D&D 3E/3.5 How 3.5e Darkness works?

[Pyrex]

...
Which is GREAT for rogues.

Actually, it's really bad for rogues. Creatures within a Darkness spell have 20% Concealment.

Rogues cannot Sneak Attack creatures who have Concealment.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The darkness spell cannot make something brighter. In order to do that, it would need to have the "Light" descriptor which it does not.

Flaming Sphere illuminates the same area as a torch.

It does not have the Light descriptor.

Do you contend that Flaming Sphere can only illuminate the same area as a torch if it can do so without 'making something brighter'?

-Hyp.

 

[DreamChaser]

all right. I bow the the superior rules lawyering of the others. by the rules as written, darkness does indeed make things brighter.

DC

 

[Shin Okada]

Which is GREAT for rogues.
And drows
(who can Faerie Fire an opponent to deny the concealment gained in the darkness)

Unfortunately, Darkness is the 2nd level darkness effect and Faerie Fire is the 1st level light. And thus concealment from the Darkness spell is not negated by Faerie Fire (as written in the text of Faerie Fire spell).

It seems that both 3.0e version and 3.5e version of those spells are not that much useful for Drows who has 120 ft. darkvision.