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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ancalagon" data-source="post: 8096524" data-attributes="member: 23">I will gladly explain this to you.  If you put a pile (say a pound) of black powder and set it on the ground, and set it aflame.  It will burn, rather quickly, but will take a few seconds to do so.  Release a lot of energy, a lot of smoke.  Why, if I take the same amount of black powder, put it inside a strong container (making a pipe bomb basically), is that black powder now so much more violent and dangerous?  The amount of energy is similar... It's because of speed.  When black powder is loose on the ground, the heat and pressure is lost to the environment.  When it is confined, like inside a cannon, the heat and pressure increases fast - and the hotter/more pressure there is on black powder, the faster it burns!  So all the energy is released a lot faster, resulting in far more destructive results.In this case, note how you say injured or maimed - fatalities are rare.  It's because the range is so close - often direct contact, and the damage is lower - a d4, a d6?   Of course a barrel would do more damage than a firecracker!   But not an astounding amount.  I suggested 4d6, for example, which will kill normal human beings unless they are quite lucky or far away.</blockquote>