Darkness Domain
The Darkness Domain turns shadow, blindness, concealment and supernatural darkness into cleric mechanics. Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e both publish a Darkness Domain, but the powers and spell lists are different and should not be blended with older supplemental variants.
At a Glance
| Divine Sphere | Darkness, shadow, concealment, blindness and supernatural night |
|---|---|
| Typical Role | Battlefield obscurer, anti-vision controller and shadow-focused caster |
| Published Rules | Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e |
| Modern D&D Status | No official same-named Darkness Domain in D&D 5e/2014 or the 2024 Cleric rules. |
| Typical Patrons | Erebus, Nyx, and other powers whose established portfolios genuinely include primordial darkness or shadow |
Edition Applicability
Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e each publish a Darkness Domain. The earlier version of this page mixed the SRD Darkness Domain with a different Book of Vile Darkness spell progression. This rebuild separates the published Pathfinder and 3.5e SRD rules instead of combining supplemental lists.
Darkness Domain — Pathfinder 1e
Rules status: published Pathfinder 1e domain. You gain Blind-Fight as a bonus feat.
Touch of Darkness
As a melee touch attack, cloud a creature’s vision with shadow. For a number of rounds equal to half your Cleric level, minimum 1, that creature treats all other creatures as though they had concealment and suffers a 20% miss chance on its attacks. Uses per day equal 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Eyes of Darkness
At 8th level, your vision can function regardless of lighting conditions, including absolute and magical darkness, for a total number of rounds per day equal to half your Cleric level. The rounds need not be consecutive.
Pathfinder 1e Darkness Domain Spells
| 1st | Obscuring Mist |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Blindness/Deafness (blindness only) |
| 3rd | Deeper Darkness |
| 4th | Shadow Conjuration |
| 5th | Summon Monster V (1d3 shadows) |
| 6th | Shadow Walk |
| 7th | Power Word Blind |
| 8th | Greater Shadow Evocation |
| 9th | Shades |
Darkness Domain — D&D 3.5e
Rules status: published D&D 3.5e SRD additional domain.
Granted Power
You gain Blind-Fight as a bonus feat.
D&D 3.5e Darkness Domain Spells
| 1st | Obscuring Mist |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Blindness |
| 3rd | Blacklight |
| 4th | Armor of Darkness |
| 5th | Summon Monster V (summons 1d3 shadows) |
| 6th | Prying Eyes |
| 7th | Nightmare |
| 8th | Power Word Blind |
| 9th | Power Word Kill |
How the Darkness Domain Plays
Pathfinder makes darkness personal and tactical: Touch of Darkness directly interferes with a foe’s attacks, while Eyes of Darkness eventually lets the cleric operate inside magical darkness that blinds others. D&D 3.5e is more spell-driven, using Blind-Fight and a progression of obscuring, shadow and sensory-control magic.
Darkness Is Not Automatically Evil
Darkness can represent primordial night, secrecy, rest, mystery or the unseen as easily as predation or fear. The domain should inherit the meaning of darkness from the granting deity rather than assuming that every dark cult is malevolent.
Who Grants the Darkness Domain?
Erebus and Nyx are strong patrons where their established pages support primordial darkness and night. Other patrons should qualify because darkness or shadow is genuinely part of their portfolio, not merely because they operate secretly.
Priests, Temples and Rites
Darkness priests may keep night vigils, guard secrets, work in caves or unlit sanctuaries, protect travellers after sunset or use controlled darkness in initiation rites. A predatory darkness cult and a contemplative night cult should feel very different despite sharing the same mechanics.
What Are Darkness Priests Doing Now?
They are investigating regions where daylight no longer penetrates, tracing magical darkness back to its source, recovering shadow-bound relics and deciding whether a new darkness is an attack, an omen or a protective veil hiding something from a worse enemy.
Related Domains and Character Options
Rules Sources and Licensing
- Pathfinder 1e: Blind-Fight, Touch of Darkness, Eyes of Darkness and the spell list follow the published Pathfinder Darkness Domain.
- D&D 3.5e: Blind-Fight and the domain spell list follow the SRD Additional Domains.
- Legacy correction: the former page mixed the SRD domain with a different Book of Vile Darkness variant. Those lists are no longer presented as one ruleset.
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