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I thought I had a solid working knowledge of the darkness spell and its effects, but a recent disagreement during a game session suggests that some people still find darkness a bit... obscure.
The spell's description, for reference:
School evocation [darkness]; Level bard 2, cleric/oracle 2, inquisitor 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, M/DF (bat fur and a piece of coal)
Range touch
Target object touched
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
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. This spell has no effect in an area that is already dark. Creatures with light vulnerability or sensitivity take no penalties in normal light. All creatures gain concealment (20% miss chance) in dim light. All creatures gain total concealment (50% miss chance) in darkness. Creatures with darkvision can see in an area of dim light or darkness without penalty.
Nonmagical sources of light, such as torches and lanterns, do not increase the light level in an area of darkness. Magical light sources only increase the light level in an area if they are of a higher spell level than darkness.
If darkness is cast on a small object that is then placed inside or under a lightproof covering, the spell's effect is blocked until the covering is removed.
This spell does not stack with itself. Darkness can be used to counter or dispel any light spell of equal or lower spell level.
My interpretations:
1.) If someone casts darkness on a small object he's carrying, an onlooker with darkvision could sense the darkness "radiating" from the object, much as he would sense light emitting from an object with light cast on it. If someone destroyed the object, the spell fails.
2.) A nearby lantern would not brighten the darkness, even if brought into the area. A light spell carried into the darkness would fare no better, but could improve the illumination in one section of the darkness spell effect to "dim" if kept outside the darkness spell's area of effect.
3.) An everburning torch brought into the area would supress, but not dispel the darkness. To use darkness to dispel (not just supress) magical light, a character would have to touch the object with the light spell cast on it.
1) He cant sense it but he can tell that the area of black and white is in a field around that particular object
2) yup
3) I think so but I'm not sure
For 2 the light spell would have no effect on any area of the darkness. When their areas of effect the darkness wins and any effe t of the light spell is removed because the darkness sis a higher level spell.
As for the ever burning torch look up what spell is needed to make it. If darkness is higher than that darkness wins.
I thought I had a solid working knowledge of the darkness spell and its effects, but a recent disagreement during a game session suggests that some people still find darkness a bit... obscure.
The spell's description, for reference:
** spoiler omitted **My interpretations:
1.) If someone casts darkness on a small object he's carrying, an onlooker with darkvision could sense the darkness "radiating" from the object, much as he would sense light emitting from an object with light...
Well, anyone that can see will suddenly notice that they can't see an area around the object. A human could see the darkness at noon, a dwarf could see the darkness within 60 feet, but a human couldn't tell cave dark from magically dark (the dwarf can)
2.) A nearby lantern would not brighten the darkness, even if brought into the area. A light spell carried into the darkness would fare no better, but could improve the illumination in one section of the darkness spell effect to "dim" if kept outside the darkness spell's area of effect.
Right, you wind up with an eclipsing moon shaped pattern until the center of the darkness spell hits the center of the light spell, at which point it doesn't provide light anywhere.
3.) An everburning torch brought into the area would supress, but not dispel the darkness. To use darkness to dispel (not just supress) magical light, a character would have to touch the object with the light spell cast on it.
depends on whether the light came from a temple or a magic shop. Continual flame (the spell used to make the light rock) is a 2nd level wizard spell, so darkness shuts it down. it is however a third level cleric spell.. so it keeps working in an area of darkness.
Things get really screwy because, by the raw, darkness spells shut down light spells AND lower the light levels but most light spells DO NOT shut down darkness spells, they just increase the light levels. So what you end up with if you're in a cave is that the darkness spells drop the light levels down 2 AND shut off your torches, then the light spell brings it up two.. still leaving you dark.
Even daylight has that problem : it doesn't matter if its a 2nd or 3rd level light spell all it does is return the lighting to the rather ambiguous "ambient light levels" ... which if you're in a cave i'm reading as dark.