4d4 Dungeon Lights
Perhaps the single most pervasive feature of a dungeon is its near perpetual darkness. Darkness creates a serious disadvantage for surface dwellers exploring a dungeon and a great advantage for its denizens.
Use these lists to add depth and verisimilitude to the lights in your dungeon.
Braziers
This terracotta brazier looks like a pot-bellied man, his stomach left open to hold coals. Smoke streams from his upturned mouth.
A carved dark wooden dragon curls protectively around this brazier, as if it held glimmering jewels.
This polished brass brazier looks like a sun, metal rays stretching a foot all around.
A heavy iron chest with its lid removed is being used as an improvised brazier.
Candles
Rows of white tapers line a small niche-shrine, radiating warm yellow light all about.
An elegant statue of a mermaid holds a trident, its tines replaced with a trio of black candles.
This chandelier of a flying dragon has candles along the edges of its wings and in its mouth and eyes.
The spartan use of candles in this chamber provides just a few pools of dim light.
Lanterns
Gleaming, phosphorescent mould illuminates this brass and glass lantern.
Glowing insects flit about within a sealed glass orb, providing flickering, dim light.
The lantern’s candle is shielded from draughts by a cylinder of translucent parchment, which may catch aflame if the lantern is jostled or moved.
This rectangular lantern uses panes of scraped horn, rather than glass.
Magical Light
Shadows cast in this room turn from dark to light, brightening whatever they touch.
Dancing lights spring to life, circling in a lazy orbit around each living creature in the room.
Bas-reliefs of dragons on the walls breathe a stream of heatless flame and provide illumination like torches.
Humanoid skulls placed in small niches around the room glow with pale green light.
Want More?
This article is an extract from Dungeon Dressing: Lights & Illuminations. Alternatively, check out the 20 Things Archive for more handy, flavoursome and time-saving 20 Things articles ready for immediate use in your campaign.
