Of Magic and Muskets...

[Gfted1]

I was wondering if people know if it's only wheellocks in the setting, or if there are also matchlocks? The reason being that historically speaking, the two existed at the same time and in fact filled very different roles in warfare. As the matchlock is somewhat simpler of an idea, and far more mechanically simple, it'd be surprising if only wheellocks were around. At the very least, I'd expect hand cannons to exist.

 

And as for fantasy and guns...I've never understood Fantasy Gun Control. The Medieval conventions, armors, and warfare that dominates works of high fantasy are all affected by and dependent on the existence of firearms and ordinance. Why don't they drop crossbows? Or metal armor? Why that one technology from the Late Medieval age? It's not like the standard fantasy setup is going to be seriously altered by its existence. I'd say that magic is usually far more cognitively dissonant, with everything from healing to resurrection to weather control being shown as having no effect on Medieval society when in fact it would have huge ones.

 

Update 5.

 

Black powder firearms are of the single-shot wheellock variety. Largely considered complex curiosities, these weapons are not employed extensively by military forces. Their long reload times are considered a liability in battles against foes that are too monstrous to drop with a single volley, foes that fly or move at high speed, and foes that have the power of invisibility. Despite this, some individuals do employ firearms for one specific purpose: close range penetration of the arcane veil, a standard magical defense employed by wizards. The arcane veil is powerful, but it does not react well to the high-velocity projectiles generated by arquebuses and handguns. As a result, more wizards who previously relied on the veil and similar abjurations have turned to traditional armor for additional defense

[Diagoras]

I read that, but was hoping for some additional clarification on the matter. That guns are single-shot seems a given (you're not getting revolvers any time soon), and I assume that when wheellocks are mentioned, widespread matchlocks are implied. I was just wondering if matchlocks had been confirmed, or if it's really the case that the much more complicated and expensive wheellocks are the only ones that exist. That update could be read either way.

 

Though unless there are a lot of monstrous, flying, and invisible people on the battlefield, it seems weird that matchlocks wouldn't be as widely used as they were on the battlefields of the 1500s. I can't think of a better Medieval weapon to take out a monstrous foe than a musket, and flying/invisible enemies aren't going to be hurt by any weapons, let alone firearms. Hell, at least with guns you can volley fire in their general direction and hope to get a kill.

Edited November 15, 2012 by Diagoras