This spell should be a cantrip since there are races without darkvision and the only way to get it is through racial features and magic.

Shocked to see this is not on the Bard’s spell list. Too many races have it as a feature for any one class/race not to.

Back to the character drawing board!

My alchemist is definitely going to aggressively approach 40-60% of the party with a tub of an eye ointment that is this spell. 20% of them might be spared depending on whether she values an infusion or a spell slot more that day.

Quote from Maketherangerbetter >>

This spell should be a cantrip since there are races without darkvision and the only way to get it is through racial features and magic.

 I think a lot of people take darkvision for granted. The fact that it is a level 2 spell demonstrates the value of a natural ability to see in the dark.

Quote from TexasDevin >>

Quote from Maketherangerbetter >>

This spell should be a cantrip since there are races without darkvision and the only way to get it is through racial features and magic.

 I think a lot of people take darkvision for granted. The fact that it is a level 2 spell demonstrates the value of a natural ability to see in the dark.

 Rather, it demonstrates how much of a penalty it truly is not to have natural darkvision. The majority do.

why not a L1 spell? or more than 1 character up cast

Here's a suggestion:  make it so that creatures that already have darkvision have their darkvision range increased by 60 ft.  This would mean the spell is a free [magic item]goggles of night[/magic item].  That way, it isn't redundant to creatures that have darkvision, which accounts for like 65% of the player character races.      

Why does this not give the recipient the ability to see thru/in magical darkness? Tack on an upcast that give 1 additional person the effect for every 2 slot level above the original. That would also let you see thru magical darkness of a higher level, and give people who already have Darkvision a use for this spell.

Shame it's not available for clerics. Oh, well. Light cantrip or wait for 6th level spells to cast True Seeing, I guess.

The response to aarakocras having flight is that fly is a 3rd level spell, but nobody says anything about dark vision being a 2nd level spell.

That duration makes this a perfectly good use of a level 2 spell slot.

Quote from Maketherangerbetter >>

This spell should be a cantrip since there are races without darkvision and the only way to get it is through racial features and magic.

I think it could reasonably be a level 1 spell. Making it a cantrip is too generous but having it as a level 2 spell just means very few characters will take it. Especially when the light cantrip is so easily usable.

If it was a cantrip the Light Spell would be useless, though I think this spell would see more use if it was 1st level.

Quote from ArtemisCaresTooMuch >>

Quote from TexasDevin >>

Quote from Maketherangerbetter >>

This spell should be a cantrip since there are races without darkvision and the only way to get it is through racial features and magic.

 I think a lot of people take darkvision for granted. The fact that it is a level 2 spell demonstrates the value of a natural ability to see in the dark.

 Rather, it demonstrates how much of a penalty it truly is not to have natural darkvision. The majority do.

 Right (not).  Let's just make it always daylight.  That'll be fun (also not).

Quote from DoyleClan >>

If it was a cantrip the Light Spell would be useless, though I think this spell would see more use if it was 1st level.

The spell is top tier as it is. I think it should be even level 3 or even 4, because at level 2 it's too easily accessible by V Humans. The reason why most races have Dark Vision is because they forgoe a feat at level 1, which is by far the most powerful race feature. V Humans (and Custon Lineage) are the best race in DND by a country mile and having even easier access to dark vision would make them more broken than they already are.
Just to clarify how broken it is having a feat at level 1, a V Human Fighter has Sharp Shooter and Crossbow Expert at level 4, doing 30+ damage per turn without using action surge. For all other races, this combination of feats unlocks at level 8.
If you make Dark Vision a level 1 spell, Fighters won't even have to rely on their casters for it, they could take Magic Initiate at level 8 and have it for free for the rest of the campaign.

Quote from Resist1990 >>

V Humans (and Custon Lineage) are the best race in DND by a country mile and having even easier access to dark vision would make them more broken than they already are.

 I'm definitely not saying that you're wrong about the strength of a 1st-level bonus feat, but Custom Lineage gets free access to darkvision automatically as an option vs a skill proficiency of choice (which coincidentally can also be granted by a 2nd level spell, borrowed knowledge).

I'd love if they added a night mode setting for this page.

This spell probably should let you see through magical darkness.

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