I recently ran a big fight in the sewers against skaven. I couldn't help but notice that the ratmen don't have Night Vision. Seems like an oversight. How on earth do Skaven survive and thrive in an underground environment? Lots of lamps? Warpstone nightlights?

Their Observation checks are still decent because of their Scent ability, but everything else was penalized by 2 or more misfortune in the dark. A yellow die on Observation doesn't really make up for 2 black on your attack rolls. Especially for an NPC, since that Observation yellow is at best converted into a black die on the PCs Stealth check.

Just checked the 2nd Ed sourcebook: Old World Bestiary. They had Night Vision in 2nd Ed, but for reasons unknown it was dropped for 3rd Ed.

"reasons unknown" seems like "faulty revision".

Maybe with excellent hearing and scent, there senses now compensate by giving them just normal vision.

Could just be an oversight

Skaven should have to listen to the albums, "Out of the Cellar" and and "Invasion of Your Privacy" by a particular old 80's rock n roll band... ..and yes, I'd just assume that they have night vision.

I agree Durak, and, even if second edition's skaven had Night Vision, third edition could give a different approach to the creatures in which they don't see that weel in the dark but their scent do compensate it. I'm almost sure that in Gotrek and Felix's novels, the skaven are describided as being able to see in the dark, but I'm also completely sure that skaven tunnels have a lot of warpstone dust and mutated funghus that glow in the dark. So third edition's skaven could just have a different fluff.

What I don't like in what r_b described is that the other improved senses of third ed's skaven aren't enough for them to not have penalties in combat. And for a bunch of coward assassins that live underground, I would expect that their acute senses would be able to compensate for lack of vision in combat.

Related note: The bonus yellow on Observation checks comes from the Creature Guide. If you're only using the stats from the Tome of Adventure, they don't even have that.

well, I'm glad at least that is one problem easy to deal with.