How do you see Infravision?

[Jenara]

I havent posted in a while, so I thought I'd ask a question.

We all know Elves and dwarves and the like use infravision, but what does it mean?

Basically there seem to be two schools of thought:

1. Low light vision, just like night vision goggles or whatever....
2. Infra Red vision, seeing heat as colour.

Personally I think 2, seeing heat and cold, its how they spot secret doors so well in my book....

But what do you think?

[Serian]

My own house rules regarding infravision, adapted from the rtf file of the 2E PHB:

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Infravision

Infravision is the ability to see light in a portion of the infrared spectrum. The character’s eyes are sensitive to the band of infrared light (i.e. heat emissions) referred to as “near infrared”. It does NOT enable any reasonable measurement of heat. It simply enables the eye to see in a different light spectrum, (the infrared band of light), and to detect creatures and objects which give off heat.

Infrared light is the exactly the same type of energy as visible light: electromagnetic radiation. Infrared radiation is normally invisible, lying just below red on the electromagnetic spectrum. It is given off by hot objects; the hotter the object, the more infrared light it gives off. Very hot objects eventually give off visible light: red light at first, then orange, yellow, and white as the heat increases. Infrared light has less energy than visible light, but it behaves in much the same way. Some infrared radiation is absorbed by molecules in the air. However, near-infrared light, which is the part of the infrared spectrum closest to visible red light, is reflected by most objects and thus can be used to detect them. Even in the coldest environment there is some infrared light with a long wavelength, however, the color and intensity sensitive cells in the eye could not possibly be sensitive enough to detect such low-energy emissions and still be able to see in the visible spectrum without being fried.

Characters and creatures with infravision are basically picking up radiating heat from their surroundings, and heat reflected from objects, thus they see mostly variations in temperature. They do not see things which are the same temperature as their surroundings. Temperature variation would be noted as varying levels of illumination. Infravision is spoiled by bright visible light, extremely hot objects like fires, and magical light. Light sources which also give off heat absolutely prevent normal infravision from functioning properly within their sphere of illumination. The infrared-sensitive cells in the eye ‘shut down’ and become dormant in the presence of bright visible and/or ultraviolet light, or in the presence of high temperatures to prevent damage to them.

Note that due to the necessity for the cell structure and sensitivity to be able to see in the visible spectrum properly, the cells which are infrared sensitive are limited in their sensitivity relative to detected spectrum and intensity. This results in the distance limit on these types of vision detailed for the various creatures which have them. Beyond this limit, objects lose enough detail to the eye that they effectively become “background noise”.

[glossop]

i prefer the low light vision to the 'seeing heat' for my games.

monsters I would have seeing heat signature but elves and dwarves and the
like I just told my players they can see in the dark as if it was dusk or twilight.

[Ismaels-Legacy]

This is one thing that 3ed changed. There's no longer infravision, but Low-Light Vision and Dark Vision (Dark Sight? Can't remember what it's called specifically). Low-Light vision allows a character to see with minimal light, where as the other allows a character to see in pitch black.

[Cole]

I still prefer infravision I like the thought of the heat signatures. If yer an evil minded DM like myself, you can walk right up to them with a skeleton and bash em in the face then

undead don't give off heat and allot of other monsters don't either ..

Although like allot of other DM's I house ruled that allot and I only allow my subterrainian pc races to use both the heat and low light options... gives those lowly gnomes something a little extra

So, a gnome cold see a skelly in the dark, but not an elf (unless drow) .... fun fun eh

[Breila]

In the campaign I DM for my daughter and her friends, all characters are elves or half-elves (and there's one halfling). I treat infravision like Serian, and I could create a very puzzling, mysterious moment for the PCs:
In an abandoned smithy, someone had set up an illegal brewery and they were making the malt on the attic floor: Letting the barley germinate/ferment, then roast it. Now germination gives off a little heat, and so the party came up the attic ladder and saw just so many tiny, tiny pinpricks of IR glow... that gave them the creeps !