Types of powder for blowguns?

[Flyndaran]

What would be realistic for such mouth pipes?
What game effects would simple things like powdered glass, or other low tech irritant have?

And for the heck of it, what kind of cinematic powders would fit thematically?

[Purple Haze]

Blowguns fire darts.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Purple Haze

Blowguns fire darts.

And spikes, bullets, and powders if optimized for them.

[The Colonel]

I think the Japanese ones (Fukuyia?) used something pepper based ... I guess we use the stats for pepper spray (?from High Tech wasn't it?) for those.

The other famous 'powder in your face' would be the tetrodotoxin based powder allegedly used by bokors to zombify people. In a realistic campaign this is a mix of tetrodotoxin and a dissociative like datura. You might also be able to concieve of a halluciongen based on wheat ergot or the like. Obviously ninja could rustle something up from fugu...

Apart from that, I don't know ... it's not an entirely safe way to deliver an inhaled powder to be honest...

[DanHoward]

Powdered lacquer and lime are both in Low-Tech (pp.129-130). Both have been used historically in combat.

[ed_209a]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Apart from that, I don't know ... it's not an entirely safe way to deliver an inhaled powder to be honest...

I wonder if the powder would have been be loaded in the blowgun in a loosely folded packet rather than just dumping it in the tube and hoping for the best. At least that way you could move around with a loaded weapon. I think it would be safer to use too.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

Powdered lacquer and lime are both in Low-Tech (pp.129-130). Both have been used historically in combat.

The effects look nice for combat, but Ht, and Ht+4 to resist? That does not seem very useful. Eh, I guess realism rears its ugly head.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

The effects look nice for combat, but Ht, and Ht+4 to resist? That does not seem very useful. Eh, I guess realism rears its ugly head.

Yeah, short range and pretty much have to hit the face and hope some of it gets in the eyes fro a lot of mixes. Its more a surprise then a very effective weapon with most combos. And again you have blowback risks, what if its a windy day?

[Bruno]

It's basically a Dirty Trick (p405) that you carry in your pocket, and may only be a little more (or less!) effective than throwing sand in your opponents eyes - the trick is that you surprise them (if not Surprise them). It's pretty easy to argue under the right circumstances that even without a successful physical effect, you could resolve it as per the Dirty Trick sidebar and success gets you a small penalty on the opponents actions (attacks and/or defenses) as he flinches and throws off his timing or looses an opportunity.

As noted in the Dirty Trick side bar, if this sort of thing worked every time, warriors would carry [blowpipes with powder] to battle instead of swords ;)

[Flyndaran]

High tech only lists pepper liquid. I know I've seen it in powder form in real life.
I also wonder how difficult it would be to create with lower tech.