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

[Yaarel]

Didn't vote. There was no option for 'remove lighting and vision rules'.

Yeah.

I like the lighting rules (bright, dim, and dark). But I hate tracking the radius of a lightsource, so I dont. Typically, everything in a combat encounter is either bright, dim, or dark, universally. Only scanning long-distance might take into account a small area of lighting.

 

[AverageMojito]

Underground and deep water races only.
Dwarves are barely an underground race these days, by the way, so I'd cut 'em out too.

I found it interesting that people suggested orcs and goblinoids "because they are mostly active at night", despite the fact they have zero daylight sensitivity. Tolkien vibes still vibing, I guess.

Maybe add aasimar and tiefling to reflect their celestial and fiendish heritage. But definitely no elves (except drow, if kept as an underground-only race), gnomes, and fey-like because "fey", and no animal-folk because "animals see good at night".

There you go. Torches are back in the menu for the dungeon tonight.

 

[ScuroNotte]

If I was in charge I would cut the number of pc races with dark vision to a fourth. But I would allow it as a feat.

I agree. having it as a feat is perfect as it could be a part of the character's background of how and where they lived. Example a human who was kept as a prisoner in the Underdark learned to adapt to low lighting

 

[Vaalingrade]

Yeah.

I like the lighting rules (bright, dim, and dark). But I hate tracking the radius of a lightsource, so I dont. Typically, everything in a combat encounter is either bright, dim, or dark, universally. Only scanning long-distance might take into account a small area of lighting.

Not to mention counting torches and other onerous bookkeeping. I just assume there's a light source somewhere and then some monsters have special eyes/senses that let them do something interesting.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Although it goes against a lot of established lore, the best way to handle it form a "running the game" perspective is to get rid of darkvison entirely. (At least as a racial trait.) Having different pc's who can see different things adds a lot of confusion and complexity and rarely makes for more interesting encounters: in combat everything happens close by, and in exploration it's assumed people will explain stuff to the teammates who can't see as well.

I could see tweaking the darkvision spell to be a party-wide option, but other than that people should need light sources (or not, if you don't want to be bothered tracking torches.)

 

[Steampunkette]

So... I like to use three vision types as well.

1) Normal vision.
2) Elfsight. Does not confer the ability to see in darkness, but doubles sight ranges in all conditions, including dim light, bright light and fog.
3) Darkvision. Only nocturnal or subterranean races get this. Works just like the book says. Darkness becomes dim light within the range. Black and white vision only.

Dark Elves would have both Elfsight and Darkvision.

An elf on the prow of the ship on a clear day can see 4 miles in every direction, rather than 2 like humans. In a fog that limits sight to 20ft, those with elfsight can see 40ft. In darkness and holding a torch, 20ft bright, 20ft dim for a human, they see 40ft of bright light and 40ft of dim light (80 total feet).

Makes for very Tolkienesque elves, where light is still important but their vision is second to none.

 

[Xeviat]

I want Low-Light Vision back.