Wizardry: Darkness Spells I

Wizardry: Darkness Spells I

There are only three darkness spells in Player's Handbook. Sure, there are many shadow spells, but they actually belong to the Illusion and Creation college. Darkness is the reverse of light - it is applied to an object, and it imposes merely a -5 penalty to Vision. Darkvision is a buff that lets the subject see in complete darkness. Deeper Darkness has been altered from its D&D counterpart. Instead of simply lasting longer and having a bigger area, I upgraded Obscure 5 to Obscure 10 and included Infravision and Ultravision. Now, it really is deeper darkness, and not longer darkness.

 
    Darkness
    Keywords: Buff.
    Full Cost: 35 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 1 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 second.
    Range: Touch.
    Duration: 30 minutes.
 
    This spell causes an object to radiate darkness out to a 4-yard radius. This gives a -5 penalty to Vision rolls to see through the area with normal vision and -5 penalty to attacks against anyone in the area that rely on normal vision. Infravision is not fooled by this spell.
    Normal lights (torches, candles, lanterns, and so forth) are incapable of brightening the area. If darkness is cast on a small object that is then placed inside or under a lightproof covering, the spell’s effect is blocked until the covering is removed.
    Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Objects only, -10%; Advantage, Darkness, +140%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Signature, +20%; Requires gestures, -10%; Requires magic words, -10%) [35]. Note: “Darkness” is Obscure Vision 5 (Area Effect, 4 yards, +50%; Magical, -10%) [14].
  
    Darkvision
    Keywords: Buff.
    Full Cost (Self): 30 points.
    Full Cost (Touch): 45 points.
    Full Cost (Short-Range): 48 points.
    Full Cost (Ranged): 53 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 2 seconds.
    Range: Self – Touch – Unlimited (-1/yard) – Unlimited (standard).
    Duration: 5 hours.
 
    The subject gains the ability to see even in total darkness. Darkvision is black and white only but otherwise like normal sight.
    Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Advantage, Darkvision, +230%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 100x, +80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Requires gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires magic words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [30]. Note: “Darkvision” is Dark Vision (Magical, -10%) [23]. The Touch version removes Accessibility, Self Only, -50% and Requires IQ Roll, -10% and adds Accessibility, Only nonvolitional or non-resisting subjects, -20%, Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Malediction, +100%, Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%, and No Signature, +20% [+15]. The Short-Range version removes Melee Attack, Reach C, -30% [+3]. The Ranged version replaces Malediction 1, +100% with Malediction 2, +150% [+5].
 
    Deeper Darkness
    Keywords: Buff.
    Full Cost: 55 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 2 seconds.
    Range: Touch.
    Duration: 30 minutes.
 
    This spell causes an object to radiate deep darkness out to a 4-yard radius. No one can see into the affected area, and no one within the affected area can see anything; see p. B394 for combat rules. The Dark Vision advantage lets you see through a Deeper Darkness spell, but Night Vision, Infravision, and Ultravision do not.
    Normal lights (torches, candles, lanterns, and so forth) are incapable of brightening the area. If darkness is cast on a small object that is then placed inside or under a lightproof covering, the spell’s effect is blocked until the covering is removed.
    Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Objects only, -10%; Advantage, Deeper Darkness, +360%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Signature, +20%; Requires gestures, -10%; Requires magic words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [55]. Note: “Deeper Darkness” is Obscure Vision 10 (Area Effect, 4 yards, +50%; Extended, Infravision and Ultravision, +40%; Magical, -10%) [36].