D&D 5E Thunder damage passing through silence?

[Zeoh]

So, I'm building an artificer gunsmith for a new campaign, and the DM is open to the possibility of both I and the party's gunslinger doing "tinker checks" to invent little devices and modify our firearms/create ammo. (I believe this was based upon critical role's practices as the DM is using the critical role gunslinger sheet for the other person)

I haven't checked with the DM yet and I've got way too many ideas planned to annoy him with every little thing, but one idea I had was to create a "silencer" or suppressor by crafting a silence spell (likely acquired through ritual caster or another similar feat) into a cylindrical device to be optionally attached to my thunder cannon and/or the gunslinger's pistols/rifles. (I know it seems strange, but I thought the idea of a silence spell being crafted into a device fit far better with the artificer's fantasy than a conventional suppressor. Besides, I doubt a conventional suppressor would work with the theoretical caliber of a thunder cannon's round!)

Now the part that I'm wondering about: noise does not pass through a silence spell as per the wording, but it also states that targets inside of the silence do not take thunder damage. Does this mean that thunder damage is purely sound in 5e, or something more? If so, could the thunder cannon's "thunder monger" ability that adds multiple d6's of thunder damage to the shot still pass through and strike the target, or would the thunder damage immediately be stripped from the attack after passing into the silenced area at the end of the barrel? (the idea behind this is to use the firearms for infiltration missions without drawing the attention of the entire dungeon on the first shot)

Again, I think this all comes down to whether thunder damage is exclusively made up of sound or something more. Either way I can come up with plenty of other cool ideas to tinker with and it'll all come down to DM interpretation anyways, but I thought I'd like to hear what others think on this matter.

 

[cbwjm]

I believe thunder is just the 5e more fantasy word for sound or sonic so pretty sure it is just made up of sound. Might still work though, just talk it over with the DM.

 

[Coroc]

Silent thunder, that sounds like SF to me

I like your idea but what is the purpose behind it? Do you want the silencer to be unnoticed? That does also not work IRL a gun with a silencer is still very audible.

As a DM I would not give you the chance to stay hidden / invisible by using this device despite its originality.

 

[Zeoh]

As I mentioned before, it's not about the target not noticing where he/she was shot from, or even the target's nearby allies. It's more about additional enemies 2 or 3 rooms away, maybe 400-500 feet away from the enemies being engaged, not hearing the extremely audible gunshot and come running.

Also, it would have applications for assassination in a bustling urban environment in the same regard. (if your campaign goes in that direction)

edit: in regard to your statement that a silencer IRL is still very audible... I agree! That's why this silencer uses magic to completely negate all possibility of sound traveling... because magic.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I'd say that thunder damage is pretty much sound-based so if you suppress the sound, you will lose the additional Thunder damage.
I'd suggest you look into converting the Thunder Monger damage into another type, such as Fire damage before you start trying to suppress the sound of the cannon.

 

[Zeoh]

Interesting idea Cap'n, though the only thing I know of that can do that is 2 levels in lore mastery wizard tradition (UA) as far as I know, and that would only work on spells that require spell slots. The thunder cannon's special attacks not only don't require spell slots, but they also are considered a special weapon attack. It would be neat though.... a super-heated fire beam trailing behind the shell would basically give you a laser gun lol.

 

[JPicasso]

So what you're looking for, is like a curtain of silence, with a non-affected hole in the middle, so you can thunder enemies in the middle.

Sounds like Zone of Silence., then shooting the thunderwave into it. I don't know where Zone of Silence is located, I can't find a reference in my PHB, but apparently, it's a thing. And a 4th level spell.

 

[KahlessNestor]

I have never heard of Zone of Silence. Not sure that is 5e, unless you're using 3PP.

I would say you lose the thunder damage. Silence would cancel that. Alsi, you will have to contend with yhe fact that it is a 20' radius. If you watch Critical Role, you will realize that screwed Percy a bit when he built his Silence device.

Sent from my SM-G900P using EN World mobile app

 

[Oofta]

The way I look at it, the silence spell creates the alternate wave pattern for the sound vibrations going through the air as explained here.

So it doesn't "stop" the sound, it merely nullifies it in the area of effect. In your case, it doesn't stop the sound of thunder outside of the silencer so it accomplishes nothing - the sound merely passes through.

Of course any time you start mixing magic and science it gets a little iffy.

 

[Lanefan]

The way I look at it, the silence spell creates the alternate wave pattern for the sound vibrations going through the air as explained here.

So it doesn't "stop" the sound, it merely nullifies it in the area of effect. In your case, it doesn't stop the sound of thunder outside of the silencer so it accomplishes nothing - the sound merely passes through.

I'd see it as quite the opposite: the silence effect nullifies all sound trying to pass through it* (and is thus the most effective way to completely shut down a Bard!) thus trying to cast any sort of sonic attack through or from within a silence effect is simply an exercise in futility.

* - pseudo-scientifically, because the effect of magical silence is to completely flatten all waves in the sonic spectrum...but only in the sonic spectrum; it doesn't affect tremorsense, vision etc. Darkness effects work the same way as regards light-spectrum waves.

Lanefan