My warlock just hit 8th level and I've given him the Hungry Darkness invocation (took Devil's Sight last time around, too, so I can see inside it should I need to.) I'm looking for some clarifications/ideas on some useful ways of dropping it into a fight.

Since it works like Darkness it's range is touch. At first I was thinking that just meant I had to drop it where I was standing but since it can be cast onto something, just like Light, can I cast it on, say, a coin and toss the coin into the battle (grenade-style)? Or onto an arrow and fire it into something or someone?

Also, it says the bat swarm occupies every square of the 20' radius (which differs from the 10' square a bat swarm normally takes up) which is 44 squares versus the 4 the normal swarm takes up. Should the swarm stats be beefed up to account for the additional space they take up or is it assumed there is overall the same amount of bats but they're more spread out?

Any further useful tricks/tactics anyone can share with this invocation?

- Chris Shadowens

I've not sure about the range being touch. Maybe it means it's centered on you (your unaffected by the bats right). I guess putting it on a coin could work but visually it seems weird to me. I would say that it's either centered on you or starts from an adjacent square.

The bats fill up every square indeed. The bats don't leave the darkness so want it really means is that anybody ending their turn in a darkness square is gonna take the swarm damage. Also anyone starting their turn in a darkness square will need to roll to avoid being nauseated.

Granted I don't have the books in front of me so this is all from memory.

I've not sure about the range being touch. Maybe it means it's centered on you (your unaffected by the bats right). I guess putting it on a coin could work but visually it seems weird to me. I would say that it's either centered on you or starts from an adjacent square.

Where I'm getting the touch range is from the Darkness spell description since the description for Hungry Darkness starts out by saying "You can create an area of shadow (as the darkness spell)...", I used a coin as an example of something minimal that an adventurer would have on hand.

Ah, seems I've possibly found my answer in a mis-read (or just plain missed) line: "The hungry darkness is stationary."

So it would seem that it is as I'd first envisioned it: centered (or at least one of the squares would have to encompass the caster, allowing for a small adjustment to where it's placed) on the character though since it's in a fixed spot the caster could walk out of it unscathed (since the bats don't affect the caster.) I'd originally pictured my warlock sitting in a tavern and when the bill came dropping the hungry darkness then walking out the door, bill unpaid and chaos ensuing behind him.

Still, I think it'd be cool to be able to cast it onto something mobile (then have it fixed in place wherever the object is in the next round) and using that in battle. Like the arrow example I mentioned, seeing the black streak arcing towards the battle then everything is blacked out and the biting begins. Or dropping it down a hole to hit the baddies below.

- Chris Shadowens

Range
A spell’s range indicates how far from you it can reach, as defined in the Range entry of the spell description. A spell’s range is the maximum distance from you that the spell’s effect can occur, as well as the maximum distance at which you can designate the spell’s point of origin. If any portion of the spell’s area would extend beyond this range, that area is wasted. Standard ranges include the following.

Personal
The spell affects only you.

Touch
You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch spell that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can. A touch spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit. Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets. You can touch as many willing targets as you can reach as part of the casting, but all targets of the spell must be touched in the same round that you finish casting the spell.

And by the way stationary does not mean the same as immobile. In this case I would think that it means it does not move (unlike a cloudkill spell) not that it can't be moved.

And by the way stationary does not mean the same as immobile. In this case I would think that it means it does not move (unlike a cloudkill spell) not that it can't be moved.

Hmmm...I hadn't looked at it that way (and thanks for the info from the SRD, easy to digest when laid out like that) so it could feasibly move if it was cast onto something movable, just not move under its own power. This may just be the explanation I was looking for, thanks!

- Chris Shadowens