Everburning Torch VS. Ghost

[Yogibear41]

Ever-burning Torch as an improvised weapon vs ghost, can I hit it? :smallsmile:

[Flickerdart]

Only if you make it A Ghost Touch Improvised Club.

[Yogibear41]

But its magic :smallsmile:

[backwaterj]

In that case, why spring for the Everburning Torch when Prestidigitation on a stick works just as well? :smallwink:

[gooddragon1]

Personally, I feel you should have the 50/50 chance to hit. Rules wise, no. It's not actually a magical weapon. Now my justification for why I feel it should is that the flame is magical and while it deals no damage it could function as a "solid" object for the purpose of making physical contact with the ghost. I'd give it club damage with no strength modifier added and no chance to power attack.

[Namfuak]

From a RAW standpoint, a "magic weapon" is well-defined - specifically, "Magic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5." (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm) To even make a torch eligible to become a magic weapon, it has to be masterwork, so you are already adding 300 gold to the cost, plus 2000 to make it +1. At that rate, you may as well just cast continual flame on a regular magic weapon and be done with it.

I probably wouldn't allow it as a DM, but I might allow other alchemical items with harmful effects to hurt ghosts (at 50-50), since the effects are generally similar to spells.

[backwaterj]

Hmm, now I'm tempted to craft a +3 ghost touch everburning torch . . .

Maybe some undead bane caltrops while I'm at it.

[John Longarrow]

Reminder,
Ever-burning torch uses an illusion to make light.

By RAW and most cases of common sense, doesn't work. Same reason tossing a light spell at a ghost doesn't cause it damage and using a light spell on a rock won't turn it into a 'Magic weapon'. Wrong kind of spell.

[gooddragon1]

Reminder,
Ever-burning torch uses an illusion to make light.

By RAW and most cases of common sense, doesn't work. Same reason tossing a light spell at a ghost doesn't cause it damage and using a light spell on a rock won't turn it into a 'Magic weapon'. Wrong kind of spell.

Continual Flame (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/continualFlame.htm) is an evocation spell, not an illusion spell.

[VoxRationis]

As a DM, I'm pretty open to reinterpretation of the rules in order to make more logical sense or be more thematic, but I'd disallow that. The magic of the everburning torch does not do damage. The damaging part of the item, the stick, doesn't do damage to ghosts. I see no reason why the combination of the two would do damage to them.

[HunterOfJello]

You have a 50/50 chance of hitting him with a non-harmful flame. That might scare him enough to make him run away though.

[backwaterj]

It's not even a flame, though, since it "burns" cold (Everglowing Stick would be a more accurate name, but I digress). Assuming an Intelligence score of greater than 5ish I don't think that's scaring anything away, unless maybe it's dipped in holy water.

[sideswipe]

It's not even a flame, though, since it "burns" cold (Everglowing Stick would be a more accurate name, but I digress). Assuming an Intelligence score of greater than 5ish I don't think that's scaring anything away, unless maybe it's dipped in holy water.

i would allow a stick dipped in holy water using the 2d4 to instead mean rounds that it is effective and using unmodified club damage.

[Fitz10019]

i would allow a stick dipped in holy water using the 2d4 to instead mean rounds that it is effective and using unmodified club damage.

Does it seem reasonable to bless oil instead of water?

[backwaterj]

If we're going by historical precedent, it makes as much sense as water.

[Phelix-Mu]

Does it seem reasonable to bless oil instead of water?

Actually, based in reality, holy oil is just as prevalent as holy water in several religions. Chrism, specifically, is a holy oil used to anoint people in certain holy ceremonies (in fact, it is used in many of the same ceremonies where holy water is present). Stuff is scented with some great-smelling perfumes, too, at least the stuff I've encountered.

While it would burn, I'd think lighting it on fire would destroy the holiness. However, it might be used in a manner more akin to the magic oils (which work like potions that you can coat items with), so maybe more versatile than flasks of holy water, which really don't have a duration.

Other things to consider are holy burnable incense (used in almost every religion I'm familiar with), and holy incense/potpourri, which is used in a number of Eastern religions (often in a manner similar to salt, for the warding-off of evil spirits). These would all be interesting reinterpretations of the classic holy water that the game uses so often (and has done so since its earliest incarnations).

[Thurbane]

I think +1 Ghost Touch Undead Bane Rimfire Ice Everburning Torch would be much more reasonable...

[backwaterj]

As long as it also gets to be an Eternal Wand of Searing Light. :smallbiggrin:

[Jack_Simth]

Continual Flame (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/continualFlame.htm) is an evocation spell, not an illusion spell.
In 3.5, this is true. In 3.0, it was Illusion(Figment)... which went really well with the magic overview of the time where an illusion(figment) was very specifically not permitted to provide illumination. That restriction was removed from the Magic Overview in 3.5, and Continual Flame's school was changed at the same time.