Now I know JC is supposed to have the final say but I find both answers not really satisfying. JC’s last answer might be “correct” by RAW but I find it far from the intention of spells and items. That the light shed by an intelligent legendary item like the Sun Sword should not be able to dispel the light of a level 2 spell does not feel right (if you go with MM).
That a common item like a Candle of the Deep or a Moon-Touched weapon should be able to dispel the level 8 spell Maddening Darkness that has a similar wording does not feel right either (if you go with JC).
So I want to do it as suggested in some forums and attach levels to magic items that become relevant in situations like this: An item creating light encountering darkness from a spell (or other item) or vice versa, an item creating warmth encountering a magical zone of cold etc.
This is what I found ok:
Common Item: level 1
Uncommon Item: Level 2
Rare Item: Level 3
Very rare item: Level 4
Legendary Item: Level 6
Artifact: Level 8
Sentient items: +1 level
Plus I want to allow casting darkness spells (also spells creating cold etc) at higher levels thus increasing the effect necessary to dispel the effect.
I think the people in that twitter conversation were confused. There are two different concepts being discussed there and here: illuminating the darkness temporarily, and dispelling the spell permanently.
For the Darkness spell, the area cannot be illuminated by non-magical light nor seen through by darkvision. Light from spells or any magic item can illuminate the area of darkness, but a magic item or the light cantrip will not dispel the Darkness (permanently). When casting Darkness it does instantly dispel any spells in its area which are providing magic light if that spell is below 2nd level. Similarly, the spell Daylight will dispel the average Darkness spell. A magic item that produces light will never dispel (cancel) the Darkness spell, but it does light up that area.
I agree: this distinction is important for the question and correct. In a lot of cases the difference will be small for practical purposes though as a couple of common magic items still render a whole Party immune to certain spells up to Level 8. With an effect that is always on.
For the Warlock that chose Maddening Darkness as his only level 8 spell ever this is quite frustrating. And not balanced in my eyes.
I hadn't really read Maddening Darkness, but reading it now the balance is not bad. For Maddening Darkness, the darkness itself can be illumined by magic lights, but those lights don't dispel the ongoing spell, and (more importantly) they don't prevent the psychic damage you take from standing in the area. So standing in that area with magic light you can see perfectly, but are still being driven mad. Also, I don't believe there is an equivalent light spell which can dispel this mad darkness.
You could choose to homerule this to say that the magical light from common quality magic items is not strong enough to illuminate magical darkness. This would reflect how cantrips and level 1 light-giving spells are dispelled by it—your magical item's light would be temporarily suppressed.
It's also debatable whether Candle of Deep gives off 'magical' light. I don't want to quote too much of the text here since it's from Xanathar's, but it does say part of its effect, including the light from it, is like 'a normal candle'.
Going by the rules alone, RegentCorreon has it right. Darkness mentions it stops nonmagical light, and its area dispels light from spells. It doesn't mention interacting with light by magical sources other than spells, so those work as normal. The same is true with Maddening Darkness, weirdly enough - it also only mentions interactions with nonmagical light and spell sources.
That said, I understand what you're saying, and I don't think attaching "spell level equivalents" would unbalance things too much - it might, given how you effectively remove one way to handle a troublesome situation (for the party - very few enemies have magic items that shed light), but if the setting's/campaign's theme is one of darkness, it can be fitting.
I'd attach the source equivalent to the light source of the item, however, not the item. I mean, a Legendary item that can slice and dice dragons and gives you resistance to dragon breath and helps you fly or something, that just happens to shed light, doesn't feel like the same level of a shield called Sunflare that can illuminate a 120 ft cone with true sunlight once per day that happens to be Rare because it doesn't do anything else.
It's also debatable whether Candle of Deep gives off 'magical' light. I don't want to quote too much of the text here since it's from Xanathar's, but it does say part of its effect, including the light from it, is like 'a normal candle'.
In the Sage Advice posts mainly the sun blade was addressed that sheds sunlight. The moon-weapons shed Moonlight. So all these weapons shed "normal" light. The difference is supposed to be in the source it seems.
Candle of the deep does not give off magical light but rather is a magical candle. It specifically states it sheds light as a normal candle would. The magical aspect is that the light is it can't be extinguished by water. Darkness would easily extinguish it. Its just about reading item properties properly. If the item is giving off magical light as part of its properties, then it illuminates magical darkness. If the item creates light by allowing the wielding to cast a light style spell of 2nd level or lower, than the light is dispelled when it touched magical darkness.
This is one hell of a distinction. The candle that produces a flame that (by magical means) burns even underwater sheds nonmagical light because the properties of the light are described as those of a normal candle (because candle light is mundane). On the other hand weapons that shed light that is described as (a) sunlight and (b) moonlight so as the most mundane of all lights shed magical light. That logic I do not follow. Not that the question Is relevant for the general question.
I also looked at Maddening Darkness again and while reading it in a way that supressing the light does not change the damaging effect is one way to interpret the text it is far from clear in my eyes. The "sphere" in which creatures take damage relates to the sphere described in the paragraph about the darkness effect. Plus the (official) name of the spell suggests that the Darkness is what is maddening.
For me, magical light is any light from a spell or magic item where either the source of that light cannot sustain itself without magic, or the light has additional effects beyond illumination. So a sword that emits sunlight is emitting magical light because the sword is not actually the sun. The candle however is a burning candle, magically unextinguishable.
For Maddening Darkness, the sphere is defined by the target point of the spell, plus the area of the spell effect. The two things in that area are an almost impenetrable darkness, and a terrifying psychic storm. The two are thematically, but not mechanically linked. For me, I imagine that you wander towards the sphere of forbidding blackness and, although your fine sunsword illuminates the area, as you cross into the sphere you feel a horrific darkness close over your mind - somehow made more intolerable for it is a darkness you can't even see! People carrying such objects through already dark tunnels are actually more likely to stumble into a Maddening Darkness field, since they won't be able to see the border of the darkness.
Magical Items like a Sun Blade are incredibly powerful items that require powerful magical ability to craft. It is magical light because it is being produced by a magical weapon. The sunlight property is also not boring normal light, its actual sunlight and the power of that coming from the sword. Its important because of its use vs vampires. It makes perfect sense that such a powerful weapon would illuminate darkness.
To go back to the candle of deep for a moment, fo all intents and purposes it is a regular candle. You have light it with tinder for example. Its only magical property is it is not extinguished by water. Fun fact, while it would not illuminate an area under the effects of a darkness spell, the darkness spell would not extinguish the candle because it is not a source of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower but rather a flame.
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I would like to know how you handle the effect of magic items creating light on spells creating darkness.
There are some posts on Sage Advice that – in my eyes – are highly contradicting.
First there is this one by Jeremy Crwaford: https://www.sageadvice.eu/2018/01/07/does-light-from-a-magic-weapons-count-as-magical-that-can-illuminate-a-darkness-spell/
The first post suggests but does not clearly state that light shed by magic items does not illuminate areas of darkness created by spells. As I asked if this would contradict the following answer: https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/949356688695468033?lang=de
JC added the posts in January stating that light from any magic item can illuminate areas from darkness spells. This contradicts the following post by Mike Mearls: https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/02/26/how-does-light-from-a-magic-weapon-react-with-the-darkness-spell/
Now I know JC is supposed to have the final say but I find both answers not really satisfying. JC’s last answer might be “correct” by RAW but I find it far from the intention of spells and items. That the light shed by an intelligent legendary item like the Sun Sword should not be able to dispel the light of a level 2 spell does not feel right (if you go with MM).
That a common item like a Candle of the Deep or a Moon-Touched weapon should be able to dispel the level 8 spell Maddening Darkness that has a similar wording does not feel right either (if you go with JC).
So I want to do it as suggested in some forums and attach levels to magic items that become relevant in situations like this: An item creating light encountering darkness from a spell (or other item) or vice versa, an item creating warmth encountering a magical zone of cold etc.
This is what I found ok:
Common Item: level 1
Uncommon Item: Level 2
Rare Item: Level 3
Very rare item: Level 4
Legendary Item: Level 6
Artifact: Level 8
Sentient items: +1 level
Plus I want to allow casting darkness spells (also spells creating cold etc) at higher levels thus increasing the effect necessary to dispel the effect.
What do you think and how do you handle that?
I think the people in that twitter conversation were confused. There are two different concepts being discussed there and here: illuminating the darkness temporarily, and dispelling the spell permanently.
For the Darkness spell, the area cannot be illuminated by non-magical light nor seen through by darkvision. Light from spells or any magic item can illuminate the area of darkness, but a magic item or the light cantrip will not dispel the Darkness (permanently). When casting Darkness it does instantly dispel any spells in its area which are providing magic light if that spell is below 2nd level. Similarly, the spell Daylight will dispel the average Darkness spell. A magic item that produces light will never dispel (cancel) the Darkness spell, but it does light up that area.
I agree: this distinction is important for the question and correct. In a lot of cases the difference will be small for practical purposes though as a couple of common magic items still render a whole Party immune to certain spells up to Level 8. With an effect that is always on.
For the Warlock that chose Maddening Darkness as his only level 8 spell ever this is quite frustrating. And not balanced in my eyes.
I hadn't really read Maddening Darkness, but reading it now the balance is not bad. For Maddening Darkness, the darkness itself can be illumined by magic lights, but those lights don't dispel the ongoing spell, and (more importantly) they don't prevent the psychic damage you take from standing in the area. So standing in that area with magic light you can see perfectly, but are still being driven mad. Also, I don't believe there is an equivalent light spell which can dispel this mad darkness.
Beat me to it. This is exactly how it is supposed to work. For example a Mace of Disruption (linked below) has in the discription:
This would illuminate the area of darkness from a darkness spell but not dispell it.
But for example an Amulet of light which states
This light would be dispelled if it enters an area of darkness from the darkness spell.
You could choose to homerule this to say that the magical light from common quality magic items is not strong enough to illuminate magical darkness. This would reflect how cantrips and level 1 light-giving spells are dispelled by it—your magical item's light would be temporarily suppressed.
It's also debatable whether Candle of Deep gives off 'magical' light. I don't want to quote too much of the text here since it's from Xanathar's, but it does say part of its effect, including the light from it, is like 'a normal candle'.
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Going by the rules alone, RegentCorreon has it right. Darkness mentions it stops nonmagical light, and its area dispels light from spells. It doesn't mention interacting with light by magical sources other than spells, so those work as normal. The same is true with Maddening Darkness, weirdly enough - it also only mentions interactions with nonmagical light and spell sources.
That said, I understand what you're saying, and I don't think attaching "spell level equivalents" would unbalance things too much - it might, given how you effectively remove one way to handle a troublesome situation (for the party - very few enemies have magic items that shed light), but if the setting's/campaign's theme is one of darkness, it can be fitting.
I'd attach the source equivalent to the light source of the item, however, not the item. I mean, a Legendary item that can slice and dice dragons and gives you resistance to dragon breath and helps you fly or something, that just happens to shed light, doesn't feel like the same level of a shield called Sunflare that can illuminate a 120 ft cone with true sunlight once per day that happens to be Rare because it doesn't do anything else.
Candle of the deep does not give off magical light but rather is a magical candle. It specifically states it sheds light as a normal candle would. The magical aspect is that the light is it can't be extinguished by water. Darkness would easily extinguish it. Its just about reading item properties properly. If the item is giving off magical light as part of its properties, then it illuminates magical darkness. If the item creates light by allowing the wielding to cast a light style spell of 2nd level or lower, than the light is dispelled when it touched magical darkness.
This is one hell of a distinction. The candle that produces a flame that (by magical means) burns even underwater sheds nonmagical light because the properties of the light are described as those of a normal candle (because candle light is mundane). On the other hand weapons that shed light that is described as (a) sunlight and (b) moonlight so as the most mundane of all lights shed magical light. That logic I do not follow. Not that the question Is relevant for the general question.
I also looked at Maddening Darkness again and while reading it in a way that supressing the light does not change the damaging effect is one way to interpret the text it is far from clear in my eyes. The "sphere" in which creatures take damage relates to the sphere described in the paragraph about the darkness effect. Plus the (official) name of the spell suggests that the Darkness is what is maddening.
For me, magical light is any light from a spell or magic item where either the source of that light cannot sustain itself without magic, or the light has additional effects beyond illumination. So a sword that emits sunlight is emitting magical light because the sword is not actually the sun. The candle however is a burning candle, magically unextinguishable.
For Maddening Darkness, the sphere is defined by the target point of the spell, plus the area of the spell effect. The two things in that area are an almost impenetrable darkness, and a terrifying psychic storm. The two are thematically, but not mechanically linked. For me, I imagine that you wander towards the sphere of forbidding blackness and, although your fine sunsword illuminates the area, as you cross into the sphere you feel a horrific darkness close over your mind - somehow made more intolerable for it is a darkness you can't even see! People carrying such objects through already dark tunnels are actually more likely to stumble into a Maddening Darkness field, since they won't be able to see the border of the darkness.
Magical Items like a Sun Blade are incredibly powerful items that require powerful magical ability to craft. It is magical light because it is being produced by a magical weapon. The sunlight property is also not boring normal light, its actual sunlight and the power of that coming from the sword. Its important because of its use vs vampires. It makes perfect sense that such a powerful weapon would illuminate darkness.
To go back to the candle of deep for a moment, fo all intents and purposes it is a regular candle. You have light it with tinder for example. Its only magical property is it is not extinguished by water. Fun fact, while it would not illuminate an area under the effects of a darkness spell, the darkness spell would not extinguish the candle because it is not a source of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower but rather a flame.