Pitch, or tar, was a black plant resin that was used by laborers[1][2] and spellcasters.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] It had some similarities with various plant and vegetable oils, rock oil, and bitumen.[13]
“
I find it ironic that even our most lofty edifices are held together by ground horse hooves, sandy lime, and foul-smelling tar.
”
— Excerpt from Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue[2]
Properties[]
Pitch was a highly flammable liquid.[14] It weighed 67 pounds (30 kilograms) per 1 cubic foot (28 liters).[15]
Availability[]
Resin from a spruce tree.
- Pitch was refined from tree resin, most commonly from spruces and pines, and mixed with ash from large, hot fires. The different materials used could give the pitch different qualities such as smell and color.[16][13]
- Pitch was stored in containers such as bottles and barrels, and often sold along with glue and mortar.[2][17]
- Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue sold bottles of pitch for 5 copper pieces per 1 qt (950 cm³).[1]
Usage[]
- Pitch was used in bulk for securing roof tiles and waterproofing leaky roofs.[2][18][19][20]
- Containers of pitch could set alight and thrown as weapons, splashing targets with the thick, burning liquid.[14]
- Pitch could be used as a sort of paint.[17]
- Hip boots, which were also available from Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue, were completely sealed in pitch to make them waterproof.[21]
- Pitch was a key ingredient in producing strong putty.[16]
- Sweet-smelling pitch was used to make incense.[16]
- Lacquer was made using pitch.[16]
- Wooden furniture was sometimes put together with pitch.[16]
- Some medicinal oils used pitch as an ingredient,[16] as did some medicinal balms[22] and wound packings.[23]
- Tar makeup was made of tar, prepared to avoid harming the wearer's skin.[24]
- Pitch was used by tanners working hides.[25]
- Pitch was used in the preparation of dragon turtle scales for use in armor.[16]
- The wood of laspar trees were thick with pitch, and attempting to light it caused sparking. It was often used in candles and torches.[26]
Spell Components[]
Pitch was very commonly used as a material component for spellcasting, particularly for spells that involved darkness. Some of the spells requiring pitch were:
- Improved spider climb,[5][6] darkness,[7][8] enhance fire creature,[4] continual darkness,[9] and maddening darkness.[10]
- Pitch was used by mages to create or empower fire-based creatures. Burning man golems required pitch as an essential part of their construction.[11][12]
History[]
- Those of the Flamedeath Fellowship used flame knives that were covered in pitch.[27]
- In the old days of Cormyr, the King's champion Grymmar used flaming pitch to corral an ochre jelly into a stone coffin that he then sealed with pitch. He then transported it to meet an army of bandits, and proceeded to use it to destroy the invading force.[28]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Novels & Short Stories
Video Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
External Links[]
Burgundy Pitch article at the Neverwinter Wiki.
Tar article at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 49. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 56. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 50. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jeff Grubb and Andria Hayday (April 1992). Arabian Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 128. ISBN 978-1560763581.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ed Greenwood (1992). Menzoberranzan (The City). Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 67. ISBN 1-5607-6460-0.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mark Middleton et al (January 1998). Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume Two. (TSR, Inc), pp. 456–457. ISBN 978-0786906642.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 216. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 207–211, 230. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 96. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jeremy Crawford, Mike Mearls, Robert J. Schwalb, Adam Lee, Christopher Perkins, Matt Sernett (November 2017). Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 149, 160. ISBN 978-0-7869-6612-7.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Jon Pickens ed. (1995). Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two. (TSR, Inc.), p. 66. ISBN 0-7869-0199-3.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Don Webb (September 1994). “The Dragon's Bestiary: The golem workshop”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #209 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 89–90.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ed Greenwood, The Hooded One (2010-08-01). Questions for Ed Greenwood (2010). Candlekeep Forum. Retrieved on 2023-08-15.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Stephen Inniss (May 1985). “Sticks, stones, and bones”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #97 (TSR, Inc.), p. 15.
- ↑ Shlump Da Orc (April 1978). “How Heavy Is My Giant”. In Timothy J. Kask ed. Dragon #13 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 5–7.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 Cryptic Studios (June 2013). Neverwinter. Perfect World Entertainment.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Ed Greenwood (July 1995). Volo's Guide to Cormyr. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 156. ISBN 0-7869-0151-9.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (April 2001–May 2003). Elminster Speaks archive (Zipped PDF). Elminster Speaks. Wizards of the Coast. pp. 73–74. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (2002-12-25). Part #57: Khôltar, Part 8, A First Look at Handrornlar. Elminster Speaks. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2017-10-28.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (September 2002). “Elminster's Guide to the Realms: Moon Mountain Brewery”. In Jesse Decker ed. Dragon #299 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 80.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 87. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 142. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 146. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), pp. 16, 28. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
- ↑ Dave Rosene (June 1985). “Knowing what's in store”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #98 (TSR, Inc.), p. 32.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 39. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur (1993). Al-Qadim: Assassin Mountain: Holy Slayer Sourcebook. (TSR, Inc), p. 4. ISBN 1-56076-764-X.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (December 1985). “The Ecology of the Ochre Jelly”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #104 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 33–36.