This is a relatively short post, but it is something I would like all of your input on. I have changed various things as I am going progressing in the story, mainly because it is Volume 1 so it serves as the foundation for the entire series.
I am currently getting further through Volume 1 and have come across a decision that needs to be decided upon. The energy/ion weapons. I haven’t really included them at all in the story since the beginning of the novel. Should they stay, and become a part of the novel during the latter half, or be removed? Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts on the matter.
This series is aimed at a Victorian Steampunk setting so I have the inclination that perhaps they don’t fit in. I can still have a form of rail gun within the novel by having a positive charged barrel when firing, arcs of electricity jumping off the barrel tip instead of a muzzle flash and all the fancy fireworks still.
P.s. I’ll remove this post after the decision is made to avoid clutter on the homepage.
End Online Novel 
Electrical weapons could work, maybe they launch “charged rounds” of energy?
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Instead of ion and stuff I mean, I can see steampunk charged air rifles, ‘plasma shots’ magnetic round in the middle maybe?
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imo in a steam-punk world where you already have magically powered guns energy weapons would be kind of redundant and be mixing genre’s. also any technological effect such as lasers or plasma guns could easily be covered with a branch of magic. In a world where anyone can use magic just by activating a book i wouldn’t think that the technology would be created unless it was part of the game world to begin with.
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yea, what he said 🙂
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From the feeling I got till now, ion/plasma weapons do not ‘fuse’ so well with the story.
But considering everyone learns alchemy (magic) I always though it will lead to something like a magic gun. (Guns that shoot mana with a specific attribute).
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I think it would be over kill to have ion/plasma weapons in the story when they already have magic. Then maybe look at guns that is powered by certain kinds of magic. They would channel their magic into a storage compartment in the gun. Let’s take the rail gun example. It could be powered with lightning magic if there is such a thing. And a flame thrower would be powered by fire magic etc.
Otherwise keep up the good work!!
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Bah. The last comment didn’t post.
Short version is keep them in because it gives you more options for the future, and can very easily be described away as an early prototype that people don’t seem much stock in, but then could be expanded upon in the future if need be.
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Maybe make the ion/energy weapons a branch of the weapons engraving that was mentioned? It charges the rounds fired with your desired effects, superheated or accelerated or something. It’d basically just make them the high end version of the already established weapon types.
Could also work to create straight up magic weapons where you can channel mana to them for specific effect.
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What’s the practical difference between a weapon that shoots ball lightning and a plasma pulse gun?
Use the weapons and justify with “a wizard did it” or steampunk logic when the obligatory curious bit character asks for exposition.
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Lasers aren’t overpowered when characters have access to light magic by the way. A basic light-based invisibility spell would result in the laser beams travelling around the target like any other light. Light based illusion magic would block a laser pulse where one of those invisible/transparent forcefields/magic shields should just let it pass too. Death Star vs. Light Mage = Light Mage shooting down Death Star with its own laser using a “conjure mirror” cantrip. Plasma pulses however would require a fire mage.
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What?
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@meh
@RoamingRaptor
@CCE
@Ainmeer
i think you are all right
while the idea of a ion/energy weapon it’s self wouldn’t fit within a steampunnk genre
i think something along the lines of a magic version could work (as Ainmeer said)
Meh has the right idea of using magic powered version and RoamingRaptor is right it should be a high level specific feature
ion/energy canon could be a a sun gun (basically focused beam of light)
if we take the ice bullets that are currently used
switch those to fire bullets (which I’m presuming that ere will be?) and you have a gun, that when leveled, could fine as a energy weapon (or some version of)
lightening to charge a rifle to fire a metal slug (or just to fire a bolt of lightening)
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i think energy weapons can be too op and also they take out some of the edge of the magic. if its just a branch of magic and not op then it can be good but if everyone can use it and its too powerfull it will take the focus from the magic. still its your world and story so in the end you know best whats good for it.
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In my opinion, it could work depending on how you put it. As most of the other commenters say, energy/ion weapon could either be science or magic in nature. I think there would be no harm to explore an energy gun that deals on the famous concept of “mana is all around us”. Something like it gathers mana from the outside then turns it into concentrated forms mana/energy. Anyhow, doesn’t matter much if you include it or not. Not unless you plan on a very large weapon that seeks to wipe out all of the grand cities. Haha.
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Not really needed. is steampunk, you could probably use steam/gas powered weapons to supplement the ordinary ones (if they fit). and they could have some weird mechanics. hell you could even have gas propelled auto crossbow (not a crossbow exactly just a gun that shoots stakes). or a tazer
but you could also make guns that use mana. tho in my opinion a gun that doesnt work when you out of mana is a bit useless when you could have one that did work instead. “im out of mana! better fall back on my …. damn”
can u use flamethrower? ohh steam thrower, then freeze their ass with magic. stun baton?/weapon. alchemy enhance greanades? gas propelled ______? naa i got no ideas. i dont write books.
tbh if you feel it works then i trust your judgement, but if you dont think it works dont do it.
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From what I’ve read of the story thus far, magic overshadows guns and melee weapons immensely anyway. A standard gunslinger build would need upgrades, or else the mage with one powerful spell obliterates them immediately.
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