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EFFECTS OF DARKNESS




On many occasions, a situation will present itself where combat must
be conducted in conditions of darkness or poor illumination. The effects
of darkness on combat are as follows:

    1. If an opponent cannot be seen, then attacks against that opponent
    are as against an invisible target, i.e. at -4 “to hit.”

    2. If the opponent is vaguely discernible, such as a faint blur or a
    darker shape that stands out against the background, then attacks
    against that opponent are at -2 “to hit.”

    3. Combat is not affected by illumination (or lack thereof) in conditions
    of daylight or in light conditions such as those produced by
    most light-giving devices and spells, including the illumination
    of torches, lanterns, light spells or continual light spells.

    4. In essence, the converse of all the above cases will hold true
    when considering creatures which function normally or at some
    relative advantage in conditions of darkness. For instance,
    creatures with infravision will still be able to “see” opponents in
    the absence of normal (visible spectrum) light. Creatures that
    are accustomed to operating in darkness will suffer vision penalties
    when attacking opponents in illuminated conditions (cf.
    descriptions of gray dwarves, dark elves, and dark gnomes
    elsewhere in this volume).

The effects of a faerie fire spell will be of benefit only when outlining
opponents in poor lighting conditions, such as an area of a dungeon
where the only light comes from softly glowing magic weapons, or in
total darkness. In illumination similar to that of a torch or a light spell
(or anything stronger), the spell will function normally, but will not contribute
to the visibility of the target it encompasses.

As in so many other cases, particularly those relating to combat, common
sense must be the final determinant of whether or not an act is
possible, or whether a bonus or penalty to its chance of success
should be applied. If a certain situation seems to warrant an exception
to these rules, it is within the purview of the Dungeon Master to
moderate the events accordingly.