Today we’ll be showcasing a review of the tabletop RPG candles produced by our friends at Cantrip Candles.  Check out the video and read on for our full review and all of our debriefing thoughts after a few hours of candle burn time sampling.

Written Review – Introduction

I’m not a “candle guy.” I don’t know that I can remember the last time I purchased one for my home, but I really appreciate fantastic game ambiance, and I love adding high-quality items to my game to really up the feel. These do a great job at doing that for a D&D game.

I got to know Christoff, the creator of Cantrip Candles, through our recent Ultimate D&D bundle giveaway. I liked the idea of his products right away, and then when I read his story on his about page, In addition to contributing a prize to the contest, he sent over a sampler pack of their fragrances for me to review.  I lead with this information because if I was in the readers seat I’d be asking… OK… so these guys have collaborated on a project… can he really leave an honest review?  If he didn’t like these things would he say it?  My answer is yes. I want you to know that my commitment to having integrity on these posts is my priority.  I would rather lose a relationship with a potential partner than be dishonest with you about what I really believe. 

Cantrip Candles

Black Hound Tavern Dual-Wick 32 Oz Candle w/ Sunken Metal D20

Cantrip Candles – copy

Black Hound Tavern 6 Oz Candle

Cantrip Candles – copy

Cantrip Candles RPG Themed Matches

Initial Impressions & Unboxing

The 16 Ounce Dual Wick candle was shipped in a well-fitting box, well-padded to keep the glass from breaking.  The unboxing experience was pleasant.  There was a brown kind of parchment that included descriptions of their other scents included.  The candle itself feels well made. The labels adhere nicely and are of good quality

I was tickled to learn that there was a sunken D20 inside the wax of the product itself.  This is such a nice touch.

The candles burned nicely.  I learned that these Soy based candles are apparently hands down the quality material to go for over something  like paraffin. Here’s a how stuff works article on the topic, but just google “are soy candles better” and you’ll see a plethora of ways that describe the advantages of soy as a candle base.  Some of the top points are that it is natural, burns cleaner, and spills clean easier.

Candle Scent Samplings

I tried seven different scents out of the sampler pack. Overall I would say that all of the scents were good quality, and ft a variety of palettes.  For example, through this test I learned that personally I tend to like the muskier smells more than the fruitier ones. Here are the scents I sampled and my own, subjective thoughts on each.

Black Hound Tavern

I’m actually surprised to say that I like this one a lot.  I didn’t think I’d like a “tavern” smell. It reminds me of wood… kind of that nice smell of a wooden structure or old building.  Very slightly sweet smell to it…. A 2 out of 10 on the sweetness scale… Which is a good thing in this case. (Personal Taste Score 5/5)

Sweet Fig Farmhouse

A nice, robust smell. (Personal Taste Score (3.5/5)

Adventurers Bounty

Bright sweet smell.  I like this as it adds variety to the others, but I find myself liking it less because the scent is a bit more mainstream and a bit less, “dungeony.” (Personal Taste Score 2.5/5)

Scarborough Faire

Didn’t like it.  More of a traditional pretty candle smell.  A bit “fru–fru-y” and smells a bit like soap on my palette. (Personal Score 2/5)

Sanctuary

Similar to the Scarborough faire for me in that it seemed a little soapy smelling on my palette. (Personal Taste Score 2/5)

Den Of Thieves

My 2^nd Favorite overall. Nice, musky.  The kind of scent that I would like adding immersion at my table. (Personal Taste Score 4.5/5)

Dungeon Depths

Light scent. Musky and not too sweet.  Good candle if you want to add a nice element but don’t want too strong of a scent.

In Summary

With the above scores I can say that I don’t know that I’d be a fan of owning anything and everything Cantrip Candles ever made, because some of the scents are just not my cup of tea.  However I think that it is good that way.  They have done a smart move in creating this sampler pack so that you can experience all of their scents first hand before you commit to buying a larger candle.

Verdict

A game that is experienced with the senses is an elevated one. A good candle can really help set the mood and tone of your game and help provide an over the top experience for your players.  If you are looking for a good candle for your game, I honestly think the best ones to be found are made at Cantrip Candles.  While all of their scents are good quality, each scent may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Get a sampler pack, try out some scents, and then see if going for one of the big daddy 16 ounce dual wick bad boys will be your next move.