I Just Realized

This is an old gaming story.

The second iteration of Angus The Magic User was with GURPS.

Since Angus was me transported to Carl Cross' dungeon world he knew what I knew.

Not long after doing enough adventuring and exploring to get some wealth, I decided that I needed a shootin' iron.

I knew, near enough, how a Walker Colt worked to explain how to make the parts and even many of the tools to make the tools.

So I commissioned one from the local dwarven artificer.

The next thing was powder.  Black powder didn't work in the dungeon.  Magic, don't you know?

So I embarked on alchemical research and learned to make a black powder analog.

Things went swimmingly until I tried shooting it in a no-mana zone.

Carl declared that the gun blew up in my hand.  How appropriate for a Walker, no?

I, of course, objected strenuously!

Carl explained that without magic around what was suppressing black powder stopped doing so, thus my charges were extra powerful in no-mana areas.

"Hold up!" I says, "I researched this.  I have a high skill level in alchemy and chemistry.  I would know why my powder analog works and what would happen if magic didn't work; thus I would know to not use the gun here."

Carl conceded and we re-ran the scenario.

But something else occurred to me recently.

I had the dwarf artificer use his best sword steel.  Original Walkers were cast iron.

My recreation might well have been strong enough to use even with the double charge that Carl said my loads were.