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Our group seems to have a difference of opinion on this topic.
If a party is traveling underground in a totally dark environment but with an Everburning Torch and a Darkness spell is cast. What happens:
a) It's completely dark.
b) The Everburning Torch sheds dim light nearby instead of bright light.
Thanks for your input.
Continual Flame: A flame, equivalent in brightness to a torch, springs forth from an object that you touch.
Torch: A torch burns for 1 hour, shedding normal light in a 20-foot radius and increasing the light level by one step for an additional 20 feet beyond that area (darkness becomes dim light and dim light becomes normal light). A torch does not increase the light level in normal light or bright light.
Darkness: This spell causes an object to radiate darkness out to a 20-foot radius. This darkness causes the illumination level in the area to drop one step, from bright light to normal light, from normal light to dim light, or from dim light to darkness.
The everburning torch's 20' normal light radius is converted to dim light, and the secondary radius is cancelled.
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Actually the effect will be complete darkness if the spell is cast over the everburning torch. As per the spell, magical light sources only function inside the darkness spell if they are a higher level. So the spell or effect will need to be 3rd level or higher and an everburning torch is made from a 2nd level spell.
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Actually the effect will be complete darkness if the spell is cast over the everburning torch. As per the spell, magical light sources only function inside the darkness spell if they are a higher level. So the spell or effect will need to be 3rd level or higher and an everburning torch is made from a 2nd level spell.
Actually... okay, that's interesting.
No, the spell doesn't say that, and the interaction I gave above is correct if the area of darkness is entered after it is cast. However, if the everburning torch is within the radius when darkness is actually cast, it is dispelled. Like, permanently. (I'm honestly not sure whether the darkness spell is consumed by dispelling the continual flame, or is allowed its duration.)
Edit: Whoops, my bad: Liquidsabre's bit in the darkness description. Continual flame isn't a higher level, so it's explicitly suppressed. So yeah, either the everburning torch is killed (in area when cast) or useless (moves into area).
Within the area of a darkness spell only magical light that comes from a source with a higher spell level than darkness will be effective. No non-magical light source and no magical light of a lower or equal spell level will work within the area of the darkness spell.
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No, the spell doesn't say that, and the interaction I gave above is correct if the area of darkness is entered after it is cast. However, if the everburning torch is within the radius when darkness is actually cast, it is dispelled. Like, permanently. (I'm honestly not sure whether the darkness spell is consumed by dispelling the continual flame, or is allowed its duration.)
I'm not sure how you're getting that result. Casting the darkness spell on an object such that the area of darkness includes an everburning torch does not dispel a continual flame spell, or any spell. The everburning torch would have no effect within a darkness spell, but it is not dispelled it is just suppressed.
Darkness can be used to "counter or dispel" any light spell of equal or lower level. This has a very specific meaning. It can be used to counter a spell by means of the counterspelling action (readying to cast a counter spell at a spell caster, the spellcaster casts 'light', you counter it with darkness).
Or it can be used to dispel a light spell, such as with dispel magic. So you could cast darkness on an everburning torch with the intent of dispelling the continual flame spell, and it would do that. But the darkness spell is consumed in the process (just like dispel magic would be) and thus there would be no magical light or darkness. It could also be cast on the torch directly, but not as a dispelling effect, in which case it would suppress the light and radiate darkness for the its duration, but afterwards it would still be an everburning torch.
On the original question, if the area of light created by a torch or everburning torch or a light spell were to overlap with the area of darkness from the darkness spell, the darkness spell would overpower the source of light, rendering it ineffective. The end result would be that the prevailing light condition would be the original light condition lessened one step by the darkness spell. If the original light condition were total darkness or dim light, the resulting light condition would be total darkness.
Note that darkvision now works in areas affected by the darkness spell, but not deeper darkness.
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On the original question, if the area of light created by a torch or everburning torch or a light spell were to overlap with the area of darkness from the darkness spell, the darkness spell would overpower the source of light, rendering it ineffective. The end result would be that the prevailing light condition would be the original light condition lessened one step by the darkness...
I don't get it.
Everburning torch = torch with a Continual Flame.Continual Flame is a 3rd level spell in the Cleric list (2nd level in the Wizard list).
Darkness is a 2nd level spell that: "causes the illumination level in the area to drop one step" and "Magical light sources only increase the light level in an area if they are of a higher spell level than darkness"
Daylight is a 3rd level spell "Daylight brought into an area of magical darkness (or vice versa)is temporarily negated, so that the otherwise prevailing light conditions exist in the overlapping areas of effect."
Problems:
- If the Continual Flame (3rd lvl) area overlaps with a darkness area, what happens? Dim light for 20' (Normal from CF minus one step from Darkness)?
- Which are the otherwise prevailing light conditions? For ex.: I have a torch in a dungeon corridor, and then a Darkness spell and a Daylight spell are cast in the area. Are the "otherwise prevailing light conditions" the light of my torch?
- What about if I cast Darkness + Daylight, then Darkness again?
- What about if I cast Light Light + Darkness + Fire Shield?
- Does Darkness stack with deeper darkness?
- Is direct sun light a "non magical source of light"?
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Ok since this last question was never answered I will give it a go. Continual Flame Cast by a cleric (3rd level spell) would negate Darkness a 2nd level spell. so the everburning torch's (3rd level) illumination would cut through the darkness effect allowing the already prevailing light conditions to take hold within the areas the two overlap.
Now buying a 3rd level everburning torch made by a cleric would in my games be hard to find.
Ok since this last question was never answered I will give it a go. Continual Flame Cast by a cleric (3rd level spell) would negate Darkness a 2nd level spell. so the everburning torch's (3rd level) illumination would cut through the darkness effect allowing the already prevailing light conditions to take hold within the areas the two overlap.
Now buying a 3rd level everburning torch made by a cleric would in my games be hard to find.
Which again begs the question, is continual light a 3rd level or a second level spell on ever burning torch or, is it more defined by the text that it emits light like a normal torch?
Further, light and darkness spells conflict. Darkness and deeper darkness say you need a higher level spell to cancel. Light says it cabs dispelled darkes at equal level ( cont flame and daylight). So which is it?
The magical light and darkness rules make no sense. If you are running a home game, I would suggest going with house rules. Here is my suggestion:
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Ok since this last question was never answered I will give it a go. Continual Flame Cast by a cleric (3rd level spell) would negate Darkness a 2nd level spell. so the everburning torch's (3rd level) illumination would cut through the darkness effect allowing the already prevailing light conditions to take hold within the areas the two overlap.
Now buying a 3rd level everburning torch made by a cleric would in my games be hard to find.
Which again begs the question, is continual light a 3rd level or a second level spell on ever burning torch or, is it more defined by the text that it emits light like a normal torch?
Further, light and darkness spells conflict. Darkness and deeper darkness say you need a higher level spell to cancel. Light says it cabs dispelled darkes at equal level ( cont flame and daylight). So which is it?
Both are correct. Not all magical light sources are daylight.
I would assume that light generated from a magic weapon would only be diminished by one step.
I think light/dark rules should be revamped or given a more thorough explanation.
else home ruled.
as they are now leaves too much confusion I think.
Holy necro, Batman!