D&D 5E Revisiting RAW Darkness Spell

[Mistwell]

it depends on what one means by the phrase ‘see through darkness’

what you take that phrase to mean isn’t the same as what I take it to mean. So I’m going to ask you to be more specific without using that ambiguous phrase, else this whole exercise is just going to create confusion.

I will do this in two steps. This will be the first step:

Imagine a hallway. On one end of the hallway is a lit torch. On the other side of the hallway are two people. One person has darkvision and the other does not. Between the people and the torch is an area completely filled with magical darkness.

Can the person with darkvision use their darkvision to see through the magical darkness to see the torch on the other side?
Can the person without darkvision use their normal vision to see through the magical darkness to see the torch on the other side?

 

[FrogReaver]

I will do this in two steps. This will be the first step:

Imagine a hallway. On one end of the hallway is a lit torch. On the other side of the hallway are two people. One person has darkvision and the other does not. Between the people and the torch is an area completely filled with magical darkness.

Can the person with darkvision use their darkvision to see through the magical darkness to see the torch on the other side?
Can the person without darkvision use their normal vision to see through the magical darkness to see the torch on the other side?

You are using the phrase ‘see through darkness’ again. The very thing I objected to. I’m not trying to be pedantic but if that phrase is included then it’s going to make this into a debate on the meaning of ‘see through the darkness’ as it’s obvious we understand that phrase to mean different things.

 

[Nefermandias]

Anyone arguing that darkvision is a disadvantage to see through magical darkness and it's easier to see through magical darkness if you don't have darkvision, is either arguing in bad faith or so deep in the forest that that don't even realize those are trees around them.

Nobody ever claimed such a thing. Why do you people keep bringing that nonsense up?

 

[BookTenTiger]

You are using the phrase ‘see through darkness’ again. The very thing I objected to. I’m not trying to be pedantic but if that phrase is included then it’s going to make this into a debate on the meaning of ‘see through the darkness’ as it’s obvious we understand that phrase to mean different things.

Can each person see the torch?

 

[FrogReaver]

Can each person see the torch?

Yes, IMO. both can see the torch

 

[FrogReaver]

Nobody ever claimed such a thing. Why do you people keep bringing that nonsense up?

Thank you. I did make the argument that this would be the logical outcome of that rule and the inkblot interpretation of the darkness spell unless someone adds to the darkness spell text. But that’s far different from claiming that my interpretation is that someone with dark vision will be worse off regarding the spell than someone without it.

I assume their argument stems from misunderstanding or skimming those posts.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Yes, IMO. both can see the torch

What if the torch was inside the sphere of magical darkness? Could they see the torch then?

 

[FrogReaver]

What if the torch was inside the sphere of magical darkness? Could they see the torch then?

No. Neither could see the torch then.

 

[BookTenTiger]

No. Neither could see the torch then.

I think I'm coming to understand your interpretation of Darkness.

The FrogReaver Darkness creates a sphere of "super darkness" that acts like natural darkness for creatures with both normal vision and darkvision.

So if an elf and a human were in a hallway that was well lit, both would see a sphere of strange darkness, though they could also see well-lit areas on the other side of it.

If the lights were off in the hallway, the human would see only darkness, and the elf would see dim light except for the area of Darkness, which would look like a sphere of natural darkness.

Is that right?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I think I'm coming to understand your interpretation of Darkness.

The FrogReaver Darkness creates a sphere of "super darkness" that acts like natural darkness for creatures with both normal vision and darkvision.

So if an elf and a human were in a hallway that was well lit, both would see a sphere of strange darkness, though they could also see well-lit areas on the other side of it.

If the lights were off in the hallway, the human would see only darkness, and the elf would see dim light except for the area of Darkness, which would look like a sphere of natural darkness.

Is that right?

Problem with this is that it effectively lets things inside the darkness to be seen, as people cannot see things behind them but they can see things behind the darkness.

This is what things in FrogReaver's darkness would look like, rendering the whole spell pretty much pointless.