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The Void-Touched Wildblooded Sorcerer has the following ability:
Voidfield (Sp): "At 9th level, you can create an area influenced by the black void. This ability acts as an ice storm, except the area is also subject to deeper darkness for 1 round per four sorcerer levels. You may use this ability once per day at 3rd level, and one additional time per day for every three additional levels. The bloodline power replaces aurora borealis."
Ice Storm
School evocation [cold]; Level druid 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (dust and water)
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area cylinder (20-ft. radius, 40 ft. high)
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes
Great magical hailstones pound down upon casting this spell, dealing 3d6 points of bludgeoning damage and 2d6 points of cold damage to every creature in the area. This damage only occurs once, when the spell is cast. For the remaining duration of the spell, heavy snow and sleet rains down in the area. Creatures inside this area take a –4 penalty on Perception skill checks and the entire area is treated as difficult terrain. At the end of the duration, the snow and hail disappear, leaving no aftereffects (other than the damage dealt).
Deeper Darkness
School evocation [darkness]; Level cleric 3
Duration 10 min./level (D)
This spell functions as darkness, except that objects radiate darkness in a 60-foot radius and the light level is lowered by two steps. Bright light becomes dim light and normal light becomes darkness. 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.
This spell does not stack with itself. Deeper darkness can be used to counter or dispel any light spell of equal or lower spell level.
Darkness
School evocation [darkness]; Level bard 2, cleric 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.
1) How many times per day can I use this at level 9? Do we assume they inexplicably wrote it strangely, but mean what they say, which is 3 times per day at level 9 (and 4@12, 5@15, 6@18) or do we assume they got the level wrong, and they mean one time per day at level 9, and one addition each 3 levels after that (2@12, 3@15, and 4@18)?
2) Are there two different areas, or is the area of Deeper Darkness constrained to the area of the Ice Storm? Ice Storm has a radius if 20' while Deeper Darkness causes an object to radiate 60' of darkness. So is it only the 20' storm area in darkness, or does the darkness leak out of the storm area covering a full 60 feet?
I assume it means it's a 20' radius area, which is dark and difficult terrain (also stones fall once). But I guess it could be read that the area is subject to Deeper Darkness, which means the area is the 'object' which is radiating the darkness? (In which case I think the point of origin for both should be the same, radiating 60' from each square of the area is crazy)
Thoughts and opinions welcome.
strictly based on what you have posted it looks like:
1. 3/day at 9th level (although I suspect that this might be an error, and it was meant to work like freezing bolt from Rime-Blooded).
2. The area of deeper darkness covers the exact same area as the ice storm.
This needs to be fixed by an Errata...!
(Flagged for FAQ)
1) While I can't help but think this ability was initially intended to be a 3rd level power but then got switched to 9th without fixing the text, I'd take it at face value and say 3 times at level 9.
2) I feel like this one is more clear (though still clumsily written). The area of the ice storm is filled with deeper darkness, so there would be deeper darkness in a 20' radius, 40' high cylinder.
3) I'm going to add my own wtf here:
"This ability acts as an ice storm, except the area is also subject to deeper darkness for 1 round per four sorcerer levels."
I would guess the writer meant that the entire effect (Ice Storm + Darkness) lasts 1 round per four levels, so 2 rounds initially, 3 rounds at level 12, etc.
However, the way it actually reads in English, it appears that the Ice Storm lasts the normal duration (1 round per level, so 9 at level 9, 12 at level 12, etc.), and it's only the darkness that lasts 1 round per four levels.
This Voidfield is a strange ability : should you use it on foes or on team ?
The Ice Storm part implies it is meant to be cast on foes, without any doubt.
But the Deeper Darkness part, which is protective, suggests it should be cast on the party !
If I use this ability on foes, it will deal cold damage, but it will also protect them with concealment !
Or maybe it is intended to be like that : you deal damage to foes, but also protect them. It is up to the player to decide if the damage dealt is worth the protection.
How is it supposed to be used ?
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This Voidfield is a strange ability : should you use it on foes or on team ?
The Ice Storm part implies it is meant to be cast on foes, without any doubt.
But the Deeper Darkness part, which is protective, suggests it should be cast on the party !
If I use this ability on foes, it will deal cold damage, but it will also protect them with concealment !
Or maybe it is intended to be like that : you deal damage to foes, but also protect them. It is up to the player to decide if the damage dealt is worth the protection.
How is it supposed to be used ?
Where do you get that Deeper Darkness is a protective spell? The people in it can't see anything, but the people outside of it only have a hard time seeing inside it, everything else they see just fine.
Definitely an offensive spell.
Because in the description of the spell, creatures in the darkness can gain Concealment (20% or 50% depending on light), which is a protective "side effect" :-)
You can cast darkness on an ally who is close to death to protect him from further attacks.