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Cowboys, Samurais & Barbarins all in the same setting?
- Thread starter warlord
- Start date
Lord Morte
First Post
warlord said:
It can make sense and it would work, IF access to the cowboy's toys was heavily restricted. Wild West firearms eliminate the big balancing point of DnD firearms: Rate of fire. Rapid Shot with a revolver? Ouch. If cowboy-types are common, then chances are they'll dominate and the barbarians and samurai will go the way of the dodo.
Worldwise: Perhaps a technological elite exists, either in the open or in hiding, that has developed these weapons. They could use them to rule the world (mwahaha... oops. Sorry) or hold back on using them because of religious reasons. Or any combination inbetween, such as Dave Duncan's Seventh Sword books, where the fire blasts of the 'sorcerers' are actually muskets hidden in their sleeves and developed because the 'sorcerers' are the only ones with the written word.
Alternatively, you could do something like Stephen King's Dark Tower series, an interplanar world were people from different worlds (and different techs) have to band together. The lone cowboy must fight along side or against samurai and barbarians, but has to carefully conserve his ammo.
Nifft
Penguin Herder
Another alternative is planar funkyness.
Anyone besides me remember Grimjack? It's a comic book that takes place in an interdimensional city called Cynosure. One of the quickie re-caps was something like: "Sweet, cynical Cynosure. Guns work on one side of the street, magic works on the other. Swords work everywhere."
-- N
Anyone besides me remember Grimjack? It's a comic book that takes place in an interdimensional city called Cynosure. One of the quickie re-caps was something like: "Sweet, cynical Cynosure. Guns work on one side of the street, magic works on the other. Swords work everywhere."
-- N
comrade raoul
Explorer
I think this sort of thing depends on the firearms mechanics used. If guns didn't ignore armor (or, perhaps, if they did, but nobody wore armor because they got WoT-style defense bonuses), you could implement plausible firearms that were powerful, but not game-breaking, as exotic weapons. For example, I'd think a six-shooter that did 1d10 points of damage (but that prevented you from adding your Strength bonus to damage) wouldn't completely overpower swords.
Doctor Shaft
First Post
It could work easily enough. D&D traditional fantasy already interweaves supernatural ability into the swords and shields part of combat, so it wouldn't be beyond reason that, say, a fully knight man with tower shield and longsword could take on a leather clothing, six-shooter cowboy. I mean, if a halfling rogue is somehow conceivably capable of damaging ogres with his 1d4 dagger because of sneak attack damage.... then anything is possible in my opinion.
The tech level obviously would have to be restricted so that it isn't too widespread. Samurai still existed in one form or another when firearms were first introduced to Japan, but they "died out" eventually because firearms finally became mainstream or widespread. Of course... the samurai didn't have supernatural fighting abilities of the level D&D gives the typical character.
So you could even go so far as to say that guns are everywhere, yet the art of the mundane weapon still thrives in one form or another.
I'd say, if anything, probably the only thing in a supernatural world that would probably die down is the armor itself, considering that it is totally ineffective against bullets.
If you were to introduce firearms into the campaign as more than just a gnomish novelty, might want to look into other variant rules. Like the UA class AC bonus, and stuff. That way characters could conceivably ditch the really heavy armor types, and perhaps fit a more modern world that is transitioning.
Perhaps even introduce throughout the game different types of weaponry, like shields and such that are designed specifically to counter the firearms, just to add a bizarre twist or conflict between the new technology and the old desperately attempting to adapt and regain its supremacy in the field of arms.
The tech level obviously would have to be restricted so that it isn't too widespread. Samurai still existed in one form or another when firearms were first introduced to Japan, but they "died out" eventually because firearms finally became mainstream or widespread. Of course... the samurai didn't have supernatural fighting abilities of the level D&D gives the typical character.
So you could even go so far as to say that guns are everywhere, yet the art of the mundane weapon still thrives in one form or another.
I'd say, if anything, probably the only thing in a supernatural world that would probably die down is the armor itself, considering that it is totally ineffective against bullets.
If you were to introduce firearms into the campaign as more than just a gnomish novelty, might want to look into other variant rules. Like the UA class AC bonus, and stuff. That way characters could conceivably ditch the really heavy armor types, and perhaps fit a more modern world that is transitioning.
Perhaps even introduce throughout the game different types of weaponry, like shields and such that are designed specifically to counter the firearms, just to add a bizarre twist or conflict between the new technology and the old desperately attempting to adapt and regain its supremacy in the field of arms.
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
A gun is really no different than a +1 crossbow which overcomes DR so in a DnD world were magic woks guns adding guns isn't gonna be a major hassle - afterall a wand of fireball is probably more effective...
ps I remember a comic book from many moons ago about an earthman transported to a savage world in which he is a powerful mage with a set of pistols (and a following of other mages) - ianyone know what I'm talking about?
ps I remember a comic book from many moons ago about an earthman transported to a savage world in which he is a powerful mage with a set of pistols (and a following of other mages) - ianyone know what I'm talking about?
