Rules Compendium. Distant light detection.

[shaga]

In rules compendium it says that if the observer is in complete darkness, a light source can be spotted at a distance equal to 20 times its radius of illumination.

My question is, by "radius of illumination" does it mean both bright light and shadowy or just bright. For example a torch lights 20 feet with bright light and another 40 feet with shadowy. So can a torch be seen at 400 feet, or 1200 feet?

[Big Fau]

In rules compendium it says that if the observer is in complete darkness, a light source can be spotted at a distance equal to 20 times its radius of illumination.

My question is, by "radius of illumination" does it mean both bright light and shadowy or just bright. For example a torch lights 20 feet with bright light and another 40 feet with shadowy. So can a torch be seen at 400 feet, or 1200 feet?

It's called "Shadowy illumination" for a reason...

[huttj509]

400 feet: Can be seen brightly.

1200 feet: Can be seen more dimly (shadowy).

[Curmudgeon]

Radius of illumination is wherever that source provides usable light, so it includes the shadowy part. The RC has different rules for distance that depend on the observer's lighting conditions rather than the distant source they're trying to Spot. (If it didn't include the shadowy part then you would be unable to detect a candle ─ shadowy illumination only ─ at all.)