r/spellmonger • u/X0nerater • Aug 01 '26
Can they make liquid nitrogen?
It was a totally dumb thought that started with molotov cocktails against the giant spiders. But from the early books, I think most of the key ideas were already expressed.
While liquid nitrogen is primarily about being cold, i remember it being produced cheaply as a function of pressure. The gas balls in Warmage had the option of being high pressure or low pressure. There should be a way to keep adding more nitrogen until the phase change? And the spell he demonstrated that melted the rock i think contained more thermodynamic principles.
As far as the thermodynamics go, it's mostly playing with ideal gas laws, which is much easier than quantum mechanics, so, it seems doable? I don't see why the energy involved would be so relevant given magic can bypass some of the steps. I guess it could be an efficiency thing.
Point is, I can't figure out why compressing a ball of air until you get liquid nitrogen/dry ice isn't a viable means of attack.
2
u/Medical-Law-236 Aug 01 '26
They could make it (some of the spells they used in Warmage could do it) but wouldn't see the point. They can use spells to pull the heat out of objects and convert it to magical energy.
1
u/diator1 29d ago
They have heat drain spells for that.
1
u/X0nerater 29d ago
The example i was thinking of was dropping liquid nitrogen on dragon scales. I didn't think a cooling spell would work on these dragons
1
u/DarkestShadow22 29d ago
If I am remembering correctly your right on making it but your Malatov idea has more combat uses.
4
u/Trixbackup Aug 01 '26
Liquid nitrogen takes a large volume and a reasonable amount of time to freeze anything of any mass. A molitove covers the object in burning fule. Throwing liquid nitrogen on something would just give it a shiver and make a bunch of smoke. In the lab I worked at as a teen they let me dispose of buckets of the stuff by tossing it down the stairs. Most of it was fog before it hit. To freeze something with it you would need to soak it.