Last Updated on November 1, 2023
A Lantern of Revealing is a basic lantern with the added ability to shed light that makes invisible creatures and objects visible. This item can be incredibly useful if the party comes across any invisible foes.
Lantern of Revealing
Wondrous Item, uncommon
While lit, this hooded lantern burns for 6 hours on 1 pint of oil, shedding bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. Invisible creatures and objects are visible as long as they are in the lantern’s bright light. You can use an action to lower the hood, reducing the light to dim light in a 5-foot radius.
The Lantern weighs 2 pounds. We estimate the cost of the Lantern of Revealing to be 4,000 gold.
The DMG (Dungeon Masters Guide) has it between 100-500 gold which we feel is very low for an item of this power.
Check out our Magic Item Price Guide for more information on pricing.
Using the hood can reduce the light substantially.
This is a great way to turn the lantern off without actually having to turn it off. You might want to do this if you suddenly require a bit of stealth.
Keep in mind though, if the lantern is hooded, it won’t be shedding any bright light or revealing anything.
If you use it to illuminate a large area, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to uncover invisible creatures and objects.
Is the Lantern of Revealing a Good Item?
The Lantern of Revealing is an excellent magic item because it is simply a convenient way to uncover invisible enemies. It also fills the role of a light source that you will likely want with you anyway.
If you have no way of finding invisible creatures, this is obviously enormously useful.
Let’s look at this item in comparison to a spell commonly used for identifying invisible creatures, Faerie Fire.
The spell Faerie Fire is a 1st-level concentration spell that outlines creatures and objects with a colored light.
This light not only stops the affected creatures and objects from being invisible, but it also adds an advantage for attacks against such creatures.
Invisible creatures and objects affected by Faerie Fire are going to become visible no matter where they are.
The Lantern of Revealing, on the other hand, only affects a 30-foot sphere.
Both sources can be avoided. You can extinguish the lantern, or you could make the dexterity save to avoid Faerie Fire. So neither option is foolproof.
Faerie Fire, then, is clearly the more reliable option since it can cover a wider radius and it provides an additional bonus.
Of course, spells are a limited resource, and most parties will have a lantern anyway.
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As a kid, I was often told to get my head out of the clouds and to stop living in a fantasy world. That never really jived with me, so I decided to make a living out of games, stories, and all sorts of fantastical works. Now, as an adult, I aspire to remind people that sometimes a little bit of fantasy is all you need when life gets to be too much.
