Problematic Magical Light

Altering reality and illuminating the darkness is not without risks. Use of magical spells to illuminate the dark can have unfortunate side effects. Bathing your companions, equipment, and castle in magical light might not always be the safest of things to do.

12 Problematic Types of Magical Light

1. Sleepless Night- the light is just annoying enough one can’t catch a decent catnap or bit of normal sleep while within the illumination of this magical light.

2. Leaking Light- Remnant magical illumination "drips" leaving illuminated spots on surfaces touched by the light that are noticeable and last twice as long as the original light did, if the magical light is moved the drippings will leave a unfortunate trail. (Thanks to Leicester for that one; take a look at Leicester's Rambles )

3. Sticky Light- spending half an hour or longer within the illumination of this magical light will cause a being and all equipment carried to glow lightly making it impossible for them to hide, the illumination provided by the glow will allow dim vision to about 5’ and ruins infravision/darkvision of a being that finds themselves to be glowing.

4. Wandering Light- if the magical illumination doesn't move for 3 turns or more a patch of light 10' accross will seperate slowly and wander away at 10-60 feet a turn for the next 1d8 turns. If the original magical illumination is extinguished these wandering lights will dim in half the remaing time but not extinguish immediately.

5. Creeping Shadow- the area around the magical illumination will become darker and darker, after 6 turns there will be a ring of darkness 5’ in diameter surrounding the area of illumination. It will grow by 5’ each following 6 turns until the magical illumination expires.

6. Hateful Shadows- every 2 turns after the first 6 there is a 1 in 6 chance of a Shadow (as per the monster) being summoned that will not enter the illumination but will remain stalking outside it waiting for the illumination to fade. Some report only as many shadows as intelligent folk within the illumination will ever appear, this rumor has yet to be confirmed.

7. Nourishing Glow- this magical light will cause any plant life (even fungula life) within the area of effect to grow unnaturally doubling in size each hour and gaining 1d4hp as well. When the light is extinguished or carried away the plant life will wither losing 2 bonus hp per round until reduced to it’s original hp. 

8. Stretching Light- The light will stretch to encircle any being that was within the original area of effect when cast.  This is a tenuous and fragile situation however as for every 100 feet a being moves from the original lights area of effect there is a cumulative 1 in 6 chance the light extinguishes cancellign the illumination. 

9. Burning Bright- this magical illumination makes all other sources of illumination both mundane and magical of lower level ineffective so if one is inside the area of illumination for 4 or more turns they will be unable to see for half as long afterward when leaving the magical illumination or following the magical light being extinguished. 

10. Slow Light- everything within this illumination is slowed, relative to the outside world. Anything inside the illumination will not notice but anything outside will be able to interact as if those inside were slowed. 

11. Beacon of the Twelve Horrible Darks- when this magical illumination is extinguished the area of illumination is replace by one of the twelve darks. See here: False Machine- Twelve kinds of Dark.

12. Burning Radiance- this source of magical light is radioactive, after an hours exposure one will find themselves assaulted by the ravages of radiation each following hour. The radiation effects will intensify with each failed save. See: Mutant Future, Four Bizarre Radiations, and StrangeRadiations

Notes:

Yup I’m making light spells and continual light spells (and all similar spells) troublesome and risky. Clever players will certainly find advantage in many of these side effects but they should ineed prove troublesome. Effects could be rolled randomly, be fixed to a dungeon area, or typical to a specific spell-caster. They should likely only turn up on a roll of the spell level or less on 1d6 when cast.