Searing Not-Quite-Light

[The Souljourner]

I just noticed Searing Light lacks the [Light] descriptor. WTF?

From the description:

"Focusing divine power like a ray of the sun, you project a blast of light from your open palm."

Sunbeam, Sunburst, all the light spells, freakin' Faerie Fire, but not Searing Light.

*sigh*

-The Souljourner

 

[the Jester]

I suspect it is an oversight, but has anyone any reason to believe otherwise? (I.e. has some designer discussed how it would have ramifications I haven't thought of or something?)

 

[Brain]

Yeah, it seems that way.

One thing that ties into this, the Player's Guide to Faerun has the Initiate of Lathander feat that allows spontaneous casting of spells with the word light in them. I wonder why they didn't just use the light descriptor there too.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Probably a holdover from 3.0 where there was no "light" descriptor.

 

[Henry]

In fact, the master of Radiance PRC from Libris Mortis thinks that Searing Light is "light" too. The class even mentions that its searing light ability gets a +2 caster level increase from another ability that boosts all light spells. Huh.

Anyone checked the errata for the PHB?

 

[The Souljourner]

Checked, not in the errata. There's a master of radiance PrC in Libris Mortis? Hrm, interesting. May have to look into that...

-The Souljourner

 

[MatthewJHanson]

One guess I had, is that they didn't want it to be countered by Deep Darkness, (though I doubt that would be much of an issue). Though other purely offensive light based spells (i.e. Sunburst & Sunbeam) do have the light descriptor. Also I noticed that the Darkness equivelent spell in the Mini Handbook did not have the Darkness descriptor.

 

[jerichothebard]

There's a master of radiance PrC in Libris Mortis? Hrm, interesting. May have to look into that...

-The Souljourner

Yeah, and it's noticibly less broken than the Radiant Servant in CDiv.

I figure with the notation in LibMort (and the ding-dongin' title and description of the spell), that not making it a [Light] spell was an oversight. So, it is in my campaign, that's for sure.

 

[kanithardm]

Yeah, it seems that way.

One thing that ties into this, the Player's Guide to Faerun has the Initiate of Lathander feat that allows spontaneous casting of spells with the word light in them. I wonder why they didn't just use the light descriptor there too.

They did. It says spells with the light descriptor OR the word light in them. They must have seen the typo too.

 

[Voadam]

I hate all the light attack spells. They don't feel like things clerics should be doing.

Searing light is just a laser. Unlike all the other light attack spells it is just damage and has no light effects like dazzling or blinding or illuminating. It does do different damage upon different targets (undead, undead particularly vulnerable to light, constructs) though.