The magic of the game runs according to rules. There is a lot behind it, how casting occurs, memorisation, spell choices. It all comes together and certain pcs and npcs can cast spells on their turn. Okay, we are walking together and we can see the rules and requirements behind it.What are these things? They aren't like what they are meant to be.Now loading ye olde firearms also had rules and procedures, but paizo's times are completely wrong, and with feats and investment, it can be taken down to almost nothing. Free and move actions for something that took upwards of four steps and involved moving multiple things around in both hands? What?The magic works by rules, yes. Rules made up for this game. The guns also work by rules. Rules made up for this game. Neither models reality. I tend to think this is a good thing because this is a fantasy game.
Because a bow is a far simpler and quicker to use weapon than a flintlock, matchlock or wheellock firearm.Now who's being unrealistic? Using a bow well requires much more training (and some might say skill), while using a matchlock firearm is much easier to learn. Ease of use is one of the most often cited factors in why guns replaced bows for military use.
By PFs rules, their guns are not historical guns. Not even close.
Some armours could also stop early firearm bullets, especially at range. Proofed breastplate was good for that, certain types of lamellar were also recorded as stopping them (generally just before the body, so it goes in, but not through, whew said many a samurai). The whole ranged touch mechanic isn't even close to being accurate, and some were less accurate than others (hence volley fire) - but this is always a problem when the rules for a thing, veer from the reality of using that thing.
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I do love my gunslinger, but I will say I wish that I wasn't quite so amazing at dealing enormous amounts of damage.
Always hitting touch AC, fine. Flatfooted makes a bit more sense to me, but I hear that's a little debatable, so OK.
I handicapped my character so that he would misfire on a 1-3, which makes combat that much more interesting. I could have used the Reliable enchantment to make it 1-2, but that's less fun. I secretly love rolling the dice and calling out "MISFIRE!" when I'm using multiple attacks. Followed by "aaahhhh!"
The x4 critical would have been better off at x3 or 19-20/x2 considering what happens when you combine critical confirmations with always hitting touch AC.
If we are hand-waving reality, why reload times? Why not hand-wave early firearm development and just go straight to a gun that can be reloaded fast?
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My favourite part of this thread is that somehow bows are easier, quicker and (implied) better than flintlocks. The history of colonisation is a cruel teacher in that regard. Bows do have a certain romanticism to them, though, I must admit.
More seriously: pathfinder is not pretending to simulate real life. Pathfinder simulates a high-fantasy action-adventure romp where doing the impossible happens three times before breakfast. The sooner people realise this, the sooner we can get on with actually commenting on the rules.
My favourite part of this thread is that somehow bows are easier, quicker and (implied) better than flintlocks. The history of colonisation is a cruel teacher in that regard. Bows do have a certain romanticism to them, though, I must admit.
More seriously: pathfinder is not pretending to simulate real life. Pathfinder simulates a high-fantasy action-adventure romp where doing the impossible happens three times before breakfast. The sooner people realise this, the sooner we can get on with actually commenting on the rules.
Well said.
I'm not great with guns or a bow, but it took me far less time and effort to learn how to use a gun than it did a bow. None of which has any relevance to the game, because I'm not an X level job title.
The Technology Guide is going to release within a month and half the people here are going to have their jaws drop to the floor, I think. But in the interest of being fair about how muskets are unrealistic in a high fantasy game, where does it explicitly say that the muskets they use in the setting reload similarly to the way antique muskets really worked? Or where does it explicitly say how muskets are loaded at all? If the method isn't the same, then it shouldn't be held to realistic standards.
Plus, I've got to hit the high fantasy part more. In your modern action movie, people fire automatic weapons for much longer than the magazines of those guns are capable of, yet people are lost in the suspension of disbelief enough to not care. I'd think there should just be a handwave to circumvent the speedy reloading and get on with the game.