Gear: Explosives
Black powder is still around, little changed from the age of sail. However, mid-way through the age, high explosives begin to become available. While black powder remains popular for mining and demolitions, nitroglycerin and later dynamite soon take on a leading role.

Setting Charges: The basics of setting a charge are little changed from the days of black powder. First, an estimate of the size of the charge is needed; which is a DC 5 task of Smarts + Fix and Build (Demolition). Then, the charge must be set, requiring cutting a fuse to the right length and then attaching a blasting cap and the fuse to the charge. The fuse is lit, the demo guy leaves the area, and if all goes well the charge detonates when the fuse burns down to the charge. Setting the charge is a DC 5 task of Smarts + Blow Up. On a failure, roll 1d6:

  1. Short fuse. Every degree of failure is -2 RS to the time before detonation.
  2. Hangfire. The charge will explode in Value Of [2d6] turns after the fuse burns in to it.
  3. Dud. Nothing happens. The charge is not set off.
  4. Dud. Nothing happens. The charge is not set off.
  5. Fizzle. The blasting cap ignites but the charge is not set off.
  6. Long fuse. Every degree of failure is +2 RS to the time before detonation.
When using nitrogycerin, a failure by 5 or more means the charge detonates while it is being set!

Dynamite: A stick of dynamite is cylinder of nitroglycerin stabilized by soaking it in to diatomaceous earth, wrapped in cardboard. With a blasting cap and fuse in place, the fuse can be lit and when it burns down to the cap, the stick detonates.

Setting the cap and fuse takes an action each, and a DC 4 task of Smarts + Blow Up. Failure means a dud and the dynamite will not be set off. Selecting a fuse that will blow up at the right time is a DC 4 task of Smarts + Blow Up. Roll high/low on a d6 to see if it blows up early or late, every degree of failure is ±2 RS to the time before detonation. Lighting the fuse if you have a lit flame or other fire starter at hand is an action.

Old dynamite can sweat nitroglycerin. This can be very dangerous, as nitroglycerin is shock sensative and may blow up with little provocation. It is generally recommended to use dynamite within a year of purchase. Recognizing dangerous dynamite is a DC 5 task of Smarts + Blow Up. On any sudden shock or blow, or any prolonged disturbance where it might encounter a shock or blow (such as being transported), the Referee sets the DC that the dynamite will detonate (meeting or exceeding the DC means the dynamtie explodes) and chekcs for explosion (if you can't make up your mind, just roll against DC 9 to blow up). A roll of Smarts + Blow Up with a DC of 5 can be used to more safely work with unstable dynamite – on a success, increase the DC to blow up by one, and an additional one for every degree of success.

DescriptionPenWoundAPBBRSBRPBSig
Quarter stick: Blast-3½ RS(7)-1½+0[-8]+19
          Contact6+6¼(7)
Half stick: Blast-2½ RS(7)-1+1[-8½]+20
          Contact7+7(7)
1 stick: Blast-1½ RS(7)+1[-6]+21
          Contact8+7¾(7)
2 sticks: Blast-1½ RS(7)+0+2[-7½]+22
          Contact12+8½(7)
3 sticks: Blast-½ RS(7)+0+2[-6½]+23
          Contact15+8¾(7)
4 sticks: Blast+½ RS(7)+0+3[-9]+23
          Contact15+9¼(7)
5 sticks: Blast-½ RS(7)+3[-8]+23
          Contact15+9½(7)
7 sticks: Blast+½ RS(7)+3[-7½]+24
          Contact18+9¾(7)
10 sticks: Blast+1½ RS(7)+3[-6½]+24
          Contact20+10(7)
15 sticks: Blast+1 RS(7)+1+4[-8½]+25
          Contact20+10½(7)
20 sticks: Blast+1½ RS(7)+1+4[-7½]+26
          Contact25+10¾(7)
30 sticks: Blast+1½ RS(7)+1½+4[-6]+26
          Contact30+11¼(7)
40 sticks: Blast+2½ RS(7)+1½+5[-8½]+27
          Contact30+11½(7)
50 sticks: Blast+1½ RS(7)+2+5[-7½]+27
          Contact35+11¾(7)
70 sticks: Blast+2½ RS(7)+2+5[-6½]+28
          Contact40+12(7)
100 sticks: Blast+1½ RS(7)+2½+5[-6]+28
          Contact40+12½(7)

  • Dynamite Stick: One stick. Not usually sold at the stick level, but if you happen to be carrying one around, this is what it would weigh. It is typically 20 cm long and 3.2 cm in diameter.

    Mass: 0.2 kg

  • Dynamite Box, 10 Sticks: A wooden box, for small scale demolitions

    Mass: 2.5 kg
    Price: $2.5

  • Dynamite Box, 20 Sticks: A larger wooden box than above.

    Mass: 4.5 kg
    Price: $5

  • Dynamite Crate, 100 Sticks: A big wooden crate of dynamite sticks. This is the scale usually used for mining or any serious demolition.

    Mass: 25 kg
    Price: $25

Nitroglycerin: Before Alfred Nobel figured out how to stabilize nitroglycerin into dynamite, people sometimes used bare nitroglycerin as a blasting agent. This was very hazardous work! Nitroglycerin is colorless, oily liquid that is a famously unstable explosive. If exposed to impact or shock, it is likely to detonate. Handle the fusing and use of nitroglycerin the same way as dynamite 9before Nobel's invention of the detonator cap, some 300 Ms (ten Earth years) before the invention of dynamite, the DC to set the explosive increases by 2.

When exposed to shock, treat the nitroglycerin in the same way as dynamite, only more volatile. If you need to roll and can't figure out what is appropriate, default to a DC of 6. Deliberate shooting of the nitroglycerin with a gun or striking it with a sledgehammer or the like can be considered to automatically set it off.

Because of its touchiness, in many places it is illegal to transport nitroglycerin; in all cases, it is probably unwise. To get around this, it can be made on-site with chemical stocks of glycerin, nitrate, and sulfuric acid. Getting the recipie right and setting up a production station is a DC 5 task of Smarts + Design (Chemical) or a DC 7 task of Smarts + Science (Chemistry) and takes 100 ks (1 Earth day) and $50 worth of equipment. Failure by one means you can try again the next day. Failure by two means you need another $10 of equipment (and posisble delays in having it shipped to you); once you have that you can try again the next day. Failure by three or more means an explosion – even if you survive, the equipment will be destroyed and need to be replaced. Once you have a production setup working, roll again every 3 Ms (Earth month) to check for accidents that result in delays, lost equipment, or disaster.

For simplicty, treat one vial of nitroglycerin as having the same explosive punch as one stick of dynamite.

  • Nitroglycerin: Per liter (or quart).

    Mass: 1.5 kg
    Price: $0.5

  • Nitroglycerin Vial: A single glass vial filled with nitroglycerin. Not usually for sale at this scale.

    Mass: 0.2 kg

  • Nitroglycerin Crate, 100 Vials: A wooden crate for transport. As this is engineered by exports to be as safe as possible, you can usually skip routine rolls for detonation during transport, as long as it stays frozen and nothing goes wrong (like accidentally dropping a crate or getting in a crash).

    Mass: 25 kg
    Price: $6

Back to Vergeworlds Main Page