D&D 5E Revisiting RAW Darkness Spell

[Crimson Longinus]

But that's precisely what happens with normal darkness too. Why would the spell be any different?

1) It would mean that the area can be illuminated which the spell specifically says is not possible.
2) It would make the spell largely pointless.

 

[FrogReaver]

Stars do illuminate the whole world. Not much, but that’s why it’s possible to see (albeit poorly) on a moonless night with no man made light source.

By natural language - the stars don’t illuminate the earth.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

By natural language - the stars don’t illuminate the earth.

 

[Charlaquin]

By natural language - the stars don’t illuminate the earth.

They absolutely do.

 

[Nefermandias]

1) It would mean that the area can be illuminated which the spell specifically says is not possible.
2) It would make the spell largely pointless.

I honestly believe that when the Darkness spell says the area cannot be illuminated, it just really means that you can't turn the the area from heavily obscured to one of the other three states (dim and bright light.)

And no, the spell would be far from useless as it would allow you to mas ranged attacks against your opponents outside the area with advantage, while benefiting from being heavily obscured yourself (just like in 3.5e when the spell was meant to be cast where your party where standing).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I’m seeing things getting a little personal & uncivil. Let’s all take a step back from that edge, please.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I honestly believe that when the Darkness spell says the area cannot be illuminated, it just really means that you can't turn the the area from heavily obscured to one of the other three states (dim and bright light.)

Then you cannot describe it in a manner which makes that obviously not true! If you want something to be obscured, then it must look obscured. Furthermore, your description definitely involved the area being illuminated by normal definition of 'illuminated'.

And no, the spell would be far from useless as it would allow you to mas ranged attacks against your opponents outside the area with advantage, while benefiting from being heavily obscured yourself (just like in 3.5e when the spell was meant to be cast where your party where standing).

Except your description is not consistent with being heavily obscured.

These people are not heavily obscured.

 

[Charlaquin]

Then you cannot describe it in a manner which makes that obviously not true! If you want something to be obscured, then it must look obscured. Furthermore, your description definitely involved the area being illuminated by normal definition of 'illuminated'.



Except your description is not consistent with being heavily obscured.

These people are not heavily obscured.

I’d also argue they’re not in what would be considered darkness by D&D 5e rules. I’d call that dim light. Which is what “transparent darkness” would realistically produce when illuminated.

 

[Nefermandias]

Then you cannot describe it in a manner which makes that obviously not true! If you want something to be obscured, then it must look obscured. Furthermore, your description definitely involved the area being illuminated by normal definition of 'illuminated'.



Except your description is not consistent with being heavily obscured.

These people are not heavily obscured.

I do agree those guys aren't heavily obscured, but please notice that it's an issue with the vision and light rules in general, not with the spell Darkness. By the rules, someone standing in a dark hallway, right outside the dim light radius of a torch would also be considered heavily obscured even if common sense says their silhouette would be clearly visible against the bright background.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I do agree those guys aren't heavily obscured, but please notice that it's an issue with the vision and light rules in general, not with the spell Darkness. By the rules, someone standing in a dark hallway, right outside the dim light radius of a torch would also be considered heavily obscured even if common sense says their silhouette would be clearly visible against the bright background.

That's why the game is run by a human being capable of making case-by-case judgements and not by an algorithm. With visibility you ultimately have to consider the POV of the people looking.