Homebrew Shotgun Idea

[ZenBear]

I'm gearing up to DM again, and I have a homebrew setting where guns and bows are used in equal measure. The justification is that guns aren't any stronger, they're just another form of ranged attack invented by Gnomes who didn't have a bunch of trees to craft arrows and bows with. No gunpowder, just an explosive rune in the barrel to propel the shot.

The idea I'm playing with and would like feedback on is this; a shotgun that has a very short range, something like 20/60 or 30/90, and instead of an attack roll you impose a saving throw on the target and maybe one other adjacent target, ala Acid Splash. When used outside it's base range, saving throws get advantage. To keep it in line with crossbows, maybe it will do 2d4 damage?

[JackPhoenix]

The 'usual' solution for blunderbusses/shotguns is Dex-save cone of damage, but your solution sounds fine too.. My homebrew uses line similar to Catapult spell, but with attack roll instead of save: If you miss, the blast keeps going until it hits something or reaches the end of the range, with cover for anything behind the first target and disadvantage at long range, as usual.

[J-H]

Have you reviewed the DMG rules for different era firearms as a baseline?

[NotPrior]

My not!shadowrun 5e system has shotguns go up a damage dice at close range (30 ft or below for most of them) and down a dice beyond that, so the auto shotgun does 1d10+mod at 30 ft and below, 1d6+mod beyond that.

Seems to work.

[stoutstien]

Comes down to what features you want to to work for it. So if it's save based Archery and even sharpshooter (specifically calls for attacks for cover counter) won't work. OTOH saves font generate disadvantage as easily, such as being in melee range, and dex scales poorly with CR.

In my games firearms work via binding small elementals so it's similar and i ended up using both options so players can pick.

[sambojin]

Just remember that there's a fair few conditions that make a creature auto-fail Dex saves (paralyzed, petrified, stunned and unconscious) or give disadvantage to them (restrained).

Not really a big problem with those sorts of damage dice, and kind-of encourages team-play, but it's something to consider.

Maybe make it "must also target another creature if there is one within 5' of the target", instead of it being optional, to stop Moon Druids making your shotguns very effective with no downside. Again, not a huge problem for a Moon Druid, but it does add a bit of target selection to the weapon, especially as they restrain-on-hit as one of their most powerful abilities. Spells are fine, you spent a resource to do a thing, but druids get a lot of reliable restrained these days (with summons or familiars making them stick via help actions). Not hugely different to what they do anyway, and I'd rather be hit with a small shotgun than a big fireball or lightning bolt.

[CapnWildefyr]

Definitely drop the damage at long range. Maybe roll to hit the target. If you miss then save for first next thing in the path. 5' wide path at short range, 10' wide at long range. anyone who fails a save takes only half damage--due to shot spread. So 1d4 or 1d2. While the 1-2 hp seems small, what other weapons get free hits when you miss the primary target?

Now instead if you want a truly aoe weapon then do a cone and everything saves vs 2d4/1d4. (Save = no damage)

[Joe the Rat]

aoe cone, dex save, 2d4/1d4 at range brackets, you could make it save to clear, or save for half.
That should be good for most game birds and varmints.

and a regular roll-to-hit slug ammo type, just in case.

[JLandan]

Is it a modern shotgun or an early era blunderbuss?

Modern weapons are crazy deadly. Most D&D campaigns I've played or observed have firearm damage way too low. And the reload times are crazy fast. Muskets, pistols and early era rifles took about 18-30 seconds to load and fire, that's 3-5 rounds. That's all pre 1850 or so. Post 1850, you have revolver pistols and repeater rifles and cartridge ammunition, so you could fire multiple shots per round till empty. Post 1900, you get semiautomatic and automatic weapons with even greater capacities.

Damage-wise the firearms in the DMG are balanced for the game, also for loading times. In comparison to reality, they're all pansy weapons. Actual weapons should be double damage.

You might look at the old d20 Modern firearms rules. There was a really good supplement called d20 Past that had a lot of period firearms and other weapons. All of it translates easily to 5e.

[sambojin]

Could just do it as a double barreled sawn-off. 15'/20' cone, 3d4 damage/ 2d4 in last square (at 20' range), roll to hit (armour is pretty effective against the slow pellets, but so is diving out of the way). You get two shots when fully loaded, and each extra shot takes an action to reload. Gunner feat does not apply.

Pretty versatile, good initial damage for two rounds, then it becomes a decision on what else you'd like to do, or you can reload more shells. You still have your bonus action if you've got fun things to do with that. Could make it extra versatile and allow solid slugs that are standard single ranged attacks with 40' range (no long range, it just misses) for 3d4 damage. You *can* fire both barrels if you have Extra Attack, otherwise it's just once per round.

That'd be a nice weapon for an opener, pretty versatile but fairly short range. Actually a nice sized cone as well. Not sure where you'd get more shells from, but make them expensive or uses a long-rest to make 3d4 of them? Enough for a few encounters, but not an all-day thing (it's essentially a reasonable lvl1-2 spell). Maybe make it -1to-hit, because it's a really nice weapon with a 20' cone attack?