Fëanorian lamp and Darker than the Darkness

[Celebril]

Over the course of the campaign, that I am running, I have given the players small items that are culturally relevant to their characters. They were meant to be more fun than game changing. The item that the Rivendell (i.e. Noldor) elf found was a Fëanorian lamp. In last weekend's adventure the Fellowship went up against a powerful wight with the Darker than the Darkness ability. The elf pulled out her lamp which was not a scenario I had envisioned when I gave her the item. So I had to make a snap decision. I decided to just reduced the TN to +2/-2 for those that failed their Wisdom rolls but the more I think about it the more I think I should have negated the Darker than the Darkness ability with the lamp. It's light cannot be quenched and it is an item made in Valinor. What are other people's thoughts on a Fëanorian lamp vs a powerful wight's darkness ability? There is a chance I might run into this scenario again especially if they decided to go spelunking in the Barrow Downs.

[cuthalion]

Hmmm, tricky. An actual Fëanorian lamp? From Valinor? Would have thought it would be enough to make a wight flee, no? At the least, negating the ability seems too lenient (on the wight). Maybe you could look at some of the cultural rewards/magical item properties for some ideas of what the lamp would do/wight would react?

[Glorelendil]

Maybe if they look closely at the "Fëanorian Lamp" they'll find small Dwarvish runes that say, "Made in Far Harad".

[Elmoth]

Agree with all of you. Actual feanorian item should make the wight flee. A copy of one of these (easily enough to envision that happening in Eregion) could replicate the effect with a smaller intensity, negating the wight's ability.

You are more or less giving them the Phial of Galadriel. It should be something to make a true difference in combat with a servant of the shadow.

[Blubbo Baggins]

Maybe if they look closely at the "Fëanorian Lamp" they'll find small Dwarvish runes that say, "Made in Far Harad".

lol

[Glorelendil]

Maybe if they look closely at the "Fëanorian Lamp" they'll find small Dwarvish runes that say, "Made in Far Harad".

lol

Aragorn brought it back from his journies as a gag gift for Arwen.

[bluejay]

In terms of how a Fëanorian lamp might behave against a creature of darkness I'd have a tendency to look at the rules on page 78 of Darkening of Mirkwood as a starting point. This is also how I'd deal with that flash of light thing Gandalf does to deter the Ringwraiths outside of Minas Tirith.

[Celebril]

Thanks everyone and especially bluejay for pointing out the rules for the Lamp of Balthi. After reading the description of the history of the Lamp of Balthi I have to say it hints strongly that the crystals from Fëanorian lamps were used to make the Lamps of Amon Lanc (which the Lamp of Balthi is one). That is problematic for me as an LM because I never intended to give such a powerful item to the Noldor player. I will have to think about it but one option is reduce the effects of using the lamp on a creature of shadow. It would seem to me that due to the size of the Lamp of Balthi (Amon Lanc) it likely used more than one Fëanorian lamp (if that was the source of the crystals). So the effects of the lamp would be less some where on the order of 1 Success die of hate loss, keep the Craven, give a +3 for an Intimidate Foe task and double any Hate point loss generated.

[cuthalion]

This sounds good. Yeh, don't forget, it's always ok to go back and retcon things, just get players' buy in.