D&D 3E/3.5 Darkness Spell in 3.5

[green slime]

The problem IMO wasn't blindsight per se, but that a relatively low-level spell gave the ability for hours. Extended, you had it all day.

What I didn't and still don't understand is why darkness was nerfed....

 

[rrealm]

IMCs (I'm in two actually: PC & DM) we run darkness as "darkness", not shadowy illumination. We are in the process of creating a spell that would create shadowy illumination but it is still on the drawing board. Seems a little powerful for a level 1 spell but pails in comparison to the level 2 darkness spell. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Henry]

There is the following feat:
Earth Sense [General]
Races of Stone, page 138
You are in tune with the earth beneath you.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Wis 13
Benefit: As long as you are touching the ground, you can take a move action to sense the number of creatures within 20 feet that are also touching the ground and the direction to each one. You cannot pinpoint the location of any creature with this feat.
Special: Creatures with the air or aquatic subtype may not select this feat.

I find nothing unbalanced about that feat whatsoever. This said, that is the STUPIDEST set of prerequisities I've ever seen for what amounts to a magical or supernatural power. Not even a requirement to be a spell-caster? Or have an earth-based creature in your family bloodline? or - well, ANYTHING but to be healthy and wise? The only thing missing is to possess funds equal to 5,000 gp - that way, they could work "wealthy" into the picture too. What the heck?

As to not allowing blindsight to PC's I don't have a problem with the ability - but it does need to have sufficiently high requirements so that it is not easily acquired, or is acquired on a temporary basis via spell. Even Earth sense is still not Blindsight - it does nothing to negate concealment, etc.

Blind-fight is not that bad, and the feat SHOULD give you some benefit. Even still, you're missing one attack out of four on average, whether it would hit or not - and that's a pretty serious hurt.

I think my problem is more with how they altered darkness than the interaction between the two. If someone comes up with a good combo, great for them! I'm not for altering a combo just because it's powerful. I'm for altering it if it gives someone too much advantage for too little investment. Deeper darkness has 1 day/level? I'd rather have a higher-level darkness that is an actual DARKNESS, instead of "Dimness", and is only 1 round/level. I'd probably be as upset if they took fireball, kept its name, and changed the effect to the damage being caused by 3,000 fluffy rabid bunnies, because someone came up with a 1st level feat that allowed you to be healed by fire damage.

 

[coyote6]

This said, that is the STUPIDEST set of prerequisities I've ever seen for what amounts to a magical or supernatural power. Not even a requirement to be a spell-caster? Or have an earth-based creature in your family bloodline? or - well, ANYTHING but to be healthy and wise?

Well, creatures with the Air (or one other subtype that I forget) can't take the feat. It's also the prerequisite for several other "Earth ____" feats, so I kind of think that taking this feat is saying you've got earth power in your blood.

As for dimn-, err, darkness -- it's silly.

Actually, I can kind of see the point of making the change to the 2nd level spell (if you specified that it doesn't increase light levels, that is). A 2nd level mass temporary blindness spell with no save or SR allowed would be objected to, I think; so changing darkness to be less absolute is fine.

But to (a) not change deeper to greater darkness (when pretty much every other improved version of a spell got the "greater" name change), (b) have it provide illumination (albeit of the candle-like "shadowy" variety), (c) have the deeper darkness not actually create darkness that's any deeper, and (d) leave it at 1 day/level, thus combining to make the World's Best Dungeon Delving Spell (Especially For Elves And Gnomes) -- well, that's just absurd.

"It's like darkness, see, but it's not really dark. And it's not actually any deeper -- but it's bigger! And longer lasting. So it's pretty good if you're going to be stuck underground, 'cause a good radius of some light that lasts for days and isn't quite so visible from around corners & miles away is better than any other option."

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The 3.5 darkness is basically a cinematic version of darkness - not so dark that the cameras don´t catch the protagonists, but still dark enough to feel that it is dark.

 

[green slime]

The 3.5 darkness is basically a cinematic version of darkness - not so dark that the cameras don´t catch the protagonists, but still dark enough to feel that it is dark.

Great. So when can we get the feat that allows characters to do a Dallas and completely ignore death? "It was just a Dream"...

 

[Kirin'Tor]

Great. So when can we get the feat that allows characters to do a Dallas and completely ignore death? "It was just a Dream"...

Right Now!

Favored of the Audience
Those who have seen your character simply cannot bear the throught of his death.
PreReq: CHA 17+
Benefit: Once per day, when your character would otherwise be dropped to less than 1 HP, he may make a Charisma check (DC = 5 + number of HP that would otherwise be dropped below 0) to have a former associate (NPC) jump in to take the hit for him, talk down\distract the assailant, or otherwise prevent the damage.
Example: John, a former assassin\con-man turned business tycoon, has a CHA 17, 20 hp, and is shot in the face several times. His HP would be dropped to -7, but if he makes a DC 12 CHA check, his doting wife (we'll call her Marlena) will dash toward the attacker (who we'll call Tony), pleading for his life. Tony, so distracted by Marlena's outburst, just barely misses John with his shots.

Avoid Death
No matter how dire the circumstances, you always seem to avoid certain death.
PreReq: Favored of the Audience, CHA 20+, 5000+gp stash (Wealthy )
Benefit: No matter the circumstances, nor how long you've 'been dead' you just won't die. Long lost family members may save you, or have undergone surgery to appear as you for the last several years. Your attacker may be posessed by satan (or god) an fail to kill you. Or, you may simply fall directly onto 30-foot-long razor spikes while chained to a gorilla, and climb out several minutes later.
As a free action you may declare (which may be out-loud, or silently in your mind, so as to surprise other PC's and your DM later) that you are alive, no matter the previous state of your character. You reappear at 50% to 100% your regular HP (DM's decision), and must atleast _attempt_ to explain your reappereance.
Example: Stefano, a high level rogue\bard\assassin\wizard, possesses the Avoid Death feat. While in a death-defying (in it's own right) cliff-face battle with John (see above), is stabbed directly in the head, and falls 100ft. from the cliff, into a rushing river. One month later, his body is recovered and cremated. Stefano's player waits several sessions, before unveiling that, just before the session where he died began, he hatched a plan where by a hobo is abducted, given plastic surgery to look like him, and brain washed so as he can be controled remotely via a tinyear bud. This hobo then took place in the cliff battle, leaving the real Stefano at home to scry on the events.

ok...that's all. Back to darkness...

 

[green slime]

Thanks for the chuckle, Kirin'Tor!

 

[Nail]

Why couldn't Darkness have been a spell that "extiquishes all mundane light"? How bad could it be? (frustrated)

In 3.0e, the main problem with the spell was when combined with Blindsight (or the like). As has been stated above, that spell combo is too good for it's level.

 

[Nail]

....Stefano's player waits several sessions, before unveiling that, just before the session where he died began, he hatched a plan where by a hobo is abducted, given plastic surgery to look like him, and brain washed so as he can be controled remotely via a tinyear bud. This hobo then took place in the cliff battle, leaving the real Stefano at home to scry on the events....

nice!