So then there must also be a category "supernaturally dim light" -- since Deeper Darkness cast in an area of bright light would create dim light that darkvision cannot see through.(Naming both categories is kind of unnecessary, but whatever (: )
Deeper Darkness doesn't automatically nullify darkvision. The part about darkvision not working in the DD description, is in regards to what 'supernaturally dark' means. The light condition after dark.
So only if Deeper Darkness drops the light level below dark, does it block darkvision.
False. Until you get to "Super Dark" (or "impossibly dark" or "darker than dark" or "by the gods, I'm blind!"), "normal" methods of penetrating dimmer light work.
Like I said. Confusing.
I false your false (:
Areas of dim light and darkness become supernaturally dark. This functions like darkness, but even creatures with darkvision cannot see within the spell's confines.
A creature with regular vision can see creatures in an area of supernatural dim light, though they have difficulty doing so. A creature cannot use *darkvision* to see a creature in supernatural dim light. They can still see the creature regularly.
Actually in this respect 3.5 was easier. In 3.5 areas of bright light would be shadowy illumination.
Deeper Darkness doesn't automatically nullify darkvision. The part about darkvision not working in the DD description, is in regards to what 'supernaturally dark' means. The light condition after dark.
A creature with regular vision can see in an area of deeper darkness if the light level in the area is bright. The spell lowers light by 2 levels -- that would be dim light. You can still see things in dim light. . . just not as well as you can in normal light.
If a normal creature can see normally and a creature with darkvision can't see, then that means darkvision is nullified in the deeper darkness effect.
I false your false (:False. Until you get to "Super Dark" (or "impossibly dark" or "darker than dark" or "by the gods, I'm blind!"), "normal" methods of penetrating dimmer light work.
Like I said. Confusing.
Perhaps then I should quote you?
since Deeper Darkness cast in an area of bright light would create dim light that darkvision cannot see through.
That is entirely incorrect. Completely and totally.
Word of God says Darkvision is only nullified if the spell makes it preternaturally dark out.
since Deeper Darkness cast in an area of bright light would create dim light that darkvision cannot see through.That is entirely incorrect. Completely and totally.
OK, let's break this down a bit more. That statement above is a bit loaded. . . and I have been wrong many times in the past (:
* Deeper Darkness cast in an area of bright light creates dim light. This is true because bright light is 3 light levels above darkness (bright light, normal light, dim light, darkness). Deeper darkness lowers the light level in the area of the spell by 2 levels. Bright light (0) -> Normal light (1) -> Dim light (2).
* A creature with normal vision can see things in dim light. It's the same light created by a candle.
* A creature with darkvision can see perfectly fine in regular dim light (as long as the lighted area is within the darkvision's range).
* In the spell effect of deeper darkness, a creature with darkvision cannot see perfectly fine. Regular dim light and darkness are "supernaturally dark".
* The state "supernaturally dark" is defined in the next sentence:
This functions like darkness, but even creatures with darkvision cannot see within the spell's confines.
So, since the word darkness is not italicized, I assume they mean the light condition darkness.
So, one of the two things are true here:
1. Dim light becomes darkness. If that's the case, then the spell actually lowers the light level by 3 steps. In that case, that contradicts what is mentioned at the beginning of the spell (light is lowered 2 steps). In that case, 3 = 2. The spell is broken. It says to do one thing at one point and does a mutually exclusive thing at another point.
2. Dim light stays dim light. In that case, the dim light is "supernaturally dark" and "creatures with darkvision cannot see within the spell's confines". Creatures with regular vision can see through dim light. So either:
2a. Creatures with darkvision can't see at all in "supernaturally dark" dim light. But that's incompatible with the fact that regular creatures can see in dim light. So the spell is in a nonsensical state. Either the dim light can be seen through or it's darkness. See point 1.
2b. Creatures using darkvision can't use darkvision to see in "supernaturally dark" dim light. A creature with darkvision is no better at seeing in this light than a creature who doesn't have darkvision.
(I'm really trying to understand how PF's darkness is played differently than how I understand it. I agree it's confusing. But just because something is confusing doesn't necessarily mean that it's wrong. If the spell is flat-out broken, that's another issue. . .)
* In the spell effect of deeper darkness, a creature with darkvision cannot see perfectly fine. Regular dim light and darkness are "supernaturally dark".
No, they aren't. Supernaturally dark is supernaturally dark. Dim light and darkness are dimlight and darkness. That is how it is classified. You have to cast Deeper Darkness when the lighting is currently dim light or darkness to nullify darkvision.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/deeper-darkness
You have to cast Deeper Darkness when the lighting is currently dim light or darkness to nullify darkvision.
OK, I get it. My bad (: The two sentences:
Bright light becomes dim light and normal light becomes darkness. Areas of dim light and darkness become supernaturally dark.
are stateless with each other. I was assuming that the second sentence was based on the state of the first sentence. But really the two sentences are one thought: Bright -> dim, normal -> dark, dim -> superdark, dark -> superdark.
Thanks for helping me understand!