Summary
It has been announced that Cats will now have Darkvision in the upcoming 2024 Player’s Handbook forDungeons & Dragons. That cats can not see in the dark has been a point of contention for manyDungeons & Dragonsplayers, and the newest Player’s Handbook is looking to rectify that.
Cats can be found in almost anyDungeons & Dragonsgame. Whether wandering darkened streets, perched by a wizard’s side, summoned as a familiar, or transformed into one by a Druid, it’s difficult to avoid cats inDungeons & Dragons. A well-known fact about real cats is their ability to see in the dark, but for some reason, that ability was not translated to the famed tabletop game. WithDungeons & Dragons2024 Rulebook releasing later this year, fans have been getting drip-fed information about what can be expected.Many of these announcements were made at GenCon, but one particular announcement is looking to amend that mistake.
As reported by ComicBook, Cats will now have Darkvision thanks to the 2024 Rulebook. It’s a small but welcome change, especially given that real-life cats can, in fact, see in the dark. The omission of giving cats Darkvision inDungeons & Dragons 5th Editionwas made even more perplexingwhen Tabaxi was added inVolo’s Guide to Monsters. The Tabaxi are an anthropomorphic race of cat people and were given the Darkvision ability, but baseline cats still could not see in the dark. According to game architect Chris Perkins, the decision to neglect giving cats Darkvision was due to his experiences with his aunt’s cat, who apparently could not walk up and down the stairs without a nightlight.
Cats Will Now Have Darkvision In Dungeons & Dragons 2024
The timing ofDungeons & Dragons’new Player’s Handbook comes at a great time for Wizards of the Coast. Tabletop gaming is becoming more mainstream, and the widespread success of Critical Role andD&D-themed RPGs likeBaldur’s Gate 3are bringing a lot of new people into the hobby. It was confirmed earlier in the year thatsome changes coming toD&Dwere being based uponBaldur’s Gate 3, namely how spellcasting functioned, but it seems that spellcasters aren’t the only group receiving aBaldur’s Gate-inspired boost, as cats having Darkvision is one of the many “homebrew” rules that Larian implemented into the game.
Right now is a fantastic time to be aDungeons & Dragonsplayer.Baldur’s Gate 3’s huge success a year after launchis proof of the desire for tabletop andD&D-style content, and with a new edition ofDungeons & Dragonscoming soon, now is the perfect time for new players to jump into the world of tabletop.
