alchemists ballista bolt

In the 3e Arms and Equipment guide they have an item called an
alchemists arrow (though I think they could be used with crossbows too).
Its an arrow filled with alchemist's fire, a substance that ignites on
exposure to air and burns for another round after the first.
So this got me thinking, someone should make one of these, but supersize
it for a ballista.  But hey lets not stop there!  I propses using a mix
of primarily greek fire, some pitch, maybe some tar oil, and only a
relativelz small amount of alchemists fire to get the thing ignited.
The other stuff will burn longer and hotter and thus do more damage.
But wait thats not all!
Next we put a ball of gunpowder on the end (not the point that is
hitting the ship), so when the thing breaks the gunpowder gets ignited
and blows up.  The reason its on the end is so that the explosion blasts
all the burning muck and debree into the ship as opposed to away from
it.
But wait you say even though this thing would be a devastating weapon
especially in the phlogiston, wouldn't it also be near suicide to
transport something like this in the afore mentioned phlogiston?  Of
course it would be dangerous if you just had them sitting around next to
your stores of smokepowder.  But they can be stored completely submerged
in big boxes full of water (hereafter aquatic lockers).  The aquatic
lockers prevent any air from reaching the bolts so even in the event
that one does break the alchemists fire won't explode because its in
water not air, the bolts are airtight since they contain the alchemists
fire, so they are obviously watertight then as well and thus won't be
damaged from being in water.  If that was a problem they could also just
have a coating of wax, fat, or crisco.
When opening a locker just check for an oil slick on the surface,
hopefully non of the alchemists fire has leaked, but even if it has its
not really a problem* because the flame will be small and confined to
the surface of your small pond.
Make sure not to drop them while loading and they should be quite delightful weapons.
*that is unless its in the phlogiston in which case you're screwed.


Proverb:  Give a man a fire and he will be warm for a day.  Light a man
on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.



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