Spellcannon

Spellcannon are weapons for deploying prepared spells on the battlefield. This has the advantage that it keeps wizards off the battlefield, thus preventing them from becoming targets. In addition, spellcannon also amplify the spell, thus delivering spells more powerful than what the wizard preparing the ammunition could otherwise cast.

Spellcannon come in a variety of sizes. On the small end are hand spellcannon and manportable spellmuskets. On the large end are full-sized spellcannon that require multiple crew members simply to aim. Medium-sized spellcannon, such as swivel guns, are commonly used on small hoverships such as windchariots. Each uses different sized ammunition, with the larger sizes having both greater range and greater effect. They can also be designed to attack along different trajectories. High-trajectory spellcannon are known as spellmortars, and are useful for attacking targets behind cover or attacking from behind cover.

A hand spellcannon.

In appearance, a spellcannon resembles a muzzle-loading cannon in its general outlines, but is typically more ornate in its details. Spellcannon are made of spellcrystal reinforced with either bronze or core steel. They are often cast or carved to resemble hideous beasts, with the muzzles lined with rows of teeth.

The ammunition for a spellcannon consists of hollow crystalline orbs. These orbs are color-coded according to the type of spell contained within. When a spellorb releases its magic, the orb shatters. This debris must be removed from the barrel before a new round can be loaded, which is one reason why spellcannon are only available in muzzle-loading varieties. Another reason is that a breech-loading spellcannon would require a more complex enchantment to get the barrel and breech plug to work together. However, the main reason why they are muzzle loading is that the ammunition for these weapons is so expensive that a higher rate of fire would not be particularly useful. Having a slow rate of fire enforces fire discipline, forcing gun crews to prioritize targets that actually require the use of spells.

Spellcannon are versatile weapons, as spellorbs can be made for almost any offensive spell and a fair number of defensive ones as well. Some of the more common spells used in this weapon are:

Fireball: covers an area in fire, good against clusters of ground troops.
Lightning bolt: shoots a bolt of electricity. This is good against moving targets because the bolt will home in on any electrically conducting object, such as the sailfin of a windchariot.
Concussion: an explosion of pure force that sends nearby objects flying. This is especially effective on rocky terrain, as it turns the ground into shrapnel.
Lightning fountain: causes bolts of electricity to spray out from a point on the ground. This is mainly used in spellmortars, which would otherwise be unable to attack targets directly with lightning bolts.
Fog: obscures an area, allowing troops to advance taking fewer casualties from enemy ranged fire.
Quicksand: turns the ground to liquid, causing anything standing on it to sink. This is especially effective against large golems which would otherwise be nearly invulnerable to ranged attacks.