Darkness

This article is about the effect; for other uses, see Darkness (disambiguation).

Darkness cloaks those within the affected area, rendering them effectively blind and invisible. Visually, this is shown as a blackened region, with those within given a darkened appearance (both of these are purely visual and do not influence combat).

The invisibility-like results of darkness differ from normal invisibility in that ultravision is substituted for see invisibility (negating the concealment and modifiers to attack rolls that result from being invisible). The blindness-like results of darkness differ from normal blindness in that both ultravision and true seeing completely nullify it (even the aspects that true seeing would not normally nullify, namely the miss chance and flat-footedness). These nullifications persist until the character re-enters darkness, even if the reason for them (true sight or ultravision) is lost.

The visual aspects of darkness are retained, even for characters with true seeing or ultravision. A player can use the <tab> key to highlight where enemies are, though (when one of these effects is active in darkness).

When a creature enters a region of darkness, one of three things happens.

1. If the creature created the darkness, it gains the darkened appearance and effective invisibility.
2. Otherwise, the creature receives the darkened appearance, effective invisibility, and effective blindness.

Darkvision does not pierce magical darkness.

Known bugs

Creatures that gain true seeing or ultravision while blinded by darkness will lose their darkness-induced invisibility.

Creatures (other than the caster of the darkness) that lose true seeing or ultravision while in the darkened region will lose their darkness-induced invisibility and will be permanently blinded by the darkness. The only cures for this blindness are a (re-)casting of true seeing or ultravision and (if in a multiplayer game) logging out then back in.

A creature leaving one area of darkness but remaining inside a second, overlapping area of darkness may have all darkness effects removed from it.

Due to the implementation of the spell resistance checks, darkness does not allow for spell immunity to be used. The intended behavior was to allow those immune to the spell to not be affected by darkness, however, this condition cannot be satisfied.

Custom content notes

• OnEnter script: nw_s0_darknessa
• OnExit script: nw_s0_darknessb
  • The OnExit script needs to be adjusted if the darkness can be generated from something other than the spell, the shadow variant, the feat, or the shifted ability.
• Constructor: EffectDarkness()
  • The command EffectInvisibility() can be used to create an effect that causes just the invisibility aspect of darkness.