Torches, lanterns and candles

[colinabrett]

Hi,

I'm soon to be running a solo game which may involve some dungeon- or cave-crawling. The character is not combat-orientated and so can't blunder into a fight. MW page 88 says light from a torch or lantern can be seen from 100 metres away but this doesn't cover how far the torch-bearer can see.

So the question is: if equipped with a torch, lantern or candle, how far does that light reach to give reasonable vision? Five feet, 10, 50?

Are there any official or house rules on this, please? Any suggestions would be very useful.

Thanks,

Colin

 

[soltakss]

RuneQuest p154:

Quote

Candle: A candle is a stick of wax with a wick which burns. A candle illuminates a 1-meter radius sufficiently to read by and to use Search skills normally, with a –5% reduction to the Search skill for every meter of distance away from the candle. A candle can go out in very little breeze. If dropped, it goes out when the gamemaster rolls 6–00 on D100.

Torches: A torch held at shoulder height illuminates a 12-meter radius, sufficient to read by and to use Search skills normally, while one on the ground reaches only 3 meters. A torch is visible for hundreds of meters, and modifies a Search skill roll in the same manner as candles when the skill is performed outside the normal illumination radius. If dropped, a torch goes out when the gamemaster rolls 96–00 on D100.

Lantern: A lantern is a device with reflectors and a shutter which allows a beam to be directed up to 18 meters with sufficient light to read by and to use Search skills normally. The beam is visible for hundreds of meters, and modifies the Search skill in the same manner as candles when the skill is performed outside the normal illumination radius.

 

[Simlasa]

I'm not sure how I'd make the case mechanically, but having explored caves with a single light source I can say that, even nearby, it's a lot less useful that having overhead light sources or multiple lights. I walked off a substantial cliff... fell about 4 feet, because a single lantern's light distorted my read of the ground. I don't think search skills could be used at full strength either.