Sight in Daylight

[KingCrab]

How far can a character see?

In the PHB it discusses how far characters can see with different types of artificial light. What if the party is in total daylight?

I'm mostly interested in the maximum distance a medium sized character can spot another medium sized character given that there are no obstructions (think flat desert or flying creature in the sky or something). Also would this change if trying to spot a larger creature, and which books if any detail this?

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Depends on conditions, but a LONG way

Based on your description of flat desert be prepared to find ways around giving the party a line of sight. Exactly how far depends on conditions in the air and how broken the ground is, how much scree or rock and the background contrast. But in a flattish rocky desert you can spot a man walking from a mile or more easily, never more than about four or five unless you have elevation on them. From the back of a wagon, I'd say about the same as a truck which can stretch to maybe five or six under the right conditions with a little height advantage(even a few feet can make a difference). In the air? Expect to see that griffon, dragon, etc, from ten or fifteen miles. Movement really stands out against a clear desert sky.

And even at night remember light discipline if you're going this route. the light from a single match or cigarette can be spotted at three or four miles if there aren't any other artificial lights to hide it. Campfires are like signal beacons visible for miles. Sounds can carry a long way in the desert too, but it can be hard to tell exactly which direction they're coming from and echoes can distort things a long way away. In dune conditions the sound of blowing sand(there's always a wind in the desert it seems like) can mask other noises and wear at your nerves. In rockier places the smaller rocks are always shifting as wind and heat work on them. There are little background sounds of rocks shifting and things you can't quite describe from the terrain itself.

Edit: Mechanically I'd expect to find these in the Sandstorm book since it dealt with desert conditions, but I've only skimmed it. Should have realized you wanted game mechanics rather than RL

 

[MarkB]

This information is included in the DMG and the SRD. Here's a link to the Surroundings, Weather and Environment page - go there and click on a terrain type, then scroll down to the section titled Stealth and Detection in <terrain>.

 

[TheGogmagog]

This information is included in the DMG and the SRD. Here's a link to the Surroundings, Weather and Environment page - go there and click on a terrain type, then scroll down to the section titled Stealth and Detection in <terrain>.

This is the encounter distance (when you check to see if characters spot another group of characters). This is what you were asking about.

However when it comes to spotting non humanoid objects like a mountain, giant flaming eye at the top of a tower etc... How far you can see is infinite without obscurement. For example, I can not only see the moon and sun, but stars that are several million (?) light years away.

Also remember this applies to the artificial lights also, a drow with darkvision will see 60', but will be able to see that group of adventurers 200' away surrounded by thier own torchlight.

 

[MarkB]

Also remember this applies to the artificial lights also, a drow with darkvision will see 60', but will be able to see that group of adventurers 200' away surrounded by thier own torchlight.

The specific rule for sources of illumination is that the light can be seen from a distance equal to ten times the radius it illuminates. So a torch, which provides clear illuminaton out to 20 feet and shadowy illumination out to 40 feet, may be clearly seen in darkness up to 200 feet away, and is dimly visible up to 400 feet away. These figures are doubled for creatures with low-light vision.

 

[Stalker0]

The specific rule for sources of illumination is that the light can be seen from a distance equal to ten times the radius it illuminates. So a torch, which provides clear illuminaton out to 20 feet and shadowy illumination out to 40 feet, may be clearly seen in darkness up to 200 feet away, and is dimly visible up to 400 feet away. These figures are doubled for creatures with low-light vision.

Can you quote me a rules page, I've never heard of that rule before, but it makes a lot of sense.

 

[werk]

Just like real life, it depends on the visibility. How much water vapor and smoke, etc, are in the air, temp, pressure, lots of factors. How far can you see outside during daylight?

...it depends.

Up to the DM, totally arbitrary within the guidelines.