D&D Question: Modern/Futuristic Firearms too strong? How much should they cost?

[Undyne]

So, in the DMG, there are stats for Modern and Futuristic firearms, and I want to know before I implement them: Are they too strong? How much should they cost to purchase?

[Dork_Forge]

They're a bit too powerful for my taste, what kind of setting are you running that you want to introduce them?

[Kane0]

Depends on how you deal with damage output as a DM really. Its not a big deal if you take it into account.
Its a slight chunk ahead of the curve and more damage types available to martials but otherwise damage is damage.

[Sigreid]

Unless you're doing a science fiction setting, they should pretty much be legendary items. And once you've paid a kingdom's value for one, ammo would be very hard to com by.

[ZorroGames]

Remember to have them in the hands of a proficient NPC monster when encountering and limit ammunition severely.

[Sigreid]

A 20 fighter with the archery fighting style, crossbow expert and sharpshooter wielding a high tech firearm like an antimatter rifle with that infinite ammo infusion might would be the new damage king in the game.

[Anymage]

Modern are on the strong side, futuristic are definitely OP. Both would especially make low level combat super swingy if they became common. Renaissance, meanwhile, is basically a +1 damage over crossbows once you've reached the levels where money doesn't matter; nice, but not going to shift balance normally.

More important from a genre convention, though, is that a guy with a big sword/axe is pretty iconic. So while melee weapons have fallen by the wayside in the real world, monofilament or laser edged or whatever melee weapons show up a fair amount in futuristic games. And when you're trying to play D&D with anywhere from cyberpunk to space opera tech levels, why not just grab a cyberpunk or space opera game to begin with?

[Undyne]

They're a bit too powerful for my taste, what kind of setting are you running that you want to introduce them?

Borderlands, the game series. No feats can be used with them except Sharpshooter.

[Dork_Forge]

Borderlands, the game series. No feats can be used with them except Sharpshooter.

If you leave the base damage unchanged then Sharpshooter may be all you need to unbalance it. Would players be using traditional weapons as well or just these? If they're just using these then you can balance hp around it, otherwise I would nerf it a bit. Remember it's not just feats that are the issue, class abilities tie into it as well, like Sneak Attack and Battle Master maneuvers. You may want to take a look at the Gunslinger weapon table, ignore the misfire property and just flavour them as more modern weapons. I do love borderlands though and the Artillerist fills the Roland role perfectly.

[Desteplo]

Keep in mind “reload” feature is not “loading” feature. you only ever get 2 shots by also using bonus action to reload.
-the big antimatter rifle is spent after 1 extra attack feature. Otherwise you can add an ammo and do a whole action to reload the chamber with a new energy orb

There’s no feat support to remove that.

[ZorroGames]

Maybe quests for “The Ammunition is out there” type reloads? Riffing off “the truth is out there...”

[Sigreid]

Keep in mind “reload” feature is not “loading” feature. you only ever get 2 shots by also using bonus action to reload.
-the big antimatter rifle is spent after 1 extra attack feature. Otherwise you can add an ammo and do a whole action to reload the chamber with a new energy orb

There’s no feat support to remove that.

There's an artifcer infusioin that can take care of this f you allow that class in your game.