blackshirt5
First Post
Thank you. You've just given me the scientific explanation I needed for when I run my heavily modified world of darkness game, Angcuru.
Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, & Scorpion Bombs
jgbrowning
Hero
Skarp Hedin said:
I'll have to look for it. Right now I'm reading Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900. Interesting book as well...
joe b.
Skarp Hedin
First Post
Well, a scorpion bomb is pretty much what you'd expect -- stuff a bunch of scorpions in a sealed pot and chuck it at people you don't like.
There's not a whole lot about the ingredients in Greek Fire, since the recipe's lost and there's already endless speculation as to the composition. The author does talk a bit about the delivery system, which was a fairly complex set-up of tubes and boilers, and of course does mention the fact that it keeps burning underwater.
There's also a lot about naphtha, which I'd say is closer to D&D's alchemist's fire. It burns, but you can put it out with some effort. There's also a fair bit about poisons, including a description of how to make scythicon, an arrow venom used by the Scythians.
One bit that I thought was interesting was a concept of a double-pointed arrow, where the secondary point is only loosely attached to the arrow, so that it'll break off in the wound -- put some poison of some sort on that, and you've a good chance of inflicting an unpleasant, highly infection-prone wound. Difficult to heal, and the secondary point was hard to get out with an arrow-spoon -- especially for a rushed battlefield doctor.
There's not a whole lot about the ingredients in Greek Fire, since the recipe's lost and there's already endless speculation as to the composition. The author does talk a bit about the delivery system, which was a fairly complex set-up of tubes and boilers, and of course does mention the fact that it keeps burning underwater.
There's also a lot about naphtha, which I'd say is closer to D&D's alchemist's fire. It burns, but you can put it out with some effort. There's also a fair bit about poisons, including a description of how to make scythicon, an arrow venom used by the Scythians.
One bit that I thought was interesting was a concept of a double-pointed arrow, where the secondary point is only loosely attached to the arrow, so that it'll break off in the wound -- put some poison of some sort on that, and you've a good chance of inflicting an unpleasant, highly infection-prone wound. Difficult to heal, and the secondary point was hard to get out with an arrow-spoon -- especially for a rushed battlefield doctor.
Tom Cashel
First Post
Ever check out the old Haunted Halls of Eveningstar module for FR? The upper hall was a kobold stronghold, and they'd drop barrels of oil or scorpions on you if you tried to scale the shafts that led up to their fortress.
Quite well done, and lots of room left for the DM to flesh it out. I recommend the .pdf.
Quite well done, and lots of room left for the DM to flesh it out. I recommend the .pdf.
