Why do (s)mall firearms use the same amount of black powder?

[cibet44]

Small firearms have the same range as (M) firearms but do less damage. Shouldn't they at least use less black powder?

This is different from traditional ranged weapons because with a bow or crossbow the PC does not pay for the accelerant. With firearms the accelerant is a managed resource so a small weapon should have an advantage over a medium one.

Black Powder: Black powder is the key explosive component within a firearm, but in larger amounts it can be even more destructive. A single dose of black powder is enough to power a single shot from most medium one-handed and two-handed firearms or two shots from most small one-handed and two-handed firearms.
Cost: 10 gp per dose.

[mdt]

Small firearms are throwing smaller balls, and thus do less damage. Damage equals mass times velocity.

Theoretically, you're using the same powder amount in a smaller gun to increase velocity to overcome the loss of mass from going down to a half-load of lead and a shorter barrel.

[mdt]

Note that this doesn't answer why all weapons use the same amount of lead. :)

A blunderbuss (early shotgun), a pistol, and a small pistol (derringer) all use the same 1gp lead shot (although the blunderbuss should need a double sized round, and the small pistol should need half a shot).

[Freesword]

I would go with reduced bookkeeping. It's the whole accurately modeling reality vs streamlining game play thing.

[Abraham spalding]

As freesword said -- its the same reason all bows use the same arrows, you don't need to sharpen your sword, and all armor fits anyone of the right size category.

[Karjak Rustscale]

Abraham spalding wrote:

As freesword said -- its the same reason all bows use the same arrows, you don't need to sharpen your sword, and all armor fits anyone of the right size category.

Fullplate would like a word with you =P

Anyways, I agree that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for smaller weapons to use the same ammount of ammunition, but then again, it doesn't make sense that a Sling focused Halfling does better with a longbow.

[Oliver McShade]

For easier Bookkeeping.