Astral Piracy - Design a Far Realm Explosion?

[Tiki Snakes]

Last session, my party managed to fight off an attack by a Priestess of Bane and her Shadow-Dragon ally. The Dragon escaped into the misty, multi-coloured depths of the Astral Plane, but the Priestess is aboard her Planar Drommond, which is not as capable of sudden speeds.

Now, the Dwarven NPC crew just so happen to know the secrets of Gunpowder, and have managed to bodge together a makeshift cannon using masonry, rock and stone from the streets of Sigil, all bound together and re-inforced with bits of gate and railing. As the forces of Bane retreated and made to sail away from the PC's own ship, the Player who is currently the captain ordered the dwarves to fire.

There is a problem, however. There is only one lead barrel of gunpowder. That's not the problem. The problem is, the Barrel is the only bit of salvage from their old air-ship. Which...well, it kind of got exposed to the Far Realm, actually. Much like the Captain's Pet Pig.

So, we have one barrel of Far-Realm tainted Gunpowder. Unlike the pig, it has been sitting undisturbed in the hold up till now.
I have already decided that the barrel and it's contents have kind of become non-deterministic. Whenever opened, there will be some ammount of gunpowder, but the ammount present has nothing to do with how much was in there moments before, nor how much has been removed. Just determined at random each time.

Beyond that, I'd like some input. The cannon has been lit. If it was normal gunpowder, it would fire normally and the makeshift cannon could take such stress quite easily. But it's not normal gunpowder at all.

So, playground. You tell me, what happens next?

[jiriku]

Interesting.

Ideas: Firing the cannon rips a hole in reality, much like a gate to the Far Realm.

Powder burns from the cannon burn and dissolve flesh.

The gunpowder won't light because it's no longer composed of normal matter. However, it has unusual physical properties which can be discovered through further research.

The odor from the burning gunpowder functions like a powerful hallucinogen, causing temporary insanity in those nearby, eventually lapsing into unconsciousness. While unconsciousness, the victims' minds are transported into the Far Realm, experiencing it as if in a horribly vivid nightmare.

Those who operate the cannon gradually undergo a sinister physical and transformation, including 1) protective feelings towards the barrel of gunpowder and unwillingness to be away from it for any length of time, 2) fanatical obsession with communicating with the Old Ones and/or re-opening a portal to the Far Realm, 3) disintigration of personal ethics and morals, and 4) eventual regression to a primitive, sub-human form.

[Ormagoden]

The cannon is a rod of wonder except it never effects the users/operators.

[Lapak]

Interesting.

Ideas: Firing the cannon rips a hole in reality, much like a gate to the Far Realm.

Oh, go with this. Let the cannon fire normally - you don't want to take that parting shot away from the player who planned it - but whatever the cannonball does, the PCs will be plenty occupied as their cannon tears asunder due to a rift to the Far Realm opening inside it. Complete with pseudonatural creatures spilling out onto the deck of their ship.

The forces of Bane stagger away with further casualties and a broken ship, and the players have to repel unnatural boarders right after a difficult fight. Oh, maybe even go another step: the gunpowder's effect is carried by the cannonball, and both ships end up with a new fight on their hands. If the Priestess manages to still get away, she'll be even more angry with the PCs.

[Noedig]

^^ Win in cannon form