Darkness

[Othesemo]

So, I've always played that magical darkness was an area of darkness that you couldn't see through, sort of like in this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0181.html) comic. However, I'm glancing over the player's handbook, and it says that it makes one object radiate 'shadowy illumination,' not actual darkness. For some reason, I have this image in my head of the Darkness spell creating, I don't know, darkness. Am I missing something, or is this just a huge misnomer?

[sonofzeal]

dark·ness/ˈdärknis/
Noun:
The partial or total absence of light: "the office was in darkness".
Night: "make camp before darkness".


"Darkness" is not "Blackness". That's all. It's a common misconception, but the name itself is not in error.

[Thurbane]

Darkness was impenetrable prior to 3E - I must say, it took me and the others in my group a bit by surprise.

[Jeraa]

As Thurbane said, 3.0 (and I believe before that), Darkness was total darkness. 3.5 changed that to shadowy illumination. (Which also means that if Darkness is cast in an area of total darkness, the area of the spell actually gets brighter, going from total darkness to shadowy illumination.)

Pathfinder changed it again. There, it drops the light level by one step. (bright light to normal light, from normal light to dim light, or from dim light to darkness)