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)
I think the terminology of not being able to see "through" it applies to the veil of darkness in the area of effect, not the capacity to see beyond it. The spells AOE it's veiled in murky darkness that makes visibility extremely difficult, but only for things in the AOE. Everything else is visibly unchanged.
Then explain how that would work. Let's say you are standing in the middle of a flat bright desert, and you cast Darkness on yourself. If the sphere is not opaque, and the bright blue sky behind you was completely visible, then you would also still be totally visible. You'd just be a silhouette. Thus, you wouldn't really be obscured at all, and people would be able to aim at you as normal.
It's not a black hole. It's not a sphere of nothingness in the middle of everything, not at second level. I think your description that everything the spell touches becomes an inky silhouette is pretty accurate, except it's a negative silhouette that takes away your capacity to see it. It's not a wall of darkness, it's like an anti-torch that creates an area that negates the benefits of light on surfaces. Whereas Light illuminates something to make it easier to see, Darkness removes it, but only in both of their respective areas of effect.
Casting word is:
Murkium Obscuritus
So what you're saying is that, if the area behind a darkness spell is bright, the spell doesn't obscure anything inside it and no one should have any trouble attacking what is inside the darkness spell?
If you can see through magical darkness then yeah, lol.
huh. I like it. I don't think it would be the official ruling, but my sense of the spirit of the law here is that this is the "light" spell, just with dark. So I'd rule personally that the darkness of the spell would act in the same way you'd expect light to work, i.e. it would make a cone from a bullseye lantern. Rule of cool, mostly.
Only if you play as a sorcerer with the "Shadow Magic" bloodline!
Eyes of the Dark
Starting at 1st level, you have darkvision with a range of 120 feet.
When you reach 3rd level in this class, you learn the darkness spell, which doesn’t count against your number of sorcerer spells known. In addition, you can cast it by spending 2 sorcery points or by expending a spell slot. If you cast it with sorcery points, you can see through the darkness created by the spell.
Can the tiefling that cast the spell see in it or are they just as blind as everyone else?
No
Actually you can also see through magical darkness if your a warlock and take the "Devil's Sight" invocation.
Devil’s Sight
You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
“A creature with darkvision can't see through this darkness, and nonmagical light can't illuminate it.”
I’m reading this to mean that magical light can illuminate it. I saw a comment that even magical light cannot be seen. Nowhere does the spell state this, but it does say that light from a 2nd level spell or lower is dispelled. Apparently a 3rd level spell or higher that creates light still illuminates the magical darkness. What about class features that create light?
How about "True seeing"?
Correct me if I'm wrong. Effective remedies against "darkness" are only abilities and spells in the description of which directly indicates the ability to see through the "darkness". "See invisibility" for example is not included, but "Daylight" under certain conditions dispels darkness.
"True seeing" has no mention of "darkness" in the description, but the description remains debatable in the matter of "darkness" - "The creature has truesight, notices secret doors hidden by magic, and can see into the Ethereal Plane."
If there are Shadows within the darkness, and your player has Divine Sense, will their Divine Sense still work, or does the Darkness negate that ability?
Yes!
Can an Artificer use a light via Magical Tinkering to see through it?
A cool use of this would be to cast it on an arrow. You cast it mid flight (or after it hits if in combat) and then the darkness will follow the target that was hit. You could also do the inverse with Light instead, although light would have to be before shot since it is a touch spell.
If I cast this on a dagger and throw the dagger should I be able to throw the sphere as well?
No darkness is like other AoE spells; it affects everyone, including the caster and their allies.
Let's say, hypothetically, that a Hexblade has just picked up the Sunsword in Curse of Strahd. And let's say, just hypothetically, the Dungeon Master (me) was terrified of the impact this could have. If both of those facts are true, can we consider how the Darkness spell interacts with Magical Objects? Obviously a base level wouldn't be enough for a Legendary item like the Sunsword, but I'm thinking a greater spell slot?
Please. I'm desperate.