Level
2nd
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
60 ft
(15 ft )
Components
V, M *
Duration
Concentration
10 Minutes
School
Evocation
Attack/Save
None
Damage/Effect
Control
Magical darkness spreads from a point you choose within range to fill a 15-foot-radius sphere for the duration. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with darkvision can't see through this darkness, and nonmagical light can't illuminate it.
If the point you choose is on an object you are holding or one that isn't being worn or carried, the darkness emanates from the object and moves with it. Completely covering the source of the darkness with an opaque object, such as a bowl or a helm, blocks the darkness.
If any of this spell's area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled.
* - (bat fur and a drop of pitch or piece of coal)
Question regarding the Darkness Spell:
"Magical darkness spreads from a point you choose within range"
So "a point you choose" is THE point of contention. Can the point be anything? IE a 40ft monster's forehead rendering it blind for 10 minutes? Gimping it for the entire fight. Had this happen on Saturday and while the rules clarify the spells uses on "objects" it doesn't specify if it works on actual creatures or not. While it was awesome as a player to fight a giant 40 ft snake monster with a darkness sphere around it's head the entire fight, I felt bad for my DM since it made the encounter a joke.
Just want to handle this properly in the future. Could not find a specific answer regarding this.
It does not allow you to target a creature or part of it. A point in space (intersection of 4 squares if using a grid or it's 3rd dimension equivalent), an object held by the caster, or an unattended object are the options. No casting on a snake's forehead. Otherwise it would have a save allowed.
You can issue the steed commands, but it would still be effectively blind. Try closing your eyes and having someone tell you how to move around a room with furniture. You will still bump into things, even with their directions, unless you move slowly. If your DM called for an ability check for it to maneuver around obstacles, difficult terrain or pits, the steed would have disadvantage for those checks. They might even suggest the steed moves slower than normal, but that would be a house rule.
Correct prex360. The caster is hampered by casting the spell. The description would have to say otherwise. Keep in mind that this is a TERRIBLE stealth/infiltration spell. It is a very good combat/control spell though to hamper ranged combatants/spell casters.
I don't understand except the pact weapon combo on how to use darkness? I mean if u put in on your team your team cant see enemies nor can enemies see u. When you cast on your enemoee they cant can u and u can't see them so in combat situation its pretty useless. Anyone can give light to what i aam saying?
If a spell of 3rd lv or higher is used, is the darkness just illuminated until the light is vanished or does the darkness dissipate altogether?
If you have ranged enemies and melee enemies you can put up darkness to force the ranged to either stop attacking or close into melee.
You can use it to block line of sight from one mob to another as to keep the two from aiding each other.
Use it to create confusion allowing your party to rescue a fallen party member or to escape.
It is a very situational spell, must does have its uses outside the Blade of Darkness combo.
Based on the fact that it states it will dispel any 2nd level or lower light spells, I would assume the opposite is also true, any 3rd level or higher light spells would dispel it.
There's a bit of this I've not realised while playing; in the rules as written magical light can illuminate it, but not is it comes from a spell of 2nd level or lower (these are dispelled). This means that for example a magic weapon that casts light around it should be able to light up the darkness right? Or some light that has been cast at 3rd level or higher.
What kinds of magical sight are there that night be able to see through darkness? Darkvision just seems to be better visual acuity because of race. I've heard of Devil's Sight and True Sight. What else is there?
That's it. Blindsight and tremorsense are also not affected by this spell, but they are not magical sight per se. The only way to get these senses would be to wildshape/polymorph/etc. into a monster that has them.
Can a creature with superior dark vision see through it because it comes as a set spell for drow so can they see through it with their superior/greater dark vision
I've used this spell to "level the playing field" against invisible assailants.
Nope. Only a special feature such as "Devil's Sight" (warlock invocation or a similar trait that devils have) can pierce this darkness. Drow are blinded by their own darkness just like everyone else.
Half-Elf (Drow) - Paladin Oath of the Crown/Warlock Hexblade with Devil Sight.. Bonus Action: Channel Divinity Champion Challenge, Action: Darkness (Drow Magic Racial) on Warlock Focus (Hexblade), Move - Wade into the middle of as many enemies as possible.
Real darkness doesn't blind you. It means you cant see what isn't illuminated. I could see a caster inside magical darkness being able to see foes who are illuminated beyond the 15' radius simply because darkness has no physical obscuring property. For example a monster doesn't need to be within 120' to see a party that is carrying a light source. Now the darkness spell means darkness cant be illuminated, but it doesn't specify that you cant see things illuminated outside it. This seems intentionally worded to avoid using the the conditions blinded or heavily obscured. Darkness mundane or magical doesn't have a physical manifestation, unlike fog clouds for example, which make perfect sense for applying the heavily obscured condition.
If a Darkling Elder casts darkness in his own space while in melee combat shouldn't he have advantage on attacks? He has blindsight and is no affected by the darkness. He can still attack as normal while enemies would be blind. Seems to me that he should have advantage in that situation, right?
I disagree that light outside of the the effect can't be seen through it. It's not a big black hole of light, obstructing all vision beyond it. If you were in a long hallway with torches on the wall providing light, then someone casts darkness a quarter on the way down, it doesn't block your visibility of the entire hallway. It just obscures the area where the darkness is in effect as if several torches were snuffed out. You could still see beyond it where torches are still providing light, but in the spell's area of effect it's dark.
Darkness is the opposite of a torch/light spell, but instead of producing illumination, it produces shadow/darkness. It's not a big black sphere in space that hides everything in and behind it, it's just the inability to see anything in the area of effect.
What if you were a tiefling with darkvision and you cast the spell. Would you the caster be able to look through it?
You could see on the other side of the area of effect as normal, but not within the area of the darkness spell as it specifically states Darkvision doesn't work.