Last Torch Standing
One of the things you always carry around, and never give it a second look. But even a second look would not help to reveal this one.
Looks like an ordinary torch. No piece of art, fits well into heaps of torches adventurers are used to carry around.
Who or what is actually inside? Unknown.
- a watcher, that just likes action and found a safe way to see some
- a spy, someone is VERY interested in the heroes, may be a villain, may be not
- a prisoner, there's something inside, and cannot get out, and cannot communicate with the outside world. Would work nicely like the spy, for only so can it hope in its freedom. Perhaps burning the torch will kill it.
What does it want?
- wants to stay around and observe
- avoid attention
- cannot allow itself to be used (should it burn indefinitely, it attracts much attention, burning down means it gets thrown away, maybe even killed)
Why? What is it for? A very nice purpose is to lead the PLAYERS to paranoia. One or more PC's are told they feel watched, and if the Summon torches power is used, right when they need it, then surely someone plays with them. Maybe some powerful magic should kill them, but releases the being instead. What? We carried you for two years around? Maybe they get cast Remove Curse and something else happens. Or they just wanted a magic item, and got it :-)
Magical Properties:
Suggestion - if you reach for a torch, you will surely not pull out this one.
Help - 1/day, may give a +2 bonus to any action performed with a torch (even to enemies), to show that torches are useful and encourage the wearer to use them, and wear them as much as possible.
Summon torches - 1/week, only in extreme cases, like when they consider to use their last one(=this one). Summons 10d3 ordinary torches in the heroes' vicinity, but out of sight - so they accidentally stumble into them just behind the corner.
Fuzzy Detect - may be hard to detect magic, just shows there is something magical nearby.
Control Fire - of torches, of course.
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? Responses (11)
I like this: unconventional! When you said about 'detect magic' do you mean that, say, the torch-flame burns a different colour in the presence of magic?
No, spells and abilities that easily detect dagic, have a hard to time to find this one. It is a way to tell them: You have something that is magical, but you just don't know what. Simple torches would be the last things suspected.
These torches are a sweet idea. Perhaps there are a good number of torches scatter across the lands being used as prisons for water elementals that were defeated by a fire elemental. Once reunited, they could make a bid for their freedom and try to defeat him.
Gotta say, one good idea! I agree with ephemeralstability; VERY ORIGINAL! Maybe when using THIS torch, the PC might get a -4 penalty using it, instead of the +2.
Another thing,
Perhaps, if the PCs are going to light the torch, and notice they are being held back by something, they may burn the torch, thinking that its evil and out to get them. At this time, it may act like the ring of power (LOTR), and possibly control the person trying to burn it, or one of their companions, to either light the summoned torches, or stop the torch itself from being burnt. Also, when you said that the torch could control fire, (of torches) would that mean if the heros were walking down a corridor with unused torches on the walls, if the torch wanted to, the torches would light up as they walked along the corridor, and maybe light a torch that an enemy was looking at closely (ow! my eye!) , or wearing??
5/5 and an HOH.
Quite original. Somewhat fuzzy though. Where do they come from?
That's basically the main question of the post. :)
Some possible answers are already given.
This another fun and great magical item. Particularly for those PCs that keep super detailed inventories. They also tend to be the paranoid PCs.
Very nice! Rather inventive and original idea that makes it more-than-less attractive.
Another idea is that the players find one of these that's empty and needs to be filled. So it grabs the first person to pick it up or touch it. When they do it transports them into the torch until something like a remove curse is cast on them. To the rest of the party it looks like Bob just reached down to pick up a torch and then disappeared. That would make a paranoid party very cautious around torches that they find in the next few dungeons.