So as the topic title says how do you craft Gunpowder/Black Powder.

I am guessing its Tradecraft - Specialisation Blackpowder.

How long would it take, what kind of check, would Dwarven Engineering make it easiler.

Lastly I know the ingredients, saltpetre, carbon and sulphur, and how various amounts mean it is an explosive or an incendiary. But have no idea how you get the saltpetre from the horses/cows etc nor how rare it would be to find sulphur. Carbon is quite common, roots of plants can even provide it.

Carbon is just charcoal.

Sulfur could be found at any mountain hellmouth (i.e. anywhere of recent volcanic or hot springs activity). Sulfur mines are terrible places from what I've read about in national geographic and would hence, be perfect for The Old World

Saltpeter (potassium nitrate NOT sodium nitrate from fertilizer) is more commonly in arid climates and caves, etc. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/saltpeter-info.htm --- this I think would be good as an import from the south. It is soluble in water and probably (i'm speculating) why gunpowder get's crap when it gets wet.

So, regarding game play, I allowmy player characters with Tradecraft to earn 1-10 sp/week with a successful tradecraft check (vs a d4 in purples + d4 blacks of difficulty for that week). That would give you a rough estimate of how much a person with the right tools, the right laboratory, the right time, the right help, and the right lack of doing anything else whatsoever could earn..and hence could be translated into how many "shots" you could make.

Hope that helps!

jh

And judging by the 2nd picture above, it's important to put a head on a pike at your front gate to keep people from stealing your potassium

Here's some more about it (as per one of my patients who just came in who is a geologist): http://www.aditnow.co.uk/community/viewtopic.aspx?t=3225

jh

Didn't they used to collect salpetre from the floor of churches? - a product of the decomposition of urine - very long sermons and no toilets. Sounds purpose built for wfrp, caught digging up the floor of a church to steal manky pee, how do you plead? ("No, no it was the dwarf!")

Very source i found says they made it from manure or urine then filtered that through potash to make the saltpetre.

Known as the french method or swiss method http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_nitrate can take a year to create.

But there is the cave method http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/519935/saltpetre ,

Bats guano gets mentioned in one of those links.

Since Nuln is the source of Black Powder in the Empire, Araby and the Dwarf Holds also have their own supplies. Tilea gunpowder. Not sure of Estalia. I have to wonder less on where each ingredient comes from and more on how i get hold of a supply.

Since I dont have to make each of the ingredients myself. Just need to check their rarity and pricing in the area I am in so can make my own. Charcoal would be plentiful. Sulfur would i think be rare. Are there any volcano / vents in the Empire. I dont remember reading of any. Saltpetre would either be rare or exotic?

Would take 24 hours to fix them together to create black powder. Refining it to gunpowder level.

Urine lying undisturbed in normal soil away from sunlight and weather, better still strained through straw makes saltpetre ( hence churches and outhouses or barns were rich sources. The English even had an official collector with draconian powers of 'seize and digup'