Do you want Guns?

[*[<3]]

I'm of the opinion that guns should be rare. So I'd rather not see them become commonly available all of a sudden.

Even if they're balanced (and I imagine they would function similarly to crossbows in that regard), thematically it makes little sense for them to be a common thing imo.

Agree with this 100%.

[*Darkrob]

Maybe one or two models but not the entirety of the sling choices. I like slings...

[*Tingly]

I was hesitating to mention it, but I too like slings. They may be the sub-optimal bastard child of the projectile launchers, but I love them.

[*edmaster44]

I was hesitating to mention it, but I too like slings. They may be the sub-optimal bastard child of the projectile launchers, but I love them.

Slings won't be the ones too be replaced, changes are it will be the weaker Version of the Crossbow.

[*NeverOutPunned]

From someone who already plays a firearm wielding character and supports them in concept, I don't think firearms present a balance of power issue. We already play them off as crossbow epoxy in mechanics and their really not very powerful. Its a flavor weapon, mechanically inferior to bows and this proposal wouldn't change that. Almost as importantly, this is not a low power universe. We have crazy powerful enchanted dohicky everywhere, bows that make seige weapons feel inadequate and swords that make warhammer 40k characters jealous. Your fast as lightning vampire weaponmaster behind 13 protective enchantments isn't going to be that much more inconvenienced by a minigun demon next to any other cutter with a rifle. The only point at which bullets start to make a difference is when we have magic guns shooting magic bullets.

[*Rayanne]

Your fast as lightning vampire weaponmaster behind 13 protective enchantments isn't going to be that much more inconvenienced by a minigun demon next to any other cutter with a rifle. The only point at which bullets start to make a difference is when we have magic guns shooting magic bullets.

Not everyone enjoys playing massively overpowered Mary/Gary Sues, though.

Setting wise, I feel like introducing guns is one of those things that are going to affect all layers of the universe, and is something you can't really take back once committed to.
If every berk gets the ability to simply point (a very concealable weapon) at somebody and kill them, that's going to change things. Doesn't take much thought to figure out that you can make bullets out of silver/cold-iron etc. At least magic requires years of learning and proper aptitude, and has plenty of already-established counters in the game.
And, as mentioned, there already exists a gun model in the game which can freely be applied to any crossbow you own.

I have a couple of characters who could massively stand to gain with the introduction of common firearms, but I still don't feel like they belong in this setting, UNLESS they are made to be mere novelty weapons with drawbacks in the vein of what Ve'keer suggested.

[*Sinlinara]

We are predominantly considering replacing one of the Crossbow types.

How they are implemented and in what capacity is largely to be decided, but I think it's fair to say that no one on the build team is interested in making any weapon obsolete and I don't get the impression that people want firearms to be commonplace.

I believe the intention is to keep them rare. I would personally take a page from Pathfinder's Firearm rules and recommend the commonality of Very Rare or Emerging guns.

[*edmaster44]

The guns we're looking too add, if they do get added would be of the flint matchlock variety, Muskets and Flint pistols, nothing after Industrial revolution, so not six shooters or Cowboy style guns, as much as i would love too see some Western Style Show Down, Or the Celestial Abyssal Horses Drive by. Another thing for us DM too consider is how this would change the setting and the feel of things going forward.

[*Darkrob]

One of my oldest chars has always carried an 'industrial age' Navy Colt 5 chamber black powder pistol. He's never spoken about where it came from and it has never been used in anything but RP situations. It would be nice to have 'something' to actually place in his hands (or on his hip).

[*Cibernadie]

We've had people walk around with thinly veiled power armors no problem, and specifically to firearms, there are those models for ranged weapons too, and some unique crossbows already describe themselves as being guns. Hand cannons, harquebuses, blunderbuses, wall guns, flintlocks and muskets are all medieval weapons after all. And mechanically speaking they are not all that different from regular piercing weapons we already have, specially after that new arrow crafting escalation that made bows and crossbows already weapons of deadly efficiency. The choice is merely stylistic and from a perspective of setting to my eye. The guns we're talking about are nowhere near the potence of modern weaponry, so people being afraid of guns equalizing their superpowered characters would have nothing to fear from these more than from already existing ranged weapons.

Perhaps the fear of having legit guns ingame (since they're already seen) comes from somewhere else...