Basically the rules for an item of power don't state that the "It is what it is" part of the power has to be some kind of melee-combat weapon. The big advantage will be, that you can do attacks from up to 2 zones away, which should make the Item a little bit more expensive (- 1 / - 2?)
Besides from the fact that it would be non-canonical and a little bit strange because the bullets which actually do the damage don't have real contact with the nail that empowers them, i don't see any reasons why it shouldn't be possible to build and allow such a weapon.
First, what? I know the rules don't state what the It Is What It Is has to be. I am clarifying that for a Gun of the Cross, it would probably be a gun. You know, common sense. Besides, equipment doesn't have a refresh cost.
As far as I could see the guy was just answering your question... Would it be possible? Yes, if as you say the GM is willing to allow it. It would be an Item of Power so the refresh cost comment is perfectly valid to represent the fact that you can do damage from further away than the Sword of the Cross could.
However, I'd also be a little dubious about just allowing any bullet to be fired with the effects of the sword of the cross. Let me qualify that remark by adding that all I'd be asking for would be a little flavour with the preparation of the bullets - something like they have to be made by the wielder of the gun and the tips of the bullets have to be cooled in holy water, or something similar to sanctify them to a purpose. If you run out of such ammunition during the story then you could still use it as a gun, but you'd need to pistol whip the bad guy to take the full advantage of the 'of the Cross' abilities.
There's actually another model of a magical sword being made into guns, and that's the Saint of Killers from the Preacher comics. Guns that never miss (or hardly ever) and can kill anything (including god) forged from the sword of the angel of death.
Well, except for Holy, the powers are ranged. One is +1 to hit when using it from True Aim. That's a Stunt attached to the gun. All Creatures are Equal has no range added to it. In fact, it doesn't even say it has to be the Weapon that does the damage (although it could be implied to be that way). One guy I discussed the Swords with was worried the Knight would use it and then toss and hand grenade at the baddie.
I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on that. The strong implication in the Sword's description is that the sword itself must be used as the weapon in order to take advantage of the All Creatures are Equal - it essentially fulfills any catch on the enemy's toughness powers (along with ignoring mundane defences) - to have it not need to be the weapon that is used against the enemy would be a little like hitting a Faerie with a baseball bat and trying to claim that the bat fulfills the Faerie's catch because you're wearing a cold iron knife in your belt. I'd certainly be wary of giving a player a weapon capable of ignoring armour and any toughness ability from up to 2 zones away. I'd allow the weapon as a -4 refresh, rather than the current -3, simply to take into account the increased range on some of the powers.Remember when Harry fights Nicodemus on the Boat at the end of Small Favor? The Sword light up, and
Well, except for Holy, the powers are ranged. One is +1 to hit when using it from True Aim. That's a Stunt attached to the gun. All Creatures are Equal has no range added to it. In fact, it doesn't even say it has to be the Weapon that does the damage (although it could be implied to be that way). One guy I discussed the Swords with was worried the Knight would use it and then toss and hand grenade at the baddie.
I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on that. The strong implication in the Sword's description is that the sword itself must be used as the weapon in order to take advantage of the All Creatures are Equal
](click to show/hide)
I'd have said that's far more in line with 'Holy' than All Creatures are Equal. Let's not forget that Harry has the Soulfire ability as well, which would arguably interact favourably with the Sword's abilities.
How does that equate with Holy? We've seen Denarians go into churches, no pain there. From the hundreds of Knights and thousands of clergy he has killed, I doubt Holy repels him. The Sword did one thing on Small Favor. It made them equal. Hence, All Creatures Are Equal.
First, what? I know the rules don't state what the It Is What It Is has to be. I am clarifying that for a Gun of the Cross, it would probably be a gun. You know, common sense. Besides, equipment doesn't have a refresh cost.I agree. There are advantages to having a Gun of the Cross, instead of a Sword. But that is inherent in "It is what it is". The ability to do range is offset by the inability to defend, this are the tradeoffs of using Guns instead of Weapons.
Obviously the wording in the rulebook and the wording in Small Favours clash a little on what the sword does. Personally I think that if you go with the Small Favours version of the power - which strips away and and all supernatural abilities - then the rules massively undercharge for the Swords.
Small Favor does not say this. Bad guys recoil from it like it hurts them and hampers them; it says nothing about stripping away any supernatural abilities.
Remember when Harry fights Nicodemus on the Boat at the end of Small Favor? The Sword light up, and
"[...]the sword did for me what it had always done for them—it leveled the field, stripping away all the supernatural trappings and leaving only a struggle of mind versus mind and will versus will, one man against another."
[...]Yupp, that it is.
I'm assuming that Tsunami is quoting directly from the book, and that's what my comment was based on.
Don't read that one quote in a vacuum, please; look at all the other texts regarding the effects around the Swords. The glow hurts and slows the bad guys - it does not "strip away" their actual abilities any more than having an arc light within an opponent's field of vision actually makes the opponent weaker, it simply makes USING their strength a lot more difficult.
Make sense?
On the subject of bullets not being affected, here's an idea. Have the gun be a smoothbore (reducing it's accuracy somewhat, but if it's a pistol or especially a shotgun it's not that big a deal) and have the nail be forged lengthwise into the barrel, with part of it sticking into the actual barrel and touching the bullet as it's fired. Thus, the bullets gain the powers of the nail by coming into contact with it as they leave the barrel. Furthermore, maybe say that you can only clean the gun with holy water or something.