Custom rules help for Artificier

[Drunksniper999]

My gm allows the crossbow loader feat to apply to firearms. Should the reload apply to the thunder cannon and negate the required bonus action? Or does the reload need to apply to the weapon to help keep the class balanced? DM said to ask you guys, and he would go with the consensus. Thanks for the help.

Edit: Suppose i should also add, while most classes dont seem to have much uses for bonus actions, the spell list for the Artificer, or at least the spells i chose, are mostly bonus action spells, hence my curiosity about the reload feat working on it.

[Talionis]

I haven't played it yet, but I think it will be okay getting the bonus action back is not another attack with the cannon. Each attack with a Thunder Cannon is a special attack.

I would rule it can't be fired more than once per turn. And that if you had Crossbow Expert you could fire the third level Thunder Monger single target attack as a reaction. Only things like Action Surge can get you more than one attack per turn with the Thunder Monger.

[Flashy]

The RAW answer is that thunder cannon doesn't have the loading property (which is what the feat overrides) instead requiring a reload as a bonus action, so there's no change.

What works in your campaign is a different matter however. Are you and your DM okay with it not requiring a bonus action reload? Then go for it.