Guns without Blackpowder because Magic

[tedcahill2]

I'm working on a homebrew campaign that uses the concept of lyrium, from Dragon Age, as it's source of magic item creation.

All magic comes from a plane called the Fade. Lyrium is a mineral with innate magical energy believed to created in areas where the veil between our plane and the Fade is weak. Being around raw lyrium or lyrium ore from long periods of time has a number of effects, including insanity. Dwarves and tranquil humans/elves, who are unable to wield magic, are naturally immune to the effects of lyrium exposure.

All magic items will involve the use of lyrium, liquid lyrium for potions, lyrium gems that can be set into armor and weapons, wands and staffs with lyrium gems, and guns.

I want to introduce simple firearms into the game (pistol, rifle, shotgun), but I don't want to have them based on gunpowder. Instead, lyrium is used. What I can't decide is how I should apply this thought to the firearms. Should I simply have lyrium powder replace gunpowder, even trade?

Alternatively I was thinking that a gun is like a wand without a spell trigger (so anyone can shoot it), and was powered by using lyrium crystals that are "loaded" into the gun, which can then shoot until the crystal is expended, 2 to 12 shots depending on the weapon.

Different crystals could thus create different ammunition effects, fire ammo, ice ammo, acid ammo, lightning ammo. True shot ammo like magic missiles.

If I use the guns as wands mechanic would I even need to bother with bullets, or should guns simply be magic devices? If peasants could get ahold of guns dealing 1d6 to 1d10 elemental damage instead of physical damage would there be a significant difference over guns that did regular damage?

[Gildedragon]

How would you treat a magic xbow?
Go for that.
One still has to reload with ammo... If you wanted ammo might just be lyrium packets

Keep it simple.

You could also replace wands with 10 charge lyrium crystals (costing 1/5 of what a wand would) that plus gun price (ie the mechanism) has you set; but you do run into the only one attack per round issue

I feel it is wiser to use standard enchanted weapon mechanics. Knock the ammo damage to 0 if you like, to compensate for targeting touch AC

[TheIronGolem]

If I use the guns as wands mechanic would I even need to bother with bullets, or should guns simply be magic devices?

Depends on what kind of feel you're going for. Using real bullets will give you a magitech/manapunk kind of feel; whereas "mana ammo" means it feels more like wand combat in Harry Potter, which is essentially a reskinned version of pew-pew laser fights.


If peasants could get ahold of guns dealing 1d6 to 1d10 elemental damage instead of physical damage would there be a significant difference over guns that did regular damage?
Well, it means peasants aren't scared of Damage Reduction anymore, which would be pretty good news if your village has frequent Barbarian problems. Instead it's creatures with appropriate elemental resistances that worry the commoners - unless there's also a sufficiently robust manufacturing and distribution system in place that they can come up with a variety of energy types when the need arises, or if the gun-wands are "tuneable" ("It's a red dragon! Set phasers to Ice, everyone!")

[Waker]

You could say that the lyrium used in a gun has a finite amount of stored kinetic energy. Basically just say you've got a magic battery that forces bullets out of the gun. Once expended, that component of the gun needs to be replaced.

[Barstro]

You could say that the lyrium used in a gun has a finite amount of stored kinetic energy.

That was my first thought.

My second was toothpick-sized lyrium wands. Single charge that casts "create wind" or something similar on use. Guns have a chamber of them that blows the projectile out of the weapon. Crossbows or arrows have one built into the nock of each arrow (or the string somehow has a reservoir).

[Fouredged Sword]

I would do the following

Magic gun - Exotic weapon (anyone can wield it with just a feat)
Base cost - 1000gp + mandatory +1 enchantment per standard weapon rules, all Magic guns are at least +1 weapons
Range 20/40/120 (pistol, shotgun, rifle)
Size light one handed / two handed (pistol, shotgun/rifle)
Base Damage 1d6, 1d12, 1d8 (pistol, shotgun, rifle)
Touch attacks

Damage type and rider effect - Select one at item creation

Force damage - Effects incorporeal enemies
Fire damage - up die by one size (1d8, 2d6, 1d10) and ignite target on critical hit
Cold damage - Slow for one round on critical hit
Acid damage - Dhalf range increment (10, 20, 80). Splash damage dealing rolled bonus critical damage in 5ft burst on critical hit.
Lightning damage - stun for one round on critical hit, +2 to hit targets in metal armor
Sonic damage - Decrease damage one step (1d4, 1d10, 1d6) Increased threat range to 19-20, ignores hardness

1 gold per shot cost in Lyrium dust.

[Nifft]

At-will shocking grasp + railgun "sling" => gun with no blackpowder.

"But all that changed when the Lightning Nation attacked."

[AnimeTheCat]

Go Mass Effect with it and have the "Ammo" and the "Black Poweder" be a lyrium crystal that works for all of the guns. it attaches on the side, bottom or top depending on the weapon and slowly drains depending on the weapon you're using. All Lyrium Crystals hold 30 charges for instance. The mechanism of a pistol drains the lyrium at a rate of 3 charges per shot. A rifle is the most efficient as they drain it at one charge per shot. Shotguns are the least efficient, but most powerful and drain it at 6 charges per shot. granting a "clip" or "magazine" for each weapon without getting too complicated. Make them deal 1d6 for the pisol, 1d8 for the rifle, and 3d4 for the shotgun with varying ranges like 30 ft for pistol, 60 ft for the rifle, and 15 ft for the shotgun.