[✗] [Invention] - Falconets

[CRP Goon 71]

Falconets

 

Origin: 

Invented after the Mali’ame warrior Oryl Sirame brought a rather simple idea to the master artificer and proven inventor Dorimnur Goldhand to downsize his earth-shaking Dwedmar siege cannons. With the combined skill of the Elf’s ingenuity and the Dwarf’s experience and means of production, these smaller weapons of war were made for quicker firing. Using the same technology of steel barrels and black powder charges of larger cannons, these smaller falconets are lighter and easier to maneuver, but are not without their own drawbacks.

 

Description: 

A falconet is a light cannon that can be most directly recognized by its miniaturized, sleek profile and its iconic ‘crack’ often heard echoing across the battlefield in rapid succession alongside its counterparts. While initially invented for the sake of arming smaller ships, there is no denying their potential application in the field. Paling in comparison to the roar of its siege-based grandfather, this effective field weapon could still be used to devastating effect against infantry, small ships, or wooden structures. The falconet can be bolted in place or affixed to wheels just like a cannon, but would remain too large to be mounted on a simple swivel (like that of a deck gun). To fire quickly and effectively, this falconet still requires a crew of three. 

 

Falconets - at their lightest - weigh no less than 800lbs or 362 kg (barrel alone). This leaves them far too heavy to pick up or move by oneself. With a much smaller bore size than a full sized cannon, falconets - as a general rule - cannot fire any projectile weighing more than 10lbs, and require adequate powder charges to accomplish this. Varying in length from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 3 meters long, these versatile light cannons can take many designs or shapes, but all remain under the same physical guidelines, regardless of variation. 

 

Capabilities

 

The falconet is incapable of breaking through adequate stone walls and cannot effectively be used to breach sturdy gates - leaving this weapon rather inadequate for siege warfare. It can, however, be used to devastating effect against all manner of plate armor and shields, being able to send round shot clean through a full grown horse within its effective range. This leaves the falconet useful for raiding or defending in small skirmishes. It is light enough to be drawn by a pair of horses, though it must be detached from towing before it can be used to fire. Just as the cannon from which this invention was derived, there are many different ammunition types. 

 

Grapeshot: While useless against any structures not made from glass or straw, this collection of smaller metal balls would be incredibly devastating against any infantry units it is fired at. While its effective accurate range is shortened, it has a much wider area of effect and can dent or pierce through plate armor if anyone is unlucky enough to be caught within the short effective range of a falconet equipped with this useful ammo type. 

 

Bola: Given the falconet’s reduced size, ball-and-chain ammunition (traditionally used to sever masts or clear decks) cannot be used to the same effect. Bolas, however, can be used (alongside a halved measure of powder in exchange for halved effective range) to ensnare and immobilize a target. This can fire rope, silk or chain bolas to similar effectiveness. 

 

Explosive shot: Falconets can utilize boomsteel rounds just as full sized cannons, but the shot - and as a result, the explosive yield - are far less spectacular. This shot is made up of low-density boomsteel in the core of a round shot ball. This would decimate a 2x2x2 block area from the point of impact, but still cannot be used to break through stone walls. 

 

Craftsman’s Shot: Just like with full sized cannons, inventors, smiths and captains can just as easily find any combination of uses for projectiles suitable to be fired from their falconets. Any number of rare materials can be fitted to be fired from these falconets. This could range from potions that give their ammunition enhanced effects, to less-than-permanent paint rounds ideal for performing naval exercises. 

 

Mechanics and Restrictions

 

Mounted: When in fixed position (on the deck of a ship or atop a defensive position) these falconets require a three man crew to be used and fired. Here the falconet can be fired with three emotes, with a fourth emote required after the second shot for maintenance.

Requires a crew of 3 to operate

 

Gun Captain

Loader 1

Loader 2

 

Emote 1:  Loader 1 quickly brings a prepared powder charge to the mouth of the falconet after inclining the barrel slightly, setting it firmly within the bore, before pushing it down with a rod and seating it firmly to the back of the chamber. Loader 1 leaves the rod, quickly retrieving and setting a short fuse.

 

Emote 2: Loader 2 removes the rod from the barrel, bringing forth the desired ammunition to the tilted mouth of the falconet and feeds it down the barrel before ensuring a snug fit against the powder charge by using the rod. Loader 2 then removes the rod a second time. 

 

Emote 3: Gun Captain adjusts aim if necessary and brings a torch, match, or flint and striker to the short fuse. The quick burning fuse shoots down with hunger as it seeks the powder charge within, before the light falconet shakes with an ear-ringing crack! Smoke and fire shooting out of the barrel as the light, high speed projectile is launched towards the target. 

 

Emote 4 (After two successful firings): Loader 2 removes the fuse, blowing down into the chamber to clear it of any still-burning powder, before retrieving the worm and sending it down the barrel to remove refuse, ensuring a clean bore for the powder charge to come. 

 

Horse drawn: Falconets can be wheeled onto the field of battle by horse (or other creature of equal strength) but it is a cumbersome endeavor and requires a much larger crew initially. To bring a falconet from a stationary position into a battle position as part of a combat maneuver requires the use of two horses and two crew members in addition to the gun crew already required to man it. The horses must move at walking pace, and the ammunition must be carried in saddle bags. A total of five prepared shots are allowed per horse before a third mount is required.

Additional emotes required:

One to bring the horse to a stop and dismount.

One to detach the falconet from the horses and to remove the ammunition bags from the horses.

One to turn the falconet into a firing position (this cannot be done by the horses, it must be done manually after dismounting.)

 

Redlines

-By default falconets can fire up to 60 blocks with two exceptions: they can fire longer if the hosting ET member allows, and their range is cut to 30 blocks in the case of using bola rounds in a non-lethal capacity with half the normal charge of powder. 

-Always requires 3 emotes to use when fixed, with a 4th emote after 2 successful firings. 

-For the falconet to be wheeled into battle a crew of no less than 5 is required to set it up and prepare it to fire. Two horses are always required.

-After the 2nd shot, if the 4th emote to clean is not carried out, the Gun Captain must roll 100 for misfire. Anything below 80 results in the falconet being too dirty to fire, and two emotes are required (one to unload it, one to clean it) before it can be loaded and fired again.

-If a 4th shot is attempted without cleaning the bore, the Gun Captain must roll 100 for backfire. Anything below 80 results in the ammunition jamming and the breach exploding - fatally wounding the gun crew and rendering the falconet destroyed.

-Like cannons, falconets can be represented MCly through stone, wool, wood, etc, but cannot rply be made of these materials. 

- Falconets can never be moved while firing. They must remain stationary, and can only rotate as part of the aiming emote. 

-When rotating to fire, a gun crew can only rotate a falconet 90 degrees per emote. 

-Falconets can never be pre-loaded. All loading emotes must take place during combat. (Unless otherwise allowed by ET)

-Craftsman’s Shot follows the same guidelines as stated in the accepted inventions for Cannons - it must be ST signed, though does not require its own invention piece. 

-Falconets cannot be picked up or used by magic or large creatures. They cannot be mounted on any living thing.

-If combat is already initiated and the falconets are arriving by horse, one emote is required to announce the arrival of the falconets in-transit before the halt emote to allow for the defending party to stop this. If one of the two required horses is shot, disabled, or otherwise killed, the other horse cannot continue by itself and the falconet is rendered immobile until the necessary emotes to detach the falconet are done. 

-Falconets can only be manned by a crew of 3. (Unless fewer is allowed by ET)

OOC Purpose

I wrote this with the intention of giving variation to the world of cannons while still limiting their use in a fair manner. My goal for introducing light cannons to LOTC would be to give reason to have smaller sailing ships armed with falconets so that smaller crews of players could have adventures and partake in events without needing to man massive cannons capable of crippling stone towers. Having a smaller number of players required to man these cannons allows for groups of all different sizes to have fun. This brings versatility to the event-planning stage that currently accepted cannons don’t offer. They’re not meant to be powerful weapons of war, but flavorful additions to the field of event roleplay.

 

Spoiler

Accepted lore used in the derivation of this invention:

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by CRP Goon
The black headings were cancerous.

[BDanecker 858]

The proper way to post gun lore

[Shmeepicus 3942]

Nice

[Shiredom 1551]

4 hours ago, CRP Goon said:

A falconet is a light cannon that can be most directly recognized by its miniaturized, sleek profile and its iconic ‘crack’ often heard echoing across the battlefield in rapid succession alongside its counterparts.

 

4 hours ago, CRP Goon said:

Falconets - at their lightest - weigh no less than 800lbs or 362 kg (barrel alone). This leaves them far too heavy to pick up or move by oneself.

 

[squakhawk 7933]

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.