Moving topic to playerside so others can have a voice

Pinto991 wrote:

Ok many of us players think the enforcment of the Sun and Drow blindness is really cool. And has led to some really good RP. I have a question though..

A drow without daylight adaptation...if we get caught outside in the sun how should we RP it? Can we cover our faces with a full helm or heavy hood and mask and still move about? Or are we like frozen as in freeze tag frozen...Can we have someone who is not Drow guide us about? If we avoid PvP can we walk about and interact with surface people?

Thank you

There is absolutely no mention that are blind on the surface accept for 1 round and have a -1. Now some may argue that they are. And SOME stories might offer a hint of this. Well let's take all of that in consideration. How many of you think Drizzt(or what his name is) was blind when he came to the surface? And if Drizzt was as well blind, how long did it take him to overcome his blindness. I tell ya, being blind would have really sucked. *Drizzt walking into a rock or falling off of a cliff*

He would have had a better chance running to a neutral underdark city then going to the surface where his eyes do him no justice. Pretty sure a 1st fighter with a bow could have make quick work of Drizzt on the surface if he was infact blind.

Let's also not forget about all of the Ellies and Vhaerunites. I mean honestly, if the burning sky was as blinding as some might believe or hint it to be. Why the heck would all of them be well known surfacers? Do all of them have day light adaptation? Doubt it.

Someone wrote before on seeing in the dark and having someone shine a bright light on you. Well animals go through this as well. Anyone ever hit a deer with their car while having BRIGHTS on? Yeah, they aren't blinded for 5 minutes, but I would say they are dazzled(which is where the -1 on everything else comes into play).

I really don't even know the current status on this issue honestly, but if Drow needed the Day Light Adaptation feat to be on the surface, then one might also look at what the PnP has to say about it, since others refer to the story book lore on it.

Day light Adaptation: "Through long exile from the shadowed homelands of your kind, you have learned to endure the painful sunlight of the surface world." Forgotten Realms Book Setting

I don't know about any of the Ellies, or Vhaerunites, but I can honestly say my pc hasn't spent a long exiled time away from the UD. However due to other reasons I took the feat.

The other thing is, RPing being in pain, well, maybe for the first round or two, but the drow are dazzled(-1) on everything(sadly even at night), is that not enough?

Moved on behalf of Kira.

There is a series of books a read as a kid by David Eddings. Completely no related to DnD but in the books there is a character who has been a slave in an underground mine his entire life. He has never been above ground. In the course of the story when he comes out of the cave even at night the stars and the moon are extremely bright for him. He covers his eyes with layers of cloth when he even gets close to the surface. The Sun is absolutely unbearable to him and he refuses to come out in it.

Try going outside at night for an hour to get your night vision then have someone shine a spotlight in your eyes. You are pretty much blinded for a good five minutes. I would think it is 100 times worse for a drow. Or conversely you as a creature of light, try going into a closed off room or closet without any light at all to see how much you can see. It might be similar to this for a drow in the light.

On another note in the David Eddings book not only does the light cause crazy pain but the wide open spaces and endless sky absolutely freak the character out. Consider how it feels to be Closter phobic and flip that around. I would think any being who has spent all its life underground would be freaked about by the surface in many ways and would take a lot of time to overcome the fear. They would have to do it a little at a time and would have to have a huge reason to overcome the fear.

Also consider how you would react seeing grass, trees, animals, rain and other things of the surface for the first time.

I would say since the drow where up on the surface before the current drow(meaning current players), they(the drow that helped the Zhents) probably filled them in on what trees are, grass, and the sky. Yeah for your first time going out, yeah it would be a wild experience. Kinda like when I turned 18 and drove over the bridge to Canada. TRUST ME, I was a drow hitting the surface for the first time.

However, going back to Canada a few times after that has worn off. I can party just as good now anywhere.

Again it probably also helps that wizards and warlocks have outer planar creatures giving them some information. Along with, who is to say Drow didn't do research on TREEs, Grass, and animals at night? I mean, honestly I think there are probably more intimidating things in the UD, than on the surface. When you are used to avoiding beholders, umberhaulks, undead, fire giants, slimes, and a whole slew of other creatures... a cow or even wolf at beast will cause you to be more curious then scared.

Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. In addition, they take a -1 circumstance penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks when in bright light.

Source: Drow of the Underdark ver. 3.5, pp. 36

There really isn't any argument here

If you wish to play a UD race your role play should include the fact that the sun is EXTREMELY uncomfortable. Frozen in groping blindness no. Very very uncomfortable and seeking places to get you out of the sun..yes! Avoiding the sun all together..yes! Hiding your a UD Race should not be as simple as donning a disguise what makes you..you is more then white hair and darkskin. No one is asking you to freeze and allow other's to PvP you defensively. We are asking you to play your race and every aspect of it..favorable or unfavorable.

DM_Bucephalus wrote:

There really isn't any argument here

If you wish to play a UD race your role play should include the fact that the sun is EXTREMELY uncomfortable. Frozen in groping blindness no. Very very uncomfortable and seeking places to get you out of the sun..yes! Avoiding the sun all together..yes! Hiding your a UD Race should not be as simple as donning a disguise what makes you..you is more then white hair and darkskin. No one is asking you to freeze and allow other's to PvP you defensively. We are asking you to play your race and every aspect of it..favorable or unfavorable.

Agreed I am down with this Buce and it can really be a lot of fun.

Example for everyone: Gul used to have to guide May'katcha around all the time and stop frequently to find shade on the surface. While he is adept to the burning sussun she was not and it made for a lot of fun RP.

exactly

RPwise i still actualy try to make May'katcha halfblind at best doing the worst hour of the sun even it was hard to keep recalling since i was on the suface each and every day. To even futher show the effect to my character i only put skill point into Listen and not spot, she would be forced to use her ears then eyes doing the day.

I even used her familar as a small rp source while it atlest did she could avoid slaming into a tree/rock blind. Also provide many small interection in a rp.

She still much prefer the night and dark over the mid day.