To clarify since it's relevant, I believe they all say "equal or lower level". Continual Flame, Daylight and Deeper Darkness are all Clr 3. I'm still not swayed here. The phrase "temporarily negated" says to me that the Deeper Darkness isn't really effective in the "areas of overlapping effect", so I really think the Light cantrip and Continual Flame helmet should function as the Deeper Darkness isn't really there because of Daylight. I could be wrong which is why I'm asking.
Firstly I'll agree with the post a few above this one,
Heighten Spell can be
really usefull when casting, or crafting items that cast, Light/Dark spells. Going to make a
Wand of Daylight? Just consider making it a
Heightened Wand of Daylight, cast at 4th level. Sure it costs a bit more and takes a few extra Exp, but you'll rarely find anyone that's prepared to counter a 4th level light type spell short of a blanket
Dispel Magic type effort.
I interpret that "Temporarily negated" differently than you do. I see the spells as 'radiating' either Light or Dark. The level of the spell establishes the 'intensity' of said radiation. Any spell of lower level trying to function in it's opposite's AoE would be essentially ignored because it's simply too weak and is smothered by the more powerfull (ie: Higher level) spell's effect. This is the classic
Light spell cast/brought into the AoE of a
Deeper Darkness spell.
Spells of equal intensity (ie: same level) on the other hand are evenly matched, and thus the radiations simply cancel each other out. This is why the lesser magics, regardless of being light- or dark-based, are still smothered. The magical light/dark is still present in the over-lap zone, you just can't see either effect because they're canceling each other out. The Magic is still strong enough to smother lesser spells inside this zone.
I suppose you could rationalize that mundane light sources (ie: Torches, Lamps, etc..) function in the over-lap zone because they aren't magical. A
Light spell is smothered when in this over-lap zone because there's a more powerful magic, of an opposite nature, in effect in that area. Since the torch isn't magical it's not smothered by opposite magic and goes about it's buisness of shedding light as normal.
I think one of the problems with this spell, as WotC has it worded, is that they say the light/dark itself is radiated. This leads to people trying to explain how, when two spells over-lap and cancel each others' effects (if only partialy/temporarily) they also cancel the magic behind said effects. Thus you have arguements like those in the above posts. A simple change to say that the magical 'aura' is radiated, excepting through solid objects (this allows the 'magic lamp creations still'), and that said 'aura' causes light or dark effects to manifest in the area covered. Thus the light and dark overlaps would still mean 'prevailing light conditions hold sway', but you'd still have the 'magic' there, and thus smothering any lower level spells.
Perhaps it's just not as clear to others as it is to me (natural enough, as I thought of it), and it doesn't help that I'm trying to explain my reasoning when I'm tired.
Hatchling Dragon
