Matchcord (3.5e Equipment)
Matchcord
A matchcord is a hemp or flax cord, boiled in a pot of water and ash to allow the match to slowly smoulder. It was used as ignition for black powder weapons, as well as being a general-purpose source of heat and fire that you could carry with you all day long.
Matchcord can be slow burning or fast burning, depending on the type of chemicals the matchcord is boiled with. Matchcord can also be known as black match, which is a type of matchcord impregnated with black powder, often used as a fast-burning fuse for cannon and the like.
As with a flint and steel, lighting a torch or fire with a matchcord is a full-round action.
A one-foot length of standard matchcord would cost around 2 cp.
Match cord usually comes in sizable lengths- coils of say, 50 to 100 feet- though it's not unheard of for shorter lengths to be sold for more specialized uses. Matchcord comes, typically, in three varieties: slowmatch, quickmatch, and black match, which burn progressively faster.
Slowmatch is, as suggested, the slowest form of matchcord, and is usually sold cut to extremely precise lengths for precisely timed demolition (which makes them cost more; buying slowmatch in bulk costs the same as normal matchcord). It burns at a rate of roughly six inches per round but is very difficult to light unintentionally.
Quickmatch is the standard matchcord, burning at an average rate of two feet per round (depending on the mix, it can be as slow as one foot or as fast as three). This is the standard-use cord and as a result it is also the cheapest.
Black match is often used as a euphemism for all types of matchcord, but refers specifically to the extremely quick-burning variety impregnated with black powder. The standard-mix black match burns at five feet per round, though it can be made to burn even faster, though this makes it more expensive and far more unstable.
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