking past armor stands or armed soldiers. You have no idea if you're walking past statues or creatures. You can't even read.

The rules also don't ever state how darkvision is impacted by other light sources. In 2e, infravision was explicitly spoiled by any other light source. I find it hard to believe that someone can stand next to you with a torch and it doesn't impact your darkvision just because of glare. 5e darkvision isn't 3e's darkvision that explicitly didn't rely on light. 5e darkvision partially does rely on light.

Yeah I think Bacon Bits has the right of it here. Darkvision in total darkness is just dim light. That's lightly obscured. You have disadvantage on all perception checks. Some things can hide from you even when in the range of your darkvision (like with Skulker feat). Others can hide from you if they are outside your rather limited 60' range of vision. They can spoil your darkvision by casting light near you (which is the better use of that spell - cast it so you can see them, but they can't see you).

 

[PnPgamer]

It woule be fun to exploit darkvision somehow
It would be funny that if in a completely dark room, there were loads of books rumored to be filled with great knowledge, only to be found "empty". When a person with s torch comes, there would be sometying like purple text on green or something similar.

 

[Leatherhead]

I run it so that if you are using darkvision, you are blind outside of the 60' (or sometimes 120') range.

It makes using lights and rogues without darkvision useful.

 

[Nawara]

In case anyone was wondering, here is the complete list of MM monsters (not miscellaneous animals from Appendix A) that do not have Darkvision, Blindsight, Tremorsense, or Truesight:

Aarakocra
Bullywug
Centaur
Cyclops
Allosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Plesiosaurus
Pteranodon
Triceratops
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Cloud Giant
Fire Giant
Frost Giant
Hill Giant
Storm Giant
Githyanki Knight
Githyanki Warrior
Githzerai Monk
Githzerai Zerth
Harpy
Hippogriff
Jackalwere
Kenku
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk Shaman
Werebear
Wereboar
Werewolf
Merfolk
Nightmare (go figure...)
Pegasus
Peryton
Pixie
Roc
Satyr
Sprite
Treant

...that's it. That's the entire list. There are 238 monsters with Darkvision, 82 with Blindsight, 24 with Truesight, 9 with Tremorsense, and only 42 that have the same or worse night vision than a wolf, lion, or cat.

 

[PnPgamer]

In case anyone was wondering, here is the complete list of MM monsters (not miscellaneous animals from Appendix A) that do not have Darkvision, Blindsight, Tremorsense, or Truesight:

Aarakocra
Bullywug
Centaur
Cyclops
Allosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Plesiosaurus
Pteranodon
Triceratops
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Cloud Giant
Fire Giant
Frost Giant
Hill Giant
Storm Giant
Githyanki Knight
Githyanki Warrior
Githzerai Monk
Githzerai Zerth
Harpy
Hippogriff
Jackalwere
Kenku
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk Shaman
Werebear
Wereboar
Werewolf
Merfolk
Nightmare (go figure...)
Pegasus
Peryton
Pixie
Roc
Satyr
Sprite
Treant

...that's it. That's the entire list. There are 238 monsters with Darkvision, 82 with Blindsight, 24 with Truesight, 9 with Tremorsense, and only 42 that have the same or worse night vision than a wolf, lion, or cat.

42!!!!!

 

[MasterTrancer]

42!!!!!

Wouldn't have expected any other answer

 

[Bayonet]

I have to say I completely agree with the OP here. I'd take the current Darkvision away from every non-Underdark dwelling race, and certainly all PC races, and house rule it down into something like the "Dimvision" idea others have floated. (half range of sight, disadvantage on perception, etc.)

I just read a blog post very relevant to this discussion, tbh.

http://goblinpunch.blogspot.ca/2015/05/keep-dungeon-threats-threatening.html