Question about Drows

[Necromedon]

I wasn't sure where to put this, and perhaps someone has spoken of this at an earlier time, but, it concerns Drows.  I come into life knowing faerie fire and darkness, and that is all great.  However, I was wondering.  I was born in the Underdark, I am a Dark Elf, yet, if I cast darkness around me, or if someone else casts darkness around me, then I can't see.  I would think that being born in the Underdark would have given me some king of ability to see in the dark.  Perhaps I am wrong.  If there are any comments on this I more than welcome them.  Just the musings of a slightly disgruntled little Drow.



P.S.  Can I get some kind of cool X-ray vision too.....J/K


Necromedon

[FlameStrike]

The Darkness you summon around you is magical, and as such, even creatures with Darkvision are unable to pierce through it. For that you need either Ultravision or True Sight.

[DanMacNWN]

I always felt as if the magical darkness that was cast was there to help aid the PC in hiding in the shadow in such a way as no one can see you. Drow are products of this underdark/evil power and use it to benefit them. What a great way to attempt to remain unseen after assassinating someone from an upper house in order to further advance your own. Darkvision, as said, is only for normal darkness.

[Talan Va'lash]

acctually its not very usefull for stealth.

A 30 ft globe of absolute darkness is much harder to miss than a slealthy drow moving in the darkness.

Its much more usefull strategically in combat, and that is how it is mainly used in drow society.

[Necromedon]

I see, I had not considered that it was in fact a magical darkness that the Drows used.  I had in fact thought about using it as a defensive mechanism in combat if I ever ran into too many enemies.  Thanks for helping me understand more of the workings of the Drow.


Necromedon

[Talan Va'lash]

If you want to find out more about (at least FR) drow, I'd reccomend the Salvatore dark elf books.  Hes not an amazing author... but he depicted the drow society well.

[Harlas Ravelkione]

I think it makes sense for drow to have blind-fighting. That would help you a lot in the magical darkness. (heh, dont remember if its a feat you can choose in NWN though)

Harlas

[Talan Va'lash]

It is indeed a feat in NWN.

I dont think drow should start with it if thats what you mean (which its probably not)

But it makes sense for drow who were trained in the underdark.


I also think it would be cool if the Drow daylight blindness were expanded to give other races a handicap fighting in (natural) darkness and definitely a penalty to spot checks unless they have lowlight or dark vision.

It would be hard to do anything like that in NWN though since there's only day and night and indoor and outdoor and those descriptors go for the whole area.  To make operating in the dark/light better in NWN would require a whole system to be scripted, if it were even possible (distance from a light source in a cave etc.)

I'd really like if NWN 2 had a better Light system, with light being more than just a visual effect as in NWN 1.  While I'm speaking of things that probably wont happen, a cover system would be really good too.  Cover for standing behind a low wall, shooting arrows from behind a tree, etc.  More than just the "you see it or you dont" system in NWN 1.