Darkness vs Shadow

hcobb · 12-30-2019, 05:58 AM

I keep running into players who have these two spells confused.

Do we need an article explaining how Darkness and Shadow have opposite effects?

FireHorse · 12-30-2019, 03:41 PM

"Opposite effects"…? That seems off-mark. More like "unrelated mechanisms, with superficially similar results".

Darkness suspends the generation of light within its AOE.

Shadow suspends the transmission of light within (or through) its AOE.

One prevents the creation of new photons, while the other just blocks the movement of all photons. No confusion.

Edit: Now I'm wondering where Shadow's blocked photons GO… since energy can't be destroyed, the photons must go somewhere…

Maybe they go into the Shadow Dimension, inadvertently feeding the beings that dwell there. Maybe every time Shadow is cast, there's a chance that it may release a Shadowight. That would be fun. And by "fun", of course I mean "horrifyingly unpleasant".

Skarg · 12-30-2019, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireHorse

Darkness suspends the generation of light within its AOE.

Shadow suspends the transmission of light within (or through) its AOE.

One prevents the creation of new photons, while the other just blocks the movement of all photons. No confusion.

I quite like and agree with all of this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireHorse

Edit: Now I'm wondering where Shadow's blocked photons GO… since energy can't be destroyed, the photons must go somewhere…

Maybe they go into the Shadow Dimension, inadvertently feeding the beings that dwell there. Maybe every time Shadow is cast, there's a chance that it may release a Shadowight. That would be fun. And by "fun", of course I mean "horrifyingly unpleasant".

This is a fun idea. TFT magic gives a lot of room for possible "places where the energy goes" and side-effects therefrom, since apparently wizards are able to quickly put a lot of their own energy into powerful psychic effects that seem to tap into other planes of existence with their own forces and magical effects (thinking of summons, demons, the other Creation spells, Astral Projection, etc).

12-30-2019, 05:58 AM	#1
hcobb Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Pacheco, California	Darkness vs Shadow I keep running into players who have these two spells confused. Do we need an article explaining how Darkness and Shadow have opposite effects? __________________ -HJC

12-30-2019, 03:41 PM	#2
FireHorse Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Dayton, Ohio	Re: Darkness vs Shadow "Opposite effects"…? That seems off-mark. More like "unrelated mechanisms, with superficially similar results". Darkness suspends the generation of light within its AOE. Shadow suspends the transmission of light within (or through) its AOE. One prevents the creation of new photons, while the other just blocks the movement of all photons. No confusion. Edit: Now I'm wondering where Shadow's blocked photons GO… since energy can't be destroyed, the photons must go somewhere… Maybe they go into the Shadow Dimension, inadvertently feeding the beings that dwell there. Maybe every time Shadow is cast, there's a chance that it may release a Shadowight. That would be fun. And by "fun", of course I mean "horrifyingly unpleasant". Last edited by FireHorse; 12-30-2019 at 04:29 PM.