Dealing With Darkness Spells

[MICHAEL DANNEMILLER]

As a non-caster are there any ways to mitigate the usage (by NPC's) of Darkness and Deeper Darkness spells? It seems like in the PFS games I've been playing these spells (along with entanglement) have featured prominently.

I obviously can't cast daylight myself, and have no character-skill related way of dealing with it. I play an Archer type and as a result I'm often stuck taking a wild guess as to where someone is and hoping I picked correct, can hit, and can deal with the miss chances (in total darkness).

Are there any items I can get to make this process easier?

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

Get a caster to cast a heightened continual flame spell on a rock at the highest spell level
You can find

[Jiggy]

You can get an oil of daylight for 750gp. In PFS, you can acquire it by spending 2PP instead, if you like.

In a home game, I'd seek a caster (PC or NPC) to cast a heightened continual flame for me.

In PFS, you could consider carrying around the material component for continual flame until you find yourself seated with a caster who knows that spell and has Heighten Spell, and get them to cast it for you. To entice wizards in this regard, you might consider carrying around a scroll of continual flame and an appropriate amount of magical ink, so a wizard can scribe it into their spellbook if they don't already have it, then heighten it and cast it, all at zero cost to themselves.

Of course, there's always necklace of fireballs...

[Blueluck]

As a non-casting archer, you're probably hurt more by darkness than any other kind of character. What level is your character?

I have two suggestions that work independently of level and class. First, print or write the spell descriptions for Darkness and Deeper Darkness and bring them to game with you. Both spells have limits: starting light level, radius of effect, duration, etc. People frequently forget parts of that and play the spells more powerful than they really are.

Second, sometimes you just have to back up and wait. That won't always be an option, of course, but sometimes a tactical retreat is the best decision. Especially when the enemy has a limited number of 3rd level spells per day.

[Jay the Madman]

Ioun torches have Continual Flame cast on them, so they should counteract Darkness. If the environment is naturally dark you would need to keep a non magical light source around, like a sunrod or torch

I don't know how you can counteract Deeper Darkness. Apart from those already mentioned

[Anonymous Visitor 163 576]

Buy a way finder. IIRC, the caster level of the spell within is 4th, which means darkness won't work.

Deeper darkness? That's a tough one, but yoU could buy a dog with scent, or switch to alchemist's fire.

You could also grab the blind fight feat and a melee weapon. Sometimes plan B is where it's at.

[Malag]

Darkvision is the best quickest solution for you. It's level 2 spell, and can be bought as potion for 300gp. It nullifies any darkness and effect's from darkness spell, but not from deeper darkness (but it might if the deeper darkness is cast in normal light).
Best quickest solution against Deeper darkness cast in dim light or dark area is oil of daylight (750gp or 2 Prestige Points).

Anything else includes more harder conditions, for example scroll of daylight is cheaper for 375gp but need's clear sight to actually read it.

Spellcaster remembering Daylight spell and/or Darkvision is cheapest and best bet.

Various light spells, as already mentioned, heightened continual flame, continual flame and such can help also.

Check for items. Maybe you can spellstore Daylight into Ring or buy item which has 1/day Daylight.

[asthyril]

Jay the Madman wrote:

Ioun torches have Continual Flame cast on them, so they should counteract Darkness. If the environment is naturally dark you would need to keep a non magical light source around, like a sunrod or torch

I don't know how you can counteract Deeper Darkness. Apart from those already mentioned

continual flame torches do not counter darkness, it has to be higher level than the darkness, and continual flame is not.

darkness wrote:

Magical light sources only increase the light level in an area if they are of a higher spell level than darkness.

[TGMaxMaxer]

Continual Flame cast by a divine caster will counter darkness (as it's a 3rd level spell for them) but an Ioun Torch, sadly, does not, since in PFS it would be created by a wizard with a 2nd level Continual Flame.

In PFS, Continual Flame is on the list of spells you can have that last after the game, so you can pay to get a divine version cast (or play with a 5th level cleric who casts it for you) provided the GM signs off on the chronicle sheet.

This is a complaint I had on the spells in another thread. A 5th level wizard and a 5th level cleric both with darkness, deeper darkness, and continual flame prepared, end up with the cleric able to beat both darkness spells cast by the wizard, while the wizard needs the heighten spell feat to beat either darkness cast by the cleric.

[Lab_Rat]

A hand of glory will give you Daylight and See Invisibility once per day plus a third ring slot.