Darkvision, Perception, Investigation, and Passive Perception in Dungeons and Dragons 5.5e are easier to misunderstand than you might think. In this video, I break down how these rules actually work and where I’ve been getting them wrong.
I’ve been running Darkvision wrong for years, and I didn’t even realize it. The problem isn’t that Darkvision doesn’t let you see in the dark. It’s what happens when Darkness becomes Dim Light, and Dim Light becomes Lightly Obscured.
We’ll break down:
• Darkvision and the disadvantage it can impose on Perception checks
• Perception vs. Investigation and when you should use each
• Passive Perception and how it actually works at the table
• Why Passive Perception isn’t just a number you use when searching for traps
• A simple way to decide whether a character is trying to notice something or figure out something they’ve noticed
0:00 – Intro
0:39 – Darkvision
3:18 – Perception vs Investigation
4:35 – Passive Perception
These are some of those D&D rules that seem simple until you actually follow the rules all the way through the Player’s Handbook.
Have you been running Darkvision this way? Have you been using Passive Perception correctly? Let me know in the comments. I’d really like to know if I’m the only DM who missed this for years.
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