And, again, the lack of Day/Night - and this is one of my biggest pet peeves about it - makes it so that you can't do something as simple and intelligent as sneak into a GOBLIN CAMP FULL OF NASTY, EVIL GOBLINS using the cover of darkness as an asset. Yes, even though many monsters have darkvision, sneaking in using the cover of darkness still makes a whole lot more sense than waltzing through the front gate trusting that you'll be just fine because you have a parasite in your head that everyone thinks is super cool.
From Day 1, on my first playthrough, this never sat well with me. Wyll says, "Let's just waltz into the goblin camp and kill the leaders. No problem. It's easy." And we're like, "Okay." And what's worse, everyone else seems to think its a grand plan. Nettie even says something along the lines of, "Well, you have a tadpole in your head just like they do, so you're one of them. That should be enough for you to just waltz right in and kill the goblin leaders and save Halsin. Right?"
Am I the only one not comfortable with that plan? Especially after I meet Andrick and Brynna who say they are actually looking for survivors from the ship - AND I'M ONE OF THEM - shouldn't I be just the tiniest bit nervous that if I waltz into the camp, and nobody knows me, that I might just be suspected as one of the survivors from the ship? Wouldn't it, therefore, make more sense to have an option to sneak into the goblin camp by night using the cover of darkness to give me advantage on stealth checks? Shouldn't I also have the option to steal or equip armor, weapons, equipment, clothes, something to fit in with cultists so that I can sneak in and start walking around pretending to be a cultist? Shouldn't I be able to draw the mark on my hand using Deception so that if questioned I can "show the mark"? I mean, once I've seen it, and once I know it is used to determine if someone is a cultist or not, shouldn't I have the ability to fake it?
There are so many things that make so much more sense to be able to do than waltz into the goblin camp like I belong there and have no one question me, and cover of night is at the top of the list of more intelligent plans. In relation to Random Encounters, it would then add a whole new ambiance and a plethora of additional random encounter possibilities. All in all, Day/Night would add so much to the game. SO much, including to Random Encounters.
And, let's not forget, that Drow have Sunlight Sensitivity. This seems to be completely ignored in the game even though Minthara's stats actually show she has it. Even though it says she's sunlight sensitive, she isn't hindered by it in the game. She doesn't get disadvantage on anything - at least last time I checked. And even if she did, why the flippity zip would she attack the grove during the day? It only makes sense that she'd attack at night, even if the tadpole doesn't erase her sunlight sensitivity because night is far more intimidating than daylight. It would intimidate her foes a lot more to see a bunch of spiders, ogres, bloodthirsty goblins and bugbears, all camped on their doorstep at night as opposed to broad daylight in the glaring sun. Imagine the Helm's Deep battle in LOTR except in broad daylight. Instead of a sea of unknown enemies, you can see a sea of orcs all throughout. The unknown is always more scary than the known.
And, frankly, the goblin forces would benefit from cover of darkness if attacking at night. They'd receive advantage after 60 feet, so they could get closer to the wall without as much possibility off getting hit. This is vitally important to their success because half of them are strapped with bombs on their backs to try to blow the gate open.
Sorry. I've ranted too much about Day/Night, but seriously, Day/Night is SUCH a missing element of this game, and again, random encounters would only benefit from it too. I can't help but imagine being pounced on by undead or spiders or gnolls or whatever in the dark. BG3 is so beautiful! It would only be made more beautiful if scary monsters pounced on you in the dark. Oh my gosh! How thrilling!
Picture this. You've just met Scratch. It's night. You can barely make out the walls of Moonhaven off to your right. The river is flowing in the darkness off to your left. You pass a tree on the left.
BOOM! Out of the tree drops a giant snake (constrictor/poisonous - whatever - doesn't matter). Freaking giant snake surprises you because it's stealth roll beats your Passive Perception. Round 1, it pounces on Lae'zel. Surprise round. Lae'zel is bitten with 2d6+4 damage. Game rolls a 9+4=13. Lae'zel at level 3 has just lost a significant amount of HP in the surprise round. Round 2. Gale rolled higher initiative and attacks with Magic Missile. Astarion moves into thicker darkness (it's night), and uses Cunning Action to Hide as a Bonus Action. Then he gets advantage and sneak attack. Cover of night alone provides him with this opportunity. He doesn't even need to hide behind a rock or something. Then your Druid goes. Your Druid casts Animal Friendship and succeeds. Fight ends. Snake is now your friend. Quick dialogue (even unvoiced... who cares). Your druid convinces the snake to leave. Go find some goblins to eat. Snake agrees and goes away. Encounter over.
What was given value here?
1. Ambiance was more awesome because dang a giant snake is scarier at night.
2. Random Encounter adds variety and the unexpected. Previous playthroughs, you never encountered a monster after meeting Scratch.
3. Passive Perception is given a major boost in importance. Your party wouldn't have been surprised if you had higher perception.
4. Druids'/Rangers' Animal Friendship spell became more valuable, because this random encounter provided them with more of an ability to use it.
5. Hiding in darkness is given more of a boost in importance. Now, PCs and enemies can hide beyond a character's darkvision range and receive advantage on stealth checks.
So many things benefit from Day/Night and random encounters. Ugh! I just wish everyone could see it.
