PnP Vision, Light spells, and torches [HCR]

PnP Vision, Light, & Torch ReadMe (compatible with 1.69 and Enhanced Edition)

Updated on June 25, 2018 to version 1.1

Do you find NWN's dungeons, dark & deep to be… not so dark? Ever wonder why blind characters can still see? Or why a character shrouded in darkness can still see? Or for that matter, wonder why BioWare interpreted darkvision as literally ‘darkened vision’ instead of being able to see normally in the dark?!? Or maybe you just want to use the D&D 3rd edition definitions of vision, light spell, continual light spell, and torches instead? Grymlorde’s PnP Vison, Light, & Torch override & hak to the rescue!!! Now humans must always use a light source, dwarves & half-orcs can see just fine in the dark, and when a PC is blinded, they really are blinded (unless pressing the tab key which gives them infravision, wait, what?!?)!

What's new in v1.1?

• Stock NWN torch, rings of light, glittering necklace, and gems of light all have their brightness reduced to dim (5 meter radius).
• Custom torch is removed as it is unnecessary now

Contents

Modified fx_light_clr.mdl:

• Ultravision is tripled to a 45 meter radius. Color is now bright white.
• Darkvision one-half of Ultravision (increased from 15 to 22.5 meters). Color is now normal white
• Low-Light vision is increased to one-half of Darkvision/one-quarter of Ultravision (from 11 to 11.25 meter radius). Color is now dim white.
• Human/Halfling "vision" is now pitch black, thus forcing them to use light spells or torches when in the dungeon (7 meter radius to 0). Color changed from very dark gray to true black.

Light spell and Continual Light spells Color and brightness changed from bright white to dim yellow

Torch Color and brightness changed from normal yellow to dim yellow

How to Install

Put the haks in the hak directory, the erf in the erf directory, the overrides are strictly optional but would have to go in the override directory to be effective, the screenshots are of course strictly optional and can go into the recycle bin if you so choose!

Usage — for Players only

Either put the override files in the override directory

OR...

Load the PnP_Vision_Patch as a patch hak

Usage — for Builders only

PnP_Vision_Patch includes everything in the override and is the simplest solution.

PnP_Vision_Light only includes fx_light_clr.mdl and you need to import the erf to get the dim versions of the light and continual light spells

Design Notes

From my testing, it appears that all NPCs can see in the dark regardless of what kind of vision they've been assigned. But if you're concerned, just give all hostiles the darkvision feat.

fx_light_clr.mdl and nw_s0_light.nss have been modified:

Human/Halfling Vision: In standard NWN, Humans and Halfings have a very limited form of darkvision equivalent to candlelight. This allows the player to see in “dark” areas without a light source. I’ve never liked that as I prefer the complete lack of light to be just like it is in real life and in the core D&D rules, pitch-black. Thus Humans and Halflings are forced to rely on light sources. The PC can still hold the tab key to highlight objects and open up the map window, so they are not completely, utterly in the dark — they’re just enveloped in blackness as much as the game engine will allow — which ironically is exactly how infravision works.

Ultravision, Darkvision, & Lowlight vision: In 3rd Edition D&D, the ultravision spell is called “darkvision” and provides equivalent vision to the creature feature. Also, darkvision in the paper & pencil rules allows the creature to see in the dark as if in bright daylight up to 60 feet. That is a HUGE difference from what BioWare implemented! Hence, the bright white vision. I gave Ultravision a boost to act as an incentive for natural darkvision spellcasters to use the spell, but otherwise I think the settings I put in place for Darkvision come close enough.

Light Spell: For some reason, BioWare decided to implement the Light spell and continual light spell with a 20 meter radius rather than a 20 foot (6 meter) radius. Also, they changed the color of the light spell to white rather than keeping the yellow of a torch. Now the spells reflect the 3rd Edition of the D&D rules.

NWN torches are substantially brighter than the standard ones in the paper & pencil rules. The included torch reflect the D&D rules.

Old School Note

AD&D

Infravision is useless for reading maps and discerning details. PCs still need a light source. Also, infravision not only reads heat differences, it also reads cold differences. In other words, it is not red light any more than it is blue light.

Ultravision doesn't work underground and magical weapons (glowing) ruin ultravision just like the heat from torches ruin infravision. This is because it relies on x-rays, gamma rays, and all the other forms of radiation. It might have been better to call it "radiation vision."

Original Edition D&D, Book 3 The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures

Player Characters did not get infravision, nor did their henchmen, or hirelings. "In the underworld some light source or an infravision spell must be used. Torches, lanterns and magic swords will illuminate the way, but they also allow monsters to “see” the users so that monsters will never be surprised unless coming through a door. Also, torches can be blown out by a strong gust of wind. Monsters are assumed to have permanent infravision as long as they are not serving some character."

Original Edition D&D, Greyhawk Supplement

Dwarves and Elves get infravision 60' but not Half-Elves or Halflings.

Chainmail [pre-D&D]

All bad guys (incl. Humans) could see perfectly fine in the dark including magical darkness whereas good guys (incl. Dwarves) could not. A common tactic of Evil Wizards was to cast a darkness spell which would effectively blind the good guys while allowing the bad guys to attack and defend just fine.

Result

In all of these editions, Player-Characters have to use light sources in dungeons in order to read/write maps, scrolls, et cetera.

Credits

Thanks to Niv for being the first to publish his take on fx_light_clr.mdl

Thanks to Qlippoth and QuenGalad for inspiring me to get off my butt and document what I did two years ago.

All other work done by The Grymlorde

Special thanks to Pscythe for pointing out how to overwrite standard NWN items (so obvious that I couldn't see it )