In the Dark

Making the Most of Darkness
December 22nd was the winter equinox or shortest daylight of 2019. Winter in the northern hemisphere here on earth is related to the tilt of the earth and there being shorter days and less light from the sun.

Over the holiday I was reading the Basic Fantasy core rules book by Chris Gonnerman and was taken in by the game master information on city, town and village encounters. Mr. Gonnerman supplies two columns labeled Day Encounter, Night Encounter on the Basic Fantasy urban encounter table and points out that:

During the day, most towns will have people on the streets more or less all the time; the absence of people on the streets is often an indication of something interesting. By night, much of the town will be dark and quiet, and encounters will be mostly Thieves or other unsavory types; but near popular eating (or drinking) establishments, people of all sorts are still likely to be encountered.

The absence of light can significantly alter the nature of an encounter. This is true whether the encounter occurs in an urban setting or in the wilderness or underground. For those of us who do not possess an ability to see well in darkness, the challenge of dealing with a threat significantly increases in the absence of adequate light.

Darkness sets a mood. We are all accustomed to the very human experience of being unable to rely on our vision and for most of us vision enabled persons this can be disorienting and even frightening. As referee/ game master we can use this. A dark alley carries a distinct mental image (and emotional atmosphere), one which differs significantly from a sunlit open plaza.
In systems based on the world's most popular fantasy role-playing game, Light (and its inverse, Darkness) is a common magic spell - and for good reason. Casting light can turn a hopeless situation into one that is manageable. It can help the adventurers find their way and give them hope of success during an encounter. Likewise being in total darkness can blind and hinder leading to despair. (Light can even be an attack spell if successfully cast on the eyes of a monster.)
Artificial sources of light, such as magic, torches, lanterns and candles are a significant part of the resource management element of old school games. The ability to see in darkness is perhaps the single most defining feature of the dwarf and elf player characters - abilities which give them significant advantages in comparison with human characters. It is the nature of light, especially when originating from sources such as torch light, that it can be seen from a much greater distance than the area it illuminates, thus allowing observers hidden in the darkness to watch the coming and going of the torch-bearer. In a game where surprise is an aspect of the encounter mechanic this can be suspenseful.
If you find the idea of groping your way down dark corridors wondering what lurks beyond the limits of your vision unappealing this thought may hold no interest, but for me it is exactly the sort of horror story that I most enjoy. The monster once seen in the light of day loses much of its mystery for it is the as yet unknown on which our imagination works its most frightening magic.