Light

Light was a very common spell learned by most spellcasters. Depending on how the caster was trained, light was either a cantrip or a basic spell. In some spellcasting traditions, this spell was reversible and called darkness when reversed.

"This is a test given to the children of Halruaa. Light is the first and simplest of magical energies. It moves more swiftly than heat or sound or substance. Read this scroll and imitate the gesture written upon it. Hold your hand so, fingers all together so that the tips touch your thumb, and trace this pattern in the air before you. Begin at the red dot and move toward the blue."

- Kiva, the Inquisitrix of Halruaa

Effects
The area illuminated by all versions of this spell was roughly 20   to 25 ft (6.1 to 7.6 m) in radius. The range and duration of this spell varied with the spellcasting tradition. For those that learned light as a basic spell, it could be thrown 120 yards (110 m) away and last one hour to many hours. After the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, the cantrip version required the caster to touch an object to make it glow like a torch, and the spell lasted for ten minutes to a few hours depending on the caster's prowess. Post-Spellplague of 1385 DR, it could be cast at-will, creating a bright light on a nearby object or in a nearby unoccupied space, and lasted until dispelled or a new light was cast elsewhere.

The ranged version of this spell that could target an object allowed the caster a chance to blind a creature by successfully casting the spell centered on its visual organs.

The reverse of this spell, darkness, caused total and impenetrable darkness in the area of effect, but the duration was only half that of light.

Light spells could be used to counter or dispel darkness of equal or lesser power, and vice versa.

Sinhala stones were also known to prevent magical darkness. Hambergyle gems could be used to turn a light spell into continual light.

Components
The pre-Spellplague cantrip required a spoken command and a material component. For divine spell casters, their holy symbol or divine focus was sufficient. For everybody else, light required either a firefly or a bit of phosphorescent moss. The basic spell required only verbal and somatic components. The at-will version could be cast with a wave of the hand.

History
The spell was attributed to Netherese arcanist Brightfinger in and was originally called Brightfinger's light.

Notable Uses
During the Time of Troubles of the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, Khelben Arunsun cast light to dispel the darkness produced by the Dark Army of the Night when they invaded Castle Waterdeep. However, the spell went awry, becoming so bright it blinded all in the hall and let the Dark Army escape. Later, the restored avatar of Selûne used a simple light spell to cancel the dark power of Shar's Rod of Oblivion and finally banish the goddess herself.

Users
Light was also a spell of pluma magic and could be learned by Maztican plumaweavers and Eagle Knights.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Tymora's Luck &bull; The Sapphire Crescent &bull; The Magehound
 * Comic Books
 * The Forbidden Sands of Anauroch (#2)