D&D 5E Too Many PC Races With Darkvision? (a Poll)

[Faolyn]

I put down the three goblinoids (I see them as pretty nocturnal), the leonin and tabaxi (coz cats), the tritons (I imagine them as living deep underwater), the underground races (svirfneblin, duergar, and drow), aasimar and tieflings (since they're supernatural), and the warforged (who, being robots, I can imagine being built with night-vision capabilities).

 

[Faolyn]

Low-light Vision allows a character to see twice as far as they normally might be able to in dim light. They can see in color and make out details as if the area were brightly lit. They do need to take a few seconds to adjust, however — a character with Low-light Vision who suddenly has bright light in their eyes may get the Blind condition (p. 109) for a few minutes.

Is there actually a radius for being able to see in 5e? Or is this using the radius of, say, a torch, and saying you can double that? I think that might be a bit confusing. If a torch as a 20-foot radius (I forget the exact rules on it, so just go with 20 feet), and you're standing at the edge of that light, can you see an additional 20 feet out, or 40 feet out?

I'd go with low-light vision as just "you can see in dim light to 30 (or 60) feet as if it were bright light, but can't see in darkness" and be done with it.

 

[Weiley31]

Is there actually a radius for being able to see in 5e? Or is this using the radius of, say, a torch, and saying you can double that? I think that might be a bit confusing. If a torch as a 20-foot radius (I forget the exact rules on it, so just go with 20 feet), and you're standing at the edge of that light, can you see an additional 20 feet out, or 40 feet out?

I'd go with low-light vision as just "you can see in dim light to 30 (or 60) feet as if it were bright light, but can't see in darkness" and be done with it.

I honestly took it as Monarchies of Mau's take on Superior Darkvision, just with the cravat that a sudden bright flash of light has a nasty side effect of giving you the Blind condition for a bit.

 

[Bird Of Play]

Agreed!!
Please leave darkvision only to demons, devils, tieflings, drows, svifnerwhatthey'recalled, and duergar.

Don't give it to races who live in daylight like elves or orcs!

 

[pming]

Hiya!

According to my quick run of PC races I know of (I am sure I might have missed some...), more than half of all PC races get darkvision. IMO, this is a shame because darkness is one of the greatest elements for creating mystery and suspense, etc. For exploration, it is also a key component. And well more than half of the core PHB races have darkvision.

I know there are arguments for many races, some pretty strong, some weak. And there are races that IMO should have it, but don't (I'm looking at you, Dragonborn!).

So, I wanted to get your opinion. Below are dozens of playable races, vote for the race if you think they should have darkvision.

Totally agree with the idea of FAR too many creatures/races having "darkvision".

I like the idea of a simple statement of: "All monsters can see in the dark". That it. No specifics, just "...it's a monster, so it can see in the dark...", which leaves just exactly how, why, when, etc a monster could "see in the dark" up to the DM.

For me, for the last 3'ish decades or so, I've ruled that any "infravision/darkvision/ultravision" is a creatures "backup sense of sight". If a creature has Darkvision (I'll restrict to 5e), it "kicks in" when there is no other means of light or the other means are EXTREMELY dim. In other words, if a fighter is holding a torch, then the dwarf 40' in front of him can't see anything down the tunnel because the light from the torch IS reaching down the tunnel, it's just very, VERY dim! So, despite the fact that Darkvision would be great, it 'shuts off', for lack of a better description, in favour of the normal torch light.

Effectively, this gives a reason to have a goblin warren dotted with clusters of candles, torches, dull-fat-burning-lamps, etc; it spoils any other creatures Darkvision...putting the Goblins in control of the area because they live there and know all the traps and ambush spots.

Anyway...Darkvision is a bit of a thorn in my side. I'd rather have "Monsters can see in the dark" and leave it at that.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[tetrasodium]

Hiya!

Totally agree with the idea of FAR too many creatures/races having "darkvision".

I like the idea of a simple statement of: "All monsters can see in the dark". That it. No specifics, just "...it's a monster, so it can see in the dark...", which leaves just exactly how, why, when, etc a monster could "see in the dark" up to the DM.

For me, for the last 3'ish decades or so, I've ruled that any "infravision/darkvision/ultravision" is a creatures "backup sense of sight". If a creature has Darkvision (I'll restrict to 5e), it "kicks in" when there is no other means of light or the other means are EXTREMELY dim. In other words, if a fighter is holding a torch, then the dwarf 40' in front of him can't see anything down the tunnel because the light from the torch IS reaching down the tunnel, it's just very, VERY dim! So, despite the fact that Darkvision would be great, it 'shuts off', for lack of a better description, in favour of the normal torch light.

Effectively, this gives a reason to have a goblin warren dotted with clusters of candles, torches, dull-fat-burning-lamps, etc; it spoils any other creatures Darkvision...putting the Goblins in control of the area because they live there and know all the traps and ambush spots.

Anyway...Darkvision is a bit of a thorn in my side. I'd rather have "Monsters can see in the dark" and leave it at that.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

That's all well & good to say, but it's extremely difficult to actually model in a way where both of the players don't see what the other sees with a grid & with a VTT it instead creates a significant amount of overhead to juggle light sources between turns. at the end f the day when the dice are pulled from their bags both players wind up having the benefits of both vision types except when the GM declares they have the downsides of one or both vision types.

 

[renbot]

I just started the Shadow of the Apt series (good, not great) where being able to see in darkness is rare and special. It made me decide that in my next campaign unless your race's culture takes place primarily underground you will not have darkvision without magic

 

[jmartkdr2]

I like reserving it for underground races - dwarves, drow, svirfneblin. The exceptions are dragonborn (although I'd prefer an alternative for them, really) and fire genasi for infravision.

 

[Yaarel]

Only darkvision for magical creatures that are subterranean or nocturnal.

High elf, no.
Wood elf, possibly nocturnal.
Drow elf, subterranean.
Half-high, no.
Half-wood, possibly nocturnal.
Half-drow, possibly subterranean or nocturnal.

Hill dwarf, no.
Mountain dwarf, possibly subterranean.
Duergar dwarf, subterranean.

Forest gnome, no.
Rock gnome, possibly subterranean.
Svirfneblin gnome, subterranean.

Goblinoid, nocturnal.

Orc, nocturnal but no if considered a nonmagical creature.
Half-orc, possibly nocturnal but no if nonmagical.

Tiefling, possibly nocturnal.
Gnoll, possibly nocturnal.

Dragonborn, possibly subterranean
Kobold, subterranean.

Tabaxi, nocturnal but no if considered a nonmagical creature.

No others.

 

[Yaarel]

Something like:

Darkvision:

• see in darkness as black-and-white
• see in dimness as color
• blind in brightness.

Brightvision (normal human):

• see in brightness as color
• see in dimness as black-and-white
• blind in darkness