Vision in the dark

[Mauricio_MdS]

How do you deal with vision in the dark? I did not see any rules addressing this matter. Is there any culture that can see in complete darkness? What about the adversaries?
I'm confused on how Tolkien addressed this issue, because in many parts of the Lord of the Rings was reported that the Fellowship was traveling on the cover of night, that is, it is assumed that the opponents of the Fellowship would have more difficulty seeing them during night. However, shouldn't the Fellowship be carrying torches to be able to travel in strange paths by night? In this case, traveling by night would not be stealthy at all...

[Hermes Serpent]

The only canon mention of seeing in the dark that I can remember is in the tunnels under Goblin town when some of the Orcs see better and lead search parties. Gollum may be dark-adapted to live much of his life underground and in the dark but there is no dark sight in Tolkien, it's the light of the stars or moon or a torch.

[Falenthal]

Maybe elves can see under the light of the stars and moon, as they were born as a race before the sun was "invented". But other than them and the goblins Hermes talked about, I don't think anyone else can see in the dark. In the Moria chapters Gandalf even tells Gimli to go with him in front of the Company because he can navigate better in a dwarven underground, but specifies that a dwarf's eyes cannot see better than the rest in the darkness.

[Fenton Hardy]

Just to add to what has already been said. By coincidence, I saw this thread as I was reading the last chapter of the Two Towers. The orcs that travel through the tunnels of Shelob's lair carry torches presumably so they can see in the dark. So if most orcs cannot see in the dark it seems reasonable that other cultures cannot either, except, as Falenthal, noted elves under moon and starlight.

[Hermes Serpent]

It's clear from the Company's travel through Moria (Fellowship of the Ring - Chapter 4) that even Legolas cannot see in the dark as they all rely on the dim light emanating from Gandalf's staff. Even Gimli relies on his knowledge of dwarven construction to guide them with Gandalf's intuition concerning several possible choices of passage.

Some appropriate quotes for the scene's in Goblin town.

"Just at that moment all the lights in the cavern went out,"
"The blink of red torches could be seen behind them in the tunnel they were following; and they were getting
deadly tired."
"The ones in front dropped their torches and gave one yell before they were killed."
"By that time the dwarves had gone on again, a long, long, way on into the dark tunnels of the goblins' realm. When the goblins discovered that, they put out their torches and they slipped on soft shoes, and they chose out their very
quickest runners with the sharpest ears and eyes. These ran forward, as swift as weasels in the dark, and with hardly any more noise than bats."
"But they were seen by the goblins that ran silently up behind, for Gandalf was letting his wand give out a faint light to help the dwarves as they went along."

It's obvious that only a few goblins have any sort of darksight from these quotes and they rely of torches for illumination as do all the other humanoid creatures of the Professor's world.

[Mauricio_MdS]

Thanks, you helped a lot. So, in general there is no dark vision. I guess the creatures more adapted to the dark already have their advantages reflected in cultural blessings, or special abilities.

Based on the excerpts from The Lord of the Rings where the Fellowship of the Ring travels under the cover of night, I would say that Tolkien himself does not consider the travel by moonlight as very difficult. The only mentions of difficulty because of vision are the passages underground. Maybe if a group wanted to travel at night, this would imply only a +2 increase in TN?

[Kullervo]

Well... I mean, there's Brothers to Bears, the Beorning Virtue. That gives you '...sight and hearing are greatly enhanced at night, and lets you see or hear better than under the light of the sun, and at greater distance' and gives you an Attribute Bonus to Perception rolls for free.

Then again, the fluff part of the skill does say 'When the moon is high in the sky and the world is fully revealed in an argentine glow'. And then, yet again, it mentions the call of an ancient animal heritage... Which sounds closer to night vision, I guess? I dunno. If it was up to me, I'd rule you need some light to use the Perception bonus for sight at night... But if player wanted to use it with hearing, then I dont see any issue.

[Angelalex242]

Hmmm. I'd say the Durin's Way virtue should probably give Dwarves equal night sight if they don't actually have it. There's only so long you can mine before your eyes get used to it.