I've been bouncing between buying both red steel an the savage coast box set at an flgs. I know it's a mess, but is it a worthwhile buy? Their both used and I think they might be missing small things. Either way, your continuing dedication to Mystara is a blessing to us all. Here's to more Mystara!
@@ChimeraArchive Even if you don't play 2nd ed, it shouldn't be _that_ hard to transfer the setting and some mechanics to whatever edition or retroclone you typically run. It just takes a bit of work, creativity, and a eye for what aspects of the Red Steel material could (or should) be ported and what to leave on the cutting room floor.
I always find it weird that fantasy settings tend to have canons for castle defense and canon naval battles are commonplace. Having flintlocks and rifles is still rare in fantasy settings.
I had guns reducing AC by half. Thinkness of armor should matter somewhat (and full for magic - it's effin' magic). Also, natural armor (for us 3rd ed heads) is fully effective.
I prefer guns to be non-magical, since I think it overcomplicates the game. And firearms ARE a mundane technology for us in Real Life, so it's weird when people make it inherently magical. The advantage of using a gun is you're using a GUN. It hits harder and punches through weaker armor. (Plus, I like the idea that if guns are inherently mundane, then you can then use magic to make the guns BETTER. Magic bullets that home in on targets, or alchemically perfected gunpowder that punches through anything. Leave yourself room to increase effectiveness of firearms above the baseline.) If I had any additional gun-based house rules - because I generally have less patience for complex subsystems if the main systems can suffice - it would be to have firearms discharge induce fear in anyone who hasn't had personal experience with the weapons. Gunshots are loud as hell and punch holes through people. It's like a thunderclap at close range. Make creatures save against fear if they're new to this whole "firearms" thing. This has the benefit of making them potent tools when taken far from their place of origin, while a part of the setting where they're (relatively) abundant finds them no big deal. Characters newly arrived in Fantasy Texas will only need to deal with the fear initially, before they're (potentially) getting into gunfights on the regular.
