# Longlasting but cheap darkvision..?



## Three_Haligonians (Sep 3, 2007)

Hey all,

Turns out, in next week's game, we (the PCs) are going to be travelling through the underdark for about a week or so. Some of us have darkvision, some do not. Sadly, for those who don't - the 12,000gp price tag on _goggles of night_ is pretty steep. Especially when considering that we need coin for healing potions and other survival gear.

So, I am wondering what else there is out there that can help us. Scrolls and potions don't cut it since they only last a few hours at a time at best and we are in there for more than two weeks (1 going in.. who knows how long at the target location, and then 1 more to get out).

Anyone got any bright ideas?

J from Three Haligonians


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## Mistwell (Sep 3, 2007)

Blindfold of True Darkness grants you blindsight, for 9000gp.


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## Christian (Sep 3, 2007)

Three_Haligonians said:
			
		

> Anyone got any bright ideas?




Um ... _continual light_?  Seriously, though, why does everybody need darkvision? If it's just tactical, keeping the light sources from giving your position away, then I'd invest in some potions of _darkvision_ and make sure you have some good scouts that can tell you when to douse the lights & quaff the potions.


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## Mistwell (Sep 3, 2007)

Christian said:
			
		

> Um ... _continual light_?  Seriously, though, why does everybody need darkvision? If it's just tactical, keeping the light sources from giving your position away, then I'd invest in some potions of _darkvision_ and make sure you have some good scouts that can tell you when to douse the lights & quaff the potions.




They are going into the Underdark.  EVERYWHERE is a place where you need to douse the lights.  Unless you enjoy holding up a signal flare to everything for miles that some stupid human adventurers are headed your way.


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## Kmart Kommando (Sep 3, 2007)

Mistwell said:
			
		

> They are going into the Underdark.  EVERYWHERE is a place where you need to douse the lights.  Unless you enjoy holding up a signal flare to everything for miles that some stupid human adventurers are headed your way.



It's the Underdark, so there won't be line of sight for miles, more like yards at most.  A large cavern won't show up to 60ft darkvision anyway.
Realistically, and I know that D&D isn't, underground creatures would be blind, and just hear them coming instead.  Dump darkvision for everything and then no one has to worry about it.   

If the light source is bright enough, Underdark creatures won't go near it unless forced to.

How many times do the drow NPCs hang out 65ft away from peeps with 60ft darkvision?  all the time in my games..  :\


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## frankthedm (Sep 3, 2007)

So what kind of magic weapons does everyone have? There is a good chance this may apply...

_*Light Generation*

Fully 30% of magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell (bright light in a 20-foot radius, shadowy light in a 40-foot radius). These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon *can’t be concealed when drawn, nor can its light be shut off.* Some of the specific weapons detailed below always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions. _


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## Jack Simth (Sep 3, 2007)

Die, and get reincarnated as a dwarf, half-orc, or Kobold.

Polymorph Any Object changes your type, and can be permanent.  If you get yourself turned into a Dwarf, Half-orc, Kobold, or Drow (go female for at least one character in the party, going the Drow route, to make the group believable if anyone encounters you), you'll pick up darkvision (but your physical stats will suck... and the Wizard of the party will really hate the idea due to the Int modification).  Magical beast or outsider forms are probably going to work better.  Only costs 1200 per casting to hire.

A caster level 3 wand of darkvision costs 4,500 gp, and gives you 150 hours of 60 foot darkvision.  With 8 hours of adventuring per day (three charges) and some way to avoid getting ambushed while sleeping, one Wand will last one character 16 days (with two charges left over).  One per character that needs it, plus one for backup, *should* cover your trip... unless something unexpected happens.

If you Craft Goggles of Night, they only cost 6,000 gp.


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## akbearfoot (Sep 3, 2007)

A single wand of Mass darkvision?

50 charges would cost 21,000.  can affect 7 characters per charge, and lasts 7 hours per activation.

2 charges per day for 14 hours sight (You dont need to see in the dark when your sleeping).  Would last your whole group for 25 days.

Or scrimp with 1 charge/day and buy a half charged want for 10.500.  Or buy a scroll of it and have your wand crafting mage make 1 for half that.


And the price on the goggles of darkvision is way too high imo.  Even if it does conform to the formula in the book.


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## Drowbane (Sep 5, 2007)

doh!


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## Drowbane (Sep 5, 2007)

1-lvl-dip in Warlock?

My advice would be to not meta-game it.  The underdark should be rather mysterious to surface dwellers (assuming none of you have the appropriate Knowledge skill ), go in blind and enjoy facing underdark critters as they were meant to be faced.



			
				Kmart Kommando said:
			
		

> How many times do the drow NPCs hang out 65ft away from peeps with 60ft darkvision?  all the time in my games..  :\




Considering that drow get 120ft Darkvision?


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## nittanytbone (Sep 5, 2007)

We dealt with the underdark by adjusting march order.

Sneaky types (with darkvision) formed a vanguard.

The bumbling humans with their torches and continual light formed up about 90' behind them escorting the pack train (we had mules and some low level NPCs).

90' behind that group, a rear guard consisting of a stout cohort plus a few elvish low level warriors kept the corridor clear.

All the way through the D-series, the middle group avoided getting hit with a surprise fireball, blundering into an ambush, etc.  Sometimes the front group got in a bit over their heads, but so long as they could survive one round and call for help, all was well.  Oftentimes, they would just signal that trouble was ahead, hide, wait for the main group to deploy and engage, and then pop out of the shadows to surround the foe.


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## mvincent (Sep 5, 2007)

Permanent darkvision: 1000*5+5*9*10+2*3*10= 5510 gp

Or have it cast at CL20 (to avoid being dispelled via regular dispel magic): 1000*5+5*20*10+2*20*10= 6400 gp

If you're high enough level that greater dispel magic is probably, add a ring of Counterspells (loaded with greater dispel magic) to protect against targeted GDM's, and maybe a few CL 21 magic mouths to protect against area GDM's.


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## Three_Haligonians (Sep 6, 2007)

mvincent said:
			
		

> Permanent darkvision: 1000*5+5*9*10+2*3*10= 5510 gp




Problem here is that _darkvision_ is *not* on the list of spells that can be made permanent *on others* by the spell of the same name.

I thought of it too..  

J from Three Haligonians


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## mvincent (Sep 6, 2007)

Three_Haligonians said:
			
		

> Problem here is that _darkvision_ is not on the list of spells that can be made permanent *on others*



Doh. Yeah. You could do it with a ring of spellstoring, but if this is treated similarly to a focus component pricing then a spellcaster would likely charge you another 5k gp. for the temporary use. Ouch.


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## Three_Haligonians (Sep 6, 2007)

So, I was still looking and I found..._Ebony Eyes_ from the Spell Compendium.

At first I was hopeful.. now I am just confused. What exactly does this spell do? It says it grants



			
				p.77 SC said:
			
		

> the ability to see normally in natural and magical darkness, although it does not otherwise improve the subject's ability to see in natural dark or shadowy conditions.




There is more.. but is this part not contradictory to itself? It is a first level spell, according to the DMG Magic Item rules (which I realize are far from air tight...) a continuous item of such would cost 3k.

That would be grand.. if I knew what exactly the spell does.


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