PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Improved firearm rules, feat, and subclasses



Grod_The_Giant
2020-08-06, 09:32 AM
The rules for firearms in the Dungeon Master's Guide are pretty solid, all things considered, but they could use a little bit more attention to make them suitable for general campaign use. And so here I've fiddled with the balance to bring it in line with other weapons and made mechanics a little more uniform. Also, a feat and two dedicated gun-user subclasses.



Name
Cost

Damage

Weight

Properties



Simple Ranged Weapon







Musket


150 gp

1d10 piercing

10 lb.

Ammunition, firearm, Range (60/180), loading, two-handed, bayonet




Bomb


50gp
2d6 slashing and 1d6 fire
1lb
Special


Martial Ranged Weapon








Pistol


100 gp
1d8 piercing
3 lb.
Ammunition, firearm, Range (30/90), loading



Arquebus


200 gp
1d12 piercing
20 lb.
Ammunition, firearm, Range (100/300), loading, two-handed, heavy



Ammunition







Bullets (16)


2gp
--
2 lb.




Gunpowder, 1lb horn


25gp
--
2 lb.
Detonation (1d6 fire damage, 10ft radius)



Gunpowder, 10lb keg



250gp
--
30 lb.
Detonation (10d6 fire damage, 20ft radius)



New properties:
Bayonet. Muskets can be fitted with a bayonet for an additional 5gp. When so equipped, a musket can be used as a two-handed melee weapon dealing 1d6 piercing damage on a hit. Anyone with proficiency in spears is treated as proficient in using a bayonet.
Firearm. In addition to projectiles, firearms require gunpowder-- approximately one ounce per shot. You may add gunpowder at the same time you load the weapon with ammunition. Firearms are also extremely loud when fired, enough to be clearly heard from as far away as a mile, and produce a noticeable muzzle flare. Using a firearm instantly breaks stealth.

GUNPOWDER
Gunpowder is chiefly used to propel a bullet out of the barrel of a pistol or rifle, or it is formed into a bomb. Gunpowder is sold in small wooden kegs and in water resistant powder horns.

Setting fire to a container full of gunpowder can cause it to explode. Setting a fuse is an action; at the end of the round, the container detonates, dealing fire damage to creatures within 5 feet of it, or 10ft if you detonate at least ten pounds at once. The damage is equal to 1d6 fire per pound of gunpowder, to a maximum of 10d6. A successful DC 12 DC 12 Dexterity saving throw halves the damage.

Setting fire to an ounce of gunpowder causes it to flare for 1 round, shedding bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet.

BOMB
Bombs are prepared containers of gunpowder in a metal shell designed to fragment. As an action, a character can light this bomb and throw it at a point up to 30 feet away. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 points of slashing damage and 1d6 points of fire damage.

Gunpowder Genius
Thanks to extensive practice with firearms, you gain the following benefits:

You gain proficiency with pistols, muskets, and arquebuses if you did not already have it
You can create and use paper cartridges, each containing one bullet and one oz of gunpowder. When using paper cartridges, you can ignore the loading property of pistols, muskets, and arquebuses. In addition, you make damage rolls with advantage--roll the firearm's damage die twice and take the better result.
When you set fire to a container of gunpowder to create an explosion, or throw a bomb, you can use either the standard Dexterity save DC of 12 or 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier.
You can craft gunpowder from component saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, and assemble your own bombs. Doing so requires one hour of work per bomb or pound of gunpowder, and requires raw materials worth half the normal cost of the item.



Firearm Training: Beginning at 3rd level, you gain a number of bonuses when wielding pistols.

You can ignore the loading property, allowing you to load and fire a pistol even when your other hand is occupied.
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with pistols.
When wielding a pistol in each hand and taking the Attack action, you can use a bonus action to attack with the gun held in your other hand. Unlike normal two-weapon fighting, you can add your Dexterity bonus to the damage of this second shot.


Trick Shot: Beginning at 3rd level, you learn three trick shots of your choice. Whenever you would be able to make a ranged attack with a pistol, you may replace the normal attack with one of your trick shots. If a Trick Shot requires a saving throw, the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier

Once you have used your Trick Shot ability a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier--in any combination--you may not use it again until you complete a long or shor rest.

Bouncing Bullet: You can bounce your bullet off a solid surface, changing its direction and potentially allowing you to render cover inefficient. Otherwise, this attack functions normally.
Pistol-Whip: You can make a surprise melee attack with the handle of your pistol. If your attack roll beats the target's AC or Passive Perception, your attack hits and deals 1d4+Dexterity modifier bludgeoning damage.
Mid-Air Shot: You do not make an attack. If, before the beginning of your next turn, an ally within 30ft is targeted by a ranged attack, you may use your reaction to try to shoot the projectile out of the air. Make a pistol attack. If your attack roll is higher than the attacker's, you cause it to miss.
Gun and Blade: You may only use this trick shot after successfully hitting a target with a melee attack. Make your pistol attack at advantage.
Shoot the Sword: You target your foe's weapon (or other item they are holding). Your attack deals no damage on a hit. Instead, the targeted object is thrown back 10ft.
Ominous Shot: You place a shot perfectly targeted to unnerve a foe. This attack functions normally, and if the target ends their turn within your range but outside of cover, you can make a pistol attack against them as a reaction.
Far Shot: Make a pistol attack against a target within 150ft. You do not suffer disadvantage for attacking at long range.
Scattershot: Instead of a bullet, you load your weapon with lose scraps of metal. One creature within 10ft must make a Dexterity save or suffer 3d6 slashing damage.
Double Shot: You must be wielding a pistol in each hand to use this trick shot. Make two pistol attacks against a creature within 10ft, one with each gun. If one hits, the target is damaged normally. If both hit, the target suffers damage as if hit by one attack and is knocked prone.
Deadeye: You take careful aim and ignore all sources of disadvantage on this attack.


Terrifying Aim: Your skills with a gun can impress even the most jaded onlookers. Beginning at 7th level, you have advantage on Intimidation checks if you fire a pistol as part of your threat.

Called Shot: At 10th level, you may use your action to make a called shot, targeting a specific body part. Doing so consumes one use of your Trick Shot ability, and requires you to make a pistol attack. If you successfully damage the target, your shot has an additional effect of your choice:

Head: The target is stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
Arm: The target's arm is crippled. They drop anything they were holding in it and cannot use it for any purpose until they receive magical healing.
Sword: One object the target is holding is destroyed. Artifacts are immune to this effect.
Heart: The target takes an additional 8d8 piercing damage.
Leg: The target is knocked prone and cannot rise until they receive magical healing.
Wing: If the target uses wings to fly, they lose the ability to fly until they receive magical healing. If they were in mid-air when you hit them, they immediately begin to fall.


Improved Trick Shot: At 15th level, you learn one additional trick shot. If you strike an enemy with a trick shot, they take an additional 1d8 piercing damage.

Always Time for a Show: Beginning at 18th level, you may use your Trick Shot ability at will. Called Shot still can only be used a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier before you need to complete a long or short rest.

Note: Upon selecting this archetype, you can choose to focus on traditional weapons instead, using hand crossbows in place of pistols for all abilities. Once made, your choice cannot be changed. Such specialists are known as Bolt Aces.



Firearm Training: At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with muskets and arquebuses.

Rifling: Beginning at 3rd level, you learn how to rifle the barrel of a firearm, carving spiraling grooves that cause the bullet to spin as it is fired. Rifling a firearm takes eight hours and a set of smith's tools, but once treated, its short and maximum ranges are increased by 30ft.

Take Aim: Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a bonus action to take careful aim at a distant target. Designate one foe more than 30ft away; until the end of your turn, or until you move, you do not need advantage on the attack roll to use your Sneak Attack against them.

Silencer: Beginning at 9th level, you learn how to craft a silencer for your weapon, hiding the sound of your shots. This hides both the sound of your gunshot and the muzzle flash, rendering your weapon no louder than a crossbow.

Sniper's Shot: Beginning at 13th level, double the damage of your sneak attack when you use a firearm to attack a creature who is unaware of you and who is more than 100 feet away.

Lethal Aim: Beginning at 17th level, you operate with lethal precision. When you deal sneak attack damage to a creature using a firearm, you can choose to maximize all damage dice--weapon and sneak attack alike. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again until you have completed a long or short rest.

Yakk
2020-08-06, 10:50 AM
Why would you use a Musket+GG when you can use a heavy crossbow+XBE? I guess you can throw bombs?

Bombs and explosions should do some force damage, not just fire/slashing.

Arquebus, and possibly Musket, should be Heavy.

Grod_The_Giant
2020-08-06, 02:18 PM
Why would you use a Musket+GG when you can use a heavy crossbow+XBE? I guess you can throw bombs?
Style? But a fair enough point... the musket is a stepped up light crossbow. (They're all stepped up crossbows, balancing the increased damage die with the negative "firearm" property). But... you're kind of right; as of now there's not really a non-niche reason to use one in place of an arquebus; the bayonet isn't really enough to justify keeping it a martial weapon. I'll step it back down to simple. And I suppose I can add a slight damage boost on the feat... right now it is mostly "get around the downsides" and not much else.


Arquebus, and possibly Musket, should be Heavy.
Good call.

Yakk
2020-08-07, 01:37 PM
Ya, a light crossbow is the simple weapon version of the heavy crossbow. Your musket was ... an otherwise identical difficulty to learn version of the Arquebus.

And apparently Musket is used interchangeably with Arquebus often.

Maybe add a Blunderbuss?

I noticed you dropped the Jam mechanism. It let you justify slightly higher damage per hit in exchange for not always getting hits off. I guess with feats like Sharpshooter it is hard to balance.

Grod_The_Giant
2020-08-17, 09:27 AM
Ya, a light crossbow is the simple weapon version of the heavy crossbow. Your musket was ... an otherwise identical difficulty to learn version of the Arquebus.
Yeah--I kicked it down to Simple.


And apparently Musket is used interchangeably with Arquebus often.
At times, but I think in general they conjure pretty distinct images. Besides, if I didn't use arquebus I'd have to use something like "hand cannon," and I really don't want to.


Maybe add a Blunderbuss?
Eh. It doesn't seem like there's much of a role for one, apart from the classic-but-unrealistic AoE cone attack...

...I mean, I guess maybe a 5ft/15ft 2d8 weapon with no penalty for being used in melee, but... eh.


I noticed you dropped the Jam mechanism. It let you justify slightly higher damage per hit in exchange for not always getting hits off. I guess with feats like Sharpshooter it is hard to balance.
Huh? There's no jam mechanic in the DMG-- and I'm not a fan of such things in the first place. Too many of the same problems as fumble rules, and makes the feat (or subclass) tax even more necessary. The Firearm property, in conjunction with the higher cost, is enough to justify the damage boost all by itself.