What is Heavily Obscured in D&D Beyond?
Heavily obscured in D&D Beyond refers to an area that blocks vision entirely. When a character tries to see something within or through a heavily obscured area, they effectively suffer from the blinded condition. This means that they cannot see anything at all, regardless of distance, within or beyond the obscured area. The blinded condition is a significant debuff in D&D, as it grants attackers advantage on attack rolls against the blinded creature, while the blinded creature suffers disadvantage on its own attack rolls. Simply put, heavily obscured areas impose a substantial disadvantage on those attempting to perceive their contents. This is crucial in combat and exploration, as understanding the nature of heavily obscured areas can drastically alter a strategy or even the course of an adventure. D&D Beyond uses this rule to simulate realistic visual limitations based on conditions like complete darkness, dense fog, or thick foliage, making gameplay more dynamic and tactical.
Understanding Heavily Obscured
How It Works
The core concept behind the heavily obscured condition in D&D is that it renders vision useless. It doesn’t simply make it harder to see; it completely nullifies the ability to perceive visually. When a rule describes an area as heavily obscured, it signifies that a barrier to vision is present. This barrier might be natural, such as a thick fog or a dense forest, or it might be artificially created, such as a magical darkness spell. The consequences are uniform, despite the source.
The Blinded Condition
The critical element to grasp is that trying to see in or through a heavily obscured area means you are treated as if you have the blinded condition. This has profound implications:
- Attack rolls against you have advantage: Opponents have an easier time hitting you because they can anticipate your movements better, as you cannot see them.
- Your attack rolls have disadvantage: You have a much harder time hitting your target because you cannot see it properly, resulting in less accurate strikes.
Examples of Heavily Obscured Areas
- Darkness: Natural darkness or that created by spells can be considered heavily obscured unless specifically stated otherwise.
- Opaque fog: Dense fog banks are prime examples of locations that create a heavily obscured area.
- Dense foliage: A jungle or heavily wooded area may be so overgrown that vision is limited, creating heavily obscured conditions in certain areas.
- Magical Darkness: Spells like Darkness create a zone of magical darkness that blocks vision and thus makes the area heavily obscured.
Heavily Obscured: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the concept of heavily obscured in D&D:
1. Does Darkvision help in a heavily obscured area?
No. While darkvision allows you to see in dim light as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light, it does NOT negate the effects of a heavily obscured area. Darkness might be part of what makes a heavily obscured area, but the condition itself renders darkvision ineffective. Even with darkvision, you will still be considered blinded if you try to see within a heavily obscured area.
2. Can Devil’s Sight see through heavily obscured areas?
Yes and no. While Devil’s Sight allows you to see normally in both magical and non-magical darkness, it does not allow you to see through other forms of obscurement, such as thick fog or dense foliage. Devil’s Sight bypasses darkness-based obscuration, but does not circumvent all forms of heavily obscured conditions.
3. Does being in a heavily obscured area give you advantage on attacks?
Not directly. Being in a heavily obscured area does not grant you advantage on attacks. However, creatures trying to target you from outside the area will have disadvantage on attack rolls, due to the blinded condition imposed by the heavily obscured area. If the situation allows you to hide, you may also gain an additional advantage. Furthermore, if you are attacking out of the heavily obscured area into a place where you are visible, then you would have advantage, since your target cannot see you.
4. Can a creature hide in a heavily obscured area?
Yes. A heavily obscured area provides an excellent opportunity for a creature to hide. Since vision is blocked, it becomes much harder for others to perceive you. Combining hiding with the effects of a heavily obscured area can be an effective tactic for stealth.
5. Does being invisible make an area heavily obscured?
No. Invisibility makes you undetectable by sight, but it does NOT render an area heavily obscured. Invisible creatures are not immune to the effects of heavily obscured areas either.
6. Does Blindsight work through heavily obscured areas?
Yes, partially. Blindsight allows a creature to perceive its surroundings without relying on sight. Creatures with Blindsight are not considered to be blinded when in a heavily obscured area. Therefore, they do not suffer disadvantage on attack rolls because of the obscured conditions.
7. Does light source work in a heavily obscured area?
No, not really. A light source is completely obscured within a heavily obscured area. This means that the light emanating from it will not illuminate the obscured area itself and, most importantly, it cannot be used to see through the obscuring effect.
8. Can I see someone in a heavily obscured area if they are carrying a light source?
No. Even if a creature in a heavily obscured area is carrying a light source, you will not be able to see through the obstruction. The light is also obscured.
9. Can a spell that requires sight work in a heavily obscured area?
No. Any spell or ability that relies on sight will not function properly in a heavily obscured area. For example, if the spell requires you to see the target, then you would not be able to target a creature inside that area.
10. Does a heavily obscured area cancel out advantages and disadvantages?
Yes, partially. When there are situations of both advantage and disadvantage on an attack roll (such as from different sources), they cancel each other out to become a normal roll. However, a heavily obscured area itself can both give advantage to an attacker outside the area against a defender within the area and vice versa, and these are separate from the cancelling-out rule. The blind condition given by heavily obscured conditions will still confer all the advantages/disadvantages, even if a normal advantage and disadvantage are cancelling each other out.
11. Can Truesight see through heavily obscured areas?
Yes, and no. Truesight can see through darkness and illusions, but it cannot see through magically conjured physical objects and is blocked by Shadow of Moil. So, while it can bypass many obscurements, it is not foolproof against all heavily obscured areas.
12. How does heavily obscured affect stealth?
Heavily obscured areas create ideal conditions for stealth. Because vision is blocked, it’s easier to remain hidden, allowing for stealthy movement and ambushes. Stealth checks gain a significant advantage in such conditions.
13. Is normal darkness always heavily obscured?
Yes, generally speaking. In most cases, natural darkness is considered a heavily obscured area. However, some abilities or spells may alter this, and some situations may involve darkness being only lightly obscured or not obscured at all.
14. Are there any specific creatures that can see through heavily obscured areas?
While some creatures have abilities to ignore some conditions, blindsight is the key ability that allows seeing through the condition, as it allows the creature to effectively “see” without relying on vision, but rather by detecting movement and vibrations in its surroundings.
15. Can heavily obscured areas be moved or dispelled?
It depends. Some heavily obscured areas might be the result of environmental factors, like a dense fog, which could dissipate naturally or be moved by strong winds. Other times they are the result of a spell effect such as a darkness spell. Some spells can move or dispell these effects, depending on the specific wording of the spell in question.
By understanding these FAQs and the core rules, you can confidently navigate the complexities of heavily obscured areas in your D&D adventures, using them tactically and avoiding their pitfalls.