Edifying Lamp, A System-Agnostic Magic Item

Edifying Lamp

Description:  A small lamp made of delicate brass filigree with lenticular panels of some strange iridescent resin.  It emits a faint odor of lamp oil despite lacking any obvious fuel reservoir.  An obvious command word (often simply "light") is worked into the pattern of the filigree.  Basic magical senses reveal a mild aura of divination magic, while more advanced techniques reveal the powers below in some detail.

Powers:  An Edifying Lamp sheds a golden light on command of any creature touching it.  It starts as just a dim spark, then a feeble candle's glow, and brightens to reach full brilliance in about a minute.  This magical light lasts indefinitely but moving the lamp in any way immediately extinguishes it.  The lamp sheds light but no heat and cannot start a fire.

Any form of mundane written information illuminated by the item will be intelligible to all viewers, although magical writings are not translated at all.  Extremely complex or alien writings may be difficult to fully grasp, and truly incomprehensible concepts will be assigned a consistent nonsense word (such as "dexitroboping") for all readers, because those Arisians really know their stuff.   Non-magical cyphers will still require time, effort, and an appropriate skill or stat check to work through, although the lantern's light will allow you to roll twice and take the better result.

Possible Origins:  These items are crafted by artificer-sages for their own uses, although they can sometimes be tempted to exchange one for rare books or other items of interest to their current studies.  Ancient lamps also turn up in monstrous treasure hoards or the ruins of lost kingdoms, and so find their way into the hands of adventurers.

Complications:  While lit (even while still brightening) creatures within its light can only speak in a whisper.  Attempts to cast magic requiring vocalization will fail 25% of the time, and bardic songs and similar "sonic" attacks or effects automatically fail.  Sounds not directly produced by a creature's voicebox are unaffected, so (for example) one can still play a musical instrument or clap one's hands normally.

Unlike many magical items, Edifying Lamps are not especially durable, and even minor damage to the lenses or filigree will ruin its magic forever.

Design Commentary:  A magical light source that translates books, can't start fires, and makes everyone in the vicinity keep their voices down.  In a really high fantasy setting larger libraries might even be entirely lit by these things.  Adventurers will doubtless find more practical uses for them, such as lighting underwater caverns, fighting monsters with sonic attacks, or nearly silencing calls for help.