Racial Blindsight is overpowered. Truesight is crazy powerful. Not only does it see through all illusions, but it also detects Secret Doors and Sees Ethereal.
True Sight even as a 1/day use is more powerful than anything else I have seen. Most races can't cast a spell higher than 3rd level, and even then they usually have it 1/day only after they reach a certain level.
After some thought, I could see doing it with everything else being a penalty:
Sunlight Sensitivity. ( You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. )
Damage Vulnerabilities Radiant Energy
True Sight: You see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceives the original form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic. You ignore all darkness, magical or otherwise, are immune to all illusion spells, see things as they actually are. You notice all secret doors hidden by magic, and can see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to a range of 120 feet.
Why would anyone use a race like that? Just give it plus one wisdom or intelligence. That's all. Minus one strength or con. Is it a medium sized creature? If yes, 30 ft movement speed isn't gonna kill anyone. (Maybe it will if a rogue). And sunlight sensitivity seems fine.
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'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I believe the idea is exactly that. To balance for truesight, the race must be given so many hindrances that it looks unplayable.
To the original question, my first question is why? Why does your race get truesight and can you give them something less powerful? Is it because they can see through illusions? Then maybe they have advantage on saving throws against illusions. If they can see invisibility, maybe give them a non-concentration use of see invisibility once per long rest at 3rd level. If you're basing the race off a monster that gains truesight, then the race might not get it. This is fine. Dragonborn don't have wings or blindsight.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Yes, Astromancer is correct. True sight is super powerful, you need to weaken the crap out of the character to make it not abusive.
Bramblefoot, the people that will play it will most likely specialize in using Darkness and Illusion spells to totally screw up everyone else while they laugh and ignore them. Yes they will be slow. Yes they will have low stats. Yes they will take damage from Radiant. This is what fair looks like.
If you think that they need to be punished so bad, then just give them less truesight. Using what I said, I would give them truesight out to 30 ft. Maybe 20?
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'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
That's still insanely powerful. Being able to cast See Invisibility once per day once you reach 3rd Level is balanced for a PC race. This is on the level of a PC race that once/short rest can choose a target within 30 feet of them and force them to make a dexterity save or take 5d6+20 force damage.
The way I think about truesight for PCs is in terms of spells. True seeing is a 6th level spell that gives a creature truesight for one hour. A PC with constant truesight is basically casting true seeing 24 times per day. The D&D system makes no difference between spells of the same spell level, so, giving a player constant truesight is equivalent to allowing a player character cast disintegrate 24 times per day. That’s unreasonable. Even 20th level wizards can only access a fraction of that potential.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
On a similar note, if I wanted to homebrew a race with always on Blindsight that extends only to 60' and no other means of seeing, would 9th level be okay for something like that? Considering that See Invisibility is a 3rd level spell for Wizards and such.
That is like saying would a Staff of Power be more abusable at say level 4 than at level 14.
The Rogue ability isn't even real blindsight, it is blindsense. It doesn't work if you are deaf or in silence, and you don't see through all illusions, just invisiblity and hidden.
I would avoid making a race that's unplayable in order to justify truesight. If you're going to add it, I would say make it suuuuuuper limited, like only useable once a day, with limited range such as 30 feet, and for an extremely limited amount of time, like a round of combat or two.
25 feet Truesight if their character does jumping jacks first, swirls around, and speaks aloud: "I spy with my little eye, a thing that begins with..." and they have to guess correctly the category of whatever it is that they expect to see.
I could see this working (exact phrasing might need some work, though):
Second Sight
As an action, you may choose to gain access to your Second Sight out to a range of 25 feet. This sight allows you see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions, and perceive the original form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic. Furthermore, the monster can see into the Ethereal Plane within the same range.
However, while you are viewing the world with this Second Sight, you are unable to perceive anything otherwise seen with your normal sight, including creatures and objects that are not invisible, or the terrain you are walking on.
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Is truesight as a racial ability too overpowered? What's a level yet useful range of truesight for level 1 as well as later level?
Racial Blindsight is overpowered. Truesight is crazy powerful. Not only does it see through all illusions, but it also detects Secret Doors and Sees Ethereal.
True Sight even as a 1/day use is more powerful than anything else I have seen. Most races can't cast a spell higher than 3rd level, and even then they usually have it 1/day only after they reach a certain level.
After some thought, I could see doing it with everything else being a penalty:
Strength: -1 , Dex: -1 , Int: -1 , Wis -1, Cha: -1
Medium sized
Speed: 25 ft
Language: Common
Sunlight Sensitivity. ( You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. )
Damage Vulnerabilities Radiant Energy
True Sight: You see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceives the original form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic. You ignore all darkness, magical or otherwise, are immune to all illusion spells, see things as they actually are. You notice all secret doors hidden by magic, and can see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to a range of 120 feet.
Why would anyone use a race like that? Just give it plus one wisdom or intelligence. That's all. Minus one strength or con. Is it a medium sized creature? If yes, 30 ft movement speed isn't gonna kill anyone. (Maybe it will if a rogue). And sunlight sensitivity seems fine.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
I believe the idea is exactly that. To balance for truesight, the race must be given so many hindrances that it looks unplayable.
To the original question, my first question is why? Why does your race get truesight and can you give them something less powerful? Is it because they can see through illusions? Then maybe they have advantage on saving throws against illusions. If they can see invisibility, maybe give them a non-concentration use of see invisibility once per long rest at 3rd level. If you're basing the race off a monster that gains truesight, then the race might not get it. This is fine. Dragonborn don't have wings or blindsight.
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Yes, Astromancer is correct. True sight is super powerful, you need to weaken the crap out of the character to make it not abusive.
Bramblefoot, the people that will play it will most likely specialize in using Darkness and Illusion spells to totally screw up everyone else while they laugh and ignore them. Yes they will be slow. Yes they will have low stats. Yes they will take damage from Radiant. This is what fair looks like.
If you think that they need to be punished so bad, then just give them less truesight. Using what I said, I would give them truesight out to 30 ft. Maybe 20?
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
That's still insanely powerful. Being able to cast See Invisibility once per day once you reach 3rd Level is balanced for a PC race. This is on the level of a PC race that once/short rest can choose a target within 30 feet of them and force them to make a dexterity save or take 5d6+20 force damage.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
The way I think about truesight for PCs is in terms of spells. True seeing is a 6th level spell that gives a creature truesight for one hour. A PC with constant truesight is basically casting true seeing 24 times per day. The D&D system makes no difference between spells of the same spell level, so, giving a player constant truesight is equivalent to allowing a player character cast disintegrate 24 times per day. That’s unreasonable. Even 20th level wizards can only access a fraction of that potential.
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
On a similar note, if I wanted to homebrew a race with always on Blindsight that extends only to 60' and no other means of seeing, would 9th level be okay for something like that? Considering that See Invisibility is a 3rd level spell for Wizards and such.
See Invisibility is 2nd-level.
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Sorry, I mean that Wizards at 3rd level get access to 2nd level spells.
Would that mean that its fair to provide racial Blindsight at 3rd level?
Essentially, my question is about the appropriate level to allow such a racial ability to activate, not about Wizards or any other class.
Even echolocation (blindsight defeated by silence/deafness) at 30' is too powerful.
Look at the Rogue ability:
I could see something along the lines of this as a racial ability:
Blindsight 30' as an action for 1 round, unlimited times. This still lets you use a bonus action to affect the world while using your blindsight.
So how would Blindsight be more abusable at, say, level 4 than at level 14? What really is the difference?
That is like saying would a Staff of Power be more abusable at say level 4 than at level 14.
The Rogue ability isn't even real blindsight, it is blindsense. It doesn't work if you are deaf or in silence, and you don't see through all illusions, just invisiblity and hidden.
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It would be hilarious for a DM to create a magic item that grants Truesight on activation...
that only works at the distance of 1 inch.
Such a wangrod move. At least 5-feet.
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I would avoid making a race that's unplayable in order to justify truesight. If you're going to add it, I would say make it suuuuuuper limited, like only useable once a day, with limited range such as 30 feet, and for an extremely limited amount of time, like a round of combat or two.
25 feet Truesight if their character does jumping jacks first, swirls around, and speaks aloud: "I spy with my little eye, a thing that begins with..." and they have to guess correctly the category of whatever it is that they expect to see.
I could see this working (exact phrasing might need some work, though):
Second Sight
As an action, you may choose to gain access to your Second Sight out to a range of 25 feet. This sight allows you see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions, and perceive the original form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic. Furthermore, the monster can see into the Ethereal Plane within the same range.
However, while you are viewing the world with this Second Sight, you are unable to perceive anything otherwise seen with your normal sight, including creatures and objects that are not invisible, or the terrain you are walking on.