D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Darkness Spell 20% ?

[Cybern]

Ok, I don't know if that one came up already, but I just saw the difference between 3.0 and 3.5 for the Darkness Spell. If I understand this, you can see through the darkness ?

It seems ridiculous to me, cuz darkness is complete darkness, and silence is complete silence... unless they nerfed it too.

Is there an errata? Is it normal? Are drows wimpy now?

 

[AuraSeer]

Magical darkness works differently in 3.5. It no longer removes all light; it now creates an area of "supernatural shadow."

It grants concealment, but does not itself cause total blindness. Also, it no longer blinds creatures with darkvision.

 

[gfunk]

Re: Re: [3.5] Darkness Spell 20% ?

Also, it no longer blinds creatures with darkvision.

If this is indeed the case (sorry IDHMBIFOM), then what is the use of the Devil's ability to See in Darkness (Su).

Is there ANY spell/ability/effect in 3.5 that can cause total darkness? If not then See in Darkness appears to be utterly worthless.

 

[Cybern]

I agree that see in darkness is not so good now. Why was the spell changed in the first place? I don't get it

Anyway, I'll house rule and use the 3.0 one.

 

[AuraSeer]

I'm sorry, that last line in my post is very poorly worded. I'll try and explain what I meant.

Darkvision doesn't help against the effect of a darkness spell; the area still counts as shadowy. However, unlike in previous editions, the concealment only applies to targets inside the spell's area. A character with darkvision can still see through the area.

If you put a dwarf in the center of a 3.0 darkness spell, he would be totally blind and unable to see anything. With 3.5 darkness, his darkvision still works on anything more than 20' away (outside the spell area), though things closer than that still have concealment from him.

Am I making sense?

Devils' ability to See In Darkness removes the concealment altogether.

 

[niteshade6]

Darkness is one of those spells that was almost never used by players, but could sometimes be used by monsters to slaughter opposing parties (well at least until they rules that everburning torches negate it). As a result I'm not too disapointed to see it go. It might be annoying for the occasional player who found a way to get blindsight and planned on using darkness, but other then that most players should be happy.

 

[Cybern]

Am I making sense?

You are! But I don't understand why this spell has been nerfed. I haven't looked at silence, but I hope it's not -10 to listen check.

Darkness was used by one player whenever she could. The other players didn't like it, but she played a drow monk (with blindfighting) and it was great. The PCs often used it to conceal their retreit, or coupled it with our cleric's silence and blade barrier to produce areas of "killing" that monsters didn't know.

Intelligent use of the darkness spell always had great results in our campaign. Casting it on the helpless wizard to save his hide always ended up against the party (or the party against the wizard), but a fireball would have given the same result.

 

[kreynolds]

Darkness was used by one player whenever she could. The other players didn't like it, but she played a drow monk (with blindfighting) and it was great.

That's why it was "nerfed"...because player's were "nerfing" it.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I used Deeper Darkness a fair number of times as a player. The 3.0 version was great for:

A. Casting a week ahead of time and having handy if you ever needed it.

B. Providing cover to make an escape. (Doesn't work with the 3.5 darkness).

C. Eliminating the possibility of ranged combat (doesn't work with 3.5 darkness either).

D. Eliminating the advantage of a flying opponent. (If he can't see you, he can't flyby attack and has to land and fight on your terms).

E. Eliminating the advantages of high dex creatures without uncanny dodge (such as nimblewights).

F. It was also useful if you had Blindfight, summoned devils (or Thoqqua or anything else that Darkness didn't bother), or had True Seeing active.

Needless to say, the 3.5 version of dakness, being good for none of the things 3.0 darkness was good for (in fact, only being useful for illuminating a dark area without having the illumination be visible at a distance ("We can't see." "I could cast Daylight." "But then the villains would see us sneaking up on them." "OK, I'll cast Darkness; that way you can see but there's no bright light source to be visible at a distance") or eliminating the possibility of sneak attacks for everyone) will most likely see no use at all.

Darkness is one of those spells that was almost never used by players, but could sometimes be used by monsters to slaughter opposing parties (well at least until they rules that everburning torches negate it). As a result I'm not too disapointed to see it go. It might be annoying for the occasional player who found a way to get blindsight and planned on using darkness, but other then that most players should be happy.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Needless to say, the 3.5 version of darkness, being good for none of the things 3.0 darkness was good for (in fact, only being useful for illuminating a dark area without having the illumination be visible at a distance.

Yup - EB has alluded to something nobody else has yet pointed out in this thread.

Darkness now radiates "shadowy illumination" in a 20 foot radius.

That's right - candlelight, essentially, just four times bigger.

"It's too dark to see!"
"Okay, I cast Darkness."

Good grief.

-Hyp.