Making Deeper Darkness useful

[PathlessBeth]

In all my years of playing 3.X, I've never bothered trying to use Deeper Darkness.
However, now I am playing a drow sorcerer, and have deeper darkness as an SLA from the improved drow nobility feat. Now, if a combat takes place in normal or bright light, then I could use it the same way as a normal darkness spell. I have darkvision, so no problem.

On the other hand, casting it in dim lighting would effectively blind myself as well. I'm use to high level play, where blind-sight is comparatively easy to come by. But at low levels, supernatural darkness negates you just as much as the monsters. Does anyone have stories/anecdotes/explanations of ways they have made or could make deeper darkness useful?

[blackbloodtroll]

Be a Tiefling or Fetchling.

You will see in supernatural darkness with two feats.

[Cerberus Seven]

Heck, the Tiefling doesn't NEED to take any feats to see in supernatural darkness. Just trade out their once per day spell-like ability for the 'glowing eyes that let you see like a devil' racial trait.

[Dark Netwerk]

You'd have to start looking into the different classes, if you want to stay Drow and see within the darkness.

- Oracle of the Dark Tapestry has Pierce the Veil which is useless for a Drow until 11th level when you get the ability to see in even magical darkness.
- A 9th level Synthesist could use the 3-pt evolution See in Darkness
- A 20th level Shadow Bloodline sorcerer gets the same (or can see through a specific power's deeper darkness at 15th). Same with the Infernal Bloodline (20th level)
- A 9th level Hellknight (prestige) wearing hellknight armor.

There could be others.

Otherwise the Blindfighting tree is the way to go. Or just stay out of your own darkness.

[Joesi]

Elixir of Darksight; but I suppose that's only useful if you're an alchemist using alchemical allocation since they cost 1200 gp

Also Blind man's fold 12 000 gold, but that just gives Improved blindfight (which seems pretty good though; only 25% chance to miss)

Also unless I misunderstood the rules, it seems like shooting at targets from a distance while blind is quite easy; not sure why. It "automatically" flies towards the closest target to a given square or something I think?