03-29-2017, 11:12 PM | #1 | ||
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
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[Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
Last Week: Cybernetics
Next Week: Daredevil, Luck, Super Luck Preface The intent of this thread is to discuss the selected Advantage in its entirety. While this begins with how the trait was written in [Basic], other useful sources to help explain or expand upon what it does, and what you may love about the trait, it includes questions about how it works and even criticisms of the trait as well. I'll avoid sharing my own thoughts, except where it is necessary, such as when I don't really understand the trait all that well myself. While we are once again progressing alphabetically, we aren't back to where we once were. I was going to cover all the Vision-related traits at once but not only have I already done a few, but I believe that rushing to do all the rest at once will muddle the discussion, even if it means we'll have to cover some familiar territory later on a later date. Thanks to the index of topics johndallman created as is maintaining, it is much easier to keep track of what we've covered and where also lessening the need for me to try to cram every remotely related trait together or keep them all separate (whichever might make them easier to find). Basic We'll start with Night Vision (p. B71), a Mundane Physical trait that costs 1 CP per level. From GURPS Lite: Quote:
The text then points us to our next trait, Dark Vision (p. B47). For 25 CP, you can purchase Dark Vision, assuming Exotic, Physical Traits are allowed. This is just the improved version of Night Vision, as it wipes out all darkness related skill penalties, even the -10 for total darkness. What it won't let you do is see colors in the dark... unless you take the "Color Vision" [+20%] Enhancement also found on p. B47. The text also notes that Dark Vision does not use light, radar, or sonar. Other Supplements Powers does its usual thing of explaining a bit more about these traits, including where they are easily appropriate and alternatives that might work better where they aren't. It also includes a new Enhancement for Dark Vision, "Hypersensory". Surprisingly, Night Vision gets a brief mention in Power-Ups 3: Talents, as part of some alternate rules involving prerequisite traits for certain Talents. According to sir pudding, Tactical Shooting has quite a bit about Night Vision, including realistic limits and techniques for maintaining and improving night vision. Whswhs mentioned GURPS Fantasy introduced a variant of Night Vision. This version is a zero-point feature as it redefines the character's "native level" of vision, reducing some of the darkness penalties in exchange for suffering brightness penalties more easily than a character with unmodified vision. Previous Editions Dark Vision, as described on page 52 of Compendium I, works the same as its Fourth Edition counterpart; the exact wording is a little different if we want to get technical, but even the +20% Enhancement to see in color is still present. Night Vision, though, that did change between editions. Its entry on page 22 of GURPS Basic Set (Third Edition, Revised) is the same as its entry on page 10 of GURPS Lite (Third Edition) so Quote:
Useful Links Discussion Starters This is a generic list of questions if you need them; if you already know what you want to say, feel free to just chime in.
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My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :) Last edited by Otaku; 04-08-2017 at 09:40 PM. Reason: Added additional Supplement; reworded a few spots for better clarity |
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03-29-2017, 11:27 PM | #2 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
Tactical Shooting has quite a bit about Night Vision, including realistic limits and techniques for maintaining and improving night vision.
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03-29-2017, 11:42 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
Why would you expect the Talents volume to say anything at all about Night Vision?
We had a vigorous discussion of the illumination levels that went with different darkness penalties in connect with GURPS Powers: Enhanced Senses. GURPS Fantasy introduced a variant of Night Vision: Taking any level of it as a zero point feature, if you define that as your native light level and suffer penalties for brighter environments as well as dimmer. This actually is just as plausible as a realistic trait for owls or deep sea fish.
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03-30-2017, 12:47 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
Something that is not that obvious is that Dark Vision isn't actually vision, if someone uses something to blind you, your Dark Vision still works (Whether or not is works during the day is another question)
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03-30-2017, 12:57 AM | #5 |
formerly known as 'Kenneth Latrans'
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Wyoming, Michigan
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
If I'm making generic NPCs whose jobs could logically benefit from Night Vision and have a few points to spare, I give them a level or two of this trait to round them out. Or at least, that's how I used to do it when I was a completely green player (my GM was having me construct the generic NPCs and would grumble about me giving the king's guards a point in Heraldry, giving the thieves one or two levels of Night Vision, giving allegedly viking-inspired warriors skill in spear rather than shortsword, and other random things that made me wonder why he didn't just do this part himself).
In my campaign, if I run it, Night Vision 3 will be a mandatory campaign advantage to eliminate vision and combat skill penalties for fighting in torchlight. Races intended to have Night Vision 5 are thus marked with a [2] point expenditure instead of [5].
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03-30-2017, 07:42 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
Quote:
I know Powers stresses that Dark Vision has to be something pretty unrealistic (or at least Exotic) because the text states it doesn't use light, radar, or sonar to work; that it might be something of a sixth sense. I am uncomfortable going from "like" to "blatantly is" without more of a citation. At least... not in the opening post. ;)
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My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :) Last edited by Otaku; 03-30-2017 at 07:59 AM. |
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03-30-2017, 08:04 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
Quote:
Night Vision is an extremely useful advantage in Low-Tech settings, especially for those taking place indoors. I read somewhere that a single 60W light bulb gives about as much light as a hundred candles... so navigating inside by candle-light or even torch-light would realistically give rather severe penalties.
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03-30-2017, 10:41 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
It's not obvious because it's not true. Dark Vision does necessarily involve something distinct from actual light, but it's still mechanically treated as vision and is affected by all things that affect vision, it's not a cheap version of para-radar.
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03-30-2017, 10:50 AM | #9 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
Quote:
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03-30-2017, 10:55 AM | #10 | |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#38): Dark Vision, Night Vision
Quote:
Dark vision feels like it belongs in a specific game (that is not gurps), but I don't really have a problem with it being included. I just wish it was part of a more comprehensive "vision set" rules, instead of all of them being spread across 10+ traits that may or may not play well with each other.
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Tags |
advantage, advantage of the week, dark vision, night vision, vision, [basic] |
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