What are ways around light blindness?

[eyebreaker7]

"Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a shadowswyft for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, it is dazzled as long as it remains in the affected area."
"Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area."

How can such races deal with light blindness? Not all adventures are below ground or at night.

[The Viscount]

"Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a shadowswyft for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, it is dazzled as long as it remains in the affected area."
"Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area."

How can such races deal with light blindness? Not all adventures are below ground or at night.

Daylight Adaptation is a feat in a number of places, including Races of Eberron that negates light blindness.

[tyckspoon]

-Take Daylight Adaptation.
-Wear Sundark Goggles (these may not qualify, as the description says 'light sensitivity', not 'light blindness', and it only removes the Dazzled part anyways; you would still experience the blinded round.)
- Use Trait Removal (Serpent Kingdoms spell) to remove the offending quality.
- Find a way to have a permanent Darkness effect so you never have to deal with 'bright light.' (If you're allowed to use the custom magic items guidelines as-written, the cantrip No Light is a very cheap way to do this. If you need an existing written item the Tome of Magic has the Dark Lantern, which is a lantern that causes Shadowy Illumination instead of normal light.)
- Have a means of perception that doesn't rely on eyesight so you just don't give a dang about being 'blind'.

[InvisibleBison]

Don't expose yourself to sunlight in an abrupt fashion and you'll eliminate the problem 99% of the time. Of course, the rest of the time is going to be in combat or other high-stakes situations, so the actual value of this approach is questionable.

[the_tick_rules]

goggles of the golden sun or raptor mask from MIC should work.

[eyebreaker7]

- Have a means of perception that doesn't rely on eyesight so you just don't give a dang about being 'blind'.

Any ideas on what those would be? The blindfold of darkness (or whatever it's called) comes to mind but what about trying to navigate a wooded area or something?


Don't expose yourself to sunlight in an abrupt fashion and you'll eliminate the problem 99% of the time. Of course, the rest of the time is going to be in combat or other high-stakes situations, so the actual value of this approach is questionable.

"On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area."

Is that only if they are "surprised" by direct sunlight or a daylight spell or is that a "normal" problem as well? Because if it only when they are "surprised" by light that's pretty lame.

Daylight adaptation is really nice but you can only take it at 1st level. While that's not to big of a problem how would you RP taking it if you live in the underdark? And how would you actually "learn" to stand bright light? Maybe go on raids on the surface during the day instead of at night? Sleep with a night light. lol. j/k.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Cloak of Dark Power (SpC) is pretty much made for exactly that use. It's even the first level spell of the Drow domain.
I think it's also one of the possible spells for a Drow House Insignia so it's not like only clerics can get it.

LoD also has the Shadow Canopy spell which blocks out light in a pretty huge radius but freely allows darkvision.

For items there is the Darklight (SoS, 500gp) which lets you control the light level in a 100ft radius.
The only downside is that it needs a single pp per 24 hours as fuel, so having some kind of psionics is necessary.

[InvisibleBison]

"On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area."

Is that only if they are "surprised" by direct sunlight or a daylight spell or is that a "normal" problem as well? Because if it only when they are "surprised" by light that's pretty lame.

The dazzling only happens after abrupt exposure that leaves you blinded for a round, not whenever you're exposed to sunlight. If there's no initial round in which you're blinded, there can't be any subsequent rounds in which you're dazzled.

[Biggus]

Daylight adaptation is really nice but you can only take it at 1st level. While that's not to big of a problem how would you RP taking it if you live in the underdark? And how would you actually "learn" to stand bright light? Maybe go on raids on the surface during the day instead of at night? Sleep with a night light. lol. j/k.

I'd swear I've seen somewhere that if a dark-adapted creature spends a lot of time in daylight, they may (at the DM's option) eventually lose their penalties. I can't find it right now, will continue to look.


The dazzling only happens after abrupt exposure that leaves you blinded for a round, not whenever you're exposed to sunlight. If there's no initial round in which you're blinded, there can't be any subsequent rounds in which you're dazzled.

It's clarified in DotU that that isn't how it's meant to be read:


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.

[Anthrowhale]

Vision of the Omniscient Eye provides immunity to the blinded and dazzled conditions.

[InvisibleBison]

It's clarified in DotU that that isn't how it's meant to be read:

Oh, good. The version in the Monster Manual is pretty silly. This way makes a lot more sense.

[Crake]

If you allow pathfinder material (and at this point, why wouldn't you, you're not getting updates to either system, so you may as well use what material is available), the spell protective penumbra (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/p/protective-penumbra/) is what you're asking for almost exactly.


I'd swear I've seen somewhere that if a dark-adapted creature spends a lot of time in daylight, they may (at the DM's option) eventually lose their penalties. I can't find it right now, will continue to look.

Pathfinder has alternate racial traits for some races that trade some penalty for the loss of light sensitivity. Orcs for example get -2 to ranged attack rolls from staring at the sun in defiance until they acclimatize.


Dayrunner: Orcs refuse to yield to any foe, including the sun. Some spend hour upon hour glaring at the sun until their ruined eyes acclimatize to bright light. Orcs with this racial trait take a –2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls. This racial trait replaces light sensitivity.

Meanwhile drow have the surface infiltrator alternate racial trait, which removes light blindness and grants them low-light vision, at the expense of losing their darkvision.

[mabriss lethe]

There are some Shadow Magic mysteries (black candle, Dusk and Dawn) that could help mitigate it by altering ambient light levels.

[tiercel]

Partly it probably depends on whether the drow are only dazzled (MM) or -1 attack/skills/saves (DotU). The former, it might be worth just sucking up the penalty (if can avoid the surprise-round-of-blindness).... of course, the former means anything that works on dazzled is fine, whereas the latter means you need light-blindness-busting specifically

[GrayDeath]

Be blind.















I`ll show myself out....^^

[ShurikVch]

Radiant Creature template (Dragon #321) gives immunity to becoming Blind, Dazed, Dazzled, and Stunned; LA +3; inherited template that can be added to any Aberration, Animal, Dragon, Fey, Giant, Humanoid, Magical Beast, or Monstrous Humanoid.

[denthor]

Simple way is tremor sense then be blind.