It seems to me this is one of the things that make fights harder. There are many fights that take place in cellars, caves, underground passages and all kind of other places that are devoid of light. This (especially coupled with other conditions, such as threat and verticality) makes fights a lot much harder. Monsters become really hard to hit. Even more so since now spells have a similar chance to hit as weapon swings. I'm courious what's your solution to this. So far the easiest thing to do is to take with you companions with darkvision or create a character with darkvision yourself. Astarion isn't really bothered by the lack of light, he fights just as well in any light conditions. It would make sense, since he is a creature of the night. However, my character is human, and he is having a huge disadvantage in this kind of fights. I remember there is a 1st level spell called Light in D&D, but for some reasons I can't find it here. Maybe Larian took it out, because it would make fights a lot easier? Or did I just miss it? Also, I didn't quite figure how to use a torch. I guess you could dip it in flames and light it, but then could you still use your main weapon in a fight? Or do you light a torch and throw it near the monsters to create light? I don't know, I didn't quite manage to find a sound tactic for those fights. So I'm curious to know, how are you managing them?

Light spell is still in, it is a a cantrip you cast on an equipped item. It seems from the description that light radius isn't very far. I haven't really gotten far enough yet to have more than one major underground fight. My character was a half drow so it wasn't too bad but I cast his dancing lights ability in the center of the room so the ones without darkvision would have an easier time. That ability put out quite a bit of light it seemed lit up a good portion of the room. I haven't really messed with the torches yet.

Edit: Light is a cantrip for both clerics and wizards. Dancing Lights is a half drow ability and is also a cantrip for wizards.
Loaded up the character to creator cause I couldn't remember if both wizards and clerics got the light spell.

The Light spell.

Dancing Lights also works.

Carrying a Torch, candle, or other source of light.

Having Darkvision as a racial trait.

Also, there are sometimes interactive candles, candelabra, torches, etc that you can light, in an area.

Keep in mind this works both ways. You get better vision of your enemies, but you essentially become a walking beacon. I'm playing an elven ranger and I do great with darkness.

Dancing Lights is good for that. Yes, it's concentration .... but you can throw it far enough ahead that the enemy is illuminated, but until you close to melee range, you are not.

The drawback is, it's not a mobile effect: once it's cast, the area it illuminates is fixed for the spell's duration. Whereas, you can carry a torch into the NEXT room ...

Ok, it seems I didn't check my cantrips right. Silly me. About carrying a source of light... can you carry that item AND your weapon at the same time? Or should one character carry the source of light and another one hit the enemy? This would be amusing.

Yes, darkvision seems like a must have. It didn't really matter in the first two games, but I find it very important in this game. Inifnity engine kind of failed at implementing darkvision as a racial trait.

Also, yes. There were places with candelabras, torches on the wall and other sources of light. But one place where I found myself in a really hard spot was the underground tunnels where you fight the Phase Spider Matriarch. I practiced a lot of save scumming in that dark place. Most of the times my hitting chances were in the 30%-50% range. 60% were actually good chances. That zone I think it requires a little more balance. Or at least more light sources. I spent at least one hour on the boss fight alone, and another one at fighting the phase spiders in the caves. I thought of jumping down to Underdark, but I think it would be too early and too difficult right now. And I doubt it would have more light. Maybe after I hit level 4. Yes, what you say makes sense. Elves have darkvision, so they have an easier time. I started as human, because I felt a little overwhelmed at the miriad of choices from character creation. So I made a human fighter, a character I intended to use in the first playthrough of the beta mainly for learning the ropes of the game. I thought human fighter is as simple as it could possible be, and that it could help me become more familiar with the rules. Little did I know at the time darkvision would be such an important trait. I'll finish this walkthrough as human and never touch that race again.

A little offtopic. Speaking of character creation and creating a human character... I found this article really amusing. Especially the part about creating "the default Vault Dweller". Nice reference to the old Fallout games. Thinking about it, that picture really looks like the default Vault Dweller.

I personally like throwing a few of those "Unknown Bottles" you find littered everywhere around a room, that way I have targets for my light spells that ARENT ME.

-Things Rogues Know

Or, you know, play a Human spellcaster, who can hold a torch in one hand and cast spells with the other. :)

as a thief I go out of my way to fight in the dark but there are magic items which give a human the 'see in the dark' ability if that is what you are after

Didn't encounter one yet. But maybe I didn't get far enough. Where can one find such an item?

Most of my party have darkvision.
Problem solved.

Myconid Colony, the underdark

Astarion gets darkvision.
Shadowheart gets darkvision.
LZ doesn't get darkvision but I can just cast dancing lights.
And my guy is a thiefling so I get darkvision.

Just reached the Underdark, from the Goblin Camp, through the secret door. Thanks, I'll look it up. It seems it is the only way for my human fighter (Battle Master) to get darkvision.