Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Because even warlocks can't be able to see through it. But maybe that's just an Improved Darkness.
D&D 5E What level would you make this spell effect: Unlight
- Thread starter Whizbang Dustyboots
- Start date
It is far too powerful to just counter/supress any spell that creates light. Normal D&D design is to have it only counter light from spells of equal level or lower. So I would go with the upcast to counter higher level spells option. You want to counter Sunbeam? Try upcasting to 7th level.
EzekielRaiden
Follower of the Way
I mean...the point of the Warlock invocation is to be able to see through everything, magical or non-magical, so I feel like making an ultra-special SUPER darkness that even Warlocks can't see through is defeating the purpose of having it. It comes across as a schoolyard bickering: "I used my Infinity Sword! You can't block the Infinity Sword!" "Yeah well...I used my Infinity PLUS ONE Shield! Clearly Infinity Plus One is more than Infinity!"*
Point being, if you're making a true super darkness that is somehow even darker than "magical darkness," I definitely think that's a much higher-level spell than regular ol' darkness. Bare minimum 5th level spell, probably more like 6th because that kind of thing should be rare and special to avoid stepping on the Warlock's toes. If, however, you just want it to be a flexible "inhibit lights" spell, then I could see it being as others said, a 1st-level spell which snuffs out all mundane lights and magical lights of equal or lower spell level, upcasting causes it to count as a spell of the upcast level for this purpose (so if you cast a 9th level unlight, I'm pretty sure there's no spell in the game that could overcome that darkness.) Perhaps you could add a note like "if this spell is cast with at least a 6th level slot, then the darkness is completely impenetrable to all senses, as if it were an opaque wall." (
*In actual fact, it depends on which definition of "infinity" you're using. Sometimes it's the same, sometimes it's more, sometimes "infinity plus one" is exactly as meaningless as "orange plus one," that is, you're feeding in something that isn't even a number, so "addition" no longer makes sense.
bedir than
Full Moon Storyteller
I'd put it at 2nd. It's more limited than Darkness in some ways. It's definitely more limited than Counterspell
I would definitely nail down how it interacts with large fires--what happens if you send in a fire elemental? The "anti-light shell" effect (shutting down light sources of any level) also justifies at least slightly higher level than normal. On the other hand, it's a very niche effect and will usually lose out to plain ol' darkness. Assuming the same size as darkness, I'd probably make it 3rd, but without concentration.
Regarding warlocks... I'm not clear on how this spell affects warlocks at all. Devil's Sight is not a light source; it just lets you see normally in darkness, including magical darkness. As written, unlight would not even impede normal darkvision.
Regarding warlocks... I'm not clear on how this spell affects warlocks at all. Devil's Sight is not a light source; it just lets you see normally in darkness, including magical darkness. As written, unlight would not even impede normal darkvision.
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Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
That's not in the description. Right now anyone able to see in darkness (not Darkness) should be able to see. I'm confused. You're right -- it's your post. But that seems to be missing from the spell description.
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Sorry, I am on week four of so. very. little. sleep.
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Did you ever play Zork? Grues are a penalty for players not properly managing their light sources. In D&D terms, it means the player characters will be attacked by a savage monster fighting with advantage and fighting back with disadvantage. Converting it to D&D and having the warlock being able to sketch what a grue looks like takes away a lot of the mystery (and danger).
Maybe the answer is just that grues are invisible when viewed with darkvision or Devil's Sight. A determined warlock could also layer on Detect Invisibility and see them if they wanted to, but they wouldn't be able to defeat the uber darkness monster by more or less default.
(I am not from confirming or denying any grues will be part of an upcoming adventure in my game.)
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Maybe not that long. Let me give this a try here...
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Unlight - Level: [class]-3. School: illusion. Range 0. Area of effect: 50' radius. Casting time: 3 rounds. Duration 1 hour. Save n/a. Components VSM.
Temporarily shuts off light sources within area. Light sources brought into area are darkened; sources removed from area resume casting light as normal. Light from sources outside area behaves normally thus this spell has no effect on daylight, moonlight, etc. nor on light from a distant bonfire or nearby lighthouse. Magical light sources of level above this spell's cast level are unaffected. Fires in area continue to burn but cannot be seen; in no other way does this spell affect darkvision or vision using external light. Note that as the spell's range is 0, susceptible light sources on the caster will always be affected until the caster moves out of the area. Caster cannot end this spell early, and although an illusion its effects are real and cannot be disbelieved. The material component is a small gob of black goo or piece of black charcoal, squashed beneath caster's foot during casting; Dispel Magic on this will end spell.
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A bit long, but I've seen far worse.
Thoughts?Note I made the casting time 3 rounds to emphasize this is not really a combat-oriented spell.
EDIT to add: I just stole this spell for later potential appearance in my game, under the name Dustyboots' Unlight.
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