Portable Low-Light?

[Redjack_rose]

Hello folks,

So I'm helping someone build a character and they are sold on the fetchling's ability to gain 50% miss chance in dimlight. However, I'm finding it difficult to get a reliable source of dim-light as opposed to straight up darkness.

All the topics I see on this are from nearly 6 years ago. With all the new books and sources out there, surely there is something besides Motes of Dusk and Dawn.

I appreciate any advice, thanks!

[Java Man]

Alchemic moonrods shed dimlight.

[Redjack_rose]

Java Man wrote:

Alchemic moonrods shed dimlight.

Hmmm, I don't see anything that says it overrides light levels, it sounds like a less bright torch. But thank you!

[Java Man]

Oh, you want to reliably reduce ambient light to dim, but not dsrkness. That is trickier. Why not just make it dark and make sure that allies all have darkvision?

[VoodistMonk]

I was almost certain one of the magical tattoos did this, but I was sadly mistaken... neither Penumbra, or Swirling Smoke did what I thought they did.

Anyways, be a Bloodrager with the Shadow Bloodline... your level 4 Bloodline Power, Shades of Rage, lowers the light level by one step.

[Chell Raighn]

Sounds like they may want a Darklight Lantern and some Shadowcloy Flasks… as well as the above mentioned moonrods.

[Mark Hoover 330]

A candle. Granted, you need to start with an area of Darkness first, but a candle ONLY illuminates a 5' square by 1 light level so 1 5' square of Darkness becomes Dim Light. Also please note: Dancing Lights is often a o-level spell spammable by someone in the party all day. Each globe in the spell sheds light like a torch, but can be positioned up to 10' apart and also moved to a distance of 100' plus 10'/CL.

A torch has a dim light radius starting at 25' from the torch itself, so a PC casting Dancing Lights out to a distance of, let's say 30' away would bathe the party in Dim Light. Maintaining that distance from the party requires no concentration, even while moving and the lights can move at a rate of 100' per round so they'll keep pace w/the party.

[Chell Raighn]

I wouldn’t suggest trying to stay in the Dim Light radius of a party members light source… remember creatures with Low-light Vision see the light radius at 2x its standard, and some dragons see it at 4x normal… so what might be dim light for one enemy could be normal light for the guy next to him. If you were to try to stay just outside the normal light radius however, then aside from the rare 4x Low-light dragon you’ll always get that 50% miss chance because you are either in Darkness or in dimlight depending on your opponent’s senses.

Your best bet is to have a way to force lower lighting conditions around yourself (Darkness spell on an object in your possession, or a Darklight Lantern will do the trick) and a light source that casts only dim light (Candles, Moonrods, & Dusklanterns will do this). If you use the Darkness Spell you will have to rely on Moonrods for dimlight since the Darkness spell will suppress the light from a candle and a Dusklantern. A Darklight Lantern will still allow for non magical light sources to work though.

[zza ni]

ok so you have darkvision - you can see in darkness (but not deep darkness).

make sure you can spam light (or dancing light) and get the eclipsed spell metamagic for it = at will darkness. ("An eclipsed spell does not use up a higher-level spell slot than the spell’s actual level.")

so most of the time you are ether in darkness = 50% miss if they can't see in darkness. or if there is higher level of light it will be dim light, again 50% miss for you.

won't work vs darkvision (but might if it's dim light. that ruling is wonky)

[Azothath]

Redjack_rose wrote:

Hello folks,

So I'm helping someone build a character and they are sold on the fetchling's ability to gain 50% miss chance in dimlight. However, I'm finding it difficult to get a reliable source of dim-light as opposed to straight up darkness.

All the topics I see on this are from nearly 6 years ago. With all the new books and sources out there, surely there is something besides Motes of Dusk and Dawn.

I appreciate any advice, thanks!

opt for Umbral Escort. Avoid Wis(-n) penalty as that hits your Will save and a few skills.

read -> Blog post on Illuminating Darkness 2015 references 2010 & 2013 posts...
{supernatural darkness} four light levels: darkness, dim light, normal light, and bright light. {supernatural brightness}
"dim light" on AoN
Palelight Torch only $250 for 1hr once. Gloomsticks are $25 for 1 min.
Alchemical darkness is also expensive(Shadowcloy & Darklight lantern).

you are trying to adjust an environmental variable.

Spells (dancing darkness:1K, darkness etc) are going to lower the light level by 1-2 steps of illumination within their area of effect for their duration (or until someone does a similar/counter effect). So the trick is to ask the GM what the lighting level is and then adjust it locally. Spells also get to a decent spell level rather quickly on this topic then poop out thus Heighten becomes a trump card. Lastly as spells they have a limited AoE and usually they can be moved out of in a single to double move.

Other than that limit your adventuring to dim areas or after dusk and sleep during the day. That's the most practical solution and requires no magic.

Sadly - most of the party is going to want normal to bright light. Mostly only "bad guys" like dim to darkness and that makes adventurers wary. It is the same problem rogues face trying to stealth with a noisy party around them. It relegates it to "nice in theory".

[lemeres]

Chell Raighn wrote:

I wouldn’t suggest trying to stay in the Dim Light radius of a party members light source… remember creatures with Low-light Vision see the light radius at 2x its standard, and some dragons see it at 4x normal… so what might be dim light for one enemy could be normal light for the guy next to him. If you were to try to stay just outside the normal light radius however, then aside from the rare 4x Low-light dragon you’ll always get that 50% miss chance because you are either in Darkness or in dimlight depending on your opponent’s senses.

God, even an actively metagaming party would never be able to keep up with that. Anyone playing with darkness strategies gets a feel for what has darkvision, but who keeps track of low light vision. You would have a better chance hoping your GM forgot that their monsters have low light vision.

Well, there goes my idea of somehow doing something creative with ioun torches and something like a familiar.