Dynamite

[klecser]

I thought I might address an elephant in the room this morning. Be civil.

 

[Closterphobia]

“My librarian always has dynamite on hand, in case of emergency.”

[Lloyd Dupont]

I thought all proud American have dynamite in their cupboard, just in case they need it?
You know, 2nd amendment, and supporting weapon maker bank account kinda things?!  

[Guest Vile Traveller]

Landslips in remote areas were not to be taken lightly in the 1920s. You never knew when you might have to blast a clear path for your Duesenberg. Always carry a dozen sticks in your boot.

[EricW]

It used to be a lot easier.

My grandpa said he once got half a stick to blast a tree stump, not sure where from, probably the hardware store, or maybe a roadwork crew gave it to him. I don't know if anyone would simply carry it around though, some of the formulations got really unstable with age.

[Qizilbashwoman]

On 7/18/2020 at 9:25 AM, klecser said:

I thought I might address an elephant in the room this morning. Be civil.

Oof, right

I have a lot of trouble with players who metagame. SPACE:1889 I had zeppelin raiders attack and a player was like "easy bait for fire bombs" and I was like YOU ARE A FISHMONGER YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO "MAKE NAPALM"

[Atgxtg]

36 minutes ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

YOU ARE A FISHMONGER YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO "MAKE NAPALM"

Napalm's like Garum, only unfiltered.

 

More seriously, a GM that lets a player "always" do anything is the problem. I didn't even let a spy character obtain a silencer for their pistol last session! Not that the character couldn't get one, only that they couldn't do so in the time allotted while out in the field. Not unless they wanted to go find the local black market.

Edited August 10, 2020 by Atgxtg

[soltakss]

1 hour ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

I have a lot of trouble with players who metagame. SPACE:1889 I had zeppelin raiders attack and a player was like "easy bait for fire bombs" and I was like YOU ARE A FISHMONGER YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO "MAKE NAPALM"

Sure, get them to make a skill roll, if they fail there is a chance of it blowing up, if they fumble it blows up. Not sure is Space 1889 has skills or fumbles, though, the only time we played it we blew up a ship with a 7-stick bundle of dynamite.

[Ian Absentia]

4 hours ago, EricW said:

 

I don't know if anyone would simply carry it around though, some of the formulations got really unstable with age.

Quoted for emphasis!

Sorcerer

!i!

[David Scott]

5 hours ago, EricW said:

It used to be a lot easier.

My grandpa said he once got half a stick to blast a tree stump, not sure where from, probably the hardware store, or maybe a roadwork crew gave it to him. I don't know if anyone would simply carry it around though, some of the formulations got really unstable with age.

I don't think this is unusual:

https://keprtv.com/news/offbeat/man-finds-dynamite-in-grandparents-old-shed

Here in the UK we still have people finding live munitions from WW1 & 2 on peoples mantlepieces and in sheds.

[Atgxtg]

11 hours ago, EricW said:

It used to be a lot easier.

My grandpa said he once got half a stick to blast a tree stump, not sure where from, probably the hardware store, or maybe a roadwork crew gave it to him. I don't know if anyone would simply carry it around though, some of the formulations got really unstable with age.

Yeah, as dynamite is essentially nitroglycerin stabilized by soaking it in sand, sawdust or clay, the nitro can "sweat out" of the dynamite over time. Nitro is pretty unstable. In fact, just making it and/or dynamite is a risky endeavor.

[Qizilbashwoman]

7 hours ago, soltakss said:

Sure, get them to make a skill roll, if they fail there is a chance of it blowing up, if they fumble it blows up. Not sure is Space 1889 has skills or fumbles, though, the only time we played it we blew up a ship with a 7-stick bundle of dynamite.

it was invented in 1942

[Atgxtg]

4 hours ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

it was invented in 1942

While napalm itself didn't exist until 1942, there were previous flammable substances of a similar nature, so it wouldn't be impossible for somebody to make a flammable substance that could take out a zeppelin- gasoline and soap chips, for instance. But, as you pointed out previously, it's not something a fishmonger is likely to know- unless he was a pyromaniac. Hey, maybe you solved the Hindenburg disaster.? A crazed fishmonger. 

[EricW]

Napalm was invented because latex, the original WW1 flammable gelling agent, became unavailable after Imperial Japan captured Asian rubber plantations. So although Napalm was invented in 1942, substances very similar to Napalm had been in use for decades before the invention of Napalm,  likely a lot longer, maybe dating all the way back to Greek Fire, which was invented in the 7th century.