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<blockquote data-quote="CleverNickName" data-source="post: 8816403" data-attributes="member: 50987">We had our Session Zero a couple of weeks ago, and everyone rolled up brand-new, 1st-level characters.&nbsp; While I was putting together the first adventure in Roll20, I rigged up the map with dynamic lighting and configured the vision for each character...and that's when I noticed:<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Nobody in the party has Darkvision.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Nobody in the party can cast the light or dancing lights cantrips.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Nobody in the party can cast control flame, faerie fire, or produce flame, either.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">In fact, nobody in the party even bothered to purchase a single light source, apart from the torches that are included in their starting adventure pack.</li>
</ul>What a gift!&nbsp; This is the best gift my players have ever given me as a DM.&nbsp; Finally, FINALLY, light sources will actually matter!How often does this happen in D&amp;D?&nbsp; Has it even happened before?&nbsp; Usually the players will collaborate (conspire?) with each other to ensure that at least 2 characters in the group have Darkvision, and the arcanist in the party will spam the dancing lights cantrip like it's a hobby.&nbsp; But not this time!So as soon as I made that realization, I decided to really lean into it.&nbsp; A DM almost never gets the opportunity to use this level of verisimilitude and immersion.&nbsp; I've decided that their first adventure is going to be in a newly-discovered tunnel of an abandoned mine, deep underground with no light sources.&nbsp; But I'm not completely heartless; one of the first encounters will be against a pair of giant fire beetles, allowing the party to harvest the glands afterward for light sources.&nbsp; And the dungeon is mercifully small and short (they are 1st level characters, after all), but they will find enough coin to hopefully purchase some lanterns back in town afterward.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="CleverNickName, post: 8816403, member: 50987"] We had our Session Zero a couple of weeks ago, and everyone rolled up brand-new, 1st-level characters. While I was putting together the first adventure in Roll20, I rigged up the map with dynamic lighting and configured the vision for each character...and that's when I noticed: [LIST] [*]Nobody in the party has Darkvision. [*]Nobody in the party can cast the [I]light [/I]or [I]dancing lights [/I]cantrips. [*]Nobody in the party can cast [I]control flame, faerie fire, [/I]or [I]produce flame, [/I]either. [*]In fact, nobody in the party even bothered to purchase a single light source, apart from the torches that are included in their starting adventure pack. [/LIST] What a gift! This is the best gift my players have ever given me as a DM. Finally, [I]FINALLY,[/I] light sources will actually matter! How often does this happen in D&D? Has it even happened [I]before[/I]? Usually the players will collaborate (conspire?) with each other to ensure that at least 2 characters in the group have Darkvision, and the arcanist in the party will spam the [I]dancing lights [/I]cantrip like it's a hobby. But not this time! So as soon as I made that realization, I decided to [I]really lean into it[/I]. A DM almost never gets the opportunity to use this level of verisimilitude and immersion. I've decided that their first adventure is going to be in a newly-discovered tunnel of an abandoned mine, deep underground with no light sources. But I'm not completely heartless; one of the first encounters will be against a pair of giant fire beetles, allowing the party to harvest the glands afterward for light sources. And the dungeon is mercifully small and short (they are 1st level characters, after all), but they will find enough coin to hopefully purchase some lanterns back in town afterward. [/QUOTE]

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