James Jacobs Creative Director |
Has anybody else noticed that every single evil race has darkvision? Tunnel dwellers make sense. But goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, trolls, ogres, orcs, tieflings, giants, boggards...not only are they all nocturnal, they apparently do most of their roaming on cloudy new moons.
Darkvision is not an "evil" race trait... but it IS a very common sense to give creatures; dwarves and aasimars and svirfneblins and lots of other non-evil creatures have it.
The fact that the underground or the night is culturally identified with fearsome stuff and monsters DOES self-select monsters to live in dark places, and thus self-selects those monsters to have darkvision so that they can actually function.
Kobold Catgirl |
That may be an artifact of earlier times when all these creatures were just series of unrelated encounters in a dungeon with no infrastructure to support them. The only source of light was the party.
You're probably right, but it tends to stretch the suspension of disbelief.
I think I'll make a house rule. What races should I edit?Kobold Catgirl |
Kobold Cleaver wrote:Has anybody else noticed that every single evil race has darkvision? Tunnel dwellers make sense. But goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, trolls, ogres, orcs, tieflings, giants, boggards...not only are they all nocturnal, they apparently do most of their roaming on cloudy new moons.Darkvision is not an "evil" race trait... but it IS a very common sense to give creatures; dwarves and aasimars and svirfneblins and lots of other non-evil creatures have it.
The fact that the underground or the night is culturally identified with fearsome stuff and monsters DOES self-select monsters to live in dark places, and thus self-selects those monsters to have darkvision so that they can actually function.
I'm not sure I understand your last statement.
On the first one, you're quite right, but if I said 'all good, neutral and evil creatures have darkvision', it wouldn't be true, would it? 'all evil creatures' has a better punch. :PAustin Morgan |
Kobold Cleaver wrote:Just have a world where everyone is blind! That should make combat REALLY intersting.You're probably right, but it tends to stretch the suspension of disbelief.
I think I'll make a house rule. What races should I edit?
Hey, why does every one of your players have the Blind-Fight fe... ohhh, I understand now :P
Gilfalas |
No, because then some one will complain that you nerfed invisiblity and that it makes sneak attack too powerful for blindsight creatures, and unuseable by everyone else.
Can you accurately strike a specific location in a discerned anatomy with Blind Fighting?
Can you DISCERN an anatomy with Blind Fighting?
Heathansson |
Has anybody else noticed that every single evil race has darkvision? Tunnel dwellers make sense. But goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, trolls, ogres, orcs, tieflings, giants, boggards...not only are they all nocturnal, they apparently do most of their roaming on cloudy new moons.
Most giants, as well as ettins and cyclops, have "low light vision."
Also, there really aren't that many creatures in real life that don't have "low lite vision." We're pretty much the anomaly. We're pretty much physically bankrupt, supragenius bald apes. Our sense of smell is ludicrous. We can't run, jump, fly, or swim worth a shit. Being smart is pretty much our only schtick.
Kobold Catgirl |
Kobold Cleaver wrote:Has anybody else noticed that every single evil race has darkvision? Tunnel dwellers make sense. But goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, trolls, ogres, orcs, tieflings, giants, boggards...not only are they all nocturnal, they apparently do most of their roaming on cloudy new moons.Most giants, as well as ettins and cyclops, have "low light vision."
Also, there really aren't that many creatures in real life that don't have "low lite vision." We're pretty much the anomaly. We're pretty much physically bankrupt, supragenius bald apes. Our sense of smell is ludicrous. We can't run, jump, fly, or swim worth a s@@#. Being smart is pretty much our only schtick.
Ah, sorry.
But actually, most animals would probably have low-light vision. Like housecats. After all, TRUE darkness isn't exactly common.Heathansson |
Heathansson wrote:Kobold Cleaver wrote:Has anybody else noticed that every single evil race has darkvision? Tunnel dwellers make sense. But goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, trolls, ogres, orcs, tieflings, giants, boggards...not only are they all nocturnal, they apparently do most of their roaming on cloudy new moons.Most giants, as well as ettins and cyclops, have "low light vision."
Also, there really aren't that many creatures in real life that don't have "low lite vision." We're pretty much the anomaly. We're pretty much physically bankrupt, supragenius bald apes. Our sense of smell is ludicrous. We can't run, jump, fly, or swim worth a s@@#. Being smart is pretty much our only schtick.
Ah, sorry.
But actually, most animals would probably have low-light vision. Like housecats. After all, TRUE darkness isn't exactly common.
That's....kinda what I said.
Sebastian Bella Sara Charter Superscriber |
Kobold Catgirl |
Kobold Cleaver wrote:That's....kinda what I said.Heathansson wrote:Kobold Cleaver wrote:Has anybody else noticed that every single evil race has darkvision? Tunnel dwellers make sense. But goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, trolls, ogres, orcs, tieflings, giants, boggards...not only are they all nocturnal, they apparently do most of their roaming on cloudy new moons.Most giants, as well as ettins and cyclops, have "low light vision."
Also, there really aren't that many creatures in real life that don't have "low lite vision." We're pretty much the anomaly. We're pretty much physically bankrupt, supragenius bald apes. Our sense of smell is ludicrous. We can't run, jump, fly, or swim worth a s@@#. Being smart is pretty much our only schtick.
Ah, sorry.
But actually, most animals would probably have low-light vision. Like housecats. After all, TRUE darkness isn't exactly common.
Sorry, misread and thought you said darkvision.
/\What about the females?
Sebastian Bella Sara Charter Superscriber |
Kobold Catgirl |
Kobold Cleaver wrote:all races' females have hyperacute hearing, and are annoyed to distraction by dripping faucets and ceiling fans that are improperly balanced. It's a universal law.
/\What about the females?
No, I mean, you said 'neuter' good. Is there a 'spay good' too?
*Is pelted with tomatoes*Kevin Andrew Murphy Contributor |
Reckless |
Heathansson wrote:Kobold Cleaver wrote:all races' females have hyperacute hearing, and are annoyed to distraction by dripping faucets and ceiling fans that are improperly balanced. It's a universal law.
/\What about the females?No, I mean, you said 'neuter' good. Is there a 'spay good' too?
*Is pelted with tomatoes*
The pup can't help it. Ever since Sebastian offered to "fix him for good" nuetering is all he can think about.
hogarth |
I'm really trying to figure the reasoning behind giants and ogres having darkvision. I mean, it's nice to have, but it really makes no logical sense.
You mean low-light vision, right?
Heathy hit the nail on the head -- every PC race (and practically every NPC race) has low-light vision or darkvision except for humans and halflings. That means that humans and halflings are the Mr. Magoos of the D&D world; they're the exception, not the rule.
On the plus side, humans get all the chicks. Elves, orcs, lings, ogres, dragons, fiends, celestials -- you name it, they all love doin' it with humans. Or maybe it's some kind of "beer goggles" effect.
Kobold Catgirl |
Kevin Andrew Murphy wrote:I'm really trying to figure the reasoning behind giants and ogres having darkvision. I mean, it's nice to have, but it really makes no logical sense.You mean low-light vision, right?
Heathy hit the nail on the head -- every PC race (and practically every NPC race) has low-light vision or darkvision except for humans and halflings. That means that humans and halflings are the Mr. Magoos of the D&D world; they're the exception, not the rule.
On the plus side, humans get all the chicks. Elves, orcs, lings, ogres, dragons, fiends, celestials -- you name it, they all love doin' it with humans. Or maybe it's some kind of "beer goggles" effect.
Low-light vision is fine. It's what most animals have, even the nocturnal ones.
And why would everybody have it but humans and halflings? It doesn't make any sense, evolutionarily. I mean, everybody but humans and halflings are either nocturnal or underground? Poor humans and halflings. They must be pretty lonely.