Vision and Light

Light conditions affect Trials that require sight to perform. This framework applies equally to all characters and creatures — there is no default exception for specific heritages or types. Adaptation to darkness is expressed through creature traits, not binary switches.

Light Conditions

Bright light — no effect on Trials.

Dim light — you suffer Strain on any Trial that requires sight to perform. This includes ranged Attack Trials, Awareness (Intellect) Trials, Discovery (Intellect) Trials, and Wildcraft (Vitality) Trials where visual detail matters. The GM adjudicates whether a specific Trial requires sufficient sight to warrant Strain — if seeing clearly is necessary to succeed, Strain applies.

Darkness — you suffer Strain on all Attack Trials and all sight-dependent Trials. Additionally, creatures without a means of perceiving their surroundings are considered Hidden from each other. They cannot directly target one another without first succeeding on an Awareness (Intellect) Trial to Detect their position.

Creature Traits

Nightsighted — this creature is adapted to low light conditions. It ignores Strain from dim light. In darkness it treats conditions as dim light — sight-dependent Trials still suffer Strain, but the creature can perceive shapes and movement clearly enough to function and is not automatically Hidden in dim environments.

Blindsense — this creature perceives its environment through non-visual means such as echolocation, tremorsense, or magical awareness. It never suffers Strain from any light condition and is never considered Hidden from creatures it can sense, regardless of darkness. Blindsense is reserved for specifically adapted creatures and does not appear as a common heritage or background trait.

Light Sources

Light sources define the boundary of their light condition. A torch or lantern creates a radius of bright light and an equal radius of dim light beyond that. Creatures beyond both radii are in darkness relative to that source. The GM determines light conditions based on all active sources in the area.