Got Darkness? Use a Sunrod

[Chalk Microbe]

Every pathfinder should have a sunrod in their equipment because it combats magical Darkness like a champ.

PRD, UE - Alchemical Tools wrote:

SUNROD

Price 2 gp; Weight 1 lb.

This 1-foot-long, gold-tipped iron rod glows brightly when struck (a standard action). It sheds normal light in a 30-foot radius and increases the light level by one step for an additional 30 feet beyond that area (darkness becomes dim light and dim light becomes normal light). A sunrod does not increase the light level in normal light or bright light. It glows for 6 hours, after which the gold tip is burned out and worthless.

Emphasis mine.

Dealing with dim light is much easier than dealing with no light.

[El Baron de los Banditos]

Darkness wrote:

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.

Now, if the sunrod were magic and not alchemical, that'd be rad. Being that anyone can have a permanant Everburning Torch, that's still good.

[Chalk Microbe]

YMMV.

[David Bowles]

FAQed:

Darkness: Can adding additional sunrods to the area of the spell increase the light level?
No, sunrods can never increase the light level of an area of darkness because they are not magical sources of light. In such an area, it automatically defaults to the ambient natural light level, and then reduces it one step.

—Jason Bulmahn, 10/21/10

[Mark Moreland]

Or YMMNV, given that the campaign needs to have clear rules on how something as common as a sunrod interacts with magical darkness, as that's a common tactic of many monsters.

As I've said elsewhere, sunrods are nonmagical sources of light. If you want a low-cost permanent magical source of light, you should invest in an everburning torch.

[Mark Moreland]

Since we've now got three threads discussing this topic, I'm locking this one.