Candle of the Surreptitious Scholar

Candle of the Surreptitious Scholar is a magic item (wondrous item) of uncommon rarity.

Candle of the Surreptitious Scholar — fantasy item illustration. Candle of the Surreptitious Scholar is a magic item (wondrous item) of uncommon rarity.
Summon this item
Describe it your way — Candle of the Surreptitious Scholar is already filled in.
Summon art →

Initially crafted by wizard apprentices trying not to irritate their roommates, these candles became extremely popular with the thieves and other ne'er do wells that can afford them (helping some less scrupulous novice mages to afford tuition). The candle has 3 charges and regains 1d3 charges each dawn.

When you speak the command word and use an action to expend 1 charge, the candle’s flame to spring to life. Its bluish flame provides clear illumination within 5 feet and dim light for another 5 feet. The enchantment of the candle is such that the light that it sheds is visible only to you, allowing you to read, write, or engage in other tasks with no penalties from darkness. Each charge is good for 1 hour of illumination, after which the candle winks out.

By expending all 3 charges at once, you can create an effect identical to light except that only you are able to see the light it sheds.

If you expend the last charge, roll a d20\. On a result of 5 or less, the candle loses its magic and becomes a mundane item.

Community Images

Candle of the Surreptitious Scholar — fantasy item illustrationPrimary
auto-generated · item · item

Sign in to upvote images, report inappropriate ones, and curate the entry's primary visual.

Related entries

matched by shared tags

6 same-category · 0 cross-category

Further reading

Jetpack7 Game Master Series
The Game Master's Book of Random Encounters
Jeff Ashworth · 2020
The Game Master's Book of Traps, Puzzles and Dungeons
Jeff Ashworth · 2022
Last updated 6/19/2026·Tags: item, wondrous item, uncommon