Alexx S Kay writes: Consider Spell-sticks (as described in Orca, p. 224). They went out of fashion as soon as a sorcerer discovered a way to make all of the enemy's spell-sticks spontaneously detonate. It's easy to suppose that a similar spell could be developed for gunpowder. (And remember that early guns in our own world were already likely to spontaneously blow up in the user's hand...) This brings to mind Frank Herbert's short story "Cease Fire", from /Eye/. I highly recommend it. rone -- "Alan Alda's all we are." - Kurt Cobain