Pyrotechnics? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Pyrotechnics? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kardin
03-31-07, 06:55 PM Does any DnD supplement cover pyrotechnics, as in the ability to make and work with fireworks, bombs, and the like. I've long dreamed of playing a dwarf who makes explosives from hard liquor, with all too many ranks in a skill called Craft (Explosives). Are there any rules that cover such things?
Decinious
03-31-07, 11:54 PM Unfortunately there is nothing to cover this in the rules as far as I know. Yes there is Gunpowder, and Alchemist’s Fire, so in theory you think you should be able to construct Explosives. If I was your DM I would have you find a comparable spell or magical effect and treat the Item you are making as a magical item. Hand Grenade: Use activated 1 use Item that I would peg as an Explosive Spell Fireball, so (2000 x Spell level (5) x Caster Level(10))/50(one use item) so that would be 2000 GP. Now you could take it Farther and make a Rocket Launcher and price out the rockets as Wand charges of what ever spell, but that is up to you and your DM. Now basing your Explosives off of existing spells/magical items will keep your game balanced to a point. Keep in mind that your creations logically wouldn't be affected by spell resistance or anti magic spells so you might have an extra % tacked on top of the Market Value to make up for the bypassing of such defenses. Now if you end up going the craft feat Route of making Explosives, up the Creation cost by 5 gp per exp to account for loss of Exp really makes no sense for making a non magical item.
DrMorganes
04-01-07, 01:07 AM About the closest thing I've seen to date is the Combat Trapsmith prestige class in Complete Scoundrel. With a few ranks in Craft (Alchemy) you're able to create non-magical fire traps that do 5d6 points of damage to the trapped square and all surrounding squares (REF save for half).

Honestly I think what you're looking to do is best covered with a short-progression prestige class. 3 or 5 levels, tops. Take a look at the Combat Trapsmith (which is a 5-level PrC) and work with your DM to hammer out the details.

One question to ask is whether your pyrotechnics are magical or non-magical in nature. Most of us think of stuff like gunpowder and fireworks as distinctly mundane, but Galdalf's fireworks in The Fellowship of the Ring have a soundly magical flavor to them. Magical pyrotechnics could be handled via the Craft Wondrous Item feat. If you go the PrC route, magical pyrotechnics would require the ability to cast a spell with the fire descriptor of Level 3 or higher (meaning you'd have to have 5 levels of your casting class to qualify). The resulting items would then be magical in nature, with all the advantages and limitations inherent in such things.

If you opt for non-magical pyrotechnics, things get harder to balance. You no longer have an XP cost to help limit your crafting. Do you need downtime to create your explosives, or - like the Combat Trapsmith - can you create them on the fly? If the latter, how will you limit your ability to create such items? The Combat Trapsmith requires a special kit that costs 100gp, weighs 10 lbs, and is good for 10 traps of any type he knows how to make. Once the limit of the PrC is reached, he can make traps without a kit (but the craft DC increases by 5). Would your Pyrotechnicist have similar abilities and limitations? You're a bit of a one-trick pony, too. Fire resistance is far and away the most common resistance in the game. The Combat Trapsmith can crate a variety of trap effects (but is limited to how many types of traps he can learn). I can see electricity and perhaps even sonic energy types being included under a more modern definition of "pyrotechnics" despite the direct definition of "pyro" meaning "fire".
enygmatic_me
04-01-07, 01:42 AM Their are very basic guidelines in the DMG under the other weapons (Asian, renaissance, etc...) section. You need Craft (Alchemy) to make them, which requires you to be a spellcaster as non-spellcasters can't make anything with the Craft (Alchemy) skill according to the RAW. If you have a reasonable DM you should be able to convince him/her to houserule it that most "mundane" alchemical items (including explosives) should not require spellcaster levels.

You might want to also take a look at the Techsmith PrC in Faiths and Pantheons if you have access to it. The gains some class features based around explosives.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kardin 03-31-07, 06:55 PM	Does any DnD supplement cover pyrotechnics, as in the ability to make and work with fireworks, bombs, and the like. I've long dreamed of playing a dwarf who makes explosives from hard liquor, with all too many ranks in a skill called Craft (Explosives). Are there any rules that cover such things?
Decinious 03-31-07, 11:54 PM	Unfortunately there is nothing to cover this in the rules as far as I know. Yes there is Gunpowder, and Alchemist’s Fire, so in theory you think you should be able to construct Explosives. If I was your DM I would have you find a comparable spell or magical effect and treat the Item you are making as a magical item. Hand Grenade: Use activated 1 use Item that I would peg as an Explosive Spell Fireball, so (2000 x Spell level (5) x Caster Level(10))/50(one use item) so that would be 2000 GP. Now you could take it Farther and make a Rocket Launcher and price out the rockets as Wand charges of what ever spell, but that is up to you and your DM. Now basing your Explosives off of existing spells/magical items will keep your game balanced to a point. Keep in mind that your creations logically wouldn't be affected by spell resistance or anti magic spells so you might have an extra % tacked on top of the Market Value to make up for the bypassing of such defenses. Now if you end up going the craft feat Route of making Explosives, up the Creation cost by 5 gp per exp to account for loss of Exp really makes no sense for making a non magical item.
DrMorganes 04-01-07, 01:07 AM	About the closest thing I've seen to date is the Combat Trapsmith prestige class in Complete Scoundrel. With a few ranks in Craft (Alchemy) you're able to create non-magical fire traps that do 5d6 points of damage to the trapped square and all surrounding squares (REF save for half). Honestly I think what you're looking to do is best covered with a short-progression prestige class. 3 or 5 levels, tops. Take a look at the Combat Trapsmith (which is a 5-level PrC) and work with your DM to hammer out the details. One question to ask is whether your pyrotechnics are magical or non-magical in nature. Most of us think of stuff like gunpowder and fireworks as distinctly mundane, but Galdalf's fireworks in The Fellowship of the Ring have a soundly magical flavor to them. Magical pyrotechnics could be handled via the Craft Wondrous Item feat. If you go the PrC route, magical pyrotechnics would require the ability to cast a spell with the fire descriptor of Level 3 or higher (meaning you'd have to have 5 levels of your casting class to qualify). The resulting items would then be magical in nature, with all the advantages and limitations inherent in such things. If you opt for non-magical pyrotechnics, things get harder to balance. You no longer have an XP cost to help limit your crafting. Do you need downtime to create your explosives, or - like the Combat Trapsmith - can you create them on the fly? If the latter, how will you limit your ability to create such items? The Combat Trapsmith requires a special kit that costs 100gp, weighs 10 lbs, and is good for 10 traps of any type he knows how to make. Once the limit of the PrC is reached, he can make traps without a kit (but the craft DC increases by 5). Would your Pyrotechnicist have similar abilities and limitations? You're a bit of a one-trick pony, too. Fire resistance is far and away the most common resistance in the game. The Combat Trapsmith can crate a variety of trap effects (but is limited to how many types of traps he can learn). I can see electricity and perhaps even sonic energy types being included under a more modern definition of "pyrotechnics" despite the direct definition of "pyro" meaning "fire".
enygmatic_me 04-01-07, 01:42 AM	Their are very basic guidelines in the DMG under the other weapons (Asian, renaissance, etc...) section. You need Craft (Alchemy) to make them, which requires you to be a spellcaster as non-spellcasters can't make anything with the Craft (Alchemy) skill according to the RAW. If you have a reasonable DM you should be able to convince him/her to houserule it that most "mundane" alchemical items (including explosives) should not require spellcaster levels. You might want to also take a look at the Techsmith PrC in Faiths and Pantheons if you have access to it. The gains some class features based around explosives.