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Continual Flame

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Continual Flame
  • Level: 2
  • School: Evocation
  • Class: Cleric, Druid, Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S, M (ruby dust worth 50+ GP, which the spell consumes)
  • Duration: Until dispelled

A flame springs from an object that you touch. The effect casts Bright Light in a 20-foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 20 feet. It looks like a regular flame, but it creates no heat and consumes no fuel. The flame can be covered or hidden but not smothered or quenched.

Tactical Usage​

Permanent Illumination: Continual Flame provides reliable, long-term lighting without ongoing resource costs. This 2nd-level evocation spell excels at area illumination and tactical light management.

Optimal Timing: Most effective when you need permanent lighting solutions or want to deny darkness-based tactics to enemies.

Resource Management: Uses a 2nd-level spell slot plus 50+ GP ruby dust - significant initial investment for permanent utility.

Target Selection: Choose objects that can be easily transported, protected, or positioned strategically for maximum lighting coverage.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Darkness Counters: Directly counters magical darkness of equal or lower level
  • Stealth Detection: Reveals invisible creatures and denies shadow-based hiding
  • Area Control: Combine with other spells that require vision or light conditions

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Light Cantrip: Provides temporary lighting while continual flame offers permanent solutions
  • Divine Magic: Thematic connection to divine light for clerics
  • Environmental Magic: Druids can create permanent natural lighting in sacred groves

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple continual flames can provide comprehensive area lighting and backup illumination.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: Ruby dust worth 50+ GP - requires gem dealers, magical suppliers, or grinding precious rubies.

Component Handling: Consumed during casting. Plan multiple castings carefully due to component cost.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different ruby sources might create unique flame colors or reflect character background.

Economic Considerations: 50 GP per casting represents moderate investment but provides unlimited duration value.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Permanent light sources affect stealth encounters and darkness-based enemy tactics.

NPC Usage: Communities might commission continual flames for public lighting, creating economic opportunities.

Environmental Considerations: Underwater or airless environments don't affect the magical flame.

Campaign Integration: Excellent for establishing safe havens, lighting dungeons, or creating permanent infrastructure.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: Functions in any environment - underwater, airless, or extreme conditions where normal fire fails.

Weather Influence: Unaffected by wind, rain, or weather conditions that would extinguish normal flames.

Structural Interactions: Can be attached to any object - weapons, shields, architectural features, or portable items.

Elemental Interactions: Interacts with magical darkness but immune to mundane flame suppression methods.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Instantaneous casting with permanent duration until dispelled.

Target Limitations: Must touch an object. Flame appears on the object and cannot be separated.

Duration Interactions: Permanent until dispelled. Can be covered but not extinguished by normal means.

Mechanical Interactions: Provides bright light (20 feet) and dim light (additional 20 feet). No heat generation.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Permanent lighting for homes, temples, communities, or exploration equipment.

Social Encounters: Demonstrate magical services, provide community benefits, or create atmospheric lighting.

Exploration Applications: Mark explored areas, provide reliable dungeon lighting, or create navigation aids.

Utility Functions: Emergency lighting, reading light, workshop illumination, or ceremonial flames.

Same School: Other evocation spells like light (cantrip temporary), daylight (3rd level bright light), dancing lights (cantrip mobile lights).

Similar Effects: light (cantrip 1-hour duration), daylight (3rd level sunlight), faerie fire (1st level revealing light).

Progression Options: light (cantrip basic lighting), continual flame (2nd level permanent), daylight (3rd level sunlight).

Complementary Magic: detect magic (identify magical light sources), dispel magic (remove unwanted flames), darkness (counter-spell).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Permanent utility that remains valuable throughout campaigns for infrastructure and tactical lighting.

Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots - purely a 2nd-level investment with unlimited duration.

Campaign Phases: Consistently useful across all levels for lighting needs and darkness countermeasures.

Comparative Value: Excellent long-term utility that justifies the component cost through unlimited duration.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: Ruby dust ignites into eternal flame as magical energy binds light to the chosen object permanently.

Effect Manifestation: A steady, heatless flame dances on the object, providing consistent illumination that never wavers or dims.

Personal Style: Divine casters might create holy flames, while wizards produce precise magical fire, and druids manifest eternal natural flames.

World Integration: Represents practical magical infrastructure available to mid-level casters, often used for community lighting, temple flames, or permanent magical installations.