Item class - bullets
Bullet Types
Ammunition for blunderbusses (see: blunderbuss) and some kind of crossbows.
Alchemists Shot - turns dmg to fire, with small malus on dmg
Bullets - standard bullets, no special effects
Dragon Shot - fire dmg bonus additional to normal dmg
Dwarven Shot - crushing dmg with dmg bonus
Salamander Shot - small fire bonus additional to normal dmg
Description
The journeyman Alchemist was quick and efficient, he knew exactly how to swing his body and move his limbs in this room crowded with medical instruments. The clinic was busy in this town, owing to the nearby goblin colony. Many people come in and out who reckon themselves heroes. Many people end up lying down in his chair, biting on a stick to deal with the pain.
Hendrik was an apprentice, and he felt like one this morning. The stench of sweat and blood made him nearly vomit into his hat. He kept banging into things and overturning trays, but the journeyman was understanding. "Sit there," he said, "sit and watch what I do for now." He spoke quickly and half-distracted, his mind clearly on the man lying before him.
"You were duelling again, Rano, what did I say?" The man did not change his silent grimace. He also seemed to be concentrating on something. The journeyman took out a pair of precision tweezers and began to slowly open the bullet wounds. "More than one, and armed with guns. You made the wrong people angry it seems. Come here, Hendrik, look at these wounds."
Hendrik shuffled over carefully and tried to stand out of the way as much as possible while still in view of the wounds. "See the entrance wounds? Clean, these are from steel shot." He put the bullets to one side as he took them out. There were quite a few. "Nice, expensive steel. Much better than normal lead bullets. Still, at least they don't spread out like a pouch of loose shot."
"Loose shot is less powerful, is it not, journeyman?"
"Oh less powerful for sure, but much easier to hit the target. Indiscriminate you could say. A lot more work is involved on our parts then, removing all the pieces. You heroes duel and we pick out the pieces!" The journeyman admonished Rano on his bed. Rano stared at the steel shot and muttered something about how he'd like to pick up the pieces as well.
"Look at the entrance wound, a clean hole. This will heal fine. Rano was lucky, if it had been Dwarven shot the bullets would've exploded when they hit him." The journeyman motioned to different parts of the wound as he spoke.
"That would make a large burn then, journeyman?"
"Well that is a good guess, but no, it slams into the victim with impact. No, you're thinking of the Alchemist's shot." He looked down at Rano on the table and flashed a wicked grin. "Oh yes, we are not your celebrated heroes of sagas, but we know how to cause pain as well as heal it." He paused a minute from taking out the bullets and turned to Hendrik. "There are other bullets as well which burn their victim, but only our shot does it with an explosion." He grinned secretly again. "I've seen a few different shots from around the Realm which will burn the victim. There must be competing manufacturers. I've seen bullets with engravings of salamanders, and they are not as good as our own bullets. Though others, with dragons on them, they are superior, it has to be said."
The barbarian Rano groaned on the operating table as the journeyman dug in. "This is a strange one," he said as he removed a gleaming bullet from the man's thigh. "Hmm, this looks to be silver. I have seen people take these to priests to be consecrated when leaving to fight unholy creatures, but," he paused and looked closer at Rano, "you don't seem to be a vampire or a werewolf. Well, if you were this would hurt like sin." He looked to Hendrik and Rano expecting a laugh, or chuckle, but was met by stares of confusion on one hand and pain on the other. He shrugged and dropped the bullet in his plate. "They all come out anyhow."
The journeyman stopped and washed his hands, preparing to clean the wounds. Rano perked up a bit at the break in pain and spoke furtively, "Listen, Hassan, I know our usual deal, I pay and you get to keep the bullets, but you see, I am in dire need of ammunition for a member of my party. Could I just take the normal bullets you removed?"
Hassan the journeyman laughed, "No, Rano, this is my income. Look I will sell you the normal bullets cheaper than usual. This silver shot I retrieved will sell nicely." He grinned, then moved over to a cabinet and took out a small case. "I have something else as well, available for purchase only, you know. I have improved upon our secret recipe and can now offer select heroes a better Alchemist's shot, you see." He held forth a larger shot than usual, though one which would still fit the average blunderbuss. "Larger and more potent. It should not only maim your victim, but blind them for a while as well."
Rano shook his head ruefully at his lack of funds. "I want this desperately, but cannot afford it now. I..." He trailed off in pain and thought, then continued, "I need to get my own tweezers, I think."
