Firearms in Ravenloft

[The Giamarga]

How widespread is firearms use in your campaigns?

Coming from a 2E background and having read all of the novels, i was quite surprised on the prevalence of firearms in 3e Ravenloft.

Most of the Mordentish NPCs seem to have firearms proficiency. The Weathermay-Foxgrove twins both have it, even their father(grandfather?) if I recall correctly from browsing that Gazetteer in the shop.

Would you give George Weathermay firearms proficiency? I can't quite picture him shooting a longbow like some savage when all of his cultural peers use firearms. It would also help distinguish this NPC from the other Ranger/Hunter types (Gondegal, Jameld of Hroth).

Or is the bow still the superior weapon?

[Faust]

At the level of technologie that ravenloft is set bow and crossbow where sitll superior to guns. But many people used guns anyway at that time.

firearms are really widespread in my game because it add to the atmospehere(magic guns are also availaible).

[Troile]

Renaissance domains have guns. Which is a cultural level of 9.

It makes sense.

Most d&d worlds are set around a cultural level of 7 I would think though it could be 6.

(Most city watchmen in CL 9 domains have pistols)

[Dominique]

I keep firearms relatively rare because they're expensive. The city watch in Port-a-Lucine would have firearms. The town watch in Bumbledyville, a smaller village in Dementlieu, probably wouldn't be able to afford them. The size and importance of the town is as important as the CL in my mind.

I can't see George Weathermay with a longbow, but I could certainly see him with a crossbow. They're quite handy.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

I concur - the gun is so much more human a weapon than bows. Still, it is so hard when you stack it up against the combat effectiveness of bows.
I think a crossbow is a good comprimise for characters like Weathermay. Somehow I just can't picture him with a gun, it seems too flashy and impractacle for a consumate hunter like Weathermay.

[Ivana_Boritsi]

I think that the prevalence of firearms in Ravenloft is a result of what's en vogue in gaming these days. There are alot of folks who are crazy about guns in D&D in general because it's something new and exotic.

Take for example the Iron Kingdoms game. While they maintain that guns are rare, they really do hype up firearms in all of their artwork and such.

It hasn't been much of an issue for my group, but we mainly game in more "primative" regions like Barovia.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Well, I sympathize with the idea - the gun is so much more dramatic a weapon. In one weapon humanity's power is summed up so perfectly - powerful, loud, inventive. The gun is trully the weapon of the masses - all men are created different but Col. Colt made them equal. The gun symbolizes the power of life and death, thunder and lightning, held in the palm of your hand. Standing amidst the gunsmoke, man becomes a god - at least until the bullets run out.

Weapons like the bow and crossbow are so different, so exotic - they imply a culture where men (or women) practice for years to master a bow. The bow is so different - one fires the arrow into the air, losing all power to control the bolt, trusting in the elements of wind and gravity to point the arrow home. The bow is a weapon that encompasses discipline and faith - two things our modern society lack.

For some characters, bows and crossbows are better.
For example, the crossbow screams "professional killer" - someone who cares nothing for flashy firepower, someone who relys on aim and accuracy for that single deadly shot.

I think that guns fit most adventuring characters better than bolt throwing weapons - the gun allows players to fight they way they play - balls-to-the-walls and devil-may-care.

[The Giamarga]

Good points all of them.

I suppose the 3E flashyness has not even kept from Ravenloft. But it does make sense for Renaissance domains and has precendent in 2E (even if sparse.) BTW here's a nice resource for playing in Ravenloft Renaissance domains.

As for the Weathermay as a Ranger he is automatically proficient in bows and crossbow (perhaps that is part of the problem for Renaissance domains.) His stats in VRA show him wielding a composite longbow, while in the 2E Champions of the Mists no ranged weapon is mentioned. I could see him with several muskets and pistols, loaded of course with silver bullets. It fits the image of the tricorn-hat and dark overcoat (...which always makes me think of the Brotherhood of the Wolf!)

[Troile]

For example, the crossbow screams "professional killer" - someone who cares nothing for flashy firepower, someone who relys on aim and accuracy for that single deadly shot.

Really the crossbow is the peasant's weapon. You don't need training...when it was invented there was a huge scare about peasants being able to wield such deadly weapons.

[tec-goblin]

I use modern rules - quite a lot of NPCs have personal firearms proficiency. D20 past sourcebook has great stats for guns (taking into account accuracy, reliability etc): it helps distinguish culturally advanced countries like Dementlieu (where IMC competent guards use wheel lock muskets) from countries like Invidia who just buy weapons from elsewhere (and only the huge and ineffective matchlock arquebus is used).
Of course, in paridon they probably have more advanced weapons, like flintlock pistols etc...

[VAN]

I think that if a character comes from a domain of high cultural level, as Mordent ands Demenltieu, can pretty well get the "firearms" feat. The problem is that when he goes to another domain with lower cultural level will have problem with the boulets. Because he cannot find them, or they will cost much more.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I looked up George's stats in VRA and CoTM too, but Giamarga beat me to posting.

In my campaign guns are a HUGE component of the story, mainly because the first PC to give me a character background wanted to be a gunsmith. So aside from having one PC be all about tweaking, building, perfecting, and practicing with guns, they've all gotten involved with smuggling guns to the Falkovnian rebels, and intrigue on the Rue des Pistolets, etc.

So far, they've mostly stuck to the civilized areas, and the guns haven't come out much in the few sojurns into the backwaters. But I'm prepared for the fun when the gunsmith gets labelled a warlock in Tepest.

[Coan]

For example, the crossbow screams "professional killer" - someone who cares nothing for flashy firepower, someone who relys on aim and accuracy for that single deadly shot.

Really the crossbow is the peasant's weapon. You don't need training...when it was invented there was a huge scare about peasants being able to wield such deadly weapons.

It was also banned by the pope as an evil weapon with to much power.

A crossbow is also a lot more silent than a gun. I myself have killed a total of 3 dragons with handcrossbows.

[Gemathustra]

Don't forget that the Chinese invented the automatic crossbow.
A very lovely weapon to discourage rampaging barbarians, especially when used in conjunction with poison-tipped arrows.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

For example, the crossbow screams "professional killer" - someone who cares nothing for flashy firepower, someone who relys on aim and accuracy for that single deadly shot.

Really the crossbow is the peasant's weapon. You don't need training...when it was invented there was a huge scare about peasants being able to wield such deadly weapons.

True, true, but no more so than the gun or the long bow.
Remember, the Longbow was the weapon of choice for the English peasant, who used it for hunting game - and latter for hunting French knights.
As well, the first arbequeses were really more army ordance than peasant weapon - but the Flintlocks familiar to the Ravenloft setting are from the time period where commoners may very well have had them.

As for killing three dragons with a hand crossbow, I persume this wan't at the same time?