Now the real question is: will the dwarves be armed with guns?
I always loved in the Warhammer rpg the use of gunpowder weapon with all their issues, loading times, misfire, explosive accidents like overloading the gun with powder or the carried gun powder being exposed to some fire spell, etc.
It ever saddened me to see that no other major game dared to introduce gunpowder weapons into a game world as they can be so much fun in scaring enemies AND bystanders off when an ale-loaded Dwarf loads his blunderbuss with a liittle bit too much powder and everybody runs for cover before he fires, someone uses him as target for a fire spell or if, how boring, takes it from him before he unleashes the firework.
I know a LOT of people are afraid of guns in fantasy games but I say they can be quite fun IF implemented correctly:
- They can be devastating in close distance. Usually used just as first strike weapon and then discarded for the rest of the fight as the gun wielder gets attacked and has no time to reload.
- being quite hazardous in use (loading time, powder gets wet or ignites in gun or on adventurer)
Not all gunpowder misfortunes end in an explosion when the powder is not contained inside any container or fist but produce a LOT of smoke, not to mention to singe the precious beard of a Dwarf and or lead to the loss of body parts from fingers to whole limbs.)
- The smoke can lead to trouble in fights by blocking views between fighters, especially in closed areas and even choke people, letting them loose initiative through coughing, gasping for air or being slightly 'shell shocked' by the loud discharge of the weapon(s).
- High misfire rate (wet powder, wrongly (under and over-) loaded. Basically, the whole idea of having something added into a game is a trade/payoff rate issue.
Long before the invention of cartridges ammo and rifled barrels gunpowder weapons were a extremely risky business (no industrial standardized caliber and no cartridges). We had in our Warhammer rpg group a lot of fond memories of Dwarves and other folks trying their luck as some lead-spitting Rambo and ended often enough up in not just taking out the enemies but their character and half of the cover of the adventurer group as well.
So I would love to see finally another fantasy game which has some gunpowder in it. In a world with alternatives like bows and magic I see no reason for gunpowder weapons being excluded.
In the same way like healers are in most game groups favorite first targets might a gunpowder weapon user challenge that pool position of most popular target in a more or less lucky adventurer group, especially when he stands near the healer.
I think the biggest sentiment against early gunpowder weapons in fantasy worlds is as archaic as back then the desire of the pope and others to turn the wheel backwards and outlawing such weapons, disturbing the romantic feeling people associate with fantasy today.
I say let them come!!!
Here a few links which might be informative:
45min documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXwtOfrZyrEa few shorter ones: (explosives, handgonnes, arquebus, blunderbuss, etc.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uf72u8xeVEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdXy0IfsWsEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNXkUA0KFNYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeZvMgeITYshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD6SbAzdvc8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXXVeh96m_Mhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2ZwSJBXi2Uhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCs2RIyeUwcBTW...almost one month left fpr the 'The Dwarves' Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kingartgames/the-dwarves-a-new-storydriven-fantasy-rpgDwarves of all worlds unite and support this game!
I wish Divinity would make a shout out for this game from King Art Games to raise awareness of the title. Finally a game for Dwarf fans. Huuzarrr!!!