Blood torch

The blood torch is a piece of furniture that burns wood to light an area, while also generating a small amount of heat. It also provides a small mood buff to sanguophages and other bloodfeeders.

Acquisition

Blood torches cannot be crafted. Instead they are created during the Bloodthirsty Parley quest type - note that the name of each quest in game varies. During this quest a location on your map will be chosen, a blood torch will appear at that spot, and three sanguophages will meet. Once placed, the torch will be left behind, regardless of the outcome of the quest. After this point, it can be refueled, uninstalled and reinstalled as any other building.

Summary

The white area (7 tiles out) is 50% illumination, required for best surgery success chance; the yellow (8th tile) represents 30% or better, adequate for all general labor, avoiding mood penalties, and for growing decorative plants indoors in plant pots.

A blood torch outputs light in a 10 tile radius, with the nearest 7.884 tiles at or above 30% light level and considered lit. It heats the room to a maximum temperature of 23 °C (73.4 °F) at a rate of 3.5 heat per second.^{[Exact mechanic unclear]}

The blood torch consumes 1.5 wood per day as long as it is lit. If lit while unroofed under the rain, it consumes an additional 0.0006 wood per 1 tick (0.02 secs), or a total of 37.5 wood per day. It can hold up to 20 wood at a time, for a maximum run time of 13.33 days, or 12.8 hours if in constant rain. It is constructed with a full fuel capacity. Fuel is delivered to the torch by a haulers as long as refueling is enabled.

It cannot be "turned off" or paused, only deconstructed, in which case no wood is recovered, regardless of any "fuel" remaining.

It functions as a meditation focus for psycasters with the Flame focus.

The blood torch provides a +2 Blood torch mood bonus to all pawns with the Bloodfeeder gene inside its 10-tile maximum radius. This effect does not stack with multiple blood torches.

Analysis

Light and heat

Main article: Torch lamp

It is generally not resource and work-time efficient to use once Electricity has been researched, however its grid independence and immunity to power outages and solar flares make it very useful in niche applications even beyond this point.

It consumes wood at a 3/4 the rate of a regular torch lamp - if the area requiring lighting is not large enough to require the additional radius of the torch lamp, this makes it more efficient to use a blood torch.

Mood buff

The mood buff it offers is small, and doesn't persist. As such, it is rarely worth seeking out a blood torch for the mood buff that you would not otherwise acquire anyway. If one is acquired, however, it can be worth keeping fueled and placed to benefit any bloodfeeders so long as wood is not in short supply.

Due to the lack of persistence, ideally the torch should be placed where the target bloodfeeder will stay on the radius long term. For example, crafters and researchers are ideal targets, while a grower or animal handler likely won't stay in one area long enough for the small buff to matter.

Gallery

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Unlit

Version history

Biotech DLC Release - Added.

Architect

Furniture: Animal bed • Animal sleeping box • Animal sleeping spot • Bedroll (Double) • Plant pot • Sculptures (Small, Large, Grand, Terror ) • Sleeping spot (Double, Baby ) • Stool • Table (1x2, 2x2, 2x4, 3x3) • Torch lamp • Wall torch lamp • Wall lamp • Animus stone • Darktorch • Fungus darktorch • Crib
Complex Furniture: Armchair • Bed (Double) • Bookcase (Small) • Couch • Dining chair • Dresser • End table • Royal bed • Shelf (Small) • Brazier (Darklight ) • Drape • Grand meditation throne • Meditation throne • Slab bed (Double) • Baby decoration • Blackboard • School desk • Toy box
(research): Flood light • Hospital bed • Standing lamp • Sun lamp • Bonsai pot
(uncraftable): Urn • Blood torch