Craft (Explosive Poultice)?

[Acora]

I've recently started a new campaign with some friends, and we're in the character creation stage (We're all fairly inexperienced, so it kinda takes a while), and as a DM, I'm trying to give them as many options as possible while still fitting in with the game world and being balanced. A friend of mine, who is playing a Halfling Rogue raised by a cult of assassins, has asked if he could make one of his 'Craft' skills into 'Craft (Explosive Poultice)'. He's detailed how it would be done, and specified that he thinks that his character would only be able to make one batch every time we take an extended rest, since it would take several hours to complete, though wouldn't be too labor intensive.

His idea is that his character could spend either a standard or a full round action to place it and light it on either the square he occupies or in an adjacent one, and that after a couple of rounds (Three or so) it would go off, doing damage (We've yet to decide how much damage would be fair) to a small area.

My question is, should I let him do it? It's an interesting idea, honestly, but I don't want to give him an ability that would make him much too powerful. If I allow it, how should it be handled? What sort of damage should it do?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Andvare]

Google came up with this:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111015175738AAU1EYf

A place to start.

The rules, as they are, makes any explosive pretty much underpowered because the cost is quite high per explosion, and the damage is rather small really.

I'd say, let him do it, but make a deal that you will try to balance the cost vs. the effectiveness.
Compare it to what a wizard can do with some simple blasting, tone it a bit down, make take his gold. That way he wont overshadow anyone, and will still have his, expensive though it may be, toy.

[The-Mage-King]

Sounds like you want Ditherbombs (Races of the Dragon) or Explosive Packs (Secrets of Sarlonia).

The former is more of the grenade-type explosive, while the latter is definitely one you should look at, being a timed one. You also might want to consider offering to let him take-

No... Can't be vivisectionist Alchemist with bombs. Sadening.



Anyway, maybe drop the price of each to half of what it is, and then let him craft for 1/3rd of that. Should be simple enough. Just waive the "must be a spellcaster" requirement for Craft (Alchemy) and it should be fine.

[Acora]

I should probably have mentioned that we're using Pathfinder. Not that 3.5 stuff can't be used with Pathfinder, of course.

[The-Mage-King]

...Aaaannnddd THAT is why threads should have (3.5) or (PF) or (3.P) in their titles. :smalltongue:




Anyway, why not point 'im to alchemist? It makes explosives, and is fairly simple to pull together.