Note that this is identical to the implicit range of 30' for torches in 0D&D both of which are identical to the Scientific American article. Holmes tells us: “A good torch will burn for six turns, while a flask of oil in a lantern will last 24 turns. I could not find any duration for torches, however. Likewise surprise occuring 10–30' suggests that the “good” illumination of a torch is 30.' These values of 30'/80' are implicit and not explicit but there are many things in 0D&D which are also implicit. The fact that PCs can see monsters as far away as 80 feet tells me that Gygax & Arneson interpreted the shadowy limits of torch illumination to be 80 feet. This tells me that torches can function because of the source of “fresh” air. Note that dungeons have the occassional strong gust of wind. Also, torches can be blown out by a strong gust of wind.” “Sighting Monsters: Players will see monsters at 20–80 feet (roll a pair of foursided dice to determine the distance) unless they are surprised by the monster.” “Surprise: … Distance is then 10–30 feet.” The only reference in 0D&D (Chainmail through Swords & spells including Strategic Review & The Dragon) is the following: “Torches, lanterns and magic swords will illuminate the way, but they also allow monsters to “see” the users so that monsters will never be surprised unless coming through a door. This issue does get addressed in the AD&D Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide (see below). Therefore torches are a poor choice for exploring underground. There was a case some years back (I cannot find the source) where a group of Russian teenagers took torches into a cave system and died from asphyxiation. Mining and cave exploration was done with candles rather than torches because torches burn up the “good air” in tunnels and caverns. This is why historically, torches were only found indoors in great halls. Torches require a good amount of oxygen to burn properly and they give off quite a bit of noxious smoke. This is very important to note because in a dungeon, it can be enough to notice the movement of medium-sized humanoid creatures without having to definitively identify them as orcs. In a “poor light,” movement can be noticed. A “good light” can presumably be defined as ‘able to differentiate between friend & foe’ but it does not mean that there is total darkness outside of that 30' radius. Thus I will presume that torches have a 10 yard (30') radius in a dungeon or cave. The nighttime ambient light can vary significantly from a clear full-moon night to a heavily overcast one. It should be aparent that “20 or 30 yards apart” (10 or 15 yard radius) refers to the usage of torches outside at night. A good light is obtained by spacing them 20 or 30 yards apart.” In warm, dry weather, these torches when lighted last for two hours when at rest, and for an hour and a quarter on a march. “Torches consist of a bundle of loosely twisted threads which has been immersed in a mixture formed of two parts, by weight, of beeswax, eight of resin, and one of tallow.
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