Gunpowder, pistols and other such things

[Kel-nage]

Simply, do your players use them? I must admit, I am a swords person myself and since I've bought some of the books, I am a bit reluctant to let my players use such things.

Then again, I understand they have quite a few weaknesses (such as the gunpowder getting wet element and the reloading), are these enough to ensure my players aren't just going to grenade their way though (however many power checks they may end up making).

What worries me the most is that one of my players wants a blunderbuss and I just received Van Richten's Arsenal (which I plan on showing to all my players as I want them to make good use of it) though the post today...

As a final question, has anyone tried banning gunpowder based weapons? How well does that go down? I thought keeping them to at least below CL 7 domains might help (I can always say that the shopkeeper shrugs and looks at them as if they were lunatics for asking for such things), but I don't want to restrict my players from seeing some of the great, higher CL rated domains.

[Tobias Blackburn]

Gunpowder and guns really aren't that bad. If anything it gives them more reason to check their actions. It's far too easy to hit an innocent, something you wouldn't have as much of with a swordor possibly even a bow.

Don't worrk about the blunderbuss either. It requires two feats to use properly and works best when grounded properly. It may deal damage to a larger area but there's a far greater chance of collateral damage. It's too dangerous to use in town or if an ally is melee.

[Augustus]

I like the gun rules presented in one of the QtR's. They make more sense than the ones presented in the books.

[Big Bad Jack]

Ravenloft NEEDS its firearms, really, to my mind.

Ravenloft lacks much magic, but its alchemy, clockworks, and firearms are the replacements.

They are a part of the setting, to my opinion... of course, that's just my two coppers, so to speak.

[Ivana_Boritsi]

From my experience, the slow reload time for firearms makes them only so-so useful in Ravenloft. Sure alot of the guns can do damage...but when it takes a full-round or standard action to load a gun, the PC spends a round piddling around with their firearm.

Funny enough, people hate the idea of spending around mucking about with their firearm, even when doing massive damage. Players tend to like the instant gratification of "doing something" each round.

This is why firearms haven't dominated our Ravenloft game. I like it that way.

[JinnTolser]

When I began my first Ravenloft campaign, I came in with the "Guns don't belong in D&D at all" attitude. However, as time went on and I got ahold of more info on the setting, my attitude began to change. When one of my friends started up a Ravenloft campaign, I decided to try out a character that used firearms and explosives, and I loved it (he's one of the guys that I'm writing up for the NPC Netbook actually).

So now I believe that they do have a place in Ravenloft, and I allow them in locations where it's appropriate.

[Dark Whisper]

Up to now, my players didn't encounter any firearms; they were in domains with low CLs, but they'll enounter them soon. I'll see if one of them thinks about picking one up (but I don't think so...).

[Pamela]

We've only got one player who uses a pistol right now. We also have a mage and a druid, and considering the damage a fireball can do, I can hardly complain about a gun's enormous damage.

[Jennifer]

Hi all,
In my campaign the players know about the existence of firearms, have seen them in action as well, but I have made them too expensive for them own. That way they know that the weapons are there, but not really for them at the moment. Perhaps in the future, when I need the party to do much damage to survive their opponents.

jennifer

[Charney]

Since most of the PCs are from medieval domains, none uses firearms but I know some of my players are ithching to make a character who could use them.

[alhoon]

Guns seem very weak to me. I use them in my game, but I gave them an armor-piercing quality.
After all, who would like to deal 1d12 damage every 2 rounds?

Im the time around CL8, guns were used because they were easier to master than the long bow, but the long bow was a better weapon back then.
In the time around CL9, Guns dominated Europe, not only because they were easier to use than longbows, but also because they were deadlier.

[JinnTolser]

Maybe it's just me, but firearms in Ravenloft just don't seem that powerful to me. In order to keep up with the mage, the psionic and the fighter in the group I played, I had to take all the two-weapon fighting feats and carry around extra pistols to use so I didn't have to spend so much time reloading. And that took a heck of a lot of money.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Perhaps, but then again, it is historically accurate. Every hear of a "brace of pistols"? Its what cavalry soldiers had to carry so that they could produce a decent ammount of fire.

[tec-goblin]

I use d20 modern rules and firearms in the hands of a group of guards can become deadly - particularly in the first 10 levels. My players don't use them (one is a castillian-spanish using a whip, the other is a werewolf using a spiked chain and the last is an inish using his fists) - but many guards in many domains have used them.

[Kel-nage]

Okay, thanks for that everyone. It seems guns aren't as bad as I thought in the first place.