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Not neccessarily true, infrared radiation will reflect off of and/or be absorbed by material such as clothing or about anything else, and in fact, heat coronas will not exist as the infrared photons will not actually "appear" to heightened senses unless they are first "reflected" off of a surface, just like light. An exception would be something that puts off a corona normally, like "fire" or a bright light.

As was mentioned earlier, the closest analogy we have to envision infravision would be looking through infrared nightvision goggles. In this case, objects' outlines are still readily identifiable, however, distinct patterns on surfaces are somewhat muted, although with really high powered NVG's, you can see patterns and texture just as well as you could with normal vision in daylight. The only catch is that everything is monochrome (the NVG's I've used showed everything in green).

Darkvision is probably more of a supernatural ability rather than something nature would have designed, but keep in mind it only works well for about 120 feet for drow (40 yards). After that things get blurry/dim. If Darkvision were based purely on natural infra and ultra visual reception, it would be boring and alien, althought that's just an opinion.

EDIT: a further note about NVG's (night vision goggles)... the only reason they can "see" infrared is because they actually emit infrared radiation which is reflected back to them (otherwise, at night, not enough IR is radiated from natural surroundings to be viewed practically).

If you are hunting enemy soldiers wearing NVG's at night for example, and you don NVG's yourself, you will stand out to them like a christmas tree from a mile away because the IR you emit from your own goggles will be very bright to them at a great distance. In the case of infravision, this would mean eyes emitting IR radiation would glow to others using infravision... to a great distance. This makes infravision not very practical in a hostile environment like the underdark.

In real world, dark vision can't exist as our understanding of science currently stands. It falls in the realm of supernatural, or even magic... not "nature."

Nature does have ways for critters to perceive infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths of radiation in limited fashion however.

*cracks fingers* Level 1 thermographer coming...

When it comes to NVG, light is needed to see in the dark. Sounds strange, but true. If you got a pair of goggles, lock yourself in the bathroom with no light and tell me what you see. Here, I'll tell you what you will see...nothing. Reason is because NVG uses intensifier lens to amplify the light around the wearer's surrounding. In a way, NVG work like Elven Low Light vision.

Now as for Thermoimaging equipment, Those pick up residual heat (or radiation) that bounce around the surface of things. I believe this is how Darkvision works, in which Drow's and Orc's eyes pick up heat radiation around them and converts them into a vision.

So how I would see it is Infravision is like looking through a Infrared Camera (not NVG) with a gray scale setting.

This is the perfect example of how it would look like seeing through Darkvision. On the right is normal spectrum vision at night. On the left is Infrared vision.

Blah, hope this clarify a bit.

EDIT: Also, animal's eyes use the NVG technique to see in the dark, not Infrared. Animals still require light to see in the dark. However, some animals can sense heat signatures but not through sight. They have sensory organs that are sensitive to heat to pick up signatures (like snake's nostril). They can sense the heat, but they don't "see" in it. *shrugs*

lol I don't think it works that way with his eyes changing colors. It isn't the fact he has blue eye gene mixed with red that gives him his purple eyes. Purple eyes, much like amber color eyes, are genetically there for Drows to have. It's just rare for Drows to have them, thus why Drizzt is special.

According to D&D, eye color doesn't change when looking into Darkvision, only vision. Now Salvatore might of made mention of eye colors changing when shifting vision, but as Kumi Caelos pointed out, Salvatore isn't the best of source when it comes to Drow biggrin

EDIT: Oh, and to your question, dot, no, Drizzt sees everything much like how regular red eyed Drows can see.

Also, from the d20srd website on Darkvision:




EDIT: So upon re-reading the Darkvision, I guess it really isn't the ability to see heat signatures biggrin SO Infravision would be the incorrect term to use how Drow's see.

lol That's true xD I guess attempting to explain scientifically how Darkvision works in a fantasy RP is a tad futile biggrin

Curious how everyone dumps on Salvatore, but even Greenwood admits that the reason we have the drow world we have to day is thanks to him. Granted, he's been around so long that his stuff isnt canon now, mainly because TSR and now Wizards changes their minds every 6 months in an effort to sell a new batch of books.

The drow of D&D are very different today from when they started. Even more so the fact that the setting of FR was originally very different from the old Greyhawk world that AD&D was set in. Drow have been reworked numerous times for different setting and game systems. Each has put a new twist or spin on the race to make them more playable or interesting.. or even just to fit with the rules of the newer system.

Myself.. I was introduced to Drow through Drizzt. I don't like the guy, but I enjoyed the stories, the settings and the concepts of their world. Rules change, stories adapt and we stumble on in their dark world.

i remain truely a lover of the spirit of personal interpretation within a setting. xd for example, the Drow of Ebberon live in the ruins of the ancient Giant empire in Xen'drik. they were sepperated from their cousins by choosing to stay behind on the continent of their former masters instead of fleeing to the island-continant of Aerenal, and these Dark Elves tried to replicate the knowledge of magic and science that the Giants wielded before their fall into a devolultion to a savage primitive race. they don't worship a spider-queen semon goddess (though quite a number worship a cruel scorpion god), and they actually get along with other playable race sin the setting fairly well (if suspiciously, but after all, everyone in that setting is suspicious of everyone else).

in Lineage 2, the Dark Elves arn't even subteranean or nocturnal! they decided to learn dark magic to combat Humans who double-crossed them in a war against the Orcs, and the other Elves got paranoid and went to war with them.

in Tolkien's world, Dark Elf was a term given to the elves who chose to stay on Middle Earth instead of flee to Valanor. and teh Grey Elves were the descendants of Feanor who traveled to Valanor but returned to Middle Earth and were absolute bastards to the rest of the Elves.

point is, no single vision of the Drow is the "correct" one, it all depends on the setting. and everyone is gonna have their own opinion of how it should be, or what's teh best reperesentation. i think sometimes it's good to just have an open mind about these things and admire each of the individual versions, and the artistry behind each one. you don't have to like every detail about every version, but some respect towards the creative interpretation couldn't hurt.