Hide in Plain sight

[killem2]

I've been running into some issues. I have a Dark Creature Templated Beguiler, that has Hide in Plain Sight.

It describes it as:
Use the Hide skill even while being observed.

(except in natural day light, area of the day light spell, or similar effect) Now, my DM stopped me from using this ability, in a hall way of a dungeon because it was very well lit. it had a lot of candelabras and torches. However, I am not certain that counts as this.

Can the playground help me determine what "similar effect" is actually referring to here?

[Morcleon]

I've been running into some issues. I have a Dark Creature Templated Beguiler, that has Hide in Plain Sight.

It describes it as:
Use the Hide skill even while being observed.

(except in natural day light, area of the day light spell, or similar effect) Now, my DM stopped me from using this ability, in a hall way of a dungeon because it was very well lit. it had a lot of candelabras and torches. However, I am not certain that counts as this.

Can the playground help me determine what "similar effect" is actually referring to here?

Similar effect would refer to anything that states something to the effect of "this effect acts as natural daylight".

Unless the torches have daylight cast on them, HiPS should work in that condition.

[Curmudgeon]

Dark Creature HiPS can be thwarted easily, as it's the worst of all the various versions. Are you sure it was the level of the illumination the DM was referring to, or just the fact that it was enough so there was no concealment offered by the shadows? Remember, Hide in Plain Sight only removes the "not being observed" requirement to use the Hide skill, not the cover/concealment requirement, unless it specifically says otherwise. Look at the Shadowdancer Supernatural version for contrast:
Hide in Plain Sight (Su)

A shadowdancer can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a shadowdancer can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. If the place had only a few scattered torches you could still Hide in the shadowy areas between them. But if it's well lit you'll need to find a way, like a Darkness spell, to add concealment before you're allowed to Hide.

[Mr Adventurer]

I agree, but I don't think the Dark template stands alone in having the worst version, does it?

[Curmudgeon]

I agree, but I don't think the Dark template stands alone in having the worst version, does it?
As far as I know, it's the only one that doesn't overcome the cover/concealment requirement to Hide, and then still fails to work half the time (daylight conditions).

[Mr Adventurer]

Just did a limited search, and hah, there's the Shadowspy - "Hide in Plain Sight (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you can use the Hide skill even while being observed, as long as you are in a sunlit location. See the ranger class feature (PH 48)." :D

[A Tad Insane]

I can't be the only one who is thinking about samurai jack because of that

[Curmudgeon]

Just did a limited search, and hah, there's the Shadowspy - "Hide in Plain Sight (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you can use the Hide skill even while being observed, as long as you are in a sunlit location. See the ranger class feature (PH 48)." :D
OK, that's a pretty bad one, but because it's paired with at-ill Personal Eclipse you can bypass the usual cover/concealment requirement. It's still better than the Tome of Magic Dark Creature HiPS.