Re: alchemists ballista bolt

Heya,

In our last episode, Sam C. said:
>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!

        Um, "alcmemist's fire" *is* greek fire without the word "Greek" in
it and with a slightly simpler game mechanic (e.g. igniting in air).  And,
greek/alchemist's fire already has things like pitch and tar oil in it.

>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.

        Gunpowder is silly, since concussive blasts from the relatively weak
explosions will do effectively nothing that the greek/alchemist's fire
already won't, especially against ship hulls.  (Except maybe spread the
greek fire better, in which case the powder would have to be inside the
liquid.  Not a bad idea, really.)
        What you really want is just a big hollow ball filled with alchemist's
fire to use from a catapult.  I think these were already covered in Lost
Ships as a means of delivering toxic payloads (green slime, greek fire,
etc.).

>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.

        Crisco. :)  There's enough oxygen in water to light alchemist's fire,
IMO.  And greek fire was feared because it could continue to burn even in
water.  Put that together, and you've got something that goes boom.  Your
wax/crisco idea is the only way to really seal it.

>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.

        A nice expensive, potentially dangerous to yourself weapon... :)

-Static

--
"It eats you, starting with your bottom."