Black powder weapons, centuries of use in Wormwood

[Tor]

Trying to understand why these were popular in Wormwood... by default these are SDC weapons so I think only Apoks could make effective use of them against the hordes of MDC enemies, and there aren't that many Apoks and they're hardly going to be popular trend-setters...

Could it be possible that centuries back during the popularity of black powder weapons that Wormwood was SDC and that it was the Coming of the Rifts that turned Wormwood MDC along with Rifts Earth due to the longtime permanent portal that has been connecting them in Africa?

I know there are TW black powder weapons (and that somehow, Hospitallers at least, can use them) but I'm not sure how recently TW was invented...

Could it be possible that, if Wormwood was still MDC centuries back, that the Nightbane spell that can enhance guns to harm supernatural evil had made its way to Wormwood and was in use en-masse to enable black powder weapons to be useful against enemies?

[eliakon]

Or perhaps the setting is not logical (We already have the issue of the humans being MDC, but not inflicting MD....) So...Black Powder weapons are kewl, and the Comic used them (and since the comic didn't worry about MD since it wasn't relevant) they have BP weapons. Its up to the GM to figure out how to make the setting make sense. On the few occasions that I have had anyone go to WW I tend to just have a easy to make TW 'gun powder' that makes the weapon do MD

[DhAkael]

Read Roger Zelazney's 'Amber' series on how black-powder works in alternate "Shadow realms" of the ONE TRUE WORLD, and how the hero had to go about circumventing the uselesness of guns in the titular realm.
Also (shameless plug of PBooks products, as we are supposed to do here it seems), take a gander at the 'Dimension Builder' sourcebook. It has guidlines for altering effects of different energies across the dimensional veils.
Otherwise ... It makes "PERFECT SENSE" [sarcasm ] that black powder would do MDC in Wormwood, yet the MDC humans there couldn't even bruise each other with a set of sledgehammers unless the weapons were TW or made of Wormwood goo.

Great setting, wonderful and original concept... execution is a nightmare for GM's to use, as-writ.

[Tor]

It is our obligation to make the setting seem logical and sensible through contrived explanations! =/

Since Temporal Raiders have been around a while and have allied sometimes with the forces of light (and trained Wizards/Warriors) surely one of them has learned that Nightbane spell.

We have forces like Gogua who trip the rift and show up in both Nightbane and Wormwood and they could be carriers of that spell.

I'm betting the forces of light, with their common anti-Apok bigotries, would love to steal their baby and ruin their monopoly on turning cheap SDC weapons into MD-inflicters, and those enchantments could've done that until TW was imported (whenever that was).

[Bill]

Or they're just as blackpowder as the motorcycles are gasoline powered. Wormwood provides. MD barrels made of cast resin with propellant charges of a "black powder" harvested from rare fungi, just as one possibility. Another possibility, and my preference, they inflict megadamage because Wormwood wants them to. While not communicative in the traditional sense the planet is aware and can respond to the desires of its inhabitants. And nothing says kill quite like a .50 caliber ball propelled by a nice smokey explosion.

[glitterboy2098]

in the same way resin weapons can deal MD in the hands of normal strength people, maybe resin musket balls can inflict md?

[Braden Campbell]

Rifter #46 may be of some use here.

In brief, the TW flintlock weapons in use on Wormwood came into vogue because of Worldgate, who heavily raided Napoleonic Europe (which was seen as a highly advanced feudal state at the time). Flintlocks can actually be copied somewhat easily by WW weapon smiths, since their mechanics are so simple. The wooden parts are made from pillar wood, the metal parts are recast in resin. The flint is replaced with a shard of PPE crystal, and when it comes into contact with enchanted powder, and magical shot is created. They inflict MD because of the Living Planet's natural magic level.

The powder is produced in Worldgate, but might also be found on some underground markets.

Motorcycles and whatnot are likewise converted to run off of PPE crystals.