I'd say no, since a gaze attack takes "effect when foes look at the attacking creatures eyes", and since an opponent that cannot see the creature at all is immune to the gaze (cf. wearing a blind fold under the gaze attack ability).
In a gaze attack it doesn't appear to matter if the monster with a gaze attack can see the victim, only that the victim can see the monster.
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I can't remember where to look for each of these rules, but as I recall, being blind makes you immune to gaze attacks and being in total darkness without the ability to see in darkness makes you blind, and thus being blinded by darkness makes you immune to gazes.
would obscuring work too? ( obscuring mist, fog cloud, etc. ) ?
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One would assume, but I don't have time to research at the moment. I suggest a thorough reading of both the gaze rules and anything you can find about lighting conditions, total concealment, and line of sight; paying special attention to any phrases or terms that appear in both the gaze rules and one of those other places. Then do the same cross-referencing again but replace the gaze rules with the umbrella rules for whatever type of ability it is (supernatural?) and by then you should have an answer.
would obscuring work too? ( obscuring mist, fog cloud, etc. ) ?
I'd say yes as long as the monster with the gaze attack had total concealment (was more then 5 feet away in obscuring mist for example).
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In areas of darkness, creatures without darkvision are effectively blinded. In addition to the obvious effects, a blinded creature has a 50% miss chance in combat (all opponents have total concealment), loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, takes a –2 penalty to AC, and takes a –4 penalty on Perception checks that rely on sight and most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks. Areas of darkness include an unlit dungeon chamber, most caverns, and outside on a cloudy, moonless night.
Total Concealment: If you have line of effect to a target but not line of sight, he is considered to have total concealment from you. You can't attack an opponent that has total concealment, though you can attack into a square that you think he occupies. A successful attack into a square occupied by an enemy with total concealment has a 50% miss chance (instead of the normal 20% miss chance for an opponent with concealment).
You can't execute an attack of opportunity against an opponent with total concealment, even if you know what square or squares the opponent occupies.
Wearing a Blindfold: The foe cannot see the creature at all (also possible to achieve by turning one's back on the creature or shutting one's eyes). The creature with the gaze attack gains total concealment against the opponent.
both darkness, with its effective blindness, and total concealment sound like they would work involuntarily as though wearing a blindfold ( by either being blinded or losing line of sight to the square )
doesn't seem to matter if the basilisk can see you or not. in darkness it'll just know where you are and can try to Gaze at you ( but being blind, you'd be immune ), adjacent in fog it can see you with just concealment, not total concealment, and you'd have to avert/blind yourself as normal. with 20' distance in fog you'd have total concealment, and without it being able to see you, it couldn't target you with its gaze attack.
hmmh. fun. k.
The problem with that is your eyes wide open staring into complete 'blackness' isn't the same as having some sort of opaque barrier between your eyes and the creature.
It is specifically calling out a blindfold, having your eyes closed and not even facing the creature as being the ways to avoid the ability. The first two are physical barriers, darkness isn't that. The last option makes a gaze attack ineffective as you aren't subjecting yourself to it.
It should work in darkness, otherwise you have situations like humans wandering around blissfully ignorant of the petrifying lizard until some joker casts darkvision on them and they turn to stone...
otherwise you have situations like humans wandering around blissfully ignorant of the petrifying lizard until some joker casts darkvision on them and they turn to stone...
so what?
While I can see a use for this as a very evil DM trap, I would rule for my games that darkness blocks gaze attacks if you are unable to see the critter in question.
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darkness is two things -
a. the absence of light, without wich, even without an opaque barrier in front of your eyes, the light, a wavelength of energy/radiation etc, which is somehow "reactive" for basilisks and gazey creatures, doesn't reach your eyes.
b. in D&D and Pathfinder - an anti-light. darkness can be "conjured" in an area of light, lowering the light conditions, and stopping light from passing through, so it also stops the gaze from reaching its target.
of course, darkvision will screw you over since you can still see into the spectrum of light that is going to turn you to stone =D
Its also just magic.
From the PRD :-
Creatures blinded by darkness cannot use gaze attacks and are immune to gaze attacks.
Its in the Darkness section of the Environment chapter.