Would you consider it to be silly to have guns as weapons for some characters in a fantasy book, which contains a world full of magic? For example: Having guns being used in 'Harry Potter' or in the 'Inheritence' trilogy. Also, people using these guns are the people who can also use magic ; they use fire power as well as their magical abilities. Guns: Machine guns, rifles, etc.
Hi Lasers, I think this kind of question has been addressed relatively recently in the "Settings" section here. In my opinion, gunpowder is perfectly fine as long as it fits the setting's time. The inclusion of magic doesn't always have to mean the exclusion of technology. Cheers.
Depends on the magic. Does the magic have a gun equivalent? If it does then the development of guns is that more unlikely because there would be no real need for them. Also would the use of magic be as easy as the use of a gun. If it is too 'hard' with magic then it would be reasonable to develop guns. Or when there are ways to disable magic then guns would be very useful.
Thank you CheddarCheese, that is quite the right issue i was pondering about I shall check it out. Yes i suppose that normally the magic is a gun equivalent. However, magic is normally an attribute which is part of a person. If a person uses too much of it, they can become fatigued as it uses up their energy. In which case, a backup such as fire power would be useful
It should be okay though, the practice novel i am working on contains both. I will post a single chapter when i can, one which contains the use of guns and magic. Ill see what people think of it.
When I think of guns in fantasy, I think of flintlock pistols and muskets from the late 1700s, early 1800s. In my personal opinion, those type of guns are more fitting. Of course, like a poster in that linked thread said, if your characters are capable of blowing things up on their own with magic, then it kinda defeats the purpose of having gunpowder.
guns can absolutely be in fantasy depending on the setting and how you work them in among other things. would guns work in harry potter? probably not, however i don't know if any of you guys play video games (I'm assuming most do) but almost all of the recent (VII and up I believe) final fantasy games have not only an intricate magic system and story from simple spells to summoning powerful deity like creatures - with guns in the same story. I believe VII, VIII and XIII the guns are more apparent and used more but IX, which is very heavily fantasy/magic there are still cannons and soldiers that carry arms. So in my opinion absolutely it can be used as long as flows with the story.
The Devil May Cry series of games is a good example. The MC combined his guns with magic. Right now, I'm writing a story that is fantasy and has guns, as well as other technology, along with magic. In my story, there are some people who can't learn magic (have to be born with the ability), so they use guns and other weapons instead.
Hi, I have no issue with it. In urban fantasy I would say it would be expected that some people, maybe even the magically gifted would have guns. Think Dresden, even though he doesn't carry a gun. The police do. In more classic fantasy again yes, but often when you're reading this genre, you're also reading about a more technologically primitive world, so the modern glock would probably be out, and black powder pistols and cannon would be more the order of the day. I think the question you have to ask yourself about guns in this instance, is what role do they fill in the character's life? In Harry Potter they would largely be useless since the things he fights are often far beyond the scope of a gun, and because he's a child and we don't generally like children running around armed. But if the things he fought could be killed by a gun, and it made a useful back up say if his magic took time to cast when with a gun you could just go bang, then avoiding the age issue, why not? Also, as a slight aside, why not add magic to the gun, if you're a gamer think Fable, and turn a simple weapon into something awesome. Cheers, Greg.
I have no problem with guns in fantasy. There were several novels I read where guns with special ammo (gold, silver, and blessed bullets) could effect magical creatures. As long as the writer can make them fit in with the world, they won't seem out of place.
