Re: Submission: Ship's Blunderbuss

>From: "Rian A. McMurtry"
>
>Cost: 2000 gp
>Range:  0*
>Damage:  3d4 hit points
>             0 hull points
>Crew:  1
>ROF 1/3
>THAC0 19
>Critical Hit:  No chance
>Range in close combat:  5/10/15
>
>A ship's blunderbuss is sometimes called a rail cannon--it is an oversized
>normal blunderbuss mounted on the railing of a ship and used to mow down
>enemy crew.  It's effective range is 0 because any greater distance results
>in the ammunition being too spread out to be effective.  The ship's
>blunderbuss inflicts d4 attacks on d4 targets at  close range, d3 attacks
>on
>d6 targets at medium range, and d3-1 attacks on any targets within a 5'
>radius at long range.
>

Nothing new under the sun .. This device was called a swivel gun, used by
17th to 19th century navies. It had more range than you give it credit for.
A swivel gun loaded with grapeshot was able to fire from the mainmast crow's
nest down to an enemy ship's quarterdeck with good effect. They also fired
solid shot (about 1 pound, as far as I have been able to tell).

Jim C

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