Eyepatch for night vision?

[WaterAndWindSpirit]

Okay, so let's assume I have a character who has both functional eyes, but wears an eyepatch to facilitate going from well lit places to dark places.

See, the eyes adjust to the current level of light in the environment, so if you go from a well lit environment to a darkened one, you're not gonna see anything until your vision adjusts. Now, an eyepatch could prevent one eye to be exposed to light, and not kill night vision.

Would it be functionally Night Vision (limitations: One Eye, Requires preparation) with the One Eye disadvantage while wearing the eyepatch in normal situations instead of just taking concentrate actions, but since it's not a real disadvantage (she can remove the eyepatch whenever she wants to if the fight is really that tough), somehow integrated in the required preparations, for a final discount of -80% on Night Vision?

[vicky_molokh]

Normally, human night vision suffers an extra -2 while adapting. An eyepatch removes the need for such an adaptation.

[Flyndaran]

Spending most of your time effectively having only one eye would more than make up for any slight time saving, I think.

[robkelk]

I was following your logic up until you said "-80%". I'd say that this setup is a small disadvantage on Night Vision, being worth no more than a -5% discount.

(And this is definitely a historical practice, especially among Age of Sail mariners who sometimes had to go from below decks to the rail in a hurry to repel boarders. There's a fictional example in one of the Aubrey-Maturin novels of Jack Aubrey doing this.)

[Flyndaran]

I never read any proof that such a practice actually occurred in reality. Anyone have links?

[simply Nathan]

Originally Posted by robkelk

I was following your logic up until you said "-80%". I'd say that this setup is a small disadvantage on Night Vision, being worth no more than a -5% discount.

Temporary Disadvantage: One Eye is -15%. Which on an Advantage that costs 9 at its maximum level, is not much of a saving.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I never read any proof that such a practice actually occurred in reality. Anyone have links?

It appears you are correct - the "wear an eye patch to preserve night vision" thing didn't start until the 1950s, according to this page on Mental Floss.

[PTTG]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Normally, human night vision suffers an extra -2 while adapting. An eyepatch removes the need for such an adaptation.

Yeah, I agree it's not a trait at all. Or, if the character is REALLY habitual about this, buy the Standard Operating Procedures perk and the GM will be required to assume that your character always does this, even when you don't mention.

Originally Posted by robkelk

It appears you are correct - the "wear an eye patch to preserve night vision" thing didn't start until the 1950s, according to this page on Mental Floss.

I'd call it close enough to fly. If it's technically feasible, then maybe some little-known pirate did it all the time in the 1600s, but kept it a secret.

[edk926]

The Mythbusters did a myth about this. It does work if you flip the eye patch once you get into the darkness.

[evileeyore]

I've done similiar just by closing one eye when I have to go from dark to bright back to dark. It helps quite a lot.


And there is a distinct difference in ability to see from one eye and the other.