D&D General If you could put D&D into any other non middle ages genre, what would it be?

Derren · Jun 28, 2019

Tony Vargas said:
I don't think that'd be too much of an issue: there're plenty of incendiary options in the Age of Sail, already... I mean, fireships were a thing.

Fireships were used used to drive apart formations and to attack ports. But their effectiveness as a weapon was quite low.
Alchemist fire on the other hand was devastating in naval combat when Byzantium used it. If the knowledge of how to make it had spread instead of going under with them naval warfare would have looked very differently.

Tony Vargas · Jun 28, 2019

Derren said:
Fireships were used used to drive apart formations and to attack ports. But their effectiveness as a weapon was quite low....Alchemist fire on the other hand was devastating in naval combat when Byzantium used it.

The other side didn't have cannon. If they had, it'd've been about as effective as a fireship.

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 28, 2019

Tony Vargas said:
Combine too much logic with D&D magic, and it will scuttle(pi) any period, genre, or setting. At the root of it, n/day is a meaningful limitation only to adventurers raiding under time pressure, but to a society with years to accomplish projects or build up war materials, it's a superabundance of magic.

Which is why, as I admitted, even though I can follow the logical trails, I don’t often do so.

Except when I want to.

I don't think that'd be too much of an issue: there're plenty of incendiary options in the Age of Sail, already... I mean, fireships were a thing.

The fire options in D&D are far more plentiful and concealable.

Do you recall how I said Shrink Item was a must-have for saboteurs? The reason: in the spell’s description, it specifically points out, “Even a burning fire and its fuel can be shrunk by this spell.” and it’s duration is 1 day/per level- minimum 6 days since it’s a 3rd level spell. IOW, someone could be walking around with a small bag full of fires ready to be set. Add Grease spells to your daily allotment of casting and you could have a ship’s deck fully engulfed in seconds. Tossing an Itemized fire or fires into the powder room- warding magic aside, of course- could be disastrous.

Wands of Flame Arrow, Fireball? Casting Flaming Sphere or Scorching Ray? Summoned fire elementals that you don’t even have to control? Using magic to become a red dragon? Or a sorcerer of draconic heritage breathing fire left and right?

A single determined pyro spellcaster could “Pearl Harbor” a fleet, and he might not trigger any warning bells until he started.

Derren · Jun 28, 2019

Tony Vargas said:
The other side didn't have cannon. If they had, it'd've been about as effective as a fireship.

Which other side?
Of course the other side had cannons during the age of sail. Not that they were needed against fire ships, you just needed to have a little foresight from where they might come from. Although in D&D they would be more dangerous if some fire immune person could continue to steer them. But that is a rather inefficient use of magic.

The Byzantines didn't use fire ships. They used ships armed with flamethrowers and no cannon could match that, even very deep into the age of sail except in perfect conditions.

Tony Vargas · Jun 28, 2019

Derren said:
The Byzantines used ships armed with flamethrowers and no cannon could match that, even very deep into the age of sail except in perfect conditions.

Cannon have a significant range advantage over squirting incendiaries at the other guy.

Derren · Jun 28, 2019

Tony Vargas said:
Cannon have a significant range advantage over squirting incendiaries at the other guy.

No.
While the maximum range of a cannon was about 3 miles, the effective range of them was much lower, a few hundred yards. You get a few shots off, but eventually you are in range of the projectors unless you had the weather gage, especially as cannons weren't that devastating either unless raking and had a long reload. If low range really were an issue, carronades would have never been invented and no one ever had used double shot.
Also, greek fire was also used in grenade form with a bit longer range than projectors.

Tony Vargas · Jun 28, 2019

Derren said:
No.
While the maximum range of a cannon was about 3 miles, the effective range of them was much lower, a few hundred yards.

To clarify: Byzantine 'flame throwers' did not have a range anywhere near 100 yards, so by "No." You mean, "Yes, but..."

You get a few shots off, but eventually you are in range of the projectors unless you had the weather gage, especially as cannons weren't that devastating either unless raking and had a long reload. If low range really were an issue, carronades would have never been invented and no one ever had used double shot.

I suspect carronades'd've had quite the range advantage over said flamethrowers, as well. And that a ship carrying a lot of alchemist fire would be in a lot of trouble if it's projector were hit by a cannon or peppered with grape shot.

But, it's quite correct that age of sail battles could go to short ranges, including boarding. And that incendiaries were used quite a bit, and didn't obviate other weapons & tactics.

I just can't see the impact being that great.

Now, D&D fireballs OTOH...

Beleriphon · Jun 28, 2019

Tony Vargas said:
Now, D&D fireballs OTOH...

Why use chain shot when a fireball will destroy any rigging? I assume that's what you're going for, I'm not sure a fireball would quite be enough to set a ship of the line on fire, but it should be enough to render it completely immobile.

No just imagine if Edward Teach were actually a beholder or a mind flayer. Instead of Blackbeard we get Tentacle Face. He's like Pirates of the Caribbean's Davey Jones, but with psychic powers in addition to a squiggly chin. Yarr!

Tony Vargas · Jun 28, 2019

Beleriphon said:
Why use chain shot when a fireball will destroy any rigging? I assume that's what you're going for, I'm not sure a fireball would quite be enough to set a ship of the line on fire, but it should be enough to render it completely immobile.

Yep, I was thinking of the effect on rigging. Just, a 20' diameter ball of fire that burns /everything/ it touches. A bomb is not so thorough.

Click to expand...

The Crimson Binome · Jun 28, 2019

If I could move D&D into another setting, I would choose the Algol system.

Sometimes I just want to hack at evil robots with my laser sword, while traversing a dungeon, in search of cake.

D&D General If you could put D&D into any other non middle ages genre, what would it be?

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