JellyPooga
2016-09-22, 07:27 AM
I think I kind of know the answer to my own question, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway. The question's in the title; why doesn't the Skulker Feat get more "screen time"?
I mean, Darkvision (or lack thereof) is a common point of discussion with regards to Humans, Halflings and Dragonborn. Warlocks with Darkness and Devil's Sight get mentioned at least once a week on the forums. Lighting issues are regularly handwaved by the liberal application of the Light cantrip...yet the Skulker Feat with it's negation of disadvantage on Perception checks due to poor lighting, such as the effective lighting provided by Darkvision (in total darkness), Dancing Lights and beyond 20ft for Light and torches almost never gets mentioned, let alone discussed as a valid option in "character build threads".
Disadvantage on Perception is a big deal in your average dungeon delve (-5 to Passive Perception is just the start of your problems) and that's exactly what most characters should be experiencing if the whole lighting issue isn't being hand-waved away. Traps, secret doors, hidden enemies...you probably shouldn't be detecting these until you're right on top of them and you probably shouldn't be detecting them at all if you're relying entirely on Darkvision.
How about while camping or resting? Not being able to see the enemy until they're 30ft away (which is probably the radius of bright light provided by your measly camp-fire, if it even provides that. The radius of bright light you get from a single Light cantrip, which is probably all the light you have in a dungeon or cave, is even less) is what I like to call "too late to be useful".
Skulker entirely negates this penalty; with it, Darkvision actually gives you a chance of operating effectively (i.e. not walking around bumping into stuff) in pitch darkness, Light provides a 40ft radius of "actually being able to notice things" and Dancing Lights can provide up to a 20ftx80ft "corridor" of dim light that you can see perfectly in. Not to mention Skulker allowing you to provide useful advance warning while you're "on watch" and everyone else is asleep.
So why is this Feat not included in more discussion along the same lines as the Darkness+Devil's Sight cheese, etc. just for the dim-light negation alone, let alone the rest of its effects? Has anyone used or seen it used in play? What builds might it suit best and what Class Features, other Feats and spells synergise well with it?
I mean, Darkvision (or lack thereof) is a common point of discussion with regards to Humans, Halflings and Dragonborn. Warlocks with Darkness and Devil's Sight get mentioned at least once a week on the forums. Lighting issues are regularly handwaved by the liberal application of the Light cantrip...yet the Skulker Feat with it's negation of disadvantage on Perception checks due to poor lighting, such as the effective lighting provided by Darkvision (in total darkness), Dancing Lights and beyond 20ft for Light and torches almost never gets mentioned, let alone discussed as a valid option in "character build threads".
Disadvantage on Perception is a big deal in your average dungeon delve (-5 to Passive Perception is just the start of your problems) and that's exactly what most characters should be experiencing if the whole lighting issue isn't being hand-waved away. Traps, secret doors, hidden enemies...you probably shouldn't be detecting these until you're right on top of them and you probably shouldn't be detecting them at all if you're relying entirely on Darkvision.
How about while camping or resting? Not being able to see the enemy until they're 30ft away (which is probably the radius of bright light provided by your measly camp-fire, if it even provides that. The radius of bright light you get from a single Light cantrip, which is probably all the light you have in a dungeon or cave, is even less) is what I like to call "too late to be useful".
Skulker entirely negates this penalty; with it, Darkvision actually gives you a chance of operating effectively (i.e. not walking around bumping into stuff) in pitch darkness, Light provides a 40ft radius of "actually being able to notice things" and Dancing Lights can provide up to a 20ftx80ft "corridor" of dim light that you can see perfectly in. Not to mention Skulker allowing you to provide useful advance warning while you're "on watch" and everyone else is asleep.
So why is this Feat not included in more discussion along the same lines as the Darkness+Devil's Sight cheese, etc. just for the dim-light negation alone, let alone the rest of its effects? Has anyone used or seen it used in play? What builds might it suit best and what Class Features, other Feats and spells synergise well with it?