Partner and kids were out of town this past weekend, so I threw an all-day game day at my place for my group. We decided to give Genlab Alpha a spin, partly to see how PbtA it is, and partly because animal vs. robot overlords action! We had a great time.
When things were winding down, we got to talking about our ongoing Freebooters campaign, and what it might actually be like to explore dark places by torchlight. I had explored some drainage tunnels with a torch when I was 15 or so, but I had no memory of what it was like. So we grabbed a few sticks of firewood, some rags, shoe goo, and lighter fluid, and made some torches!
We explored the back forty and went into the woods a bit. We imagined what it would be like to hear strange noises just out of range of the firelight. It really brought home how scary it would actually be to explore a dungeon this way.
The two things we took away were that the torches need to be carried by the people in the middle of the marching order, with everyone else looking away from the light (to avoid getting blinded); and your torch arm gets really tired really fast. Jokes about warriors with overly-muscled torch-arms ensued.
Awesome! I never would have thought about your arm getting sore. That’s sounds like a hilarious and informative activity.
The candle on the helmet trick sounds better and better.
I was in the woods with a torch a few times and the first thing I learned that you have to carry it above your head (and possibly to the side) or it will just blind you. When you see people wave a torch it front of their eyes in movies it’s definitely misguiding.
youtube.com – Torches: outdoor use
similar conclusions in this video!
Darn. You beat me to the relevant LindyBeige!
But yes, when it comes to navigation, torches are pretty awful and better utilized as signals or even weapons. Lanterns, particularly directional ones, are far superior, and even a candle can be used effectively in total darkness; the light carries farther if there is less ambient light. Then of course there’s dark/infravision, Light spells, bioluminescence (fungi?) and perhaps even alchemical solutions for seeing in the dark such as night-sight potions or glow-sticks.
I think this should be a Freebooters rite of passage. I may lead such an expedition here in NJ…
Gregor Vuga Indiana Jones