Hello!!
A couple guys in my group are wanting more information than I seem to be able to lay my hands on. So, I thought that the incredibly well informed folks here could help me out. We are of course using the Pathfinder rpg rules!
The first is an odd little dwarf who loves to create things more than life itself. His latest invention requires black powder. Are there any rules or do any of the books cover this topic? I have been hesitant to allow it, but you know sullen and pouty dwarves can be!
The other is a sorcerer with a draconic bloodline, who now wishes to bring the worship of Apsu to the people. I know there is a little on Apsu in the AP "Fortress of Stone Giants," because we are playing that right now. However, he is wanting far more detail than I have weaned out of that book. Is there any source with further detail of Apsu? He has mentioned wanting to find clerics or a codex for further study.
I'm not really a people person. While I won't mind some misguided human or other small and squishy creature pray to me, I don't really encourage it, and I don't really offer anything to your average peasant, you know.
Ironically enough, though, most of my actual priests (in the "casts divine spells" sense of the word) are humanoids, as my draconic children walk different paths than that of divine spellcaster but sometimes seek out puny allies to help them in their grand projects. The problem with such allies is that they will soon die, and they have to acquire and train a new one.
Beside those who play the role as my children' pets, there are some humanoids who have greatly suffered from the depredations of rampaging dragons and turn to me to intervene on their behalf, but most of the time, people in situations like this turn to their own deities for protection, justice or revenge.
The best bet to get my full support is to actively oppose Dahak. You might not know this, but the dragons aren't really split between two deities - all goodly dragons following me while the evil ones follow the Endless Destruction. Most dragons, be they metallic or chromatic, or from any other sept, pay something akin to "lip service" to me - few dragons are really religious, even my golden children are more favoured elder children than clerics. But even the "evil" dragons usually pay me grudging homage as their creator.
It is only the vilest of dragons that turn to my tainted spawn for power and immortality, and these terrible creatures are a blight upon the multiverse. Those who seek to direktly oppose the False Wyrm and his insane followers will find a kindred spirit in me, for I share their goal.
So I feel this dragonblooded friend of yours is on a fool's errand if he wants to bring my worship to humanoids. I do not wish to convert the short-lived races away from their gods, and they probably don't want to turn to me.
I understand that your race has a short attention span to match their short allotment of time on your material plane, so I will not bore you with the other three weeks of speech I usually give those interested in my faith.
Some of your scholars managed to fight off sleep long enough to gather some more information about me, and they wrote it down in a number of tomes. The Fortress of the Stone Giants is one such tome, but there are others named "Gods and Magic" and "Dragons Revisited", the first containing a few lines about me because it is a summary of many deities worshipped on your material world of Golarion, the latter because it talks about the two most numerous of draconic sept (chromatic and metallic) and does have a short summary of the dragons' origin, as well as a few lines about each of the 10 kinds of dragons' relation to the divine.
The first is an odd little dwarf who loves to create things more than life itself. His latest invention requires black powder. Are there any rules or do any of the books cover this topic? I have been hesitant to allow it, but you know sullen and pouty dwarves can be!
Well, what does he want to do with it? When we know what he intents to do, we can give you better advise on how to handle it.
The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting has a little bit of information about firearms on Golarion, which work with gunpowder. They're not really that effective or reliable.
If he wants to use it for simple fireworks, let him do it. If he wants to use gunpowder for explosives, tell him that the stuff is dangerous. If he wants to throw around bombs and the like using gunpowder, he will always run the risk that the thing goes off early and takes off his whole arm and part of his face (including all of his beard).
That's the general assumption about gunpowder on Golarion. It's up to every GM to change how the stuff works, of course, but since you already have reservations, it might not be best.
Does the guy know about the alchemist class?
The first is an odd little dwarf who loves to create things more than life itself. His latest invention requires black powder. Are there any rules or do any of the books cover this topic? I have been hesitant to allow it, but you know sullen and pouty dwarves can be!
There's some gun rules in the Campaign Setting but omits any mention of black powder or even ammo costs, oddly.
I've got some lovely black powder rules available for free from LPJ Design on RPG.net. But... Uh, upon further review I don't see the ammo and costs in there either! Doh.
Well, a two-pound powder horn is 35 gp, from the old 3.5e DMG. I would say it's a Craft (alchemy) DC 25 to make powder of firearm quality, or DC 20 if you just want something that'll kinda blow up.
KaeYoss:
I believe his intended use is the much feared bomb to lob at people. And I have attempted reason, which was as much a waste as talking to a fencepost. I figure let him find a little bit of it and see if he blows himself or any party members up.
He doesn't know about the alchemist class, and it didn't even dawn on me to mention it to him. So thanks! Maybe that will divert his attention from bombs.
Thanks for the link Ernest, I am downloading as I type!
And mighty Apsu, thank you for taking time out to tell me more of your ways. I will be sure to enlighten one squishy type sorcerer of your divine nature.
Thanks for everyone's help!!
KaeYoss:
I believe his intended use is the much feared bomb to lob at people. And I have attempted reason, which was as much a waste as talking to a fencepost. I figure let him find a little bit of it and see if he blows himself or any party members up.
I'd make him aware of the dangers involved by telling him. If he insists that listening is for losers so he doesn't do that, he'll feel whenever a natural one on his attack roll will make that thing blow him to bits (well, he might survive, but his beard is gone!)
He doesn't know about the alchemist class, and it didn't even dawn on me to mention it to him. So thanks! Maybe that will divert his attention from bombs.
Well, the class does get bombs, but it's in a controlled environment (i.e. it's part of the class and figured into its power level. They're also limited to X uses per level).
If he wants at will, you can also trick him: make gunpowder expensive. Make bombs variant wands.
A bomb will have damage comparable to a fireball, but at a smaller radius. I'd say you make an attack roll, if you hit, the guy you hit gets full damage, everyone within 10 feet gets half damage. If you miss, the guy gets half damage, too. All affected can make reflex saves (except the actual target if it is a direct hit). You hit the target with a ranged touched attack (as a standard action, since you need to light the fuse), which counts as a splash weapon (with all the usual rules)
Smaller radius and lower damage means this would not be a 3rd-level spell. Make it 2nd level.
Then you use the potion guidelines for the cost, assuming 1d6 damage per "caster level"
What this all means:
The weakest bomb does 3d6 (caster level 3) and costs 3 (caster level) * 2 (spell level) * 50 gp (or 100gp per caster level!)
4d6 bombs cost 400, 5d6 500, and so on.
The size of the bomb remains about the same, but you use higher-grade, refined gunpowder for the stronger ones. Thus the price increase, but no increase in weight or decrease in throwing capacity).
Bam! He's using sort-of-potions now and doesn't even know it.
If you're feeling generous, you can lower the price, but you should know best how much gunpowder he could afford and how much you want in the game.