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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Empirate" data-source="post: 6152236" data-attributes="member: 78958">Hey guys, going to run a low-level PF game shortly with some Darkmantles prominently featured. That caused me to reread the <a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/darkness.html#_darkness" target="_blank">Darkness spell</a>. Which made me wonder: does magical Darkness completely shut off non-magical light sources?[sblock=Spell description<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" />This spell causes an object to radiate darkness out to a 20-foot radius.  This darkness causes the illumination level in the area to drop one  step, from bright light to normal light, from normal light to dim light,  or from dim light to darkness. This spell has no effect in an area that  is already dark. Creatures with light vulnerability or sensitivity take  no penalties in normal light. All creatures gain concealment (20% miss  chance) in dim light. All creatures gain total concealment (50% miss  chance) in darkness. Creatures with darkvision  can see in an area of dim light or darkness without penalty. Nonmagical  sources of light, such as torches and lanterns, do not increase the  light level in an area of darkness. Magical light sources only increase  the light level in an area if they are of a higher spell level than darkness.[/sblock]The bolded part is what I'm referring to: if the PCs are in a cave and rely on a torch to see, and a Darkmantle casts Darkness, would the PCs' torch illuminate the area at all? After all, a torch normally provides normal illumination in a 20' radius, and dim illumination in a 40' radius. If Darkness causes this illumination to drop one step, the torch ought to provide at least dim illumination in a 20' radius.But the bolded clause seems to say you ought to handle it differently:1. determine natural illumination,2. reduce illumination by one step (if possible) when Darkness is cast,3. increase illumination again only ifmagical light sources of 3rd+ level are presentSo for my PCs exploring a naturally lightless cave with a torch, a Darkness spell would turn the lights off completely! Even a Light spell wouldn't help! Is that as you guys read it, as well? Not such a bad spell, after all!</blockquote>

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