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Why would a "modern" fantasy world with firearms still have swords and plate mail?
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<blockquote data-quote="Rackhir" data-source="post: 163257" data-attributes="member: 149"><p>It all comes down to one simple question - Are they of any use? </p><p></p><p>Guns, swords, armor and bows co-existed for several centuries, because they all served a role. Guns while devastating if they hit, were inaccurate, slow to fire and useless in close combat for a long time. Bows while accurate and had a high rate of fire, required troops with decades of training. Neither was any good in close combat, thus swords, spears and other assorted weapons of destruction persisted. Armor increased your chances of surviving in melee and thus it didn't go away. </p><p></p><p>Poul Anderson's classic novel High Crusade, provides and amusing if improbable example of how "Low Tech" can conqure "High Tech".</p><p></p><p>Once guns were accurate enough, powerful enough and of sufficient rate of fire, the rest went away. You didn't engage in melee, a few weeks training got you equivalent accuracy and firepower to a well trained bowman and armor wouldn't stop bullets effectively given it's penalty in weight and encumberance.</p><p></p><p>If you can change those factors they will re-appear. Body armor is starting to come back given advances in materials and technology that considerably reduce the weight and encumberance, while still providing a substantial increase in one's survivability vs firearms. </p><p></p><p>The idea of iron countering magic is a good one. You can also leverage the advantages of magic. Iron Golem powered armor for example. DR armor would render bullets useless. Hasted, expeditious retreat, troops could close the distance before muzzle loaded guns could be reloaded. Etc...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rackhir, post: 163257, member: 149"] It all comes down to one simple question - Are they of any use? Guns, swords, armor and bows co-existed for several centuries, because they all served a role. Guns while devastating if they hit, were inaccurate, slow to fire and useless in close combat for a long time. Bows while accurate and had a high rate of fire, required troops with decades of training. Neither was any good in close combat, thus swords, spears and other assorted weapons of destruction persisted. Armor increased your chances of surviving in melee and thus it didn't go away. Poul Anderson's classic novel High Crusade, provides and amusing if improbable example of how "Low Tech" can conqure "High Tech". Once guns were accurate enough, powerful enough and of sufficient rate of fire, the rest went away. You didn't engage in melee, a few weeks training got you equivalent accuracy and firepower to a well trained bowman and armor wouldn't stop bullets effectively given it's penalty in weight and encumberance. If you can change those factors they will re-appear. Body armor is starting to come back given advances in materials and technology that considerably reduce the weight and encumberance, while still providing a substantial increase in one's survivability vs firearms. The idea of iron countering magic is a good one. You can also leverage the advantages of magic. Iron Golem powered armor for example. DR armor would render bullets useless. Hasted, expeditious retreat, troops could close the distance before muzzle loaded guns could be reloaded. Etc... [/QUOTE]
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Community
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Why would a "modern" fantasy world with firearms still have swords and plate mail?
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