Just the fact that I'm playing D&D allows me to sidestep any need to conform to historical examples.One of my thoughts on extensive black powder in a campaign was to replace black powder with something more obviously alchemical, although not necessarily 'magic' per se. That allows me to sidestep any need to conform to historical examples.
Well, in addition to that, I can also make the effects and implementation anything I like. So when it comes to the fluff for whatever I decide the weapons should be able to do, in the context of the weapon list and game mechanics, it all fits like a glove. In my case it's also one of the primary exports of a particular country, which has all sorts of interesting political and faction related effects.Just the fact that I'm playing D&D allows me to sidestep any need to conform to historical examples.
Player: Uh, actually, a wheelock would be totally impractical and they didn't work like that in real life.
Me: You're flying 60 feet above an active volcano shooting ice out of your fingers. Don't lecture me about real life!
That is -also- not a complete understanding of reality.That is not a complete understanding of reality. I small object moving very fast can do more damage ( more force) than a large object moving slow
If you consider a 1.4 inch diameter hole to be Large then you'll be shocked at the kind of holes a sword, axe, or spear can put into someone!This has been pointed out to her repeatedly; the amount of energy contained in that bullet (which is transferred to the body via terminal ballistics) doesn't just 'punch a small hole' in someone.
Yes, but just remember that tests with ballistics gel at relatively short distance at a gun range with all the time in the world to aim and either modern guns or high quality blackpowder tell a completely accurate story of what happens when a bullet hits 100% of the time. Meanwhile a video of a pig carcass being cut in half with one swipe is totally unrealistic and irrelevant because ... reasons.If you consider a 1.4 inch diameter hole to be Large then you'll be shocked at the kind of holes a sword, axe, or spear can put into someone!
You're fixating on 'holes' and not on the damage to surrounding tissue.If you consider a 1.4 inch diameter hole to be Large then you'll be shocked at the kind of holes a sword, axe, or spear can put into someone!
Well... to be fair...Yes, but just remember that tests with ballistics gel at relatively short distance at a gun range with all the time in the world to aim and either modern guns or high quality blackpowder tell a completely accurate story of what happens when a bullet hits 100% of the time. Meanwhile a video of a pig carcass being cut in half with one swipe is totally unrealistic and irrelevant because ... reasons.
Mmmmnah.You're fixating on 'holes' and not on the damage to surrounding tissue.
A musket bullet is hitting a person with 2,000 joules of energy (that the body absorbs decelerating the bullet). An arrow OTOH generates 75 joules of energy.
The arrow will just punch a hole in you. When fired into ballistic jelly (or flesh), there is little cavitation caused by rapid expansion of tissue and then decompression in absorbing that energy.
A bullet OTOH causes rapid expansion and then retraction of tissue as the tissue around the bullet absorbs the energy transfered by the bullet.
This is called terminal ballistics. The energy transfer on target, and the damage this transfer of energy causes. Something you are completely ignoring (repeatedly).
The other thing you're repeatedly ignoring is the ease of putting that 'hole' in a vital organ with a gun (point and shoot) as opposed to doing so with a longsword against anything other than an incapacitated target. It's much MUCH easier hitting and destroying a critical vital organ with a gun (center of seen mass, and then bang), than it is with a sword against a creature fighting back or otherwise defending themselves.