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From: hutch@hammer.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Using a light spell as a laser
Message-ID: <1658@hammer.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Nov-85 17:25:33 EST
Article-I.D.: hammer.1658
Posted: Tue Nov 26 17:25:33 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 29-Nov-85 11:17:30 EST
References: <6700005@uiucdcsp> <938@udenva.UUCP> <> <880@nmtvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: hutch@hammer.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison)
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 54

In article <880@nmtvax.UUCP> wildstar@nmtvax.UUCP (Andrew Fine) writes:
>
>     This is a device I thought about for a possible campaign. Take some rough
>crystal ( ruby, sapphire, emerald, but it has to be carmorundum , glass simply
>will not do), and cut it into a cylindrical rod. Polish one end perperdicularly
>and silver it. Polish the other end at about a five degree angle, and 
>partially silver it. Result: LASER CRYSTAL!
>
>     To use, cast a light spell ( normally level 1 ) to originate from inside
>the crystal. The crystal will concentrate the light into a cutting beam,
>suitable for slicing prison bars, drilling holes into adamantine, or slicing
>live dragon into dragon steaks.
>
>Could anyone give me some suggestions for play restrictions on the use of
>this device?

Several problems.  First, it requires very sophisticated and expensive
techniques to grind corundum.  Second, it has to be ruby, and it has to
be pink, not deep red, and it has to be uniformly colored and without any
internal flaws which will diffract the light, and it has to be fairly
large.  By the way, emeralds are NOT corundum.   Garnets, sapphires, rubies
and some other odd (low-grade) greenish and yellowish stones are corundum.

Assuming you luck out and find a suitably large, properly colored, flawless
chunk of crystal, which will already be a roughly hexagonal cylinder, THEN
you need to polish and cut the thing.

Corundum is the second hardest naturally occurring substance.  You will have
to use diamond dust, and diamond saws, to cut the stuff.  It's fairly brittle
and doesn't cut well with a chisel (but it CAN be done along cleavage lines).  
Getting a proper 5-degree planar cut on one face is easier said than done.
It requires precision engineering techniques which don't necessarily exist
in a medieval mileau, though they can be put together well enough in a
rennaisance mileau.

Assuming your ref is merciful and grants you a lasing-crystal.
The light stuffed into the crystal has to be very bright.  You don't
want to make the crystal itself the source of light as this will
prevent the lasing effect.  The lasing effect from a ruby laser is a
pulsed effect, and should not be maintained for too long because the
crystal will overheat and shatter.

The Light spell will probably not work (brightness equivalent to a torch)
unless you can convince the ref that you should be able to make the full
light output come out all at once.

Laser light is very dangerous to the eyes.  It can cause blindness, as
cataracts, burned optic nerves, or detached retina.  It won't cut very
reflective things, like many dragons' scales, and (best of all) the ruby
laser light is invisible.  Ruby lasers lase in the Infrared.  So in order
to see what you are zapping you'll need infravision, and a smoky or hazy
atmosphere, which will also reduce the effectiveness of the laser.

Hutch