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[Wild Goose]

Actually, speaking of muskets...
Is there really a need for firearms in this setting?  I mean, think about it; you can get dwarves (in Adventure mode), who are so good at throwing they can blow someone's head off.  With dirt.  I mean, who needs firearms when you can throw sand so hard it hits like a shotgun blast?

[RavingManiac]

Given the fire rate of a normal crossbow in DF, muskets would probably be underpowered.  

[Quiller]

You get a lot of stuff before muskets that are easier to make.  You tend to get bombs (think helm's deep) and cannons (easier to make thick iron that will stand up to an explosion) first.  (There were some experimental techniques with firing arrows out of guns, or attaching fireworks to arrows, but they weren't particularly effective.)  Earliest effective uses of gunpowder in warfare were in taking out walls and gates and generally involved having to get the devices very close first.

Edit: Still it is hard to dig up those saltpeter deposits while mining and not want to use them for something other than colored floor tiles.  And there needs to be a way to get explosive barrels without wasting good booze!

[ June 13, 2008: Message edited by: Quiller ]

[Fossaman]

With the effectiveness of throwing, I'm convinced that dwarves are capable of weaving their beards into a makeshift cannon powered by the fumes from their alcohol consumption.

Muskets are just weak in comparison.

[Wild Goose]

Rockets were used out in China, and if I recall, in India they were used to great effect.  I think there was one, it was basically a rocket with swords on it, that was fired in volleys, so they'd nail the enemy to the ground, explode, and leave pointy obstacles everywhere.

And I think part of the power of early gunpowder weapons was that they scared the shit out of everything, because they were so noisy.  Horses would panic, and so would the enemy soldiers, for that matter.

[Dr. Melon]

Magic + Steampunk is the way to go.

Wooden Mechanical Launching things stuffed with magic crystals and whatnot to pump the enemy full of flames and ice.

[Osmosis Jones]

Once got a book out on weird and wacky weapons of the ages. The best one I ever saw was called the crab; basically a rocket and a large blackpowder charge strapped to a metal sled-thing (it was a disk with 2 runners underneath), which flew/slid along the ground (designed for a sandy desert) until it hit something, hopefully exploding at the same time.

Can't remember if it ever worked or not.

[A_Fey_Dwarf]

I think the earliest 'gunpowder' weapon was a Chinese 'firespear'. These were practically flamethrowers with spears attached developed in the 11th century.

Here is a topic about early Chinese weaponry,
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=422

However I agree with kagus along the lines of guns in DF, They don't really fit the tolkien theme.

[Quift]

Most chinese gunpowder weaponry was used against horse nomads such as the mongols and the Uighurs, and their intented use was as mentioned to scare the horses to force the Nomads to break formation allowing the Infantry to engage.

It was thus not a deadly weapon in itself but a tactical device which could solve a very specific problem.

It was also used in some extent in Chinese marine warfare with the obvious intended use of setting fire to the ships hull and sails. Thus not a weappn for personal damage but once again as a strategic flame device.

When it comes to weapons that would be cool to use by the dwarves I think that Greek fire is the most obvious candidate. It was used by the byzantines well before the 14th centuary mark, and used to great effect both on the seas and on land. More importantly is was incorporated into the defences on the famous wall of Constantinople, where it put bulgars and turks on fire to great effect for several centuaries. Pouring liquid fire down from the walls onto the poor invading armies sounds very much like many defences players build or try to build today. and would finally give the alchemists something important to do.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

Nafta was also used by the defending Arab against the Franks in the Crusade.
It also can be put into a container (bottle) and throw. Burn on impact with water (so first we must wet the goblins).

NOW that's the GRENADE all wishes, isn't it? It can be used as trap too, by pouring them into your water death-trap. Burned on lake?

[Quift]

Nafta was also used by the defending Arab against the Franks in the Crusade.
It also can be put into a container (bottle) and throw. Burn on impact with water (so first we must wet the goblins).

NOW that's the GRENADE all wishes, isn't it? It can be used as trap too, by pouring them into your water death-trap. Burned on lake?

Very much like greek fire, and actually I think stolen by the arabs from the Greeks. Flamethrowers for the win! and wetting goblins can be done....

[Koji]

There's already a very nice gunpowder mod. Search the forums or the wiki.