Smoke powder

"The gods made us all, but smokepowder made us all equal."
- Old gnomish saying.

Description

Smokepowder is commonly found separated into two distinct components - the first, a steely-blue granular substance, the second a fine white powder. On its own, each component is inert and harmless; when combined in equal parts, however, they form a volatile and explosive mixture. When touched by a flame, the mixture explodes with great force and noise, and a great deal of smoke. The size and the force of the explosion varies according to how much smoke powder is used: increasing the amount of powder increases the force of the explosion, and the damage caused, proportionally.

Smokepowder is used in firearms (including arquebuses and wheel lock pistols), and (in large quantities) in bombards, to propel projectiles with great speed and power. Weapons that use smoke powder are relatively rare in the Known Spheres, both because of their unreliability and because the chemical or magical reactions on which they depend varies from world to world, and from sphere to sphere. Smoke powder may work perfectly fine in one sphere, only to be inert in the next. That being said, smokepowder is much more commonly available in wildspace than on the various planets, and is sold in great quantities by the Arcane.

An ounce (28 grams) of smoke powder, called a charge, is required to fire an arquebus or a pistol. Smokepowder is sold in small kegs, which hold 15-pounds (240-ounces or 6.8 kilograms) of smokepowder, in waterproof horns, which hold 2-pounds (32 ounces or 907 grams) of smoke powder, or in pouches, which typically hold up to 6 ounces (170 grams) of smokepowder.

An ounce of smokepowder will burn for 6 seconds and provide illumination equivalent to a sunrod. Under the right conditions, smoke powder will explode, which is why it is used in firearms and bombards, and to make bombs. An exploding powderhorn (or equivalent) will damage everything within a 5-foot (1.5 meter) blast radius, while an exploding powderkeg (or equivalent) will destroy everything within a 15-foot (4.5 meter) blast radius.

Availability

Smokepowder is far more commonly available in wildspace than it is on many worlds, and is widely sold by the arcane at a premium. However, smokepowder is manufactured throughout the spheres, especially by gnomish artificers, and may be purchased at a much more reasonable rate from other suppliers.

In Realmspace, firearms and smokepowder are produced in quantity by the artificers of the island nations of Lantan and the Nelanther Isles on the world of Toril.

Appendix

External Links

• Smoke powder article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
• Smoke powder article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.

References