The standard pistol is described as “slow to reload.” The Hound’s “sharpshooter” ability is described partly as “You can quickly draw and reload your weapons.”
That is the only mention of reloading in the entirety of the quickstart rules, besides the dual pistols.
Am I supposed to take it that it takes a turn to reload? Although that doesn’t make much sense, since everything is reactive to players and there is no roll to reload. If not, then what is the advantage of a 2nd pistol, or a fine “pair of pistols”?
How do you handle it as players/GM? Do you handle it at all?
I factor it into position and effect. If you’re fighting several people, a pistol with one shot might have less effect than wading in swinging a broadsword, for example(though the latter might have worse consequences — harm in particular, since you’ll be right in the thick of it).
Just handle it in fiction. With one pistol you can usually get a shot off before they’re on you (Hunt with likely a Controlled position). After that you’d need to reload. This means either reloading and firing while they are trying to pummel you (Skirmish with a Desperate position). Or running to get to cover where you can reload (Prowl). Or have another crew mate cause a distraction (Wreck as a Setup to improve position); thus giving them a bit of breathing room to reload and fire (Skirmish with Risky Position).
With two pistols, it makes the second shot a bit easier. So while the person/gang would be upon you after the first shot you’d be in a better position to take the second shot even when they are in your face (Skirmish with Controlled or Risky Position).
I see. Having the reload affect the position (desperate, risky) makes sense. Still, it doesn’t feel very intuitive to me, so I’m glad you pointed it out.
Yeah the BitD system definitely takes some getting used to. There is a lot of flexibility and play to it. I remember John Harper saying that he was creating a system that was like a guitar — multiple strings and finger positions that once you figure out how to play them together it can make beautiful music. It’s not instantly understandable like “roll pistol skill vs difficultly of 8 + 1 for range; damage 1d6+4; one round reload” but the flexibility of BitD allows it to adapt with the story and makes it interesting as everyone will play with the mechanics a bit differently.
Nihzlet’s answer is good, Colin Fahrion gives great detail.
To reload your pistol you lose narrative control. Spotlight moves to another player.
Wynand Louw that’s a way to handle it but gaining/loosing narrative control doesn’t necessary effect time in the fiction. Plus jumping between players actions should be happening fluidly anyway. Multiple character’s actions can often be taking place simultaneously or at least in such short order that it doesn’t matter.
Whereas, reloading a flint lock, you’re talking 10-30 seconds to reload depending on skill level. That’s gonna effect the fiction seriously enough that the enemy is likely gonna be in their face before they can even finish reloading — hence the effect on position.
Granted if the shooter happens to be in a completely safe space to reload than sure just switch to other players actions and have them reload. But when is anyone safe in Duskvol? 🙂
Good answers.
If it doesn’t seem intuitive, think about what can be framed as an action, given the detail you know about the slow reload.
If I have one pistol, and I say, “I shoot both of the thugs,” how does that happen? We know that I shoot, then slowly reload, then shoot again. Will the second Thug wait patiently to be shot?
If I have two pistols, things are different (unless there are three thugs).
Basically, given the simple firearm tech in Duskwall, one gun constitutes one attack in a fight, unless you have sharpshooter.
One of my players has Sharpshooter, and uses it to disarm opponents or for other trick shots. I think the level of firearm technology varies for the most part between groups, for example, most of the firearms in my games are break or bolt action. I think that the ability can also cover reloading while in an awkward position, such as underwater, or while sliding down a rooftop. It all comes down to the narrative that makes sense.
It hasn’t really come up in my game, because our Hound is.usually loaded down with lots of guns, but I would tend to treat reloading as a thing that happens outside of combat. If you’re in a position where you’d need to reload in the middle of a fight, switching to a different weapon is usually a better option, unless you particularly want to take a desperate action (which is sometimes a desirable option).
I had to give this up because I’m running as close to rules as written as possible because all I’m doing is one-shots to showcase the Blades in the Dark game. However, in the early days I came up with this cool alternative way to handle firearms.
No system stuff in here, it is all fictional. But I think it’s cool fiction for guns. And it allows for some multiple shooting, and gets rid of muzzle loading.
https://fictivefantasies.wordpress.com/2015/04/25/blades-in-the-dark-guns/
you were my direct inspiration for the way I run my games, firearms-wise.
Cool. =)
Yeah I love Andrew Shields plasm gun tech concept. It really works with the electroplasm early industrial age theme. Plasm is basically the analogue for the discovery of the explosive chemical mercuric fulminate which spurred the invention of percussion cap gun technology.
Andrew’s alternate history also indicates that Industrial Age precision engineering and mass production has taken over as well — much like the Colt revolver which happened about 30yrs after the patenting of the percussion cap.
Personally, I tend to view the world of BitD as early in it’s Industrial Age before the precision engineering and mass production really took hold broadly. Thus in Duskvol, many things like guns are still made generally in the hands of a craftsman one at a time.
It might even be that full scale mass production of the Industrial Age is hampered by specific issues of the Shattered Isles. Maybe mining for metal and other raw materials is more dangerous and expensive due to ghosts. Or maybe it’s just cultural with more respect and reliance upon uniquely crafted items. This approach would still allow for some talented Whisper/Leech to craft a special plasm percussion cap gun as a long term project. However, most people would still be using flintlocks much like they had likely been for centuries.
Of course there were more specialize multiple barrel flintlock firearms, but if you have an enterprising Hound who can afford to buy the best, there is also the rare repeating flintlock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_hnC6x036Q
For those interested, this is a great video showing the (time consuming) loading and firing of a double barrel flintlock shotgun https://youtu.be/cvI2pSF9dyY?t=4m46s
The guns of Duskwall are breech-loading, not muzzle-loading, so it’s not quite as bad as all that. 🙂
I imagine they use a simple cartridge of some kind, and operate something like a breech-loading WWI flare gun: http://www.jaybe-militaria.co.uk/ekmps/shops/barter/images/deactivated-webley-scott-1-flare-pistol-1917-dated-sold-%5B3%5D-767-p.jpg
Or perhaps something like this Hebel, if you want to get serious: http://eshop.mjlmilitaria.com/WebRoot/BT4/Shops/BT4345/5164/4E4A/71F7/F3B3/E604/0A0C/05E8/654C/Hebel_4.JPG