Gunpowder or blackpowder[1] was a substance that existed across many worlds in the multiverse[3] that was similar to the magic alchemical substance known as smokepowder.[6][7][8][9]
Description[]
Typically gunpowder would ignite (burn with an open flame), even explode (burn very rapidly)[10] under the right conditions,[11] but there were a number of crystal spheres where this was not the case.[12] And in some such worlds, gunpowder brought in them from another would be rendered inert.[4] These differences in functionality across the Known Spheres was often written off as the whims of deities, done to keep mortals in their place.[13]
Gunpowder was typically sold within either small wooden powderkegs or in powder horns.[11][14] The latter were typically water-proof, as gunpowder was rendered unusable when exposed to water.[11]
Creation[]
Charcoal, nitre, and sulfur were components of this substance.[1][6]
Availability[]
- Gunpowder could be found on Toril, but due to to powerful magics cast by the deity Gond the substance was inert.[10][15][note 1] On rare occasions, Gond would allow high-ranking priests of his church to divinely enchant gunpowder into a non-inert state, but never enough to threaten the dominance of smokepowder. These priests were willing to sell this gunpowder, but only to those that sought to use it for the greater glory of their deity.[15]
- In Loudwater, the local apothecary sold gunpowder.[16]
Beyond the Realms[]
- Earth, a planet where gunpowder functioned normally.[7][10][17]
- Krynn was known to lack gunpowder.[18]
- Oerth was a planet that had gunpowder, but its local magic and physics rendered the substance inert.[19]
- Beyond the Prime Material plane, gunpowder could be found in the Domains of Dread,[20] such as Barovia.[21]
History[]
Over time, Gond witnessed many mortals dying in explosions from experimenting with gunpowder.[22] This included members of his Church's clergy and devout lay worshipers, who died while experimenting with the substance to create new mechanisms for his greater glory.[10][22] Fearing that he might lose worshipers too fast and that other mortals might be frightened, shunning his faith, Gond decided to take drastic measures.[10] With the agreement of the goddess of magic Mystra,[22] Gond used powerful magics to render gunpowder inert on Toril,[10][15] which she then subsumed into the Weave so that the effects permeated all of Toril.[10] This occurred somewhere between 1246 DR and 1356 DR.[22][23][24][25][note 2]
During the Time of Troubles, Gond in his mortal avatar form washed up on the shores of Lantan. To reward his followers there for sheltering him, he revealed to them the secret of how to make the alchemical substance smokepowder[26] as an alternative to gunpowder,[7] which due to precise proportions of a magical ingredient could circumvent his magics, allowing it to ignite and explode.[10] He also revealed to them how to create firearms utilizing the substance that were safe and reasonably accurate.[7]
Following the Spellplague, while Gond was in a weakened state and the nation of Lantan was in another world, the clergy of Kossuth tried to spread a claim that gunpowder's inert state on Toril was the doing of their god.[27]
Usage[]
Weapons[]
- On worlds where it was not inert, one of the primary uses for gunpowder was forming bombs.[14][11]
- On worlds where it was not inert, gunpowder was used in bombards to propel heavy balls of cast iron[14][28] or stones.[28]
- On worlds where it was not inert, gunpowder was primarily used for firearms,[1][3][4][6][11][14] propelling bullets out from their barrels.[14]
- Gunpowder wands were one of the few firearms in the Realms that operated on specially enchanted gunpowder.[15]
Other Uses[]
- In the Realms, some were known to use it as a powder, polishing ferrous metals with it to remove all rust.[10]
- Some in the Realms would encase metal items in a bucket, dish, or even larger cask of wetted gunpowder to thoroughly remove all corrosion.[10]
Trivia[]
Wizards could learn how to make gunpowder from the spell Alamir's fundamental breakdown.[29]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ In 2017, Ed Greenwood stated in a tweet that the reason gunpowder didn't work on Toril was because executives at TSR, Inc. didn't want it firearms in the setting and that Jeff Grubb later conceived of smokepowder for use with the giff.
- ↑ The two dates presented are based on the sourcebooks Grand History of the Realms & Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2nd edition), which both state that the Lantanese first tested bombards in 1246 DR (later explained by Ed to be using gunpowder), and Forgotten Realms Campaign Set, which is set between 1356—1357 DR and states that gunpowder does not function on Toril.
Appearances[]
Adventures
Video Games
Baldur's Gate III
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Ed Greenwood (April 1982). “Firearms”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #60 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 26–27.
- ↑ Dave Gross & Kevin Melka (August 1994). Hammer of Fire. Living City (RPGA), pp. 32–33.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Jeremy Crawford (November 17, 2020). Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 10. ISBN 978-0786967025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gary Gygax (1979). Dungeon Masters Guide 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 113. ISBN 0-9356-9602-4.
- ↑ Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (December 2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 268. ISBN 978-0-7869-6562-5.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Richard Baker, Skip Williams (1995). Player's Option: Combat & Tactics. (TSR, Inc), pp. 126–127. ISBN 0-7869-0096-2.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), pp. 11–12. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
- ↑ Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 165. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ David Cook (April 1995). Dungeon Master Guide 2nd edition (revised). (TSR, Inc.), p. 238. ISBN 978-0786903283.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 Ed Greenwood (2019-05-30). How Gunpowder Works in the Forgotten Realms (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-05-11. Retrieved on 2021-05-11.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams (July 2003). Dungeon Master's Guide v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 145. ISBN 0-7869-2889-1.
- ↑ Grant Boucher, Troy Christensen, Arthur Collins and Nigel Findley (May 1990). The Castle Guide. Edited by William W. Connors. (TSR, Inc.), p. 84. ISBN 0-88038-837-4.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (August 1989). “Concordance of Arcane Space”. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space (TSR, Inc.), p. 42. ISBN 0-88038-762-9.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (December 2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 267. ISBN 978-0-7869-6562-5.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Ed Greenwood (2021-05-04). Gunpowder Wand and Working Gunpowder (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-05-05. Retrieved on 2021-05-05.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood/The Hooded One (2015-4-16). Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015). Candlekeep Forum.
- ↑ Roger E. Moore (August 1996). “Sorcerous Six-Shooters”. In Pierce Watters ed. Dragon #232 (TSR, Inc.), p. 37.
- ↑ Roger E. Moore (August 1996). “Sorcerous Six-Shooters”. In Pierce Watters ed. Dragon #232 (TSR, Inc.), p. 36.
- ↑ William W. Connors, Steve Miller (August 1997). Domains of Dread. Edited by Miranda Horner, Cindi Rice. (TSR, Inc.), p. 22. ISBN 0-7869-0672-3.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Tracy Hickman, Laura Hickman (March 2016). Curse of Strahd. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 88. ISBN 978-0-7869-6598-4.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Ed Greenwood (2021-07-08). When Gunpowder Went Inert (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-07-08. Retrieved on 2021-07-08.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 126. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), Running the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 16. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (August 1987). “DM's Sourcebook of the Realms”. In Karen S. Martin ed. Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 9. ISBN 0-88038-472-7.
- ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 62. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (2019-05-30). How Gunpowder Works in the Forgotten Realms (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-05-11. Retrieved on 2021-05-11.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Richard Baker, Skip Williams (1995). Player's Option: Combat & Tactics. (TSR, Inc), p. 154. ISBN 0-7869-0096-2.
- ↑ Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 24. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.