Infravision

[Atraos]

Hi

Can someone clear up the Infravision aspect of drow elves?
I have a drow character that whenever i leave Menzoberranzan into the dark domain i am unable to see without the use of a torch or light source. Is this correct? I would expect to have some kind of Infravision. Seeing as i am unable to enter the surface world without taking a feat should i not be able to have some kind of ability to see in the dark?

Thanks

[Caelnai]

I also would love some "illumination" on this. On this thread Duranamir mentioned drow do get some sort of darksight. This does NOT match my experience. My priestesses have to use a light source...which at the low levels is a bright glowing torch which I RPly despise. (A bit aside: there are places in Menzo to buy light globes but no local witch light trainer or source of brightstones. With these priestesses could finally have something to trade with.)

It would be nice to have natural infravision for drow ...and a penalty to exposure to things like fires and other glowing items. (But this maybe more code complications than viable?)

[Gwain]

When in doubt....

Infravision
===========
Transmutation
Range: Touch
Target: Defensive
Syntax: c infravision <target>

This spell enables the character to detect the heat signatures of other
players and creatures in the room with them. This spell will also allow
you to find items in corpses, containers, etc. but will not allow you to
view the actual contents.

You must have a light source to actually see items, room descriptions,
the contents of corpses or containers, room exits and the like inside
a darkened area.

Infravision is not the same as "night vision".

So in a sense you see things in the room, mobiles and so forth and you can pick up things but you can't see them.

[Saranya]

I apologize if my original post was rude or offended anyone. I incorrectly assumed that Gwain was saying that drow should be *casting* infravision, while I believe he incorrectly assumed that his post clearly stated that drow are supposed to receive infravision racially. Both assumptions were hasty.

However, I think an assumption can be made that a poster has already checked the helpfiles and is posting on the forum because something either seems inconsistant or is otherwise unclear. I often send people from ASK to the forums for discussion when we can not figure something out. Citing help files without further explanation may be problematic because despite major improvements we are still chasing down some errors especially in the more esoteric areas of game play, such as drow. (See the threads on specialized wizards/barred schools, for example.)

I strongly believe the benefit of the doubt should be given to posters, especially new players, when they ask a question.

[Gwain]

The spell helpfile accurately describes what one experiences with Infravision in place. The coded affects in game. That information was highlighted. The spell duplicates this affect which drow and other underdark races experience permanently in the game. Just in case you missed that fact let me summarize again with the information from the helpfile:

Enables the character to detect the heat signatures of other
players and creatures in the room with them. This spell will also allow
you to find items in corpses, containers, etc. but will not allow you to
view the actual contents.

You must have a light source to actually see items, room descriptions,
the contents of corpses or containers, room exits and the like inside
a darkened area.

That is how infravision currently works in fk

[Atraos]

Ok, thanks for the replies folks.

I agree with the earlier comment however, a drow elf strolling around with a torch in underdark? Not really IC is it?
I know i may be being picky or asking for something unatainable, it just seems strange that a drow character is penalised going outside in the "light" but gains no advantage being underground.

Just my thoughts anyway.

Again thanks for the replies.

[Duranamir]

Actually Infravision is a tremendous advantage !, in many cases it means you can see the creatures but they can not see you as they do not have infravision !.

Duranamir

[Atraos]

Could something not be written into the house insignias that offers a light source of some descript? It just seems a little daft to me, in RP terms, that a drow get lost in underdark because he cant see!

[Caelnai]

The spell helpfile accurately describes what one experiences with Infravision in place. The coded affects in game. That information was highlighted. The spell duplicates this affect which drow and other underdark races experience permanently in the game. Just in case you missed that fact let me summarize again with the information from the helpfile:

So the answer to the question asked was that all drow are supposed to have racial infravision? Sorry Gwain, but that was not at all clear from your original response. Per that, I'm not sure it is working correctly. I'm not able to view heat signatures in some areas, nor am I able to retrieve items in corpses. (Though I have had some problems with the pfiles on my drow so it may be a local problem to PCs of that era?)

In any case, I agree that it would be nice to have some easier mode of vision for drow in the underdark. I've been watching drow in the lev 11-20 range really struggle to pay for globes of lights. Coin is limited down there and the supply of PC witch lights is nil.

[Gwain]

Its a bit buried in my previous post, but Duranamir confirms it. All drow have infravision. I've not tested it on corpse retrieval though. If it hinders that I recommend a bug report posting. The issue with globes of light is easily rectified by older ic code in menzoberazzan that allows you to buy floating balls of faerie fire from a coded ic source. I'd suggest inquiring about it ic when possible. I'm not sure I can post it here.

[Lathander]

Being the morning sun kind of imm, I'm not entirely up on Drow. Do we have a "night vision" (not just infravision) skill/spell and do Drow get it?

[Gwain]

We don't. I tried searching for night vision in the helpfiles and it brings up the Infravison helpfile.

[Caelnai]

I'd suggest inquiring about it ic when possible. I'm not sure I can post it here.

Those are more expensive even than the ones available from the merchant. They're both a bit out of the price league for younger (and other) drow especially with the current problems generating coin.

I'll create a couple new chars and try to do some testing on the infravision issue to chase that down. I've got some building ideas on the light source thing which I'll pursue on those forums.

Thanks all for the clarification!

[Kallias]

Considering they should get darkvision anyhow, I think a darkvision racial ability would be a step in the right direction. Consider it, "turning on" their darkvision...since I believe they can move to normal vision, sort of like how a horse can move between depth perception sight and wide angle no depth perception sight.