View Single Post
Old 07-10-2013, 10:38 AM   #147
Icelander
 
Icelander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Explosive sling projectiles

Do the following seem broadly reasonable?

For the concussion grenades, especially, I'm not sure that without wire to wrap around the biconical projectile, the casing is enough to contain the explosion so that you get full effects for the weight. But I just don't know.

Light concussion glans grenade; Dmg 3d cr ex; Weight 0.3 lbs.; Cost $30.

Made by taking the smallest earthenware jar on p. 34 of LT, making it Waterproof for a +1 CF, adding Light Compartmentalisation to represent space for a fuze (+10% Weight, +0.25 CF), making it Rugged for a Weight x1.2 and Cost +1 CF and adding Expensive to to it, +1 CF and Weight 2/3. This yields a container 0.132 lbs. or so which comes to a Cost of $4.25* after I call standardised ovoids x10 in base price compared to any kind of jar the craftsman prefers. Then you add 2 oz. of smokepowder (0.125 lbs. and Cost $25). Round weight up to a nice round 0.3 lbs. for a cork to close it and a bit of waxing, do the same for Cost to $30.

Concussion glans grenade; Dmg 4d cr ex; Weight 0.5 lbs.; Cost $50.

Made by taking the smallest earthenware jar on p. 34 of LT, making it Waterproof for a +1 CF, adding Light Compartmentalisation to represent space for a fuze (+10% Weight, +0.25 CF), making it Rugged (Weight x1.2, +1 CF) and adding Expensive to to it, +1 CF and Weight 2/3. Then you make it Reinforced +100%. This yields a container 0.264 lbs. or so which has a Cost of $5.25. Then you add just around 3.5 oz. of smokepowder (0.22 lbs. and Cost $44). Round weight up to a nice round 0.5 lbs. for a cork to close it plus waxing, do the same for Cost to $50.

The materials for the concussion grenades are denser than typical fired clay, but the shell will inevitably not be perfectly filled and there needs to be a space for the fuze. Even so, the damage and range would be between that of a rock and a fired clay projectile when launched from a sling. I imagine that fired clay ovoids are -1/die damage, but normal range (more aerodynamic than naturally occuring rocks), and these would be -1 per two dice of damage and receive +10% bonus to range.

I'm sure it's possible to make fired clay projectiles of the exact same size, weight and balance for help with training, as long as you embed a bit of lead in them.

Light wire fragmentation grenade; Dmg 2d [1d+1] cr ex; Weight 0.5 lbs.; Cost $60.

This is a light concussion grenade wrapped in 0.2 lbs. of bronze wire to strengthen it and add fragmentation damage. This is priced as 6' 8" of bronze jewelry chain, although the design is obviously different, the price is close enough. It comes to +$26.67, which we round to a neat $30, because **** untidy numbers, and also for the work involved in wrapping it tightly and such.

Glass glans fragmentation grenade; Dmg 3d [1d+1] cr ex; Weight 1 lb; Cost $60

A simple weapon made from an ovoid glass container, the size that in LT can hold a maximum of 14 cubic inches (but designed for less volume than that), with Rugged and Expensive modifiers applied to represent high-quality and good design, as well as another +4 CF** for standardisation and quality control. Comes to 0.384 lbs. of casing, which costs $12. Add 3.5 oz. of smokepowder (0.22 lbs. and $44) and stuff the rest of the volume full of bronze fragmentation material (just under 0.4 lbs., $4).

Wire fragmentation grenade; Dmg 3d [2d] cr ex; Weight 1 lbs.; Cost $120.

This is a larger concussion grenade (the 0.5 lbs. version) tightly wrapped wrapped in 0.5 lbs. of bronze wire. That adds $66.67 to the final cost, which we round to a $70 for aforementioned reasons.

Metal glans grenade; Dmg 4d+2 [1d+1] cr ex; Weight 1 lbs.; Cost $150.

This is an ovoid metal shell filled with 0.5 lbs. of smokepowder ($100). The casing is either local bronze or imported cast-iron cast in two parts, or it is segmented iron meticulously assembled locally, with lead and wax used to solder weak points. In each case, there is a +3 CF, either for rare expertise, foreign imports during wartime or valuable local metal (with local merchants selling it to the PCs at a significant markup). The casing is otherwise treated as a the smallest metal box from LT, with the ovoid shape (and space for a fuze) counting as Heavy Compartmentalising (Weight x1.2, CF +0.5), Rugged (Weight x1.2, +1 CF) and Expensive (Weight x2/3, CF +1). This comes to $45.5 for the casing, which weighs 0.384. We'll assume that we fill the extra space with scraps of bronze and glass shards for extra fragmentation, and round the whole thing to an even $150.

2-lb Metal glans fragmentation grenade; Dmg 4d+2 [2d] cr ex; Weight 2 lbs.; Cost $200.

Using a slightly scaled up case, which adds ca +50% to Weight (0.768 lbs.) and +100% Cost ($91) of the casing, this leaves space for more fragmentation material in addition to the unchanged 0.5 lbs. smokepowder charge ($100), which makes for a much more effective weapon, albeit one harder to launch long distances from a sling. Using glass, ceramic shards and scrap metal (that can't be packed as tightly as purpose-built fragmenting material), this rounds to a nice $200.

2.5-lb Metal glans improved fragmentation grenade; Dmg 4d+2 [2d+2] cr ex; Weight 2.5 lbs.; Cost $225.

The fragmentation part of this weapon is made with pre-cut metal pieces carefully stacked for better use of space inside the shell. This is otherwise very similar to the above weapon and hardly more expensive for the increase in effectiveness. It is, however, heavier.

Glass glans heavy fragmentation grenade; Dmg 4d [2d+2] cr ex; Weight 3 lb; Cost $130

A simple weapon made from an ovoid glass container, the size that in LT can hold a maximum of 14 cubic inches, with Rugged and Expensive modifiers applied to represent high-quality and good design, as well as another +4 CF* for standardisation and quality control. Reinforced +200% for thicker sides. Comes to 1.152 lbs. of casing, which costs $15. Add 8 oz. of smokepowder (0.5 lbs. and $100) and stuff the rest of the volume full of bronze fragmentation material (just under 1.35 lbs., $13.5). Round to a neat $130.

3-lb Metal glans grape grenade; Dmg 6d [3d] cr ex; Weight 3 lbs.; Cost $325.

Packing a casing of the same size as the 2-lb and 2.5lb shells to maximum capacity with 1-lb of smokepowder and a hundred lead bullets, this is a very effective weapon, but difficult to sling far enough to be safe from the fragments. Fragmentation damage is pi+ instead of cut. Often used with a magical fuze (+$250).

I suppose that a 4-5 second quick-match fuze would come to around $5 with the insane price of smokepowder, so add that to all of the above. Edit: Actually, I suppose that I'll leave the fuzing off, to leave the option open of whether to go for a $5 quick-match, a carefully made $20 quick-match encased in something to shield it, a much more expensive glass-and-alchemist's fire fuze or just a magical fuze.

*LT calls the base price $0.1, which I think is insanely low, but I have no idea how to price this otherwise. In any case, it might be reasonable to use a different base price than $0.1 for very small earthernware ovoids of standardised design rather than simple jars of any kind the craftsman prefers. I arbitrarily increase Cost by x10.
**Less than the x10 to base cost applied to the smallest earthenware container used as a shell, because glass was actually used in alchemical work and suchlike, so would be more familiar with precise requirements and odd shapes.
__________________
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!

Last edited by Icelander; 07-11-2013 at 07:10 PM.
Icelander is offline   Reply With Quote