D&D 5E Lost in Darkness

[Pensivetoast]

So, questions about the spell Darkness

So, if I understand this right, Darkness gives you the blinded condition. Since you are blinded, you have disadvantage on attacks. However, if you attack someone also in darkness (they are blinded), they can’t see you and you have advantage, so the net gain is... nothing?

If you’re in Darkness, from what I can tell, you can somehow move as normal, find hostiles and friends, pick a lock, disarm a trap, do acrobatics, play tiddlywinks and are not hindered in any way except by auto-failing any ability checks that relate to sight... So it doesn’t really conceal you, archers can still target you, as can spell casters?

And if you are in the darkness and the archer is not, you can’t see them so they have advantage on the attack? This seems a little backwards to me.

What if neither party is in the Darkness, but it is between them? IE: Group at each end of a hallway with Darkness in the middle.

In a related note, the Drow 5th level racial ability means he can blind himself once per day?

How does Darkness interact with Light and light effects? I know a lvl2 light spell is cancelled. What happens if it’s above lvl2? What if I shoot a Fireball into the Darkness? Or a Lightning Bolt? Both are spells that create light, so an argument could be made either way that it counts as magical light. If an arrow with light cast on it goes through the Darkness, is the light canceled while in Darkness (and comes back on when out of the Darkness), or is it gone completely?

Finally, Darkness can be cast on an object like a pebble. Darkness can go around corners, and can be blocked by items. So, from my understanding, it behaves pretty much the same way as actual light. So, if I cast Darkness on a pebble, put the pebble into a Bullseye lantern (or something similar), would I then have a directable cone of Darkness?

 

[Bleys Icefalcon]

This post and a few other posts discussing some other spells (invisibility for one), are showing me that maybe, possibly, just perhaps, they made a few - and what I would personally consider exceptionally grave - mistakes in the functionality of several spells in 5e. Time for me to open the book up and go through everything with a fine toothed comb, and decide which ones to keep and which one's to write in sharpie which edition version we will be using in our gaming world instead.

 

[Rabbitbait]

So, questions about the spell Darkness

So, if I understand this right, Darkness gives you the blinded condition. Since you are blinded, you have disadvantage on attacks. However, if you attack someone also in darkness (they are blinded), they can’t see you and you have advantage, so the net gain is... nothing?

Correct

If you’re in Darkness, from what I can tell, you can somehow move as normal, find hostiles and friends, pick a lock, disarm a trap, do acrobatics, play tiddlywinks and are not hindered in any way except by auto-failing any ability checks that relate to sight... So it doesn’t really conceal you, archers can still target you, as can spell casters?

Incorrect - If you are in darkness then yes you can move as normal, but you can't see where you are going. You could find hostiles and friends by bumping into them or feeling them out, but you wouldn't necessarily know if they are hostile or friendly. I'd give disadvantage on picking a lock, disarming a trap or doing acrobatics. I'd autofail tiddlywinks as you really need to see for that. Archers and spellcasters can't target you, as they can't see you. They can aim at the location they think you are at though but with a disadvantage to attack (as you are effectively invisible to them). However spellcasters can still cast area of effect spells with no limitations.

And if you are in the darkness and the archer is not, you can’t see them so they have advantage on the attack? This seems a little backwards to me.

Nope, because they can't see you. You both have disadvantage on attacking each other as neither of you can see their opponent.

What if neither party is in the Darkness, but it is between them? IE: Group at each end of a hallway with Darkness in the middle.

In a related note, the Drow 5th level racial ability means he can blind himself once per day?

Only if he casts it on himself. Darkness is also good for helping with hiding, getting away, blocking line of sight to your allies, hiding pits and obstacles for the enemy and a large number of other uses.

How does Darkness interact with Light and light effects? I know a lvl2 light spell is cancelled. What happens if it’s above lvl2? What if I shoot a Fireball into the Darkness? Or a Lightning Bolt? Both are spells that create light, so an argument could be made either way that it counts as magical light. If an arrow with light cast on it goes through the Darkness, is the light canceled while in Darkness (and comes back on when out of the Darkness), or is it gone completely?

That's for the DM to decide for their campaign.

Finally, Darkness can be cast on an object like a pebble. Darkness can go around corners, and can be blocked by items. So, from my understanding, it behaves pretty much the same way as actual light. So, if I cast Darkness on a pebble, put the pebble into a Bullseye lantern (or something similar), would I then have a directable cone of Darkness?

Nice idea. I like it. You should try it out and see if it works. I would let it in my game.

 

[Aenorgreen]

Finally, Darkness can be cast on an object like a pebble. Darkness can go around corners, and can be blocked by items. So, from my understanding, it behaves pretty much the same way as actual light. So, if I cast Darkness on a pebble, put the pebble into a Bullseye lantern (or something similar), would I then have a directable cone of Darkness?

I don't think that will work. It says the darkness goes around corners. That is not like light, which only goes in straight lines. So if you have an opening, like in a lantern, it will go out from there and you will find yourself in a sphere of darkness.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yes. does not work. It creeps around corners.

 

[Pjack]

Minor correction: According to the most recent PHB errata, you don't technically gain the blinded condition while in darkness. "Vision and Light (p. 183). A heavily obscured area doesn’t blind you, but you are effectively blinded when you try to see something obscured by it." I think that's just to prevent some abusive combos.