Hey lumpy headed Shield brethren! i got hit with some inspiration today and finally got some work done on my new tablet. i present to you the spectral torch! the problem is… i had the idea for the visual, but i am not sure what i want the power of the LOOT to be. so far, i was thinking the players may shift to the ethereal within the light of the torch, burn a corpse to create an undead, or maybe it could make incorporeal creatures/ undead vulnerable to mortal weapons? lemme know what you all think, or if you have any cool suggestions i would be glad to hear them!
The ominous glow of the.... Spectral Torch!
Palomarus
#2
I dig the thought of the Spectral Torches Light making Ghosts, Spirits, and Specters corporeal and subject to harm from mortal weapons.
Although you could also go a different route and maybe the light from the torch is able to pierce through magic and illusions… as the dead know what truest is and isn’t. Give the PCs a chance to render illusionary magic moot for a bit?
Grimcleaver
#3
Immediately what came to my mind was the idea that invisible ghosts, spirits and the like become visible–not vulnerable necessarily, just that the spectral light of the torch reveals the spiritually unseen as a mundane torch reveals the unseen normally.
Especially cool if you have badguy ghosts that have been attacking players for the first part of a board without them being able to detect them or retaliate and suddenly the blue flame of the spectral torch goes up and you see all these freaky ghosts just milling around and the characters have to move between and around them and they’re just everywhere, all messed up and horrible looking, but they only hurt you if you enter their space.
I dig that.
KaneDriscol
#4
Maybe have it so that if you light the remains or bones of a dead body/creature it can empower the corpse to speak, rely messages, or answer questions. Alternatively, you could go with something where if the torch is bound to set of people (say a party of lumpy heads), if any of them were to die, their spirit would manifest itself as a spectral flame. As long as the torch remains lit, the dead person’s spirit would not move on to the after life and could even take possession of another recently deceased corpse, essentially gaining a new body.
ooh that is a cool idea! it could be a vessel with which the “flame” of the persons soul is kindled. Then, allowing the player to play a new character statistically, but roleplay their old character, just in a new body. very interesting. perhaps their soul can only “burn” on the torch for only a limited amount of time, and if the torch is extinguished so is the soul. i will definitely have to consider that
James_Horn
#6
The PCs find the mythical blade able to vanquish the big bad…problem is the blade is broken.
The master smith who forged the weapon thousands of years ago created it with the spirit forge located in the ruins of the old Dwarven kingdom. The forge’s flame went out ages ago along when the kingdom fell.
But, theres still hope pulls out the torch If you take this torch to the druids located in the South and convince them to open the gate to the spirit realm you might be able to light the torch with a Spectral Flame. Fear not young ones, for the spectral flame produces no heat and to extinguish it once lit is no easy task.
Take the newly lit Spectral Torch to the old dwarven kingdom and find the Spirit Forge of legend and breathe life back into it again. Maybe then, the weapon you seek can be made whole once again.
Wow! That is amazing. I don’t know how you nailed the setting so hard. My dwarves literally have a “forge of souls” hidden in a temple to their god of creation, tucked away deep in a jungle valley. This is perfect!