@TheEdVerse What were your thoughts on rumors on guns being added into the norm of Forgotten realms novels? I like the medieval flavor and dependence of magic.
When I play as a DM I just tweak the lore to make sure gunpowder is harder to maintain hehe
— Ted Imperius (@Xjandinast) April 14, 2020
1)
I wrote a Firearms article, and a sequel, for Dragon magazine back in the day to nudge the idea of guns in the Realms into the “very impractical” category (as an editorial assignment, as they were already in the game; a wizard 2)
…of Greyhawk had a ‘boom wand’ in the Gary Gygax/Jim Ward/Rob Kuntz play sessions, way back when). Gunpowder doesn’t work in the Realms (doesn’t explosively ignite, so can’t propel bullets). Instead, the Realms has something…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 15, 2020
3)
…called “smoke powder” (which many gamers over the years have confused with sorts of gunpowder called “smokeless powder” or “smokepowder”). This was an idea borrowed, with Roger’s permission, from Roger Zelazny: in his…#Realmslore 4)
…Chronicles of Amber, gunpowder doesn’t work in Amber. Instead, what in the shadow known as Earth is known as jewelers’ rouge can be used in firearms. And yes, it is hard to obtain, making any firearm a “rare and preciously firing”…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 15, 2020
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…weapon. ALL firearms in the Realms are single-shots, not automatic or semi-automatic. And every time they’re fired, there’s a chance the weapon will explode, endangering the being firing it more than any target. This keeps 6)
…the focus on magic and medieval-flavour weapons.
Not that any of this is a new notion in fantasy. H. Beam Piper’s classic LORD KALVAN OF OTHERWHEN focuses on a gunpowder theocracy on an alternate-timeline Earth, and what…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 15, 2020
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…happens when a modern-times Pennsylvania state trooper who knows how to make gunpowder winds up in that ‘otherwhen.’#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 15, 2020
Nope. Compressing a fireball causes it to "go off" (explode), right there and then. (Usually 'goodbye caster.') If you want to hurl multiple mini-fireballs, use the Melf's Minute Meteors spell. ;}#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 16, 2020
Does it happens with the Firearms from Lantan too? Yes, the firearms Lantan sells are just as prone to blowing up as any others. (They keep the better ones for themselves.) And are single-shot, though they do sell double-barreled guns (and have their own with up to 5 barrels) allowing fast firing ere reloading.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 16, 2020