A few months ago my friend, Theras Freman, wrote about Olive Slime from the Gary Gygax module The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth S4. So, after reading the article (found here) I had to check out the module. He was right! The module was brilliant. But what I loved was one of the magic items in there: Daoud’s Wondrous Lanthorn. I loved the intricacies of it, the time it must have taken to develop it when D&D was new really struck a chord with me. I hope you enjoy it I much I do.
This artifact is wrought from the finest yellow gold. Its beautifully crafted framework is set with huge jewels and crystal lenses. An unwavering pure flame burns within. The faces are normally fitted with the crystal lenses, but the jewels are actually additional lenses, fashioned to fit the four faces of the lanthorn. The lanthorn’s magical powers change, depending upon which of the gem lenses are fitted to it, as well as upon the continued burning of the lanthorn’s magical flame. The lenses and their powers are described below.
The flame of Daoud’s Lanthorn cannot be extinguished by any known means, other than by exhausting its supply of fuel. The lamp is fueled by crushed transparent gems, contained in a small compartment at the base of the lanthorn. The lanthorn can be refuelled with the following amounts of gems:
- Crushed diamonds, total worth 10,000 gp.
- Crushed oriental topazes, rubies, sapphires, total worn 4,000 gp for each gem type.
- Miscellaneous crushed transparent gems of seven different colors, total worth 15,000 gp. Each gem must be worth 500 gp or more.
The lanthorn will always be burning when found and will always be fully fueled. If fuel is placed in the extinguished lanthorn, it will magically light itself. If used as a normal lanthorn, it will burn for 100 years. The use of its magical powers burns fuel at a faster rate. If the flame of the lanthorn goes out for any reason, the possessor of the lanthorn will instantly die!
The four faces of the lanthorn can be shuttered so that no light shines through, but infravision or ultravision will see it as a glowing object. If all four openings of the lanthorn are fitted with the crystal lenses, anyone exposed to the lanthorn’s glow for four consecutive hours will not need food, drink, or sleep for a further twelve hours. Twenty-four consecutive hours of exposure to the light will cure 1d4+4 points of damage and temporarily halt the effects of disease or poison. Seven continuous days of exposure will destroy all disease or poison in the person basking in the light.
Dungeon Master’s Note: Seven gem lenses were made for the lanthorn, as listed below. When the lanthorn is found, it will have the following lenses with it: ruby, topaz, emerald, diamond, and the four crystal lenses. The three remaining gem prisms are elsewhere-possibly the object of a quest by player characters.
Should any of the gem prisms be broken in use, replacement lenses can be made. This will require a single huge gemstone worth at least 10,000 gp, of the same type as the one that was broken. The new lens must be prepared by a gem cutter of superb skill (DMG, pg. 30), and the gem cutter must be given one of the other lenses to use as a guide. A magic-user must then cast enchant an item on the lens, followed by the spell that matches the original lens power. A permanency spell must then be cast on the lens. Due to the nature of the lanthorn’s magical flame, only lenses that duplicate the listed ones will function-no original lenses can be made. The possibility of making new lenses for the lanthorn should be a secret that player characters will discover only after time-consuming and expensive research).
The magical effects of the lanthorn have a range of 30.’ The power of the artifact is such that, at ranges of 10′ or less, there is no saving throw against the lanthorn’s magic, nor will magic resistance protect against it.
When three openings of the lanthorn are shuttered, and a gem prism inserted in the remaining opening, a beam of colored light shines forth 30.’ However, the magical power of the lens does not take effect until the possessor of the lanthorn commands it. The magical power of a single prism affects only a single target. Gem lenses can also be combined to produce different effects. The gem lenses, their effects, and their fuel costs, are:
| TYPE OF PRISM | LANTHORN EFFECT | FUEL COST |
| Ruby | Hold* | 5 years |
| Oriental Emerald | Haste | 5 years |
| Diamond | Color Spray | 5 years |
| Sapphire | Fear | 5 years |
| Oriental Amethyst | Emotion (Rage) | 5 years |
| Jacinth | Flame Strike | 5 years |
| Special | Confusion | 10 years |
| Special | Prismatic Spray | 50 years |
| Special | Prismatic Sphere | 50 years |
The effect of each single prism is as the appropriate spell. The magical power of a single prism affects only one victim per use. The listed fuel is burned each time the given spell effect is used. An effect cannot be used if there is not enough fuel left in the lanthorn to “pay” for it. The confusion, prismatic spray, and prismatic sphere effects require combinations of several prisms.
All spell effects are equal to 19th level spell use, except that the prismatic sphere and prismatic spray effects have a duration of one turn per use.
If a gem lens is placed in each opening of the lanthorn, and the lanthorn is then spun, all within 30′ of the lanthorn, except its possessor, will be confused, as the spell. Victims within 10′ of the lanthorn receive no saving throw. This effect operates at the command of the lanthorn’s possessor, as do all other effects. Any combination of four gem lenses will produce this effect.
If all seven prisms are possessed, and the owner of the lanthorn mounts all seven, one behind another, to an unshuttered opening, a prismatic spray is produced. Each use of the prismatic spray has a 10% chance of shattering 1-4 prisms. The seven lenses can be arranged in any order.
If the seven prisms are arranged so as to have two lenses in three of the openings and the diamond lens in the fourth, a prismatic sphere is created. The proper sequence is as follows: ruby and jacinth; topaz and emerald; sapphire and amethyst; diamond.
A full round is needed to open or close all the shutters of the lanthorn. Placing or removing a lens from one of the openings requires one round. Thus, two rounds are needed to exchange one gem lens for a different one. In a melee or other confused situation where the lanthorn’s owner is in danger, there is a 10% chance (rolled secretly by the DM) that the wrong prism has accidentally been inserted. However, since the magical effects operate on command, the owner can avoid unwanted results by examining the lanthorn before its powers are used.
Legend states that the wrong combinations of gem fuel will cause the lanthorn to malfunction. Possible mishaps include:
- totally different magical powers
- powers that affect the lanthorn’s owner as well as the intended target
- deluding the owner as to the actual powers of the lanthorn
- becoming a non-magical lanthorn
Anyone who owns Daoud’s Wondrous Lanthorn will become increasingly possessive of it, suspicious of those who look at the lanthorn, and increasingly secretive about it.
This obsession with the lanthorn will become a form of paranoia (DMG, pg. 84) and the owner will become convinced that “they” want to kill him or her and steal the lanthorn.
Daoud’s Lanthorn is an artifact of great power and worth a vast sum if sold. It is known that an offer of 160,000 gp was made for the device, with but four of the seven prisms available. One can only speculate what the price would be if all seven gem lenses were included.
Lauren Bills is a seasoned Dungeons and Dragons player who has been tinkering with the game since the early 2000s. Over the years, she has developed an enormous love for the art of story creation and has become an expert in the game's mechanics, particularly the infamous THAC0 rule.
Whether she's battling dragons and rescuing princesses, or putting pen to paper and sharing her thoughts with the world, Lauren Bills consistently delivers excellence in all that she does. It is clear that her passion for writing and her love of Dungeons and Dragons shines through in every aspect of her life.
