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Qwicksylver
Acolyte
USA
1 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Sep 2009 : 23:24:43
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I couldnt find a better place to post this sorry.
I am currently working on a novel for the Forgotten Realms setting. The will be some drow and some events that will take place in the Underdark. I am currently trying to figure out if the books are still being written using Infravision as oppose to the Darkvision that came out in later versions of DnD.
I would like to keep things as similar to other writers as possible?
Also if anyone might know where I can find more info the The Thunderpeaks, and Deatholme that would be greatly appreciated I searched around and didnt find much.
Mod edit: Relocated this thread. 
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 29 Sep 2009 01:14:31
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Aerik DeVallo
Seeker
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 28 Sep 2009 : 23:38:26
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The most appropriate place would have been the 'Running The Realms' scroll, but not to worry, an admin will fix.
According to the rules, Drow Elves only posess Darkvision to a range of 120 ft. I think infravision is just a fancy name for Darkvision, but I could be mistaken.
As to lore regarding those particular regions, I am at a loss. I hope I helped at least a little. lol And best of luck with your novel. |
Edited by - Aerik DeVallo on 28 Sep 2009 23:40:27 |
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Sandro
Learned Scribe
New Zealand
266 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2009 : 00:35:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon
According to the rules, Drow Elves only posess Darkvision to a range of 120 ft. I think infravision is just a fancy name for Darkvision, but I could be mistaken.
Infravision and darkvision aren't quite the same. In older editions, Drow and other creatures of the darkness had infravision, which allowed them effectively had heat vision. In 3e, however, this was all changed to darkvision, which was as normal vision, but everything was black and white.
As for your question, Qwicksylver, I'm afraid I can't remember if 3e (and now 4e) novels use infravision or not. I'm fairly certain Drizzt, and Salvatore's other drow, still have infravision, but I wouldn't swear on it. |
"Gods, little fishes, and spells to turn the one to the other," Mordenkainen sighed. "It's started already..." |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2009 : 01:53:54
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I always liked infravision a lot more than darkvision, it was so much more colorful (pun intended). The difference, as Sandro noted, was that infravision actually allowed people (not just drow) to see into the near-infrared, exactly like some modern-day video cameras. It provided a completely different type of vision that worked in the absence of light, and was much more interesting than just "black and white vision." For one thing, you could get different information from your surroundings, and there was neat lore to go with it (like a drow way of keeping time called "hand-fades," which was the time it took the heat echo of your hand pressed briefly against a tunnel wall to disappear. It was used to help coordinate pincer attacks in the Underdark).
Unfortunately, infravision got replaced with darkvision with no explanation when 3e came out, just like so much else got replaced without even the dignity of a hand-wave explanation. Not that I care, that much, since I mentally change "darkvision" to "infravision" every time I read it.
That said, I do think some form of 3e's "darkvision" does exist in the Realms, and that's in spells. Probably the first thing humans would research once they figured out magic would be a way to see in the dark. Light spells would come first, but it would be obvious to them that non-human foes (ie: orcs) could see in the dark, and they'd make it a priority to do the same. In places where there was contact with elves or dwarves, the spells would probably tend to duplicate their infravision, though likely calling it "elf eyes" or "dwarf vision" or some such.
In places where there wasn't contact with elves or dwarves, or where that contact was hostile, humans would likely find other ways of seeing in the dark. That's where you'd get 3e darkvision, the "twilight vision" enchanted into Cattie-brie's cat's eye, echolocation, and other, stranger versions. So the Deep Imaskari, if I ever decided to bring them into a game of mine, would still have the black-and-white darkvision, since their empire didn't have much demihuman contact, and it's logical that they would have found other ways to see in the dark.
That's a bit of a rant of mine, sorry for sidetracking. Hope some of this helps. As for your other lore question, I'm afraid it's an unknown to me as well. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2009 : 06:13:27
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The functioning of Drow vision for FR novels is laid out fairly clearly in the Drizz't series. If your hoping to publish your novel, I think you'll need to ask the WOTC people if they want to stick with the Salvatore version, or try to alter it to reflect 4E rules.
Cheers,
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Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
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Ozzalum
Learned Scribe
USA
277 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2009 : 11:41:56
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I always hated how they handled seeing in the dark. It was far too gamey. When I was a kid I once asked my dad how far people could see. It was one of those random 6 yr old type questions. It was daytime so he asked me how far away I thought the sun was. If I were a young drow lad he would have said "120 ft."
So my feeling is that drow should have eyes that perceive light into the infrared (heat) spectrum, while surface elves have low light vision similar to the stuff you see modern infantry running around with. Infravision operates on a different spectrum of light, and therefore changes the definition of darkness. Your own body heat would tend to act like a flashlight. Low light vision just magnifies the available light in the visible spectrum and thus wouldn't really work in the absolute darkness of the underdark.
Another thing that annoyed me was the concept of switching between regular vision and darkvision/infravision. That's like deciding I'm going to stop seeing purple now and instead only see red.
Oh, and good luck with your writing. If you want someone to read anything over as you go, I'd be happy to. |
Edited by - Ozzalum on 29 Sep 2009 11:43:49 |
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Delzounblood
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
578 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2009 : 09:43:39
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Low light vision , Infra Vision, Ultra vision, Dark Vision,
Why they keep changing it I will never understand, But to answer the original question, Of all the books I have read the vast majority if not all authors seem to use Infra vision.
But as Afetbinttuzani said
"I think you'll need to ask the WOTC people if they want to stick with the Salvatore version, or try to alter it to reflect 4E rules."
You could try ask the authors section as to which method they are using!
Delz
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Dark Vision or Infravision
