Leviathan and Zaratan

[DreamChaser]

Low Light Vision is fairly useful underwater, since it is dark, but not completely lightless there. I believe the Aquatic Elves do also have Low Light Vision, even better than the Standard Elves one (4x instead of 2x).
Darkvision isn`t so great, because it only has a limited range, and Blindsight doesn`t really fit - Unless you know more about Leviathan than I do (I know only about the Spacefaring kind like in Farscape ). (And Blindsight does also have limited range).

Mustrum Ridcully

AWESOME!!! SAVE FARSCAPE!!!

anyway. back to the point.

every species of whale and dolphin navigates and even hunts using sonar. there is no mechanic in D&D to represent the mechanics of sonar better than blindsight. in the case of a whale it would something like 500 feet. Leviathan would probably have 1 mile.

While I agree that low light vision would be useful in the shallower areas of the ocean, there is no indication that whales see any better underwater than other mammals--other than being used to it. In fact, their development of sonar indicates that their eyes are not particularly important to them. And when you consider how large whales are and how small and inconvienently placed their eyeballs are, its no wonder.

Plus, sperm whales hung squid in the extreme depths. There is no light there.

DC

Leviathans from Farscape on the other hand, see across a brough range of EM and other energy frequencies. Must be a trip for the Pilots.

 

[Arcturus_Rugend]

The Desmodu, a bat-like race, from Savage Species (and MMII, I think) possess blindsight, so there is an example of the mechanic to emulate a creature's sonar. I think that giving whales a similar but longer range ability would be appropriate.

 

[AuraSeer]

The Desmodu, a bat-like race, from Savage Species (and MMII, I think) possess blindsight, so there is an example of the mechanic to emulate a creature's sonar.

Regular, nonmagical bats also have blindsight. Check the MM, in the Animals appendix.