[Dragaera] The New Palace

[Philip Hart]

On Wed, 2 Jun 2010, David Dyer-Bennet wrote:

>
> The flashstone is probably a better weapon for a brigand; it's very close
> to exactly equivalent to an early pistol, fairly easy to use, rather
> short-range, and devastating if you hit your target.

Pistols are reloadable by anyone.  Early pistols were unreliable, as are 
flashstones at the time of _TPG_.  I'd rather have a (cross)bow, 
skill/practice, and a tree to hide behind.  Arrows/bolts are retrievable; 
a brigand with the skill to charge flashstones can set up shop selling 
them, I'd think.  Also there may be simple magical contact explosives at 
the time which would greatly increase the deadliness of arrows without 
the various drawbacks of flashstones.

> However, a couple of brigands with bows standing off, plus the ones
> up-front having flash-stones, is a better tactical setup.  The bow is more
> equivalent to a rifle than a pistol.

Well, ok, I could go as far as believing there would still be _some_ use 
for flashstones, like duels of honor.