D&D General Physics of Sonic/Thunder Energy Type

[Cadence]

Thinking through the various energy types, I'm flummoxed a bit by the sonic energy type and my courses in physics 32+ years ago aren't helping.

Is it the shock-wave from kt? Is that different than what comes from an earthquake? How does that different than the force type? Is it finding the right frequency (apparently a bunch simultaneously) to shatter things? Is it just something else thrown in because Banshee and Black Canary are in the comics and the horn of blasting being inspired by taking down Jericho in the Bible?

Help. Thanks!

 

[jasper]

You must be sick if you trying to apply PHYSICS to D&D. I gave up on that ideas over 32 years ago. And Halo was not invented 32 years ago so there were no Banshees. evil grin.

 

[Cadence]

You must be sick if you trying to apply PHYSICS to D&D.

I don't even need real physics...

I gave up on that ideas over 32 years ago. And Halo was not invented 32 years ago so there were no Banshees. evil grin.

Also, (going on what my son likes) I should be pushing for the martials to have a Master Chief subclass...

 

[jasper]

I don't even need real physics...



Also, (going on what my son likes) I should be pushing for the martials to have a Master Chief subclass...

Those will be great subclass. If you are Master Chief you can only speak what 6 or 7 times a session.

 

[Vaalingrade]

It's resonance, like a singer breaking a glass with their voice.

So yes, Black Canary. Less Banshee, as he directs kinetic energy with his voice in modern comics.

 

[Cadence]

It's resonance, like a singer breaking a glass with their voice.

So yes, Black Canary. Less Banshee, as he directs kinetic energy with his voice in modern comics.

Resonance of what? Does it affect undead, living matter, armor, and/or doors?

If all of that, that's fine, but is that basically like Banshee?

 

[Cadence]

Those will be great subclass. If you are Master Chief you can only speak what 6 or 7 times a session.

Just passing along with that my teenage son got a huge smile and nodded when I read that to him.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Resonance of what? Does it affect undead, living matter, armor, and/or doors?

Yes.

You tune it to what you're targeting.

If all of that, that's fine, but is that basically like Banshee?

Not really, still. He's... weird. A lot of classic X-men have had their powers tragically over-written over the years.

Think more Cyborg. He's got onboard sensors that change the frequency of his sonic cannon to what he's targeting and to be non-lethal against people.

 

[Cadence]

Yes.

You tune it to what you're targeting.

I kind of really like that (at first blush anyway).

Soz horn of sonic blasting could leave a bunch of suits of armor full of troops with liquid bones?

I am now picturing the gelatinous cube jiggling like jello cubes. Does jello have a resonant frequency? (Is there anything that doesn't, does paper? skin? Ack, do I need to Google it.)

 

[CleverNickName]

I don't know if it helps you or not, but here's how my brain unpacks them.

Force is the push or pull effect that one object produces on another object. It's measured in Newtons, and 1 N = 1kg ^. m/s². It's very needy...it needs mass, distance, and acceleration...if you're missing one of those, you don't have Force, you have...something else.

Energy is a measure of the work done when an object moves. It's measured in Joules, and 1 J = 1kg ^. m²/s^-2. See how you're squaring the meter in the units? That's because you're multiplying a force (in Newtons) by distance (in meters), thus squaring the meter. It's slightly more complicated than this, but work with me here.

TL;DR: Force makes Energy when it moves something.

That resonant frequency that people are talking about upthread is the rapid vibration of molecules (tiny mass, tiny distances, but they add up in a hurry)...when you get one end of an object to move in a different direction as its other end, and get it to move far enough, the object will break down.

Speaking of breaking down:

All of this falls apart in D&D because you can create work without using energy, and you can create energy without mass or displacement. That's the magic of...well, magic. It's why an arrow will never be the same as a firebolt, and why the world's most highly-skilled swordsman can never be as dangerous as a first-year Hogwarts student, and we will forever be arguing about Fighters vs. Wizards. We've seen crossbow bolts and swords, but nobody's ever seen magic. Physics goes out the window, and everything scales to infinity.

This image doesn't really help explain anything; I just thought it was worth a chuckle.