Torches

[Hussar]

I don't think its unreasonable for a wealthy lord to have in his service servants to maintain lamps and torches all night in certain parts of a keep or whatnot.

Lamplighters could serve a dual purpose of maintaining lamps and torches AND act as patrolling watchmen as they went about their rounds - or they could just be like candle-men and act separate from guards.

I know that I've read fantasy novels which have had scenes with watchmen/lamplighters like this but I can't think of any off the top.

Oh, and castle owners would not light torches just for show or for vanity but because it repels thieves - I had my garage and car broken into twice and the Cops said straight up that thieves are deterred far more due to light and dogs than any kind of high-tech alarm system.

The only problem with this is that the cost of keeping those areas lit is likely more than what it would cost just to let the thief get whatever it is he's going to steal. Keeping a castle lit to any signficant degree would cost a fortune.

Your guards walk along with lanterns at night. You generally wouldn't have torches all over the place to be lit. If nothing else, the fire hazard something like that would be would make it impractical. Having bunches of open flames all over your castle where you also have nice old wall hangings and rushes on the floor is a bad, bad idea.

 

[Bullgrit]

I just counted over the map of the Tomb of Horrors, (because it's the only map I have with me right now). Placing a light source every 30' in all the corridors and rooms, (except the few crawl spaces), would require less than 100 torches.

In AD&D, that could be 100 continual light spells -- free to cast, and plentiful to a high-level caster. A few minutes work each day for about a month.

In D&D3, that could be 100 continual flame spells -- total 5,000gp, and even more plentiful to a high-level caster. A few minutes work each day for about a week.

This example is a full-page map, so probably is a good baseline for most one-level dungeons and probably most moderate-sized castles. Look in the treasure hordes or vaults or coffers of most dungeons and castles. Hell, look in the backpack of many adventurers over 2nd level. 5,000gp for full lighting probably isn't a big deal, especially considering it's for permanent lighting.

Bullgrit

 

[aco175]

Most ancient cultures developed the CFL torch, but anytime they broke it was an EPA nightmare to clean. The LED torch followed, but the funny blueish light troubled some creatures. In the end all went back to the basic torch.

I did find the you tube video worth watching.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

I just watched an old Sherlock Holmes video (TV production, I think) with Christopher Lee as Holmes. "Victoria Falls" or something like that.

In it, there is a scene late set in a cave complex. Torches line the walls. But they aren't assumed lit. A character lights them just before Holmes and the other characters arrive. I noticed at the time as a fairly reasonable version of torches on wall scones.

The torches aren't there to be lit all night. Rather, they are there unlit so that if you need a torch to go down the dark passage, you've got one handy. And when you get to where you are going, you've got some place to put it (perhaps snuffing it first, for the economy-minded cave denizens). Then on those happy occasions when lots of creatures will need light in the passage over a short period, you light maybe every other or every third torch.

Among other things, this makes torches things to investigate. It may be a dark passage now, but the third torch from the end still has a few glowing embers in it, if you poke it and check. (Maybe the smell alerts the perceptive character.) Someone came this way recently!