Darkness

[Brain]

Hi All!

Can someone explain me the change in the 2nd level darkness spell?

"Normal lights (torches, candles, lanterns, and so forth) and light spells brought inside the area of darkness can brighten the area, allowing a creature to see normally in the light’s radius."

So it brings darkness into an area if you don't happend to have a torch with you? Sounds silly. And creatures with darkvision can see in darkness now? Why?

Brain

[Kalyth]

Brain wrote:

Hi All!

Can someone explain me the change in the 2nd level darkness spell?

"Normal lights (torches, candles, lanterns, and so forth) and light spells brought inside the area of darkness can brighten the area, allowing a creature to see normally in the light’s radius."

So it brings darkness into an area if you don't happend to have a torch with you? Sounds silly. And creatures with darkvision can see in darkness now? Why?

Brain

I know it should be called "Dimness" or something. I could understand maybe strong mundane light sources reducing its effects but how often are you in a dungeon or cave setting without a torch or lantern. What is the point of Drow casting darkness if its negated by the lanterns and torches the adventurers are carrying.

[Bagpuss]

I don't understand why it's still a second level spell given how weak it's become (and as I recall it had already been weakened going to 3.5 from 3.0). Also, as mentioned above, it makes the drow power pretty silly: "if you don't have darkvision then you'll need a lantern. But wait, am I describing the darklands or fighting the drow? Who live in the darklands."

[The Wraith]

I think the Darkness spell was toned down in order to make Deeper Darkness (3rd level spell) the "real" darkness spell, while the 2nd level spell is made to bring darkness in a "medium light" environment. For example, casting Darkness on an object and then going around under the sun would not (I think) illuminate the area; the source of light would have to be INSIDE the darkness area in order to illuminate it.

The spells says that "Normal lights (torches, candles, lanterns, and so forth) and light spells brought inside the area of darkness can brighten the area, allowing a creature to see normally in the light’s radius."
...so, although I admit it's a bit foggy (...), it seems that you have to bring the source of light INSIDE the Darkness to illuminate it, not simply project light outside the area of the spell.

But I admit that it would be good to hear some official answers.

(regarding the Darkvision thing: I always thought it was a bit silly that a Black Dragon - for example - was not able to see inside the area of the spell he cast in order to gain advantage in combat!!!)

[Abraham spalding]

but why? Darkness is darkness. The whole idea that these spells where so important that they actually needed to scale is laughable to me. Darkness and Light are level 1 spells, continual light and continual darkness are level 3. You don't need more than that really. This is one thing that Advanced d&d had right IMO.

However we should really leave off this until the magic section opens up.