BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
OK, we’re converting the Nogra from an old Dragon magazine from 1e to 3.5e here and there is a conflict in how its powers should work. Let me quote you the original text:
“A live Nogra continually secretes a substance from its body which absorbs all visible light in the immediate area, causing the creature to appear as a Darkness spell. The absorption of light extends into the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum, rendering infravision and ultravision useless for purposes of seeing the creature’s actual form.
…
Because they normally exist in a world of darkness, Nogra are extremely sensitive to light. The presence of a bright light (the equivalent of daylight or a Continual Light spell) will drive the Nogra away from the light source 70% of the time, if the animals are outside their lair. In their lair, Nogra will never retreat from the light, but will instead stand and attack. If the animal does not retreat from the bright light, it will suffer -4 “to hit” in combat for as long as the light remains. A Light spell affects Nogra in the same way, except that the chance of retreating is 50% and the penalty “to hit” is -2.
A Light spell cast at a Nogra will be absorbed (if the creature misses its saving throw) and have no apparent effect, but the energy of the spell will do 1-4 points of damage to the creature. Continual Light has the same properties, except that it can cause 2-8 points of damage if absorbed.
Light and Continual Light spells which are cast directly at a Nogra and not absorbed will simply dissipate. If either type of spell is cast in proximity to Nogra, with the intention of illuminating the area, the Nogra must be checked to see if they retreat as per the procedure above.”
My thought, based on this excerpt and other parts of the article, is that this effect is not necessarily magical, and from what I can tell it cannot be dispelled. (“However, the true physical nature of the Nogra will never be apparent when the animals are encountered {due to its light-bending properties}” and “The true appearance of a Nogra can only be ascertained when the animal is killed. When it dies, the light-absorbing secretion stops, and the darkness around the animal fades away in 1-3 rounds.” in particular)
I’ve written the darkness power as such:
“Aura of Darkness (Ex): A live nogra continually secretes a substance from its body that absorbs all visible light in the immediate area, continually surrounding the creature with a darkness effect (as the deeper darkness spell).
Any light effect or similar effect brought into the area of the nogra is suppressed until brought outside of the aura of darkness. Once brought outside the aura of darkness, the light effect resumes. While this darkness will suppress a daylight spell, a daylight spell does not suppress the nogra’s aura.
When the nogra dies, the light-absorbing secretion stops, and the aura of darkness fades away in 1d3 rounds.”
The problem comes in where we would like to preserve the aspect that light spells harm the creature if cast upon it. Unfortunately, the light and daylight spells apparently can now only be cast upon objects. I suppose we could change it so that light-type spells cast near a nogra will cause physical damage, but the problem with that is such spells would be immediately subsumed within its aura of darkness.
The creature’s light sensitivity would come into play whenever light is within the range of the nogra's blindsense/blindsight (whichever one we give it). The range of darkness is 20' right? And the range of blindsight is usually 60' right? So if you were standing 40' away from a nogra and holding a lantern, the nogra would sense the light and want to back away from you.
Perhaps that is a way to damage the creature with light spells, but this is just not the same. Maybe we could work it that hitting it with a object that emanates light would do extra damage, but that doesn’t seem quite right either.
Ideas, anyone?
“A live Nogra continually secretes a substance from its body which absorbs all visible light in the immediate area, causing the creature to appear as a Darkness spell. The absorption of light extends into the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum, rendering infravision and ultravision useless for purposes of seeing the creature’s actual form.
…
Because they normally exist in a world of darkness, Nogra are extremely sensitive to light. The presence of a bright light (the equivalent of daylight or a Continual Light spell) will drive the Nogra away from the light source 70% of the time, if the animals are outside their lair. In their lair, Nogra will never retreat from the light, but will instead stand and attack. If the animal does not retreat from the bright light, it will suffer -4 “to hit” in combat for as long as the light remains. A Light spell affects Nogra in the same way, except that the chance of retreating is 50% and the penalty “to hit” is -2.
A Light spell cast at a Nogra will be absorbed (if the creature misses its saving throw) and have no apparent effect, but the energy of the spell will do 1-4 points of damage to the creature. Continual Light has the same properties, except that it can cause 2-8 points of damage if absorbed.
Light and Continual Light spells which are cast directly at a Nogra and not absorbed will simply dissipate. If either type of spell is cast in proximity to Nogra, with the intention of illuminating the area, the Nogra must be checked to see if they retreat as per the procedure above.”
My thought, based on this excerpt and other parts of the article, is that this effect is not necessarily magical, and from what I can tell it cannot be dispelled. (“However, the true physical nature of the Nogra will never be apparent when the animals are encountered {due to its light-bending properties}” and “The true appearance of a Nogra can only be ascertained when the animal is killed. When it dies, the light-absorbing secretion stops, and the darkness around the animal fades away in 1-3 rounds.” in particular)
I’ve written the darkness power as such:
“Aura of Darkness (Ex): A live nogra continually secretes a substance from its body that absorbs all visible light in the immediate area, continually surrounding the creature with a darkness effect (as the deeper darkness spell).
Any light effect or similar effect brought into the area of the nogra is suppressed until brought outside of the aura of darkness. Once brought outside the aura of darkness, the light effect resumes. While this darkness will suppress a daylight spell, a daylight spell does not suppress the nogra’s aura.
When the nogra dies, the light-absorbing secretion stops, and the aura of darkness fades away in 1d3 rounds.”
The problem comes in where we would like to preserve the aspect that light spells harm the creature if cast upon it. Unfortunately, the light and daylight spells apparently can now only be cast upon objects. I suppose we could change it so that light-type spells cast near a nogra will cause physical damage, but the problem with that is such spells would be immediately subsumed within its aura of darkness.
The creature’s light sensitivity would come into play whenever light is within the range of the nogra's blindsense/blindsight (whichever one we give it). The range of darkness is 20' right? And the range of blindsight is usually 60' right? So if you were standing 40' away from a nogra and holding a lantern, the nogra would sense the light and want to back away from you.
Perhaps that is a way to damage the creature with light spells, but this is just not the same. Maybe we could work it that hitting it with a object that emanates light would do extra damage, but that doesn’t seem quite right either.
Ideas, anyone?
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