Torches

A torch is a portable source of light, typically made out of a rod-shaped piece of wood with one end covered in flammable material, such as rags and pitch. An important piece of equipment for any adventurer, these items appear from Ultima II,  III,  IV,  V,  VI, Savage Empire, Ultima Underworld series,  VII,  VII Part Two,  VIII, and  IX.

Description
Torches first appeared on Minax's twisted version of Earth during Ultima II, but were only available by defeating marauding enemies who carried them. By Ultima III, these useful items could be purchased through the Guild of Thieves on Sosaria, and came into mainstream markets years later in Ultima VI, at which point the mechanics of the game had evolved such that torches could be equipped and used as weapons.

As weapons, torches were effective at defending against enemies vulnerable to fire, such as slimes.

Ultima V was the first to simulate night. Before that, artificial light sources were only useful in dungeons and towers.

Effectiveness as a Weapon

 * According to Vetron's Guide to Weapons and Armour, a torch has an effectiveness rating of 3, which doubles to 6 if used while still being lit, meaning that by the early Age of Armageddon a torch could inflict damage similar to that of a sword.

Trivia

 * A lit torch lasts for 254 moves in Ultima III ; about 100 moves in Ultima IV; and somewhere between about 100 and about 125 moves in Ultima V:.
 * In Ultima V torches can regularly be "borrowed" from towns or dungeons without invoking any karmic loss.
 * In Savage Empire, torches could be manufactured by wrapping a tarred strip of cloth around a tree branch. In this game, such items were immensely helpful in burning away the webs of giant spider, which could often hinder an adventurer's progress. Torches could also be produced in the Ultima Underworld games by combining an oil flask with a piece of wood.
 * In the SNES Port of Ultima VII, torches were markedly inferior to light producing spells, offering a small sphere of illumination which was little better than travelling with no light source.
 * The fact that for whatever reason torches for the longest time could only be bought in somewhat illegal guild shops is actually lampshaded by Daem in Ultima V: Lazarus.