I know this will probably get ripped apart as a post lol, and its probably already been spoke of....
Just a thought but skyrim is set roughly 200 years after the Events of Oblivion, so i would assume some sort of explosive would have crept up by now, take for instance the Large 16th/17th century style ships (just guessing lol) in most Docks in skyrim, would these vessels not be inbued/laden with an array of cannons...? to go with that last question, would it be possible to see playable ships in later mods/DLC's or even cannon warfare from Forts?
i understand that the magic and fantasy of Elder Scrolls does not want to go astray (believe me i love this game as it is, plus with the Dawnguard DLC on the Horizon ooooooh), but we could always have rare magically imbued muskets or pistols (basic obviously) that could be crafted i.e Daedric, Dragonbone, Glass etc. or these could be a rarity in the game.
maybe in a future DLC we could see Akavir races (NPC) introduce, The tiger race (the ones that had a member that managed to change into a dragon, i forget the history..) if im right these are loosely based on chinese...i.e. gunpowder! could also tie in with the dragon lore of Skyrim.
Ah now i remember Tang Mo i think, maybe a DLC could see these used as away of obtaining such weapons items.
The system could work, you could make gunpowder with the Alchemy Skill, and Craft Pellets in forges.....Obviously there'd need to be a new skill tree added for musketry or something along thos lines or just a new skill branch to archery and alchemy.
it was just a thought and it will probably enrage some people so im ready for the post to be criticised lol
sorry if spelling is out

Nope. As there were no Chinese Alchemists around to stumble across the recipe. Besides, with magic...who needs gunpowder?

EDIT : Ah! Where's my manners? Welcome to the forum and enjoy a complementary fishy stick.http://images.uesp.net/c/c4/Fishystick.jpg

Not to mention the danger of carrying explosive powder around when people can spit fire from their hands.

How about no?

why make a powder that explodes when you can just do it with magic? there is no real need lore wise for gunpowder so why would people put the effort into create and technologically advance it into firearms?

*cough* Dwemer

I'd find a couple of mages casting firestorms over enemy vessles to be more effective than cannons . I like that the elder scrolls doesnt dabble to much with realistic technological advancements, steam powered robots are about the limits for me. Though some people really enjoy that whole medieval mixed with future technology thing

BEGGAR - Hey, Mr Firemage! Spare a coin for a poor old beggar?
FIREMAGE - Sure...*reaches in pocket* tick,tick...BOOM!

Gunpowder in skyrim will make skyrim not right

Yes it is possible but no it will not be welcomed in TES. I wouldn't mind certian types of guns as long as they were not made OP (like taking less than 10sec to reload) and every other enemy has one equipped.

a First timer who covered all their bases and isn't talking out the other end >_> holy crap this is unheard of, kudos to you. makes sense but Tamriel already has Cannons and presumably explosives, it is however not prevalent enough to be running around with Hand cannons, and I personally rather it not.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/jokes
http://www.imperial-library.info/content/jokes

i understand and agree somewhat/mostly, dont get me wrong i love the magic and your right whats the need for gunpowder...thats why i hinted/suggested Magically imbued muskets or such, and i was thinking more for other playstyles, maybe something like gunpowder but not gunpowder that needs to be crafted with alchemy then enchanted with magic, that would please people. Lord Vukodlak is right The Dwemer put the effort in to create advance weaponry. In response to Senor Cinco, thats why i suggested the Tang Mo (An advanced Akavir Race Based very, very Loosely on chinese, i think, might be wrong) could be used in a later DLC using this sort of Weaponry (Bound with Magic ) to help thwart the Thalmor invasion or even the Serpent Akavir (because if i remember rightly, the Tang Mo are a warrior race but nobe and quite peaceful and have a strong distaste and debt with the serpents), lol sorry for going off on a tangent, i knew people wouldnt like the idea and i realise why, but some people might find it interesting addition, but it'd never happen.!

Hell no if I want guns I'll play one of 10,0000 FPS that get made every year leave the elder scrolls as just a fantasy game, using real world development times is a flawed arguement. Besides it just doesn't fit.

when you can summon fire lightning and ice who needs gunpowder takes forever to reload not accurate (because rifling wouldn't have been invented yet) and leaves a big cloud of smoke blocking your view

Because not everyone is a mage and not all mages have the skill/training/magicka reserves to fling around enough arcane ordinance for extended periods beyond quick skirmishes? Not to mention that not everyone trusts magic. Just look at Nords, many don't trust magic beyond healing and enchantments. If you show them what a regiment of cannon can do you can bet your ass that they'd be all over it.

At the very least cannon exist aboard warships since I doubt that there'd be enough combat oriented mages willing to stand at the sides of ships to throw spellfire at each other.

Hey! Zen and MK are correct! I forgot about the whole sinking ship and the cannons. There is already explosives on Nirn.

EDIT : Seriously...I used a mod that implemented explosives into the game for my Assassin to set traps. They were gas and Dwermer oil...but still.

ES universe has been in a medieval era for thousands of years so 200 years is nothing. People don't really want the ES to become too technologically advanced.

Thank you MK-{OmegaX} I worried id get something really wrong lol.
i know it wouldnt be right to be running around with primitive hand cannons. i just got carried away lol.
maybe in response to Zombified's post it could be a slow weapon that packs a medium punch (long reload) and has be replenished using Soul Gems and uses a projectile that when fired is imbued with whatever enchantment is applied....i know...we already have Bows with enchantments, and crossbows soon, but this could be a slight twist....but yh it wouldn't be welcomed at all.
thanks for the replies and not ripping me apart XD
been playing since it came out and never thought to join the site.

I agree that there needs to be some kind of progression as time passes, but gunpowder would fail into comparison to magic so why would it be needed?

I guess from a role-play point of view you may want guns if your not a magic user... but there really not needed.

that was exactly my point Crazy Cajun, not everyone plays the mage style..and it could be a fitiing addition for those that play with archery as a main stay..??

going back to my involvement of the Akavir races, im surprised you dont here much of them as they are meant to be powerful races are they not? and maybe we'll find out what really happened to the Dwarves when they fiddled with the Heart Of Lorkahn be good to see them maybe....

Giant Dwemer crossbows anyone?
They explode on contact.
Not saying we the players should have them, but saying something like "It doesn't fit" seems just incorrect.

Couldn't we mages not just.. enchant a ball to explode on impact or something?

...people who are magically inept?