RE: [DL] Dyn-o-mite!

["Heivilin, Jim" <banzai@missouri.edu>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ivan E [mailto:ivan_gaming@yahoo.com]
> Subject: RE: [DL] Dyn-o-mite!
> 
> --- Matthew Hanson <deviantsevant@msn.com> wrote:
> > For the purposes of simplicity you could simply rule
> > that if someone chuckin' dynamite at his foes, they 
> > go off when they hit thier target, 
> > unless they botch, which would be bad.
> 
This particular rule, while simple, implies a number of things.  A) They
know how to handle the explosives without blowing themselves and all in the
immediate vicinity up, B) they know how long the fuse will burn for
(exactly), C) they know how long it will take for the stick to fly through
the air (including crosswinds and gusts) and D) they can cut the fuse, fit
the blasting cap to the fuse, crimp it, insert the cap into the explosive,
secure and throw it in 1 action.  I'd say if they have demolitions skill
then fine but if not this is assuming a bit much for my tastes.  On the
other hand it would be bad to slow down the action with (needless - to the
story) detail.  

> lol...I'm usually all for simplicity! Thanks to all
> who have answered so far. Let me set the stage a
> little better.
<snip>
> fit better in the storyline to have him light it and
> chuck it away), I'm not gonna have it go off in his
> hand. But if he's carrying sticks of dynamite through
>
At a guess (I've never seen anything on the effects of this) I'd say it
would take him arm off if not kill him outright.  His body probably wouldn't
"disappear" but his arm would be gone and his chest would be *rather*
mangled.  

> the burning doors of a showring...I'll need an idea of
> how much time he has before the sticks in his holsters
> go boom.
> 
This is so far outside the realm of my experience that I wouldn't even want
to hazard a guess.  I'm familiar with the effects of fire on most modern
explosives but 19th century dynamite was *much* less stable.  And given
differences in manufacturing I'd say that there wouldn't be a standard
"response".  So basically what I'd suggest is whatever is most dramatic and
makes the best story.  Just keep in mind that an explosion is basically just
something that burns *incredibly* quickly.  And the big fireball is an
expanding ball of hot gases from combustion.  And what we see in TV and in
films isn't what *really* happens.  The FX people often (from what I
understand) add gasoline to the charge to create the fireball since it looks
*much* more dramatic.  

Jim