Setting the scene: smell and taste

[Chris]

I'm running along at full descriptive tilt and come to the realization that I have no idea how to describe spent explosives. I improvised it as a sharp burnt odor hanging in the air and they fell for it!

Still, what do spent explosives smell like; C4, Semtec, dynamite. Do they have a distinct odor when you pull them from the wrapper for that matter? Is it so strong you'll taste it as well?

Thanks,
chris

[dragoon500ly]

tank ammo is ammonia based.

[pmulcahy11b]

To me, C4 smells like clay or Play-Doh -- but not quite. And I've never been able to put that "not quite" into words.

As far as putting better descriptions of the area and items -- that's an old D&D DM's trick, and useful in any RPG.

[leonpoi]

Not sure about C4 etc but at least some explosives are ammonia based. I've been in an underground mine following blasting and the air is think and choking with ammonia.

[Haztech5]

We detonated some C4, the smell to me had a tinge of chlorine smell and there was a blue haze in the air.

[Legbreaker]

It's been nearly 20 years since I played with that stuff and I haven't a clue what it smelt like after all this time.
However I do remember the nasty headache PETN inflicts upon you when you get it near your face - even just transfer on your hands is enough.

[Neal5x5]

I haven't had a lot of experience with plastic explosives but the single-most overwhelming smell that I recall was that of acrid concrete dust generated by the target's disintigration. My other experience was detonation of unused artillery powder in the Utah desert (Dugway Proving Ground) and that was from a distance, but there was a vague ammonio/dry earth smell.

[Haztech5]

Thinking about it some more. We set off some ANFO charges to split some bed rock for a foundation the smell I remember the most is the smell of rock dust.

[pmulcahy11b]

Cheese charges (charges for an M30 4.2" mortar) have an acrid sort of smell when they are burned, and they burn fast. I remember that they had a combination of beeswax, nitroglycerin, and ammonium nitrate in them (and probably other stuff I don't remember).

The charges used on the rounds for M29 and M252 mortars have an ammonium-type smell too. There's a reason why mortar tubes are called "piss tubes," especially after a decent fire mission.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by Haztech5

...the smell I remember the most is the smell of rock dust.

Come to think of it, that's the same for me, but that may be because we shifted a few tonnes of clay and rocks several hundred metres into the air...

It's worth considering therefore that the smell of the explosives themselves may well be "buried" by the smells of the target material. A GM may be better off describing the visual damage and combine that with the smell of a freshly ploughed field, or perhaps cut grass (lots of shrapnel zipping through a pasture). Rust and a metallic taste to the air might also work if the target was corroded, or poorly maintained/painted (like an old iron bridge).