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Message: <blockquote data-quote="painandgreed" data-source="post: 3640800" data-attributes="member: 24969">As others have pointed out, it's not a matter of the deadlier weapon, its the cheaper weapon. Guns came into being because they were easier to train and less expensive than bows or crossbows. For a magic equivilent to show up to fulfill the place of firearms, it would need to be a magic simple weapon that was cheaper to make than a bow or crossbow while still being near as effective. It would be even better if it was a ranged or melee weapon such as a rifle with bayonet. That is not a wand unless you want to come out with a 5gp wand that does 1d6 in melee combat or ranged, much like the warlock's special ability (arcane bolt?). Somehow I think that would do something to balance.*Given realistic combat (which is not really D&D), the best thing you can do is create an item for morale and command. A banner that not only provides a morale bonus for troops fighting under it but also allows the commander to hear the commands of somebody near a superior banner. Then if the person holoding it dies, somebody else picks it up and all is good. RL combats were won often not by killing the other troops but making them route. Since this is D&D, the most likely replacement for lots of troops with new weapons would be the more experienced troops with better weapons. Ideally, elite units with the best weapons, which would mean PC types and parties supplied with the magic equipment to go in and combat the other sides elite troops or devistate their weaker troops.  A sound military theory is to hit their best troops with your best troops. Whoever wins that minor battle generally wins the war as the other sides morale will fail while the surviving elite troops mop up the rest of the lines.Editted to add:* Which is why a new technology takes over, because it upsets the balance. Once somebody figures out something good, they use it and win, and pretty quick everybody adopts it. You could replace crossbows with cheap wands, and even then include them with higher level versions. At that point, you have changed the scope of the game.</blockquote>

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