A character I'm working on - Cowboy Wizard

[Wordmaker]

I'm the GM for my group's Dresden Files game, but I also like to make characters in my spare time to help me stay familiar with rules that might not often come up.

I've been working on a character who's a rookie Warden whose parents are wizards that lived through America's "old west" period and settled on a ranch in New Mexico.

I'm wondering, would it make sense, if my character has the Aspect "My Father's Gun" (a very typical cowboy trope), that he could also use the gun as a focus item for spellcasting? It's been handed down to him by his father, so I imagine it engraved with magical symbols to allow energy to travel through it.

Visually, I think it makes a nice change to a blasting rod, but would using it as a focus item mean it could never be used as a normal gun (for fights with humans and warlocks)? Or would the weapon's age and the emotional energy inherent in it keep it operational with some regular maintenance?

[Archmage_Cowl]

personally i would say thats largely your or the gms choice personally i would say the emotions give it it's own kind of power that lets the bullets keep firing through the magic. Though if something like that doesnt fly with you, you could make it a focus item and an enchanted item that can fire magic bullets.

[Nicodemus Archleone]

Magic Missile from a gun maybe? heh:)

[Deadmanwalking]

Three options:

#1: Like you said, the emotions and enchantments involved insulate it from the magic. Requires GM approval, but I'd definitely allow it.

#2: When used as a gun, it may occasionally misfire. But not often if it's a Colt Peacemaker or other actual Old West gun, those are at 7 shift Evocations to not work, so it's gonna be uncommon at best. And you can likely invoke your Aspect for effect to make it not.

#3: Make it an Item of Power (probably containing Sponsored Magic or extra Refinements, or possibly True Strike ala a Sword of the Cross) as well as a Focus Item, and make one of it's powers (probably at +0, but maybe -1 if your GM is really strict) that it's immune to Hexing.

[Wordmaker]

Hmm, making it an Item of Power would be pretty cool. The idea of a cowboy given a cursed/empowered gun (or matched pair of guns) to carry out a sacred duty is awesome.

But the option for using the Aspect for compels to make the pistol misfire is also a lot of fun. I suppose it depends on how important the gun itself is going to be to the character.

[JosephKell]

A non-gun shaped focus is very advantageous as mortal authorities aren't going to confiscate a drum stick or bracelet.  But a gun is a big no-no in a lot of metropolitan areas.

I am not familiar with New Mexico's conceal carry laws, but there is no way they can be more strict than where I am.  But concealed carry is a serious consideration (look at all the trouble Dresden gets for his revolvers).

Ignoring concealed carry repercussions makes things like Claws, Breath Weapon, and even Strength Powers not as good.

[Wordmaker]

I think the difficulty of trying to deal with mortal authorities with the mindset of someone raised by two people from the time of "live by the gun, die by the gun" is a great opportunity for complications!

A lot of the character does depend on what kind of campaign he'd end up in, however.

[Deadmanwalking]

Yeah, I live in Montana and the idea of that being a major problem literally didn't occur to me.

Definitely depends on venue.

[Kasharin Manichea]

Yeah, I live in Montana and the idea of that being a major problem literally didn't occur to me.

Definitely depends on venue.

Where in Montana DMW? I live in Missoula myself.

[Deadmanwalking]

Me, too, actually. Maybe we've met? PM me and we could trade actual names. 

[luminos]

New Mexico has very open gun laws.  You can walk around openly carrying just about every weapon that it is legal to own.

[JustinS]

I have the image of walking up to someone, showing the revolver has no bullets, holding it up, and saying "bang!" and they fall down...

[Dave Mallonee]

For what its worth I have a very similiar concept I'm discussing with my GM, a young Warden in Texas (because I'm a Texan) who carries a pair of spell casting revolvers he uses as foci for his evocation. I haven't been to New Mexico in forever but I can't imagine the gun laws are much different there than they are here; while people don;t walk around with gun belts strapped to their hip anymore you can still walk around armed almost anywhere. I had a buddy in college who had carried concealed since he was in high school and kept a gun in a boot holster which he even carried to class (in College, not high school.  No concealed handguns in high school, legally)

As for magic causing gun failure.... firstly when was the last time Harry's 44 failed? secondly the rule of thumb is anything made before WWII is pretty reliable. It's why Harry should drop the revolver and start carrying a Colt 1911. A revolver actually created in the old west should almost never fail. And if you are looking at actual 19th century revolvers I recommend the LeMat.

http://www.civilwar.si.edu/weapons_lemat.html

It's a revolver and a shotgun. at the same time. How awesome is that?

[Cowboy]

The LeMat is absolutely awesome!
Although the 1911 is my personal choice in handguns, and an old one should be resistant to wizard-related failure, they are prone to being-cleaned-once-a-decade related failures. It still may not be the best weapon for Dresden!

[Belial666]

The Zeliska .60 caliber revolver is good for wizards.

1) It is an old west style revolver so it's resistant to hexing.
2) It fires a 900 grain bullet at 462 m/s, which makes it both supersonic and 8 times more powerful than the .44 Magnum
3) Its coolness factor is only surpassed by its size;