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Main topic of discussion: Why use the spell Darkness instead of a Light spell altered by the Eclipsed Spell metamagic? (With the intention to make a build that deals with light levels)
Also, here is the Light/Darkness FAQ.
I guess I will start with my own thoughts on the matter. (With impute from you, the community, as to either why my interpretation is wrong or what ideas I may have missed or disregarded)
Light (Modified by Eclipsed Spell):
Pros- 10 minutes/lvl, cantrip = never run out of uses, as per Eclipsed Spell acts like Darkness in terms of darkess/light effects.
Cons- lower level, only one may be active at a time, uses a feat, interpretation may be wrong and only light level is changed in spell effect.
Pro/Con- Still has light descriptor.
Darkness:
Pros- higher spell level, interpretation may be wrong as in cons for light.
Cons- 1 minute/lvl, limited number of uses for a normal spell caster.
Pro/Con- Has darkness descriptor.
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From what I have determined, it seems that the general use of the modified light spell is better than the darkness spell on most levels. The only major thing that makes darkness able to combat this spell metamagic combination is the abiity to have more than one active, for wider area coverage, and its higher level makes it harder to dispell, but doesnt matter much in the long run.
If my interpretation of things is wrong, please explain it to me, or if I am missing something that you have found, please enlighten me as to what that is.
Also as a bonus, what are cool things to do with eclipsed spell and the light/darkness descriptor spells out there? (Light, darkness, daylight, deeper darkness, dancing darkness, dancing lights, etc.)
In the "fun things" category: the paladin. As prepared casters, they take no drawback to applying the 0-level metamagic that is Eclipsed. You can freely shred light-vulnerable creatures with lightDarkness of Iomedae, provide a massive 90' radius or a signal best seen in daylight with light]dark lance, or if you can cast it, generate darkness around an opponent without concealing them with Unwelcome Halo.
May work well with the Dusk Knight archetype, which can give you and your allies darkvision.
You missed a trick.
An eclipsed light spell appears like darkness.
Those who want to get rid of it will try to use a light spell and fail.
A dispeller, may try to get rid of the spell darkness as opposed to the spell in that area, and fail.
/cevah
Am I understanding this correctly? Per Eclipse Metamagic: " If the eclipsed spell creates an area that shines like a torch **or** raises the light level by one step, you can choose to have the spell lower the illumination level in the affected area by one step, functioning like darkness." (Emphasis mine).
Per Torch: "...shedding normal light in a 20-foot radius and increasing the light level by one step for an additional 20 feet beyond that area".
Per Light: "...glow like a torch, shedding normal light in a 20-foot radius from the point touched, and increasing the light level for an additional 20 feet by one step".
Light has a radius of 20' of glowing like a torch, and a further 20' radius of increasing the light level by one step. Does that make Light a 10 min/level, 40' radius darkness spell? Dancing Lights would be a 1 minute (but moveable) string of four 40' radius spheres 10' apart at most (so a 50' radius almost-circle)...