Torches

A lit torch

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, Ultima III, Ultima IV, Ultima V, Ultima VI, Savage Empire, Ultima Underworld, Ultima Underworld II, Ultima VII, Ultima VII Part Two, Ultima VIII, and Ultima 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 in 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 149 moves in Ultima II; 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 appropriated 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.
• Up until Ultima V, it was more practical to use torches instead of magical light. However, starting with Ultima VI, the need to actually hold the torch in one hand made their use rather impractical and magical light easier to use.

Gallery

• 

  Lighting a torch in Ultima VI

• 

  Lighting a torch in Ultima VII

• 

  A pair of unlit torches

See Also

• Weapon values
• Weapons in Savage Empire
• Lantern
• Light

References

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Weapons

Melee Weapons
Basic Melee Weapons	Axe ☥ Bladed staff ☥ Club ☥ Custom sword ☥ Cutlass ☥ Dagger ☥ Decorative sword ☥ Dum‑dum ☥ Halberd ☥ Hammer ☥ Jeweled weapons ☥ Knife ☥ Mace ☥ Main gauche ☥ Morning star ☥ Poison dagger ☥ Saber ☥ Scimitar ☥ Serpentine dagger ☥ Serpentine sword ☥ Silver sword ☥ Spear ☥ Spiked helm ☥ Spiked shield ☥ Staff ☥ Sword ☥ Two‑handed axe ☥ Two‑handed hammer ☥ Two‑handed sword
Enhanced Melee Weapons	Blackrock sword ☥ Exotic Weapons ☥ Fire sword ☥ Glass sword ☥ Great dagger ☥ Lightning sword ☥ Lightning whip ☥ Magic sword ☥ Mystic Weapons ☥ Sword of defense

Ranged Weapons
Basic Ranged Weapons	Blowgun ☥ Boomerang ☥ Bow ☥ Crossbow ☥ Iolo’s bow ☥ Flaming oil ☥ Hawk ☥ Musket ☥ Siege bow ☥ Sling ☥ Throwing axe ☥ Triple crossbow
Enhanced Ranged Weapons	Anachronistic weapons ☥ Fire wand ☥ Infinity bow ☥ Lightning wand ☥ Lightning whip ☥ Magic axe ☥ Magic boomerang ☥ Magic bow ☥ Magician’s wand ☥ Starbursts

Ammunition
Basic Ammuntion	Ammunition ☥ Arrows ☥ Bolts ☥ Cannonballs ☥ Sling stones
Enhanced Ammuntion	Burst arrows ☥ Fire arrows ☥ Love arrows ☥ Lucky arrows ☥ Magic arrows ☥ Magic bolts ☥ Mana arrows ☥ Serpent arrows ☥ Sleep arrows

Non-traditional Weapons
Non-traditional Weapons	Cannon ☥ Cleaver ☥ Death scythe ☥ Fellowship staff ☥ Fishing rod ☥ Hammer ☥ Hoe ☥ Hoe of Destruction ☥ Pick ☥ Pitchfork ☥ Powder keg ☥ Rake ☥ Rock hammer ☥ Rolling pin ☥ Scythe ☥ Shears ☥ Shovel ☥ Tongs ☥ Torches ☥ Whip

Others
Other Weapons	Weapons in Savage Empire ☥ Weapons in Martian Dreams ☥ Gloves ☥ Rope & spikes