| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Entromancer |
Posted - 03 Jan 2014 : 16:50:00
I wanted to run this by the sages for advice, and some critique, before I start my next campaign. My idea is to advance the Realms timeline so that some modern conveniences are present: firearms, automobiles, various industries etc. At the same time, I want there to be some nations that live by the sword, by the spell, by the gun, and by a combination of each of these three. Here's my ideas as to how to accomplish this goal:
One continent might by majorly dependent on firearms for protection. They don't have the luxury of learning spellcraft and thus needed powder weapons, which developed into the sort of guns you'd find in the old West. These peoples would need to trade with smiths that forge antimagic armor, or perhaps develop a formula for an antimagic bullet that can penetrate a wizard's wards.
A majorly magical continent, such as Faerun, might initially try to put a stranglehold on firearm imports from the other continents. They would still make it in via a blackmarket, and naturally appeal to those who're unable to afford magical tutelage or lack the skills for magic.
The strict sword-users might lack the ability to learn magic, yet see firearms as a coward's weapon. To that end, I'd give these people a fantasy equivalent of military-grade armor. That would justify them using the sword rather than the gun. |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Entromancer |
Posted - 04 Jan 2014 : 04:59:03
Mindblown at the possiblities. Thank you, gents! |
| Foxhelm |
Posted - 03 Jan 2014 : 23:05:33
One word. Kevlar.
True be told, the gun didn't phase out armor because it pentrated armor. Arrows could do the same.
What the difference between armor pentrating arrows and bullets, between bows and guns, was the fact it took more money and time to train archers to the skill level to do this. Guns, even primitive guns, all you had to do was give it to a bunch of peasants and have them point in the general direction and shoot.
But it is human nature when there is a problem is to solve it especially if you can make money on it. Which is why people spent time and money on bulletproof armor and other barriers. Which is how we came to Kevlar. Of course there are also hollow points bullets, but for each move on either end there is a counter-move. This will continue till the end times.
You just have to think on it like a man trying to bullet proof in a magical environment. Example... is there a substance like adamantine which can absorb the energy or is harder then the bullet? Perhaps from a magic beast or plant or even outsider? Could you make bullet proof armor from Dragon or Demon skin? also you have spells an beings who can become etherial... How many ghosts have died of gunshot wounds, for example? |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 03 Jan 2014 : 22:55:32
I‘d recommend looking at comparatively high-tech settings ... the Savage Coast (Mystara), Masque of the Red Death (Ravenloft, kinda), and Iron Kingdoms (d20). They all make good use of steampunky brass-plated pre-Industrialish technology. Most D&D products tend to be more Feudal/Medieval or Early Renaissance in overall tone.
A common feature of these settings is that they all have some flavour of gunpowder-firearms-artillery, it‘s generally about as powerful as wizard spells, and armies equipped with such things tend to dominate the land. But it usually has some sort of drawback - the gunpowder or the weapons are somewhat inferior, or extremely hazardous and volatile, or awesomely rare and expensive (sometimes because availability is strictly controlled, often because it involves magical manufacturing components/methods). Firearm technology was typically roughly equivalent to breech-loaded match-lock or flint-lock weaponry, although some settings offer revolvers and bolt-action rifles. But hey, D&D sometimes has the odd laser blaster or fusion rifle as well.
Bear in mind that lowly spells like Shield and Protection vs Normal Missiles can go a long way towards negating firearms, while Dispel Magic can neutralize large quantities of magical-item-styled gunpowder. All the usual spells which impede archery (Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Wall of Whatever) are equally effective against firearms. And early gunpowder was notoriously useless in any sort of wet or inclement weather. |
| Entromancer |
Posted - 03 Jan 2014 : 18:23:25
Hmm. In that instance, I could see where it would be useful for the sword-wielder to have a mage backing him or her. This assumes that not every gunslinger would be able to afford spell-piercing rounds. Or some armor spell-crafted that could give them an edge vs the projectile weapon. Failing that, an intimate knowledge of the battle-field could prove useful for the sword-wielder. My objective is to give both the projectile-user and melee-user a roughly equal chance to prevail against the other.
I'm looking at heavily involving the plane-touched. To that end, I have a common progenitor for the class. I call them the Drakeghul. They resemble a mix of dragonborn and genasi. These Drakeghul were the warriors, champions, and heroes during the distant past. They were spited and villanized by mortals for their amorality. Some of the Drakeghul tried to conform to the mortal's standards of morality, which put them at odds with the other Drakeghul. This escalated into a vicious conflict that ended with the Drakeghul integrating themselves with the mortals of Toril, giving rise to the earliest plane-touched races.
This presents campaign plot bunnies of dragonborn/genasi suffering from a bout of mental illness due to the Drakeghul psyche rising to subsume their mortal inclinations and proclivities. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 03 Jan 2014 : 17:48:37
Even with bulletproof armor, someone with a melee weapon will be at a disadvantage if he can't close with someone attacking from range.
And real-world history shows that the harder you try to make something bulletproof, the harder someone else will try to make a bullet (or other projectile) that will get through it. That contest usually is won by firepower, because at some point, it's simply not worth the effort of putting on more armor. |
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