A virtual torch timer for Shadowdark.
Built by Reese.
- Up to four torch timers with animated visual effects
- Standard durations from ten minutes to two hours, plus custom overrides
- Pause, reset, fast-forward ("Pass Time"), and add time
- Batch operations allow multiple torches to be updated simultaneously
- Per-torch flame color customization
- Share current state via URL, with a QR code display for a streamlined mobile experience (keep track of your torches by scanning the code with your phone!)
- Go Live: the GM or "Torchbearer" shares a live link; players can watch the
torches update in real time
- Lost your connection? Torchtimer will try to reconnect to the synchronization service
- Toggle procedurally-generated torch sounds (thus streaming-friendly with no attribution requirement along with showing the app itself)
- Light and dark themes, plus dungeon mode
- Going live is not required for sharing a "snapshot" since the data is all in
the URL
- The timing will be approximately correct no matter when somebody copy-pastes an "offline" link
- No tracking BS
- Torch labels and colors aren't transferred over live sessions, but through
data in the URL
- Why not labels? This is a small community-driven project that can't afford the liability of people transferring sensitive information; but sharing a link using someone else's server is definitely not our problem
- And why not colors? Those connected to a live session should have control over the colors after initially copy-pasting the link
- Workaround: copy-paste a fresh live link into a new tab or window to keep labels and colors updated from the Torchbearer
- No instant push updates or notifications to keep project complexity minimal; polling works well enough
Refer to CONTRIBUTING.md for information about contributions, development, and deployment.
- lz-string by Pieroxy — MIT License
- QR Code generator library by Project Nayuki — MIT License
Copyright (c) 2026 Reese Schultz
All contributions to this repository are licensed under MIT.
A Lodes & Lanterns project.
Lodes & Lanterns is not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library, LLC.