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(Further clarified and narrowed down the approximate time-frame when Gunpowder went inert.)
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==History==
  
==History==
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Over time Gond witnessed many mortals dying in explosions from experimenting with gunpowder.<ref name="inert" /> 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.<ref name="gunpowder" /><ref name="inert" /> Fearing that he might lose worshipers too fast and that other mortals might be frightened, shunning his faith,<ref name="gunpowder" /> with the agreement of the goddess of magic [[Mystra]]<ref name="inert" /> Gond used powerful magics to render gunpowder inert on Toril.<ref name="gunpowder" /><ref name="gunpowder wand" /> This occurred somewhere between [[1246 DR]] and [[1356 DR]].<ref name="inert">{{Cite web/theedverse/When Gunpowder Went Inert}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book/The Grand History of the Realms|126}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book/Forgotten Realms Campaign Set/DM's Sourcebook of the Realms|9}}</ref><ref group="note" name="Years">The two dates presented are based on ''[[Grand History of the Realms]]'', which states 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 DR|1356]]&mdash;[[1357 DR]] and states that gunpowder does not function on Toril.</ref>
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Over time Gond witnessed many mortals dying in explosions from experimenting with gunpowder.<ref name="inert" /> 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.<ref name="gunpowder" /><ref name="inert" /> Fearing that he might lose worshipers too fast and that other mortals might be frightened, shunning his faith, Gond decided to take drastic measures.<ref name="gunpowder" /> With the agreement of the goddess of magic [[Mystra]],<ref name="inert" /> Gond used powerful magics to render gunpowder inert on Toril,<ref name="gunpowder" /><ref name="gunpowder wand" /> which she then subsumed into the [[Weave]] so that the effects permeated all of Toril.<ref name="gunpowder" /> This occurred somewhere between [[1246 DR]] and [[1356 DR]].<ref name="inert">{{Cite web/theedverse/When Gunpowder Went Inert}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book/The Grand History of the Realms|126}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book/Forgotten Realms Campaign Set/DM's Sourcebook of the Realms|9}}</ref><ref group="note" name="Years">The two dates presented are based on ''[[Grand History of the Realms]]'', which states 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 DR|1356]]&mdash;[[1357 DR]] and states that gunpowder does not function on Toril.</ref>
   
 
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<ref name="F&A-p62">{{Cite book/Faiths & Avatars|62}}</ref> as an alternative to gunpowder,<ref name="FRA-p11-12" /> which due to precise proportions of a magical ingredient could circumvent his magics, allowing it to ignite and explode.<ref name="gunpowder" /> He also revealed to them how to create firearms utilizing the substance that were safe and reasonably accurate.<ref name="FRA-p11-12" />
  
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<ref name="F&A-p62">{{Cite book/Faiths & Avatars|62}}</ref> as an alternative to gunpowder,<ref name="FRA-p11-12" /> which due to precise proportions of a magical ingredient could circumvent his magics, allowing it to ignite and explode.<ref name="gunpowder" /> He also revealed to them how to create firearms utilizing the substance that were safe and reasonably accurate.<ref name="FRA-p11-12" />

Revision as of 22:13, 25 July 2021

Gunpowder or blackpowder[1] was a substance that existed across many worlds in the multiverse[2] that was similar to the magic alchemical substance known as smokepowder.[5][6][7][8]

Description

Typically gunpowder would ignite (burn with an open flame), even explode (burn very rapidly)[9] under the right conditions,[10] but there were a number of crystal spheres where this was not the case.[11] And in some such worlds, gunpowder brought into them from another would be rendered inert.[3] These differences in functionality across the Known Spheres was often written off as the whims of deities, done to keep mortals in their place.[12]

Gunpowder was typically sold within either small wooden powderkegs or in powder horns.[10][13] The latter were typically water-proof, as gunpowder was rendered unusable when exposed to water.[10]

Creation

Charcoal, nitre, and sulfur were components of this substance.[1][5]

Availability

  • Gunpowder could be found on Toril, but due to to powerful magics cast by the deity Gond the substance was inert.[9][14][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.[14]
  • In Loudwater, the local apothecary sold gunpowder.[15]

Beyond the Realms

History

Over time Gond witnessed many mortals dying in explosions from experimenting with gunpowder.[21] 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.[9][21] Fearing that he might lose worshipers too fast and that other mortals might be frightened, shunning his faith, Gond decided to take drastic measures.[9] With the agreement of the goddess of magic Mystra,[21] Gond used powerful magics to render gunpowder inert on Toril,[9][14] which she then subsumed into the Weave so that the effects permeated all of Toril.[9] This occurred somewhere between 1246 DR and 1356 DR.[21][22][23][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[24] as an alternative to gunpowder,[6] which due to precise proportions of a magical ingredient could circumvent his magics, allowing it to ignite and explode.[9] He also revealed to them how to create firearms utilizing the substance that were safe and reasonably accurate.[6]

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.[25]

Usage

Weapons

  • On worlds where it was not inert, one of the primary uses for gunpowder was forming bombs.[13][10]
  • On worlds where it was not inert, gunpowder was used in bombards to propel heavy balls of cast iron.[13]
  • On worlds where it was not inert, gunpowder was primarily used for firearms,[1][2][3][5][10][13] propelling bullets out from their barrels.[13]
  • Gunpowder wands were one of the few firearms in the Realms that operated on specially enchanted gunpowder.[14]

Other Uses

  • In the Realms some were known to use it as a powder, polishing ferrous metals with it to remove all rust.[9]
  • Some in the Realms would encase metal items in a bucket, dish, or even larger cask of wetted gunpowder to thoroughly remove all corrosion.[9]

Trivia

Wizards could learn how to make gunpowder from the spell Alamir's fundamental breakdown.[26]

Appendix

Notes

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ The two dates presented are based on Grand History of the Realms, which states 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.

External Links

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jeremy Crawford (November 17, 2020). Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 10. ISBN 978-0786967025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gary Gygax (1979). Dungeon Masters Guide 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 113. ISBN 0-9356-9602-4.
  4. ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 268. ISBN 978-0786965622.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Richard Baker, Skip Williams (1995). Player's Option: Combat & Tactics. (TSR, Inc), pp. 126–127. ISBN 0-7869-0096-2.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), pp. 11–12. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  7. ↑ Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 165. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
  8. ↑ David Cook (April 1995). Dungeon Master Guide 2nd edition (revised). (TSR, Inc.), p. 238. ISBN 978-0786903283.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 Template:Cite web/theedverse/How Gunpowder Works in the Forgotten Realms
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ Jeff Grubb (August 1989). “Concordance of Arcane Space”. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space (TSR, Inc.), p. 42. ISBN 0-88038-762-9.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 267. ISBN 978-0786965622.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Template:Cite web/theedverse/Gunpowder Wand and Working Gunpowder
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ Ed Greenwood/The Hooded One (2015-4-16). Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015). Candlekeep Forum.
  17. ↑ Roger E. Moore (August 1996). “Sorcerous Six-Shooters”. In Pierce Watters ed. Dragon #232 (TSR, Inc.), p. 37.
  18. ↑ Roger E. Moore (August 1996). “Sorcerous Six-Shooters”. In Pierce Watters ed. Dragon #232 (TSR, Inc.), p. 36.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Template:Cite web/theedverse/When Gunpowder Went Inert
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 62. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  25. ↑ Ed Greenwood (05-31-2019). “Kossuth and Smokepowder” (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Retrieved on 05-16-2021.
  26. ↑ Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 24. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.
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