Timekeeping Devices in the Dungeon

[Gildedragon]

What mechanisms are there for PC's to keep time in a dungeon?
Are there costs/stats for mechanical clocks, or magical ones?

[Reluctance]

3.5 officially only has water clocks, although spell durations and illumination sources can tell you when certain spans have passed. Most DMs will just allow you to know, the same as they give perfect measurements when you pace out a room. It's simpler on everybody.

PF, in addition to the water clock, consumable resources, and not-worth-the-effort-to-hide methods, has hourglasses. How effective these are when you're dungeon crawling is a matter of DM fiat.

[Kerilstrasz]

well... you need a magic or mundane solution? an expensive or a cheap one?

easy and cheap solution
(although not accurate enough)

get your bard (or even any player) sing a song you know the exact time length.
then another.. then another...
would also be fun ... a party singin all together as they fight :P

not so easy and moderate value

get an npc craft a clockwork device... not an actual clock (that might be a
wondrous-expensive- item) but smthing like a box that "ticks" every 10 mins
and "tacks" every 30mins and "beep" every hour...

hard and expensive

get engineering skill high,craft wondrous item, and anything your DM might asks and craft a clock :)

magic solution

you can count time by using 0 lvl spells.. just cast light on smthing...
it has duration 10min/lvl... you get my point?

[Kerilstrasz]

Ok..
Here s a device ...
you going to need..
1) A high durability glass vial
2) A slow burn, high quality wick
3) 3 custom-made metal caps

Check the image bellow

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4605/31015332.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/214/31015332.png/)

this image is just a fast drawing as you can see.. but you get the picture :)


the glass vial has measured indicators (12)
the 1st meta cap screws on the glass vial
the second metal cap screws over the 1st to protect the little flame
the third screws over the 2nd to protect the little flame and protect the user
from burning his hands..

you fill the vial with oil.. the little flame burns the oil in a certain time
(the oil level drop a line each hour)
even if you shake the device hard enough, even if high speed winds blow
the flame isn't going to set off..
only if you submerge the device in water or the oil perish, the fire will be
extinguished.

so.. you keep the device in your pocket (or any place you wish as long it can
get oxygen) and you can check it every now and then...
it wont burn your stuff cause of the 2 metal caps... it will just be warm.

the device above is based on a device called smthing like Zippo Hand warmer.

PS : Forgive my poor english :)

[Darrin]

Firmament Stones from Dungeonscape. 110 GP each. Shows the general status of the sun and moon, but presumably not an exact time/date. Recommended for divine spellcasters that are underground for extended periods but need to meditate at a particular time of day to get spells.

Desk Clock from Ghostwalk. 25 GP. Despite the "desk" moniker, cheap and small enough (about the size of a human head) that an adventurer could carry it. Keeps time accurately to within a few minutes. Although there's a warning about not keeping it on a flat surface or jostling it around a lot, the point becomes moot when you carry it around within an extra-dimensional (and jostle-less) space.

Dimensional Hourglass from the Planar Handbook. 75 GP, and only 4 lbs. Used to measure the time difference between two planes, but presumably one could just use the "prime material" half for timekeeping and just ignore the other half.

[Togo]

You could measure your time using a torch, candle, lamp, or other light source with a fixed burning time. It won't be hugely accurate, but it will be pretty good.