12-05-2022, 12:06 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Indaiatuba/SP Brazil
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Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
Hello my friends, hope y'all having a nice world cup!
Help me once again: In Low tech there are two ancient chinese powder weapons: Explosive arrow and rocket Both use serpentine powder. What would the damage be if using corned (TL4) or improved Black Powder (TL5)? The rocket is 1.15 lbs and causes 2d+2 The arrow has a one ounce charge and does 1d-1. I'll admit, my math skills are on par of an caveman. |
12-05-2022, 12:32 PM | #2 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
The Hale Rocket is on GURPS High-Tech p. 150.
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12-05-2022, 12:36 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
Explosive damage scales with the square root of REF; treating a projectile propelled by a stronger explosive as scaling its damage the same way an explosion would is probably close enough for GURPS purposes. Campaigns gives TL 3 Serpentine Powder an REF of 0.3, TL 4 "Black Powder" (corned powder) an REF of 0.4, and TL 5 "Black Powder" (improved corned powder) an REF of 0.5. So, going from Serpentine to Corned would be x1.15 to damage, while going from Serpentine to Improved Corned would be x1.3 to damage.
For 2d+2, you go from an average of 9 to an average of 10.35 when upgrading to Corned; round that up to 10.5 for 3d damage. When using Improved Corned, this is instead 11.7, or 3d+1. For 1d-1, you go from an average of 2.5 to an average of 2.875, which isn't enough to see a difference when upgrading to Corned. When using Improved Corned, this is instead 3.25, which I'd be comfortable rounding up to 3.5, for 1d.
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GURPS Overhaul |
12-05-2022, 12:39 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Indaiatuba/SP Brazil
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
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12-05-2022, 12:43 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Indaiatuba/SP Brazil
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
Quote:
my hitch with the formula is always the "n"x"n" thing. ah who i'm trying to fool here, that is greek to me! |
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12-05-2022, 01:04 PM | #6 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
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12-05-2022, 01:07 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Indaiatuba/SP Brazil
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
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12-05-2022, 01:43 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
Quote:
Another early TL6 oddity is "Dynamite Guns"..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite_gun .....before c.1900 High explosives were _not_ stable enough to be used in conventional artillery so compressed air guns of up to 15 inches were tried. With their low muzzle velocities they might be better thought of as mortars. The Wiki article mentions that the shells were light but misses that this lightness was in the casing. Like other mortars the tubes were unrifled and between that and the low muzzle velocity the shell cases could be light. The Vesuvius' 15" shells had half of their total weight as filler. That was equal to multiple hundreds of pounds of TNT.
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Fred Brackin |
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12-05-2022, 01:53 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Indaiatuba/SP Brazil
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
Quote:
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12-05-2022, 02:14 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: Explosive Arrows and Ancient Rockets
Nope, it was used as explosive filler and solid rocket fuel for many years after the 1880s. You don't see it much in WWII but after 1940 that's TL7.
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Fred Brackin |
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