Firearm Proficiency in 3.5?

[Tibbaerrohwen]

Firearms in 3.5 are exotic weapons. I'm working on a traveling merchant and I have a more renaissance view for him. I would like him to carry and make use of both pistols and muskets (or other similar firearms).

To do this, must I spend two feat (EWP Musket & EWP Pistol)?

Would it be fair, if the character is proficient with ranged martial weapons to trade his proficiency with bows and crossbows for firearms?

When firearms are not going to be his primary form of combat, is it worth the investment?

Thanks.

[Yora]

It really depends on your GM. If he says firearms are so common in the setting, that they count as martial weapons, no problem there. But by the rules as written, you need one exotic wepon proficiency feat for each type of weapon.

[Cog]

There are a couple Fighter variants in Dragon 310 - the Exoticist and the Targetteer - that could get you a few Exotic weapon proficiencies. These trades are roughly in line with the suggested one, so that might work out.

Alternate racial backgrounds might apply here too; for example, Valenar elves trade the usual elf bonus proficiencies out for treating the Double Scimitar as a martial weapon. You might be able to work out a trade like that with your DM.

[skycycle blues]

Also, most exotic weapons aren't actually worth taking a feat to be able to use, so just talk to your DM about either trading some proficiencies for them, unless fire arms are significantly better than the proficiencies you'd be trading away, in which case, work out some way way to tone them down.

[Jeraa]

To do this, must I spend two feat (EWP Musket & EWP Pistol)?

If you are using the firearms rules from page 144/145 of the 3.5 Dungeon Masters Guide, then no. All firearms are covered by the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Firearms) feat. (Right hand column, very last sentence on the page)

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

I once Dm'ed a world where firearms were very, common, before we switched to Pathfinder. This campaign went on for over a year, it was my magnus opus as far as "original" campaign work went...

In any case, I said that if your class had hand crossbow proficiency, you had pistol. Light Crossbow for a carbine type weapon, Heavy for a Musket.

In this method, most people got what they needed.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

There are a couple Fighter variants in Dragon 310 - the Exoticist and the Targetteer - that could get you a few Exotic weapon proficiencies. These trades are roughly in line with the suggested one, so that might work out.

Alternate racial backgrounds might apply here too; for example, Valenar elves trade the usual elf bonus proficiencies out for treating the Double Scimitar as a martial weapon. You might be able to work out a trade like that with your DM.

Once again I have been Cog'ed. Exotisist is exactly what I was looking for, though, I'm unsure as to why I didn't think of that myself.

Thank you Cog.