Ruling question: Sun's Illumination vs. Shroud of Night

[Mindblank]

Greetings,
I'm DMing H2: Thunderspire Labyrinth, and in the DDI article "Echoes of Thunderspire Labyrinth" a Shadow Hound figures. Here's the problem...

The Shadow Hound has an aura which reduces bright light to dim light, and dim light to darkness.

One of my players has the "Sun's Illumination" daily power (zone, +2 to perception and insight, each enemy in zone grants combat advantage due to the "piercing light" in the zone).

What would be a reasonable ruling when pitching those two powers against eachother?

 

[Nikosandros]

Since the power description doesn't mention in any way the prevailing light conditions nor does it actually make the zone brighter, I'd be inclined to say that the power grants its bonuses normally.

 

[Starfox]

Nothing. Sun's Illumination is only light by name; the effect does not actually change light conditions. The "piercing Light" of Sun's Illumination is nether bright nor dim, so prevailing light conditions still exist. The effects of Sun's Illumination work regardless of the local level of illumination. Since the Shadow Hound's aura affects level of ambient light, these two effects can both be active in the same area and not interfere. They affect different aspects of the game world.

I visualize Sun's Illumination as rays of unbearably bright light playing like lasers or the reflections off a disco ball, imparting their effects without actually changing the effective level of light.

 

[Mindblank]

Thanx for your replies I kind of like the interpretation of the Sun's Illumination effect as a sort of target painter.

 

[Destil]

Yeah, the consensus is that power descriptions don't actually have anything to do with powers.

... that said, I often bend things in favor of flavor as a DM. if your cleric is a worshiper of a sun god or they have actively been playing the power as such, I'd be happy to have it nullify the aura. The main thing, here, is that it's more up to the player, IMHO. Powers can always be re-flavored, but should be specific and generally follow however the player and the DM aggree they appear. So don't do it if the player mostly wanted the rules and doesn't care about the flavor. And be sure to throw something extra monsters/encounters at them once or twice in dark areas the power was used because they were attracted to/saw the light from a distance if you do allow it.

I've been doing this long before 4E (a cleric of a moon/tide/sea god in my last 3E campaign infamously had pale blue moonbeams for his flame strikes, a sound burst that detonated with the sound of a crashing tidal wave, slay living via throwing a handful of sea-salt at a creature and turning it to a pillar of salt, heals that resolved with the sound of a cool ocean breeze et). I find it adds a lot to my enjoyment of describing combat, if nothing else.

 

[Mindblank]

Yes, since I'm a bit inexperienced as a DM, hints and tips of how to create immersion are always welcome. Also, there are many many rules to keep track of, lol.

 

[Diirk]

Yeah, the consensus is that power descriptions don't actually have anything to do with powers.

... that said, I often bend things in favor of flavor as a DM. if your cleric is a worshiper of a sun god or they have actively been playing the power as such, I'd be happy to have it nullify the aura. The main thing, here, is that it's more up to the player, IMHO. Powers can always be re-flavored, but should be specific and generally follow however the player and the DM aggree they appear. So don't do it if the player mostly wanted the rules and doesn't care about the flavor. And be sure to throw something extra monsters/encounters at them once or twice in dark areas the power was used because they were attracted to/saw the light from a distance if you do allow it.

I've been doing this long before 4E (a cleric of a moon/tide/sea god in my last 3E campaign infamously had pale blue moonbeams for his flame strikes, a sound burst that detonated with the sound of a crashing tidal wave, slay living via throwing a handful of sea-salt at a creature and turning it to a pillar of salt, heals that resolved with the sound of a cool ocean breeze et). I find it adds a lot to my enjoyment of describing combat, if nothing else.

Its a sorcerer daily afaik, and a fairly mediocre one... no damage on a miss, and the bonus it grants is both somewhat minor and easy to counter, especially as its a sustain...
But yeah, it should definately grant combat advantage in that situation as per usual.

 

[DracoSuave]

The question to ask here is...

...what is AWESOME.

And to me, AWESOME, is having the dark beast snuff out all the light in the area, making everything pitch black, when suddenly, the sorcerer calls upon the powers of chaos and formlessness, to bring forth light where light cannot be, irradiating the area with the mightiness of pure radiance from the Elemental Chaos itself, banishing the dark aura.

Of course...

...at what cost to his own soul? The primordials are not known to exact costs that mere mortals can comprehend....

 

[Infiniti2000]

Since the power description doesn't mention in any way the prevailing light conditions nor does it actually make the zone brighter, I'd be inclined to say that the power grants its bonuses normally.

I agree with this, but another reasonable ruling would be to allow the player to make his power counteract the aura with a tradeoff. Such as, eliminate the darkness without granting combat advantage (or no bonus to perception/insight). The key is to give out as a player's option, not force. Let it differ from round to round perhaps.