tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post3510614005324649386..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: ArtilleryAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-66525963823978264972012-12-13T13:45:23.770-07:002012-12-13T13:45:23.770-07:00In fact, following through from Tartaglia's an...In fact, following through from Tartaglia's annotations of Aristotle right up through Heisenberg, one can pretty much guarantee that two pinches of powder, however carefully measured, or two wicks, however equally fashioned and trimmed, will certainly NOT burn or fire at the same time.<br /><br />A <i>flame strike</i> or a <i>lightning bolt</i> are infinitely safer and more practical.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-33001975959325111802012-12-13T12:58:43.149-07:002012-12-13T12:58:43.149-07:00Ah, but now it need not be! A mage could use Affec...Ah, but now it need not be! A mage could use Affect Normal Fires to ensure the wick burns equally fast on both cannons!<br /><br />And now the battlefields play host to small squads of razor-bolas-cannon wielding artillerist teams.<br /><br />Probably not, as I'm sure the powder would provide sufficiently dangerous differences, but maybe someone else could solve that one.Pandredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03917809464727878157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-61861703642768165242012-12-13T12:01:42.697-07:002012-12-13T12:01:42.697-07:00It's a small point, but ... this is a myth abo...It's a small point, but ... this is a myth about Janissaries. We have actual witnesses of it being tried during the American Civil War. Problem is, one cannon <i>always</i> fires first ... causing the ball to swing around and destroy the other cannon, plus a few artillerists.<br /><br />No journalists seemed to have been around when the Janissaries may, or may not have tried it.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-20508159927653411372012-12-13T11:40:59.119-07:002012-12-13T11:40:59.119-07:00Oh, anther tactic from the time period that would ...Oh, anther tactic from the time period that would not be fun to play with: The Janissaries would load two cannons with the ends of a heavy, weighted chain. when fired simultaneously, the chain was capable of scything through large crowds if the terrain was roughly level. Talk about a party kill...Maximillian Boiihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09712157905126165888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-72957495277534080582012-12-13T11:18:59.279-07:002012-12-13T11:18:59.279-07:00There are many similar examples that could be give...There are many similar examples that could be given for how magic might have slowed the pace of technology; Would we have ever bothered to understand disease or the circulation system? Why would we have ever thought that animals might evolve, if they could be summoned at will? (Ignoring that in a world with magic, biology might not have been the same as it is in our world.) Indeed, the entirety of the scientific method may not have been stumbled upon, if our relationship with knowledge was so different. The availability of divination spells would make so much scientific rigor seem unnecessary, we may have never noticed the propagation of untrue assumptions. Finally, so much of our knowledge was obtained through the sponsorship of scientists by nobles, but why would you sponsor someone who can tell you that light bends, when you can sponsor someone who can _make_ it bend at will.Maximillian Boiihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09712157905126165888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-52643127792926473302012-12-13T03:27:40.837-07:002012-12-13T03:27:40.837-07:00I agree! That's actually a bit of the theme of...I agree! That's actually a bit of the theme of my book, Sword of the Bright Lady. The invention of gunpowder isn't enough; the first muskets were pretty lame and could barely compete with bows.<br /><br />Since we had nothing better, we kept working at it until we invented rifling and percussion caps and all the nice stuff that makes guns so awesome. But in a world with magic, would anybody have stuck with flintlocks long enough to get over the hump, as it were?MCPlanckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09239576472889126413noreply@blogger.com