Sparta Kerleon
First Post
The following was inspired by a snippet in this thread: specifically, this post, quoted below in its entirety.
So of course I thought to myself, "Hmm, what kind of sound could result in a warring states period?" And, er, this immediately presented itself. Unfortunately it's incompatible with the remainder of the thread. (Oh well.) But it's scary enough that I had to share. Tweaks to the mechanics or their results to make it more 'realistic' (whatever that means) would be appreciated.
This is intended as a plot device, áe; la Eberron's eldritch machines, and not an actual player-usable or rules-constructable magical item. Its effects will have an absolutely monstrous effect on, well, the entire campaign world, unless you're playing something like Spelljammer or Planescape.
So, a fantasy post-apocalyptic setting, anyone?
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Concussion Bombs
The general name for sonic-elemental weaponry, from ordinary thunderstones up to the dreaded concussion bombs, is 'fulminic explosive': this dates from the days when the elemental energies were less-well understood, and sonic energy was thought to be more closely associated with electricity.
...
The full effects of a concussion bomb are many and varied, depending on the size of the bomb and exactly what happens to be in the blast range. However, a partial description from which further effects may be extrapolated is given below.
A basic sonic bomb of the sort that was deployed at Kalaseth can be taken to do arbitrarily large sonic damage within 1000 feet of the blast: anything physical or pseudophysical is vaporized and dispersed. At about 1000 feet, the compression barrier is finally slowed to about the speed of sound, and becomes a proper compression wave, transitioning from 'hypersonic energy' to ordinary sonic energy. As a rough approximation, between 1000 feet and one mile the wave may be taken to do 1000d8 damage, which is closely similar to the above. Out to ten miles, the compression wave does 100d8 damage. Out to 100 miles, 10d8 damage. Out to 500 miles, 1d8 damage. Out to 1000 miles, 1d4 damage. All damage dealt by the bomb ignores hardness completely and affects crystalline objects and creatures doubly.
The bare numbers do not describe its effects very well, however.
The above only describes the first-order damage: there is a further backblast, as air rushes in to the evacuated areas, but this is comparatively mild except near the center, where no one will notice. Weather patterns are globally disrupted for years; resultant earthquakes and reawakening of dormant volcanoes also continues on much the same timescale. If an ocean is within the hundred-mile radius, worldwide tsunamis are almost guaranteed, as water -- being largely incompressible -- turns the compression wave into a true concussion wave, wiping out coastal towns and underwater civilizations alike.
Hypothetically, creatures and objects standing at or near ground zero who are immune to sonic damage, or simply immune to damage entirely, will still survive the blast. However, they are likely to be thrown into a solid surface by the rapidly expanding compression barrier, which at this point is actually traveling faster than the standard speed of sound. If a sonic-immune creature is particularly lucky, the compression barrier may pass it up, rendering the solid objects ahead into dust: however, the low air pressure in the barrier's interior may produce suffocation damage, and when the creature or object lands it will have to contend with exaggerated falling damage, choking dust, and possibly permanent deafness.
A small number of mages and psions, whether somehow forewarned or merely fortunate, escaped the blast at Kalaseth by being in the Ethereal Plane at the tume of its passage. From this it is known that ethereal beings are not affected from 200 miles and outward; it is probable, but unconfirmed, that an ethereal creature would be able to observe from ground zero unharmed.
Doug McCrae said:
So of course I thought to myself, "Hmm, what kind of sound could result in a warring states period?" And, er, this immediately presented itself. Unfortunately it's incompatible with the remainder of the thread. (Oh well.) But it's scary enough that I had to share. Tweaks to the mechanics or their results to make it more 'realistic' (whatever that means) would be appreciated.
This is intended as a plot device, áe; la Eberron's eldritch machines, and not an actual player-usable or rules-constructable magical item. Its effects will have an absolutely monstrous effect on, well, the entire campaign world, unless you're playing something like Spelljammer or Planescape.
So, a fantasy post-apocalyptic setting, anyone?
--------------------------------------------------
Concussion Bombs
The general name for sonic-elemental weaponry, from ordinary thunderstones up to the dreaded concussion bombs, is 'fulminic explosive': this dates from the days when the elemental energies were less-well understood, and sonic energy was thought to be more closely associated with electricity.
...
The full effects of a concussion bomb are many and varied, depending on the size of the bomb and exactly what happens to be in the blast range. However, a partial description from which further effects may be extrapolated is given below.
A basic sonic bomb of the sort that was deployed at Kalaseth can be taken to do arbitrarily large sonic damage within 1000 feet of the blast: anything physical or pseudophysical is vaporized and dispersed. At about 1000 feet, the compression barrier is finally slowed to about the speed of sound, and becomes a proper compression wave, transitioning from 'hypersonic energy' to ordinary sonic energy. As a rough approximation, between 1000 feet and one mile the wave may be taken to do 1000d8 damage, which is closely similar to the above. Out to ten miles, the compression wave does 100d8 damage. Out to 100 miles, 10d8 damage. Out to 500 miles, 1d8 damage. Out to 1000 miles, 1d4 damage. All damage dealt by the bomb ignores hardness completely and affects crystalline objects and creatures doubly.
The bare numbers do not describe its effects very well, however.
- Within the thousand-foot radius, nothing exists in solid form any longer: a sphere of effective vacuum forms centered at ground zero.
- To the one-mile radius, all manmade structures are pulverized and thereafter vaporized. Everything is crushed into dust or mud, depending on water content. The atmosphere is rarefied: almost evacuated. Underground structures are collapsed, and their interiors suffer much the same fate.
- To the ten-mile radius, some structures may still be partially recognizable, and the remains of people begin to be differentiable, as person-shaped stains against the rubble. The air pressure is low, but would not be unbreathable, if there were anything to breathe it.
- To the hundred-mile radius, many stone structures still stand, bowed and broken, but unbent. The origins of most detritus is now recognizable; the individual pieces of affected objects are typically larger, 'shattered' rather than 'pulverized'. The air pressure is still a bit light. Some very strong, or very lucky, people survived the Kalaseth blast in this range (although none ever recovered their hearing).
- To the five-hundred-mile radius, the effects are not dissimilar from a bad hurricane, and many if not most people survive. However, children and small animals will likely be killed; crops are all ruined, fences blown down, and no structure does not require repair. Permanent hearing damage still occurs intermittently.
- To the thousand-mile radius, there are few deaths; natural storms occur that do worse damage, if not in so large an area. Crops are still likely ruined, however.
The above only describes the first-order damage: there is a further backblast, as air rushes in to the evacuated areas, but this is comparatively mild except near the center, where no one will notice. Weather patterns are globally disrupted for years; resultant earthquakes and reawakening of dormant volcanoes also continues on much the same timescale. If an ocean is within the hundred-mile radius, worldwide tsunamis are almost guaranteed, as water -- being largely incompressible -- turns the compression wave into a true concussion wave, wiping out coastal towns and underwater civilizations alike.
Hypothetically, creatures and objects standing at or near ground zero who are immune to sonic damage, or simply immune to damage entirely, will still survive the blast. However, they are likely to be thrown into a solid surface by the rapidly expanding compression barrier, which at this point is actually traveling faster than the standard speed of sound. If a sonic-immune creature is particularly lucky, the compression barrier may pass it up, rendering the solid objects ahead into dust: however, the low air pressure in the barrier's interior may produce suffocation damage, and when the creature or object lands it will have to contend with exaggerated falling damage, choking dust, and possibly permanent deafness.
A small number of mages and psions, whether somehow forewarned or merely fortunate, escaped the blast at Kalaseth by being in the Ethereal Plane at the tume of its passage. From this it is known that ethereal beings are not affected from 200 miles and outward; it is probable, but unconfirmed, that an ethereal creature would be able to observe from ground zero unharmed.
