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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizO_Siani" data-source="post: 2565180">Pistols and clockwork and stuffHiya gangRight... I've been going over a lot of stuff in the setting of late. Since Ford Keep became known as a port town we have seen pirates and buccaneers and privateers galore, and this is a good things in my opinion. ((MY love of things piratical has nothing to do with this, nope, not one bit <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> ))This has caused a lot of thought of late....we have some colorful scalawags in the ol' 'Roads of late. One subject, sorely debated over the years, is firearms. Guns. Prepare to revisit said argument from a setting operational point of view.Gunpowder, smokepowder, flashpowder, what have you, does not work on Oerth. Gunpowder and things that use them are forbidden to the denizens of Oerth. Many of you have gritted their teeth at me over this more than once, but there it is.However.Clockwork weapons using a spring to fire a thunderstone are not. Bulky, finicky, exceptionally expensive (think castle values here), and hard to provide anything as 'ammo' that does much. Can't use glass balls...they break when the spring plate hits them. Could use iron or similar metals...but they are heavy and a spring, no matter how ingenious, doesn't have the driving force of gunpowder. But a thunderstone...small, rounded piece of stone.....that's different. Very short ranged....time consuming to use more than three times in a minute....if you are good. Magic is still faster, more powerful and has greater range.So why bother?Pirate/Privateer/Naval vessels with giant crossbows leave a lot of people cold. As does the swaggering pirate with three brace of...hand crossbows? Something odd with this image.Rules approved for general use in the default setting of Greyhawk are present...though in cannon form.....a 1200 pound cannon. LOL But I think we might try these thunderstone weapons for those of you with swashbuckling types. Sonic stunning effects are nice for incapacitating someone for the old sword or dagger. I understand some people will decide these are license to have gunpowder and do all manner of odd things. I also understand that most people have unlimited funds. But I think we might give these a try. For those of you who follow settings closely, they are very short ranged....40' max. Double the normal useful range.....very hard to find...currently only one person makes them....a Dwur named Stoner Hammerhand.....Hammerhand Arms.... and hideously expensive. Finally, finicky. Misfires happen...stuff is new. For the rest......shooting up the Tavern will get a body a fast trip into the river. Remember, they aren't bullets...just small stones that do sonic damage and deafen people like any close clap of thunder can do. *grins* Lest we think we can deafen the entire room....recall that no one is required to respond to any particular action, and there might, just could be, a dampening effect in place for just such an occasion. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Seriously though, those of you who wish to give such things a try feel free. If you don't, no big deal. If they become entirely too disruptive then we'll revisit the idea, but I don't really expect things to be a problem once the initial fashion statement is over.Yeah, the Calendar. I'll try to get that up by Monday. I know, I know, I'm behind.Mazithra...I'll probably contact you on text stuff before long. Thanks for volunteering.There may well be something more coming shortly. Have fun guys, and enjoy the setting.Siani</blockquote>

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