Gluttony, a lot of options yes, Id rather use the light spell until level 2. :)
- Gauss
In my time playing I have run into several situations where a candle or torch was the right tool for the job. While I love the magical options, it is a good idea to also have non-magical options available as well.
75 gp for a "Torch Ioun Stone" is one of the best investments you can make. That's my primary light source. I still prepare Light in case I want to throw a light down a pit/hallway, or illuminate an area without standing in it, and I still keep a couple mundane torches with flint&steel in my pack in case I hit an anti-magic zone.
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Grognard-style: torches, and a light spell on the end of a 10-ft. pole. It's great for prodding limed-over skeletons of abbots, for example.
Until you get a magic sword, which automatically glowed in 1e.
I'm a big fan of Dancing lights. If not available to the party then I go with light usually cast on a necklace or something so that it can be easily concealed if we need to go dark. Torches are rarely used in my groups although I always carry one.
As for counting ammo, As a DM I always keep track. I have an excel sheet open on my computer and every time an archer fires a bow, a wizard uses a wand or potion is drank I just change the number. If in an appropriate setting my players will say I'm going to make arrows while I keep watch and I will roll a d20+5 and add that to the excel sheet. Making an arrow is not all that hard and I don't see why an archer wouldn't know how.
I also started keeping track of weapon placement and gold.I allow my players to have 2 weapons, 3 potions, 1 wand and a bow to be readily accessible. They get to choose the weapon, potions, and wands. Otherwise what ever they need is in their backpacks and they will need to spend the time getting it out.
Edit** Also I think Magic weapons glow in the dark 30% of the time. So chances are someone in the group has a glow stick
AerynTahlro: 75GP for a Torch Ioun Stone is either underpriced or the Everburning torch is overpriced. :)
Also: great use for light. My group regularly attaches it to a bolt or arrow and shoots it down hallways or into pits.
- Gauss
AerynTahlro: 75GP for a Torch Ioun Stone is either underpriced or the Everburning torch is overpriced. :)
Also: great use for light. My group regularly attaches it to a bolt or arrow and shoots it down hallways or into pits.
- Gauss
It's in the APG. Everburning Torch is 110gp. Not sure how that discrepancy happened, but it's in the rules.
AerynTahro: While I don't know how the discrepancy happened but I can guess. It occured probably because someone priced the Ioun Torch as a magic item rather than a magic item with a spell on it.
Everburning Torch is priced as per spell. CRB p159 Spellcasting under services. Spell level*Caster level*10+material component = 2*3*10+50 = 110.
Meanwhile the Ioun Torch is priced as a magic item. In this case: Ioun Stone = 25gp+50gp material component and the spell is free.
The Ioun Torch should be priced as 25+2*3*10+50 = 135gp unless you cast the spell yourself in which case it is 25+50 = 75.
- Gauss
I've seen torches sometimes. Dancing Lights is popular in my groups (as are races with darkvision), but on the occasion that somebody has several other cantrips they want to prepare/learn instead, torches find their use.
Cost is a spell slot. What if you have a bunch of other 0th levels you want to prepare?I just keep dancing lights running and call it a day.
0-level
Hands free
cost: zero
Can direct it
As does the light spell that we seem to be talking about.
I forget that Dancing lights is one minute.
I was about to say that these cantrips have a duration of one minute, tops. Doesn't that mean that you'll have to waste actions in combat to keep your light spells going? I can't imagine you'd have cast it the round before combat starts every time, so you might be two rounds into combat and the spell expires, or else you waste your first action every combat recasting your light sources.
Light is great in most cases. Dancing Lights is also awesome. I still think an everburning torch or other, more mundane, options have their place in the game.
And as far as supplies are concerned, I usually handwave the fact that the party always enters a dungeon or adventure with at least four torches each. I usually charge my characters a few dozen GPs in town and handwave things like resupplying, meals, and rooms.
As aa GM I don not track little things like that unless there is some reason to believe they are likely to run out before they could buy or cobble up more.
Same way I do not track really cheap ammo like normal arrows and bolts.
{ Now if they are throwing a vial of acid at everything that moves I will make sure that is tracked. }
Having said that however, my group rarely has anyone play a human without some way to get dark vision or low light vision. So it rarely seems to be necessary.
If i am playing the human I absolutly have spells or supplies so I will be able to see in the dark.
Kydeem de'Morcaine: That is interesting because my group almost always plays humans. *chuckles*
- Gauss
I am like boring 7. As a GM, I tend to trust the players to keep track fo that stuff. It does nto take long for them to get enough gold to make stuff like torches a non-issue cost wise.
As a player I admit to having fun with that kind of detail. I track what I use and what I bought. I am unsure why I liek it but I do.
But as many have said here, there are lots of options that make the candle and/or torch redundant.
Kydeem de'Morcaine: That is interesting because my group almost always plays humans. *chuckles*
- Gauss
Between the "I am a human, why would I want to play a human?" and the "Well we can't sneak up on anyone because Jeff can't go anywhere with out a lantern lighting the way." we almost never get humans that don't have some magic item or ability to see.
Kydeem de'Morcaine: Exactly, the spell Darkvision works just fine. Available by level 3. :) The rogue in the group doesn't need everyone to have darkvision. Just him. He can sneak ahead of the group (after all, the party tank is going to give away the group's position anyhow).
- Gauss