l have this idea for a vampire hunter that uses a gun,with the ammo being little wooden spikes (pieces of wood shaped like bullets,with a sharp point). l am makeing this to ask if such a thing would be possable,like with a master blacksmith or artificer or something? obviously it would have to be a magic item,cause otherwise the bullets would burn/shatter upon fireing.
Totally not possible; wooden bullets used to be use as a form of blank/fake bullet in old musket and WW1 era rifles. The wood just burns up and disintegrates as it's fired.
You'd be much better off with silver, or maybe engraved with holy symbols.
Not entirely true. Wooden bullets have been used for crowd control through pain compliance and the 1907 Schouboe pistol was designed to use a copper jacketed wooden projectile. They must be fired with less powder and thus will have less velocity, but it is inaccurate to say that they always disintegrate like the wooden training ammunition you referenced.
Something like an underwater speargun might also be a possibility, but that would be much shorter range than an actual bow or crossbow.
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Edeleth Treesong (Aldalire) WoodElf Druid lvl 8 Talaveroth Sub 2 Last Tree StandingTabaxi Ranger, Chef and Hoardsperson lvl 5, Company of the Dragon Team 1 Choir Kenku Cleric, Tempest Domain, lvl 11, Descent Into Avernus Test Drive Poinki Goblin Paladin, Redemption, lvl 5, Tales from Talaveroth Lyrika Nyx Satyr Bard lvl 1, The Six Kingdoms of Talia
Not entirely true. Wooden bullets have been used for crowd control through pain compliance and the 1907 Schouboe pistol was designed to use a copper jacketed wooden projectile. They must be fired with less powder and thus will have less velocity, but it is inaccurate to say that they always disintegrate like the wooden training ammunition you referenced.
So your argument against wooden bullets being ineffective as ammo is non-leathal ammo. While an interesting bit of trivia, it does not help the OP in the least.
I think the best solution would be a stake launching crossbow.
Well considering that this is D&D the bullets could be made from Bronzewood which in the forgotten realms is a very hard and heavy wood that is used by the elves to craft things.
My "argument" was to point toward historical examples of gunpowder propelled wooden projectiles, as the original post specifically referenced issues with wooden projectiles "disintegrating".
Also, the Schouboe pistol was not designed as a less-lethal device; it was intended as an easily produced , low cost military sidearm. It was not successful and did not win any contracts, but it did function. My point in referencing it was to allude to the use of jacketing or means of containment to make wooden projectiles more viable. So the pistol example and plenty of historical references to smooth bore devices like the classic Blunderbuss being loaded with debris, including shards of wood, would suggest that magic and master craftsmanship would not be required.
Clearly a projectile made of wood would be less effective in virtually every scenario versus a more traditional bullet, but if the game in question has a take on vampires different from 5E source materials, there are certainly ways to deliver the "stake" via gunpowder or similar propellant.
My argument will be towards magical ways to make it happen. Like bullets made from ironwood, it is wood that is incredibly dense. So much so that some heavier metal heavy armors can be used by substituting this as the material. Granted this is from older editions but no reason why it could not be integrated into 5e in a logical manner.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
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l have this idea for a vampire hunter that uses a gun,with the ammo being little wooden spikes (pieces of wood shaped like bullets,with a sharp point). l am makeing this to ask if such a thing would be possable,like with a master blacksmith or artificer or something? obviously it would have to be a magic item,cause otherwise the bullets would burn/shatter upon fireing.
Totally not possible; wooden bullets used to be use as a form of blank/fake bullet in old musket and WW1 era rifles. The wood just burns up and disintegrates as it's fired.
You'd be much better off with silver, or maybe engraved with holy symbols.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Not entirely true. Wooden bullets have been used for crowd control through pain compliance and the 1907 Schouboe pistol was designed to use a copper jacketed wooden projectile. They must be fired with less powder and thus will have less velocity, but it is inaccurate to say that they always disintegrate like the wooden training ammunition you referenced.
Ah, I wasn't aware of those, I was only familiar with the training rounds.
But those rounds you mentioned would be even less effective because they'd likely not be able to pierce flesh as needed for the desired purpose.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
A bow or crossbow would be more reasonable. What is an arrow but a narrow wooden stake with pointy metal on the end?
Something like an underwater speargun might also be a possibility, but that would be much shorter range than an actual bow or crossbow.
Edeleth Treesong (Aldalire) Wood Elf Druid lvl 8 Talaveroth Sub 2
Last Tree Standing Tabaxi Ranger, Chef and Hoardsperson lvl 5, Company of the Dragon Team 1
Choir Kenku Cleric, Tempest Domain, lvl 11, Descent Into Avernus Test Drive
Poinki Goblin Paladin, Redemption, lvl 5, Tales from Talaveroth
Lyrika Nyx Satyr Bard lvl 1, The Six Kingdoms of Talia
How much suspension of disbelief do you have, and where are your co-players at?
A harpoon like one-shot-stake-shooter sounds cool enough to be fun.
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Maybe if the wooden bullets were enchanted to be as hard as lead, but in the long run that is gonna be very costly.
Also worth noting, vampires don't require wooden stakes to be killed in dnd
So your argument against wooden bullets being ineffective as ammo is non-leathal ammo. While an interesting bit of trivia, it does not help the OP in the least.
I think the best solution would be a stake launching crossbow.
Only in the sense that they cant be killed at all, but at least a wooden stake through the heart paralyzes them indefinitely.
Well considering that this is D&D the bullets could be made from Bronzewood which in the forgotten realms is a very hard and heavy wood that is used by the elves to craft things.
Cool idea, but you are not the first to think of it. Wooden bullets were used in this movie:
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)
Hellboy uses a gun that has bullets containing wood, holy water, and silver.
https://hellboy.fandom.com/wiki/Good_Samaritan
But overall guys come on, this is a game with magic and spell and dragons and stuff. It's not too far fetched to have magic wooden bullets.
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ah,maybe it works like a crossbow,but looks like a gun?
My "argument" was to point toward historical examples of gunpowder propelled wooden projectiles, as the original post specifically referenced issues with wooden projectiles "disintegrating".
Also, the Schouboe pistol was not designed as a less-lethal device; it was intended as an easily produced , low cost military sidearm. It was not successful and did not win any contracts, but it did function. My point in referencing it was to allude to the use of jacketing or means of containment to make wooden projectiles more viable. So the pistol example and plenty of historical references to smooth bore devices like the classic Blunderbuss being loaded with debris, including shards of wood, would suggest that magic and master craftsmanship would not be required.
Clearly a projectile made of wood would be less effective in virtually every scenario versus a more traditional bullet, but if the game in question has a take on vampires different from 5E source materials, there are certainly ways to deliver the "stake" via gunpowder or similar propellant.
My argument will be towards magical ways to make it happen. Like bullets made from ironwood, it is wood that is incredibly dense. So much so that some heavier metal heavy armors can be used by substituting this as the material. Granted this is from older editions but no reason why it could not be integrated into 5e in a logical manner.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."