I was wondering if anybody knows why there's a difference in how sunlight sensitivity is written for PCs vs. NPCs. It seems that NPCs don't seem to have disadvantage when attacking a target that is in direct sunlight, as long as they are not. Is that a mistake, a simplification to make it easier to run encounters with sunlight sensitive monsters, or a balancing issue? Asking because running Out of the Abyss with a sunblade will make that issue come up repeatedly.
NPCs have the following text (e.g. drow in MM): Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the drow has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
While the drow subrace in the PHB gets the following text: 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.
To me this is mostly an effort that quickly defines the role of the sunlight sensitive character as a monster. In short, the DM is provided just enough information to quickly adjudicate the action of the monster. On the flip side, a Player Character needs more rules space to cover the situations it is likely to end up in; hence the more verbose passage. In the end though they describe the same thing: a sunlight sensitive character (monster or PC).
If you find for instance that the monster type is now being played as a Player character then you have to imagine how their abilities are going to interact on an on going basis with the game instead of the one shot impact of monsters/NPCs. In some cases you have to remove or restrict abilities like they designers did with the Hobgoblin race vs. the Hobgoblin monster. They really look very little like each other, and that is purely because of balance issues.
Now in the module you describe, I would simply keep in mind the implications of sunlight sensitivity and that both monster Drow (and other sensitive things) and player character drow (and other sensitive things) follow the same rules, because the short hand version from the Monster Manual is just that short hand.
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I was wondering if anybody knows why there's a difference in how sunlight sensitivity is written for PCs vs. NPCs.
It seems that NPCs don't seem to have disadvantage when attacking a target that is in direct sunlight, as long as they are not.
Is that a mistake, a simplification to make it easier to run encounters with sunlight sensitive monsters, or a balancing issue?
Asking because running Out of the Abyss with a sunblade will make that issue come up repeatedly.
NPCs have the following text (e.g. drow in MM):
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the drow has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
While the drow subrace in the PHB gets the following text:
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.
To me this is mostly an effort that quickly defines the role of the sunlight sensitive character as a monster. In short, the DM is provided just enough information to quickly adjudicate the action of the monster. On the flip side, a Player Character needs more rules space to cover the situations it is likely to end up in; hence the more verbose passage. In the end though they describe the same thing: a sunlight sensitive character (monster or PC).
If you find for instance that the monster type is now being played as a Player character then you have to imagine how their abilities are going to interact on an on going basis with the game instead of the one shot impact of monsters/NPCs. In some cases you have to remove or restrict abilities like they designers did with the Hobgoblin race vs. the Hobgoblin monster. They really look very little like each other, and that is purely because of balance issues.
Now in the module you describe, I would simply keep in mind the implications of sunlight sensitivity and that both monster Drow (and other sensitive things) and player character drow (and other sensitive things) follow the same rules, because the short hand version from the Monster Manual is just that short hand.