Cannon [Weapon/Siege Weapon]

[Eldred]

This is a homebrewed cannon for a pirate-age campaign I'm running. Please offer any suggestions :)

Cannon
Large Ranged Weapon (-2 penalty on attacks by medium creatures)
3d6 (1d6 bludgeon and 2d6 fire)
5ft blast radius (fire damage only)
Critical 20/x3
200ft Range
100lb
1500gp

A cannon requires Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) to be used effectively, otherwise the standard -4 penalty is acquired. 6 ounces of gunpowder is required to propel a cannonball. Wet gunpowder will not work in a cannon. Cannonballs are sold at 30gp each.
It requires a full-round to load a cannonball and gunpowder into a cannon. It then takes a standard action to light the fuse and fire the cannon. A delayed fuse can be made for cannons.

[SilveryCord]

Sounds good, but I'd change it to 2d6 bludgeoning and 1d6 fire. Because, well, cannon shots didn't have that much to do with fire. The damage done by cannon balls was that there was a giant, 20 lbs. ball flying at you. But then it exploded, so I'd imagine that'd cause at least some splash damage.
I might be inclined to change it to 3d8, just because a cannon ball is a *lot*. 2d6 is getting hit twice with a quarterstaff, not being hammered by a huge ball of lead/metal/whatever.

[Yuki Akuma]

...Aren't cannons siege weapons?

[Eldred]

Sounds good, but I'd change it to 2d6 bludgeoning and 1d6 fire. Because, well, cannon shots didn't have that much to do with fire. The damage done by cannon balls was that there was a giant, 20 lbs. ball flying at you. But then it exploded, so I'd imagine that'd cause at least some splash damage.
I might be inclined to change it to 3d8, just because a cannon ball is a *lot*. 2d6 is getting hit twice with a quarterstaff, not being hammered by a huge ball of lead/metal/whatever.
That's a good point. I mainly worked around the Bomb from the renaissance weapons in the DMG, so that's where I got the 2d6 fire damage. Then again I see your point about a huge cannonball hitting a person or the side of a ship.
As for the change of damage dice, I will definitely consider it. Not completely sure but it would be better money-wise for characters to get one if it did do more damage.


...Aren't cannons siege weapons?
I'm not too familiar with the rules for siege weapons so I simply placed them as an exotic weapon. Do siege weapons require proficiencies or do the users of a siege engine simply take penalty on the size of the weapon?

[Yuki Akuma]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm


"Siege Engines", near the bottom of the page.

Anyway. Why would a weapon designed for use by Medium characters be a Large weapon? That doesn't make any sense.

[Eldred]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm


"Siege Engines", near the bottom of the page.

Anyway. Why would a weapon designed for use by Medium characters be a Large weapon? That doesn't make any sense.
Thanks for the info on siege engines, I will look at a way of incorporating this into the cannon.

Originally, my idea was a cannon would take up a 10ft by 10ft square on the battle grid, as such making it a large weapon. I suppose it would be more logical to have it simply occupy a 5ft square as I was slightly tipsy at the time of thinking up about the cannon. >_> <_<

Also, although you say it doesn't make sense for a medium creature to be using a large weapon, what about the fact that medium creatures use catapults?

[Yuki Akuma]

Medium creatures use Medium catapults.

Weapon sizes are not the same as object sizes. A Medium weapon could be a Tiny object (say, a dagger), or even a Huge one (in the case of a catapult).

A ballista is a special case, as it really is just a Huge-sized crossbow (although it's a Large object).

[kingofthemorning]

I suggest more bludgeoning damage, as when people (in real life) get hit by cannonballs, whatever body part is hit, comes off. But as if your hit by a gigantic sword you do not suffer as much "damage" as you would from a real sword, but still, more damage is needed.

As for fire damage, I'm pretty sure that a cannonball carried no explosives, at all. And the blast you see is just from shear force.

Just in case: if you want you could also make a mortar, which they used in the 1600's. It lobs bombs, pretty simple, pretty effective.

[Eldred]

Medium creatures use Medium catapults.

Weapon sizes are not the same as object sizes. A Medium weapon could be a Tiny object (say, a dagger), or even a Huge one (in the case of a catapult).

A ballista is a special case, as it really is just a Huge-sized crossbow (although it's a Large object).
Oh, I see. Sorry.


I suggest more bludgeoning damage, as when people (in real life) get hit by cannonballs, whatever body part is hit, comes off. But as if your hit by a gigantic sword you do not suffer as much "damage" as you would from a real sword, but still, more damage is needed.

As for fire damage, I'm pretty sure that a cannonball carried no explosives, at all. And the blast you see is just from shear force.

Just in case: if you want you could also make a mortar, which they used in the 1600's. It lobs bombs, pretty simple, pretty effective.

I can easily upgrade the amount of damage done. I have to argue against losing the fire damage, however. The reasoning behind it is that the cannonball is covered in gunpowder before firing. When the gunpowder is lit via fuse, the gunpowder lights and the cannonball is blasted out of the turret. If there is burning gunpowder on it, then there will be some fire damage caused.

That, and I like to make the cannon a splash weapon, too. :)

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Here is version two of the cannon, taking in account the different suggestions from everyone who has posted:

Cannon
Medium Ranged Siege Weapon
4d6 (3d6 bludgeon and 1d6 fire)
5ft blast radius (fire damage only)
Critical 20/x3
250ft Range
100lb
1500gp

To fire a cannon, the user makes a special check against DC15 using only his base attack bonus, Intelligence modifier, range increment penalty, and the appropriate modifiers below. If the check succeeds, the cannonball hits the square the cannon was aimed at, dealing damage to any object or character in the square. Characters may make a reflex save for half damage.
6 ounces of gunpowder is required to propel a cannonball. Wet gunpowder will not work in a cannon. Cannonballs are sold at 30gp each and weigh 20lb each.
It requires a full-round to load a cannonball and gunpowder into a cannon. It then takes a standard action to light the fuse and fire the cannon. A delayed fuse can be made for cannons.

Attack Modifiers for Cannonfire
No line of sight to target: -6
Successive shots (crew can see where most recent shot hit) +2 per previous (max +10)
Successive shots (observer giving feedback, crew can’t see) +1 per previous (max +5)

[ExHunterEmerald]

Don't knock the fire damage just yet.
Heated shot was used to devastate enemy ships.
Maybe you can buy a furnace and heat the cannonballs for an additional 1d6/2d6/what have you?

*contemplates enchanted cannons*

[Eldred]

*contemplates enchanted cannons*

Well, cannonballs can be enchanted like any other ammunition. So it's not unlikely to see flying electrical balls of iron here there and everywhere.

The only problem for me is that my campaign is likely to be low-magic, which means such cannonballs would be most rare.