The title says it all. If I'm in the dark, I could use Utility to summon light and banish the darkness around me. Say out to short range, and increase the difficulty for each range band.

But, if I want dark vision.... I would argue that is Augment (adding a blue die is Augment, removing a black die seems similar)

But, would it be the same difficulty for one, two, or three die darkness? Or would you increase the difficulty? And would you increase the difficulty for the range as well?

Thoughts?

Depends on the context of the usage.

It would be augment in a structured encounter, as you're using it to augment your own natural abilities.

Outside of a structured encounter, such as you wanting to light up a dark cave, then it counts as a magic skill check.

The augment spell as written adds an ability die to the check ... in this case it would be Perception to see in the dark. Now, if we think of the dwarf race ability of dark vision, it will remove up to 2 setback dice. I would say, make an Augment Magic Action check to remove up to 2 setback dice from a Perception check. I would increase the number of setback dice based on the distance for the difficulty of the check. Maybe 1 setback for short, 2 setback fro medium, 3 setback for long or just not able to see beyond medium range.

Z

I would definitely say Augment for any significant dark vision, utility would be fine for a low light vision of limited benefits

Actually Summon should work fine as well, if you want to summon a torch or some magic orb of light, summon multiple to get a bigger light, or make it a bigger orb.

Then there’s the possibility of Dispel, if it’s magical darkness.

I think, like was pointed out in the reddit threat you created, that

a) you cannot increase the range of a utility check. Utility is specifically for "easy" tasks only, and it is generally simple stuff that would be covered under prestidigitation, thaumaturgy, and druidcraft in D&D - simple parlor tricks. I would probably allow you to create candlelight with utility - but with summon i'd probably allow you to summon a torch

b) darkvision would be augment. i'd probably just say, replace the base ability of augment with "Remove up to 2 setback imposed by darkness from skillchecks you make" or something along those lines. No increase to difficulty, unless you want to add additional targets, or targets at a greater range (note, not sight at a greater range, the target of the spell at a greater range). in actuality, this is a little weaker than just using augment to enhance cunning, so i might actually decrease this to easy (1) difficulty, but i would probably still not allow it as utility due to its mechanical benefits with "utility" seems to shy away from

2 hours ago, saethone said:

I think, like was pointed out in the reddit threat you created,....

Yeah, apologies for the spamming ... we were about to start a session and I was hoping to get an answer before it was needed. As it turned out, our instincts were correct. It should be augment.

We did allow to increase the "range" of the vision for extra purple dice as well

Do keep in mind there’s two of every Spell. In the first there is a spell which is described Narratively and has absolutely no restrictions, save for an expectation that the GM will set a difficulty just like any skill check. It gives examples of flight and others not possible with the second types of spells. The second of every spell is specifically for structured encounters, combat, but even then your gm is welcome to use the narrative spell for some things.

hmm ... although some may argue the some kind of visions are rather divination (True-Sight, Life-Sight), most commons visions in fantasy are augmentation based (hyperaestitics?).

• Night-Vision is a sort of Low-Light Vision (ie. more sensible eyesight than humans) -> augmentation, ignore up to two setback due to environmental conditions
• Dark-Vision (aka. Ultra-Vision) for seeing in total darkness is basically emmitting UV thru their eyes (their eyes start to glow blueish) -> augmentation, ignore any setback dice due to environmental conditions
• a Creatures Infra-Vision for seeing in total darkness heat sources -> augmentation, ignore some setback dice due to environmental condition

all three are useless in magical darkness, to see thru that one requieres either divination or non-photonic means, eg. sounds etc. -> and this is still augmentation

but there are some additional strings attached:

• the first two cannot perceive coloring only shades of grey.
• the second can perceive special uv reflective shades (of uv blue?)
• the third has no correlation to coloring nor shades of grey at all

PS: you still could use a light spell (cunjuration) ...

1 hour ago, Terefang said:

Night-Vision is a sort of Low-Light Vision (ie. more sensible eyesight than humans) -> augmentation, ignore up to two setback due to environmental conditionshmm ...

• Dark-Vision (aka. Ultra-Vision) for seeing in total darkness is basically emmitting UV thru their eyes (their eyes start to glow blueish) -> augmentation, ignore any setback dice due to environmental conditions
• a Creatures Infra-Vision for seeing in total darkness heat sources -> augmentation, ignore some setback dice due to environmental condition

all three are useless in magical darkness, to see thru that one requieres either divination or non-photonic means, eg. sounds etc. -> and this is still augmentation

but there are some additional strings attached:

• the first two cannot perceive coloring only shades of grey.
• the second can perceive special uv reflective shades (of uv blue?)
• the third has no correlation to coloring nor shades of grey at all

All that is just based on old D&D definitions and attempts at explaining a fantasy world scientifically. There is no reason a different system needs to adhere to those definitions, and probably for the best if they didn’t.

4 hours ago, Forgottenlore said:

explaining a fantasy world scientifically.

sorry ... i am still a science guy.