Snuffing out lights and limits of thaumaturgy

[Niladam]

I scoured the forums and tweets and couldn't find an answer to the question: "Could you use Thaumaturgy to dim lights until they would practically not shed any light?"

The reason for this is simple: my character has darkvision and some enemies do not, and I want to capitalize on this.

Follow-up question: What other methods of snuffing out lights are there aside from: physically doing it one torch at a time, using Prestedigitation or Druidcraft (also one torch/candle at a time) or Control Flames all mundane fires in a 5 ft cube?
Bonus points for methods that affect light-sources in wide areas (Points are subtracted if your answer is: Dip 2 levels in Warlock and get Devil Sight + Darkness).

[Democratus]

Gust of Wind extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames.

[Fighting_Ferret]

Create/Destroy Water, Gust of Wind, Tidal Wave, Warding Wind, Control Flames, Pyrotechnics are all way to extinguish areas of flame, rather than individual light sources. Also up for consideration as a warlock is the darkness spell in conjunction with devil's sight, although if abused is a bit cheesy.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I scoured the forums and tweets and couldn't find an answer to the question: "Could you use Thaumaturgy to dim lights until they would practically not shed any light?"

I think the follow-up question has been answered, so I'll focus on this. It is a clear case of 'DM's call'. At my table, I'd say that any lights giving off bright light have that changed to dim light, but the total radius is not changed. So an ordinary PHB-approved torch (bright light for 20' and dim light for another 20') would be dimmed to "provides dim light in a 40-foot radius".

Other DMs might see it differently - and that is their right.

[Vogonjeltz]

I scoured the forums and tweets and couldn't find an answer to the question: "Could you use Thaumaturgy to dim lights until they would practically not shed any light?"

The reason for this is simple: my character has darkvision and some enemies do not, and I want to capitalize on this.

Follow-up question: What other methods of snuffing out lights are there aside from: physically doing it one torch at a time, using Prestedigitation or Druidcraft (also one torch/candle at a time) or Control Flames all mundane fires in a 5 ft cube?
Bonus points for methods that affect light-sources in wide areas (Points are subtracted if your answer is: Dip 2 levels in Warlock and get Devil Sight + Darkness).

Thaumaturgy works on flames specifically, not light in general. So if the source of light isn't a flame, no.

And it only says dims, not dismisses or quenches. Ergo, they should still shed dim light; how effective that light is would probably be up to your DM.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Thaumaturgy works on flames specifically, not light in general. So if the source of light isn't a flame, no.

True. I wouldn't allow it to work on magical light. In a modern setting, though, I would allow it to work on filament bulbs and halogen lamps (maybe not LED lights?), because nothing says "fear my divine power" like ominously flickering lights!

[Zalabim]

The entire Thaumaturgy spell is about saying "fear my divine power". Changing the quality of the light, from dim to bright or bright to dim, but not the radius, is what sprang to mind for me too, when I thought about what it means.

The Darkness spell will snuff out low level sources of magical light in a fairly wide area, and it should also occlude non-magical lights that it covers. I say "should" because it's never been perfectly clear how Darkness works. Neither of those uses needs Devil's Sight.