Why was Darkness changed?

[AuraSeer]

I forgot to point out that Blindsight has become a lot less common in 3.5. Most of the monsters, including dragons, have had the ability reduced to Blindsense. They're still a lot better in darkness than the PCs are, but at least they still suffer the 50% miss chance.

 

[ARandomGod]

20% miss chance. 3.5 Darkness radiates 'shadowy illumination'; a creature in shadowy illumination suffers a 20% miss chance, not a 50% miss chance.

-Hyp.

True, under the idea that the spell creates light, while suppressing other light, it certainly does that. On the other hand, tell me, why oh why would the drow do that intentionally?

Well, ok, they'd do it as a lesser light spell, to help the "lesser" races. But these are Drow we're talking about. They're using this as an attack spell. So again, why would a creature with 120 ft darkvision cast this spell as an attack in the darkness when they're advantaged?

Why would they do it in the light where they're equal? It's a waste of energy, as it simply changes the equality. It doesn't change anything or give an advantage.

It makes no sense that way.

But, if it doesn't create any light, merely suppresses light to shadowy while simultaniously blotting out "artificial" light sources, it's once again a viable spell.

 

[Hypersmurf]

True, under the idea that the spell creates light, while suppressing other light, it certainly does that. On the other hand, tell me, why oh why would the drow do that intentionally?

Perhaps they shouldn't

Has anyone written a drow novel using 3.5 rules? We might find that while they can still cast Darkness, they don't any more, now that it doesn't work the way it used to...

-Hyp.

 

[Planesdragon]

Why would they do it in the light where they're equal? It's a waste of energy, as it simply changes the equality. It doesn't change anything or give an advantage.

It negates their Light Sensitivity. Tell me that your NPC villagers wouldn't be terrified if, at high noon, all of the sudden their town is filled with shadows mere instants before they're raided by black-skinned elves?

IMC I've renamed darkness to darklight (I've done a lot of re-naming of abilities and spells for all kinds of reasons), and I think I might give drow the specialy ability to see through their own darkness spells....

 

[ARandomGod]

It negates their Light Sensitivity. Tell me that your NPC villagers wouldn't be terrified if, at high noon, all of the sudden their town is filled with shadows mere instants before they're raided by black-skinned elves?

IMC I've renamed darkness to darklight (I've done a lot of re-naming of abilities and spells for all kinds of reasons), and I think I might give drow the specialy ability to see through their own darkness spells....

Maybe it's just the campaign I'm playing in, but their light sensitivity is almost nothing now.

Although if it were still a big deal it does make sense. But then, in the spirit of the drow, this ability was evolved for fighting in the underdark, not for surface raids.

I also liked Hyp's "perhaps they shouldn't" comment. I mean, I imagine that they don't. But, once again, in the spirit of the drow they should. It's like writing out the dragon's breath weapon and saying that it doesn't matter... perhaps they shouldn't use it anyhow. Maybe drow cast the original version still?

 

[Stalker0]

I love the new darkness spell. Running a combat with a couple of invisible opponents is bad enough... running the entire combat with everyone invisible to each other was so very annoying.

And the new darkness has a lot of uses. Remember, when everyone has a miss chance, the creatures with high damage, but fewer swings, has a disadvantage.

So a pack of drow can take on creatures very powerful using this spell. Also, it lengthens melee combat, allowing spellcasters to hammer the opposition more.

 

[glass]

I seem to recall hearing that it was not supposed to create light, only reduce it. Not sure whether that is official errata though.

Either way, I agree with those who feel it doesn't live up to its name.

If darkness was overpowered due to the fact that darkvision can't penetrate it, then just allow darkvision to penetrate it. Simple fix. I hope when 4th edition rolls around, they call Darkness3.5 something like Cloak of Shadows (as someone suggested above), and reistate a proper darkness spell.

Just my 2cp.


glass.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

I'm fine with the 3.5 Darkness as it is written.
But I would not allow it to create light, it's a spell with the [Darkness]-descriptor, so no total darkness lighted to shadowy illumination by Darkness, I think playing it that way would be counterproductive.

It's like this, only under 3.0 and is a rather stupid assumption:
If I'm down to 1HP and I receive a Harm, the caster would roll 1d4 to see how much HP are left, if he rolled 2 to 4, I would be cured by the Harm. Healing provided by negative energy, it's like light provided by darkness.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm fine with the 3.5 Darkness as it is written.
But I would not allow it to create light, it's a spell with the [Darkness]-descriptor, so no total darkness lighted to shadowy illumination by Darkness.

The only effect of the [Darkness] descriptor is how it interacts with spells with the [Light] descriptor.

There possibly should be a rule that says "A spell with the Darkness descriptor can never increase the level of light in an area", or something similar... but there isn't.

So, as written, Darkness radiates shadowy illumination... which is a defined light level in the PHB.

It's like this, only under 3.0 and is a rather stupid assumption:
If I'm down to 1HP and I receive a Harm, the caster would roll 1d4 to see how much HP are left, if he rolled 2 to 4, I would be cured by the Harm. Healing provided by negative energy, it's like light provided by darkness.

Except Harm specifically uses the wording "causes the loss of all but 1d4 hit points[/i]. Gain is not permitted.

Whereas Darkness does not use 'darkens', 'reduces', 'decreases', or anything else. It 'radiates shadowy illumination'.

-Hyp.

 

[Malin Genie]

Running a combat with a couple of invisible opponents is bad enough... running the entire combat with everyone invisible to each other was so very annoying.

Can't agree with you more, and in metagaming terms I think that's enough reason to have made the change.

In game terms I can imagine a group of stealthy Drow with their piwafwi using the Darkness to Hide and take opponents by surprise...