Problem with Drow Deeper Darkness SLA

[LockeLongmast]

I'm about to start my first large scale campaign (starting at level 5), and I think I might have an issue with one of my player's character's abilities. I OK'd the drow as a race to him without enough knowledge of the race, not realizing the drow could create darkness at their character level several times a day, deeper darkness with a feat. He also took the Gift of the Spider-Queen feat that does crazy things with SLA uses. The player using this character is my former DM and he's being fairly forceful about how this character isn't unbalanced, but since he explicitly told me he plans on staying in the darkness all the time, I'm worried about the rest of the party. Since he can have 6 deeper darkness items on him at this level, it will be difficult to remove entirely, and most of the party is not equipped to fight in the darkness.

Is it fair to let one character completely swing combat in their favor like that? Even if it is, what are some ways I could deal with it? Both in terms of defeating the darkness ability fairly within game play, and tips on how to discourage that sort of behavior from players. I would prefer not to just take the abilities from him or make him re-roll, but some of the other party members are concerned that the ability will impede their play. I don't think they should have to suffer for one character's choice.

--Locke

[Urpriest]

Remember, Drow can't see in magical darkness any better than anyone else. He's not a Devil after all.

[Rhynn]

Urpriest has the right of it - he's not going to see in that deeper darkness either. And he's negating the entire rest of the party. The first encounters with grimlocks or any other enemy with blindsense/blindsight that he doesn't recognize beforehand, he's going to be messed up - if he ever makes it that far, given the tactic is nonsense.

[Urpriest]

Also, I've been assuming you knew this, but just to make sure: Deeper Darkness only gives Shadowy Illumination, or 20% miss chance. He's not doing all that much more than a Cleric with Obscuring Mist, the main benefit is he can get rid of lower level light spells.

[ZamielVanWeber]

My biggest concern would be how irritating this could be to anyone who uses a physical heavy class. My ALLY being set to permanent trip-me-up could be deadly.

[chainlink]

Feats and wealth are being spent to make use of a minor SLA granted by a +2 LA race, which may not always be applicable and is negligible at higher levels.

If darkness is being used to hinder the party then it is the player not the character. Besides many things have blindfight, tremor/blind sense, scent etc. It will start off strong but isn't insurmountable.

Swarms, undead with lifesense (most have in my campaigns YMMV), things with senses described above, aoe's, low level spells etc.

Most monsters are built terribly & didn't have access to newer publishings. Feel free to switch out some feats especially with an experienced player in the group.

[LockeLongmast]

Zamiel nailed my main concern. Urpriest, there's a Drow feat that allows vision in magical darkness as well. I don't know that he has it yet, but it can be counted on that he'll snag it when he can. I first want to be sure the rest of the party will have fun. None of them can naturally see in low-light, and we have at least 2 barbarians as far as miss-chance frustrations.

[Urpriest]

Zamiel nailed my main concern. Urpriest, there's a Drow feat that allows vision in magical darkness as well. I don't know that he has it yet, but it can be counted on that he'll snag it when he can. I first want to be sure the rest of the party will have fun. None of them can naturally see in low-light, and we have at least 2 barbarians as far as miss-chance frustrations.

The feat only works on Darkness, though, not Deeper Darkness.

[Deophaun]

My biggest concern would be how irritating this could be to anyone who uses a physical heavy class. My ALLY being set to permanent trip-me-up could be deadly.
All it takes is for the ally to have continual flame cast by a cleric on something he wears/holds, and deeper darkness is no longer a problem. Remember, darkness (and deeper darkness) only extinguishes lower-level light spells, not equal level ones. If you can get a cleric or wizard with the heighten spell feat to cast it for you, making it level 4 prevents him from using deeper darkness to dispel it.

But in general, if you have a PC whose schtick is making life more difficult for other PCs, the other PCs should ditch him at the first available opportunity.

[hamishspence]

Also, I've been assuming you knew this, but just to make sure: Deeper Darkness only gives Shadowy Illumination, or 20% miss chance. He's not doing all that much more than a Cleric with Obscuring Mist, the main benefit is he can get rid of lower level light spells.

In the novels, they generated spheres of absolute blackness- no illumination inside at all.

But things seem to have changed since then.

[Urpriest]

In the novels, they generated spheres of absolute blackness- no illumination inside at all.

But things seem to have changed since then.

In 3.0 it was absolute darkness. In 3.5 it isn't, and novels that don't get that right are...well, about as accurate as most D&D novels.

[LockeLongmast]

It doesn't work in deeper darkness? Well that makes a huge difference, thanks Urpriest! I'll give some of this stuff a go, but first try to get the others to make their voices heard to this individual re: the miss chance making them unhappy. If that doesn't change his mind, maybe he's not a good party player anyways. I also feel silly for having forgotten about heightened spells. They are an easy way to fix this problem, given there's a cleric in the group. Thanks for that Deophaun.

--Locke