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DF Suggestions / Blowguns and Venom-Milking
« on: January 03, 2023, 04:43:40 pm »
Blowguns with a few reworks could be an interesting addition to the Dwarven arsenal.
Blowguns and blowdarts are made craftable. Wooden and bone blowguns can be made at the bowyer's workshop using the bowyer skill, metal blowguns are made at the metalsmith's forge using the weaponsmith skill. Wooden and bone blowdarts are crafted at the craftsdwarf's workshop with their respective skills, and metal blowdarts are crafted at the metalsmith's forge. Blowdarts are crafted in stack batches of 40, opposed to bolts which are crafted in batches of 25, making them more resource efficient.
The bowyer's workshop gets the new task Apply venom to blowdarts, which will take a 20 blowdarts and apply them all with the effects of one glass vial of venom. This would make blowguns in some cases compete with crossbows, but venom is too inaccessible. So the farmer's workshop gets the new task Milk venom from animal which will send a dwarf to extract venom from a living caged venom-producing creature using a glass vial without killing the creature, creating a renewable source for venom. The venom-milker skill is important because similar to gelding, a low-skill venom milker may sustain injuries during the venom-milking process potentially making it the most dangerous workshop task. Best to train dwarves by starting them milking weak venom animals and moving up to stronger venom when they become skilled if possible.
Venom application to weapons should be limited to blowdarts to maintain balance. Logically this is also explained through venom mostly dripping off weapons, whereas darts have a special compartment and channel to deliver venom effectively. Also certain creatures like lizardmen should be immune to venom. Blowguns and blowdarts can also be used in weapon traps.
Blowguns and blowdarts are made craftable. Wooden and bone blowguns can be made at the bowyer's workshop using the bowyer skill, metal blowguns are made at the metalsmith's forge using the weaponsmith skill. Wooden and bone blowdarts are crafted at the craftsdwarf's workshop with their respective skills, and metal blowdarts are crafted at the metalsmith's forge. Blowdarts are crafted in stack batches of 40, opposed to bolts which are crafted in batches of 25, making them more resource efficient.
The bowyer's workshop gets the new task Apply venom to blowdarts, which will take a 20 blowdarts and apply them all with the effects of one glass vial of venom. This would make blowguns in some cases compete with crossbows, but venom is too inaccessible. So the farmer's workshop gets the new task Milk venom from animal which will send a dwarf to extract venom from a living caged venom-producing creature using a glass vial without killing the creature, creating a renewable source for venom. The venom-milker skill is important because similar to gelding, a low-skill venom milker may sustain injuries during the venom-milking process potentially making it the most dangerous workshop task. Best to train dwarves by starting them milking weak venom animals and moving up to stronger venom when they become skilled if possible.
Venom application to weapons should be limited to blowdarts to maintain balance. Logically this is also explained through venom mostly dripping off weapons, whereas darts have a special compartment and channel to deliver venom effectively. Also certain creatures like lizardmen should be immune to venom. Blowguns and blowdarts can also be used in weapon traps.