Hey, WotC: Give Dwarves their Darkvision Back

[Ranger REG]

So far, I have never criticize much about the upcoming 4e. Until now.

Though I have rarely played a dwarf PC during my long experience with D&D, I have always been comfortable with their usual traits. While I praise the elimination of the racial penalty of their Charisma score, I must protest the replacement of their racial darkvision to low-light vision.

They live their entire lives under the mountain and underground, constantly mining for the best ore and precious stones. They have adapted to such underground living, not just culturally but physiologically. That's why darkvision is important for them.

 

[pawsplay]

Then why do dwarven halls always have torches?

 

[Brown Jenkin]

So others can see when they come to visit.

 

[Mistwell]

In my opinion, anything with darkvision should have light sensitivity.

If you can see in the dark because you were raised underground, then sunlight should bother you.

 

[BadMojo]

I think having an encounter where lighting plays a role can be fun. That fun is kind of ruined when one or two of the PCs can see as normal. Just a guess, but I'd say darkvision is gone in order to make lighting more of an environmental hazard in the new encounter system.

Oh, the torches are there for ambiance. Dwarves are too manly for scented candles.

 

[JohnSnow]

Sorry, I agree with the WotC designers on this one.

Darkvision needs to go bye-bye. It doesn't make any sense for an intelligent race like dwarves, which has the ability to create light sources, to continue working in the dark. Low-light vision makes complete sense. Darkvision - not so much.

Besides, that opens up the game to have phosphorescent moss again - something I miss from the old days.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Personally I always thought darkvision was stupid the way they did it. Why would dwarves have large halls with carved stonework going up high if they can only see 60 feet away?

Let the dwarves have low-light vision and then have most of the inhabited areas have natural growths of phosphorescent lichens. Too dark for someone with normal vision to see by, but plenty for a race adapted to living underground.

Some areas underground are frightening because they don't even have that light and the dwarves need their own source of light or end up as blind as a human.

I hope this same idea ends up applying to orcs, drow and the like as well.

 

[Cadfan]

I like the loss of darkvision. It makes darkness a more threatening option for a DM looking to challenge his players.

 

[Merlin the Tuna]

So others can see when they come to visit.

Ah yes, Dwarves, the surly, insular race that keeps lights on just in case a visitor happens to stop by.

 

[Wormwood]

I like the loss of darkvision. It makes darkness a more threatening option for a DM looking to challenge his players.

Now if they could just fix darkness, I'm all good.