Technology in D&D: Gnomes, Gears, and Guns

[Myatar_Panwar]

I will be running a zombie apocalypse campaign shortly (the original DM just dropped the ball on me that his will be ending next session), and I figured that I would include some technology not usually associated with D&D, as most of my players have hinted at wanting to use some sort of gun. But please note that I am still trying to keep the same kind-of high fantasy, "ye old", etc feel that D&D is known for.

Maybe some background knowledge of the campaign would help here: Essentially, through some extreme breakthroughs, the high end races (mostly gnomes, probably) have found knew ways to use the world around them and innate magics to make life easier (technologies!). Examples may be using pulleys and gears for maximum output, or firing small projectiles at high speeds (more penetration with less surface area). The barbarians, originally feared for their combat prowess, were being exterminated by these new innovations, namely "guns" (would rather find a different name, if anyone has any ideas). Their years of training were being outdone by machines wielded by knaves, and they fled farther into the cold mountains. The elves, the most dedicated and skilled swordsman on this earth, knew that this was wrong, and demanded that they stop their progress at once. The others refused, and the elves also isolated themselves from the rest of the world. And then... blah blah blah, tower rose, blah blah blah, mist appeared, waking the dead, blah blah blah, gods stopped awnsering mortal calls, blah blah blah, you get the drift. Apocalypse time.

Ok, so I started this thread with hope that you guys could help me come up with some technological ideas (im no engineer, as you can probably already tell), or maybe something you have used in a passed campaign. I don't just want to use real world stuff (such as guns powered using *gasp* gunpowder), as this is a fantasy world where magic exists, and to chose to use real world stuff is just lazy and kind of boring.

For "guns" I was thinking that I would have 3 different categories (for the purpose of weapon focus and stuff): Handgun (revolver), Long range (rifle), and Shotgun (shotgun). For how they work and what they look like.... heres where I draw a blank. I was originally thinking that it could be powered with flasks of oil, but eh. I was also thinking that maybe a gun would feature two flasks connected to the back end (kind of like hoppers in paintball), which connected to a small base behind the projectile using tubes. In one tube would be some crushed Thunderstone, while in the other would be another substance which would react with the thunderstone (maybe just water). So that when you pull the trigger the two substances are allowed to enter the base and react.

As for stats, its quite ok for these to be slightly overpowered when compared to other D&D weapons. For one, this is an apocalyptic world, and the players just cant enter a shop and ask for 3,000 rounds. Materials are scarce. Plus, in a campaign centered on one creature type (especially undead), casters are bound to enter any and every prestige class, prepare every spell, that gives them a great advantage. Let the fighter have his fun too. Namely, the weapons made for this game probably shouldn't be introduced into other games unless they have a likewise background.

As for non-gun related tech, I present to you something which could probably be argued is indeed a gun, but I don't care because its all I have right now!!!: The Javelin Launcher
The Javelin launcher is typically an enclosed rectangle box on wheels, typically 4 feet long, with a crank on one side, a small hole for where the javelins enter/ are shot out, and a lever on top. How it works: a javelin is put in the hole, and the lever is pulled, causing a mechanism to hold the javelins haft in place. The crank on its side in then turned, which causes several gears on the inside to rotate, eventually ending with the mechanism holding the javelin, pulling it back. The amount turned is of course dependent on the turners strength, and will not go past a modifier of +5. It takes a fullround action to rotate the crank. On the subjects next turn he may pull the lever again, releasing the devise and javelin. The Javalin always moves in a straight line and the machine itself must be moved if the target is not directly in front of it (move action). Also, the Javelin launcher typically shoots its javelins exactly 4 1/2 feet from the ground, causing it to completly skim over the heads of the shorter races (they would also have a hard time using the device). Some launchers are made with ways to control height, but not all.
Damage: 3d6 (base) + 3 per point of strength modifier.
The Javelin launcher would be an example of using gears or pulleys to come out with a higher output, and it has great damage, but is otherwise unversitile, and is completely situational.

So please, post any ideas you might have.

[tahu88810]

Sounds steam-punk. Try eberron for some ideas?

[Myatar_Panwar]

Yeah, was thinking Eberron, but I don't own the book and am a bit apprehensive to buy anything D&D related (except maybe dice) with 4.0 so close.

[UserClone]

This (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/hr04.html) sounds like exactly what you're looking for.

[its_all_ogre]

in my campaign i introduced the gnome created power crossbow: basically a crossbow which acts like a strength built longbow in terms of cost etc.
you need a str check to reload dc is 10+str bonus of the bow (so if it is a +3 a character with str 16/17 will reload by taking 10 in a non-combat situation) often used by scout patrols as you can keep it loaded.

also the dual crossbow (waylander if you've ever read gemmell) shorter range than normal for the crossbow of its type (half normal) but you can fire both bolts as a standard action. the upper part of the crossbow can be reloaded as normal but the lower part takes a full round action to reload.

the lower part can also be a power crossbow for extra fun and damage!

you could add in the weapon capsules from complete adventurers too, purely for cost purposes.

[Szilard]

Ever heard of the spellshot pistols from the dustlands?

[Yakk]

Inspiration: Diskworld...

Devices are things that the Dwarves found deep under ground. Devices do things and are indestructible.

An Axel, for example, rotates. It rotates regardless of how much force is attempting to stop it. It does it quite slowly (1 rotation every 30 seconds might be typical), and it isn't that large (3" long). But a single Axel with sufficiently tough materials (magic!) can power an entire city.

Devices are somewhat rare and tend to be infrastructure-esque.

Going down the ladder, there are other things like tubes. Tubes are harvested from a kind of fungus who uses them as a defense mechanism. A Tube takes whatever is placed inside of it, and throws it at high velocity out the other end.

Tube fungi use this and a vibration sense to fire spores into the flesh of animals to wander close to them.

Harvested, they produce a deadly weapon.

Sadly, Tubes use the local ambient elemental flow to power themselves -- unlike Devices, they "run out". In an area with an elemental spring or geyser, this isn't a problem -- but such areas are both dangerous and rare.

So you carry your mojo with you.

Small crystals can be embedded with elemental mojo. And, it turns out, the "sucking" effect of the tubes firing efficiently pulls the mojo out of the crystals.

Tubes still require a resting phase to recover between firings -- so tubes that want rapid fire require multiple barrels.

A downside to this trick is that mojo crystals above a certain density are not a good idea. As each one gussies up the local elemental flow, they start resonating with each other. Add enough mojo crystals, and ... bad things happen. At least three cities have been destroyed by making a large pile of mojo crystals: one exploded leaving nothing but a crater, another one just isn't there anymore (maps that lead to it don't lead there anymore...), and the third ... well, nobody can get close enough to find out what happened. And I mean nobody.

Problems occur on smaller scales with smaller numbers of crystals.

Note that it is generally safer to use a few larger crystals than many small ones. So one trick is to use 1 bullet in 10 as a large crystal bullet. You then acquire the crystal bullets you fired, and recharge them from your large recharging crystal. :)

...

Various substances can be used to direct elemental mojo flow, and elemental mojo can be embedded into substances for easier handling. The crystals are one example, where mojo is forced into solid form: gooes, effluances, and other tricks are also used.

A tube without crystal ammunition can still fire, it just requires a long time between shots. As crystal ammunition is more expensive (and more dangerous) than a tube itself, people having tube weapons for defense is relatively common.

A simple tube weapon consists of a tube, a handle, and a means to drop an object into the tube, either from the back or through a hole in the top (a breach-loader). It then sends whatever is put into the tube at high velocity strait forward.

Different tubes have different rates of fire both with and without crystal ammunition.

Professional users of Tubes are known as Tubers, or sometimes Potatoes.

[Alleine]

Steampunk would probably be the best bet. Steam can power everything, and make everything bulkier as well so that you don't have a character running around with, say, two shotguns. It'd be too difficult to use(to my mind) steam-powered guns effectively like that.

By the way Myatar, SOME of your fellow DnDer's have complete access to the Eberron books and would be perfectly willing to let you peruse them at your whim.

As for alternatives to the word 'gun', a book I read had the people using slug throwers. They threw lead slugs, basically a gun only with a different name.

[Neon Knight]

Obligatory Iron Kingdoms link. (http://www.privateerpress.com/ironkingdoms/default.php)

There you go. Steampunk.

[Albonor]

I also suggest that you start looking (google is your friend, as is Gamebanshee I think) for Arcanum sites to look at the list of guns in that game. The blade launcher and the like are very appropriate for your need.

Also, be careful to make your guns powerful enough to offset the barbarian running in with his +24 to damage on every hit because of strengh, power attack, etc. So, a full round to reload is too much, unless that baby hits for 3d8 18-20/x3.

Also, consider adding a bonus to hit against amor and natural armor, something like: equals to the total bonus of AB and NA, up to +4.

[Myatar_Panwar]

By the way Myatar, SOME of your fellow DnDer's have complete access to the Eberron books and would be perfectly willing to let you peruse them at your whim.

As for alternatives to the word 'gun', a book I read had the people using slug throwers. They threw lead slugs, basically a gun only with a different name.

I wasn't aware that any of them were in possession of the actual campaign setting, I just thought that they had some of the Eberron supplements. But its ok now, I found someone to lend me a copy, almost like magic.

And I do like "slug-throwers".

Ok, so I'll check out steampunk and Eberron (don't know much about either). But Yakk's Tubes and Axles are pretty tempting.

Edit: And yes, I was thinking about giving a bonus to hit for guns, if I didn't then the whole "barbarians being wiped out by knaves with guns thing" wouldn't make much sense. A +4 vs. armor does sound like a good idea Albonor.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Wait, do you mean barbarians as in 'savages' or barbarians as the class?

[Myatar_Panwar]

Err I just mean savages in general, they could be barbarians. But don't get me wrong, the players probably won't be the ones out killing these guy's off, it will most likely just be something i'll talk about when discussing the history of the campaign world. Just wanted to emphasize the fact that the old ways of fighting are slowly becoming extinct due to this technology, for good (most of the civilized races) or bad (the savage races, as well as elves or others who came to realize these ways of fighting as an art). Then when it all hits the fan, the players probably have a good idea why the hell the gods are so damn angry at them.

Edit: I should also probably mention where I got the inspiration for this idea: For one, the popular movie The Last Samurai is a very good example of this (entire breed of warrior getting killed out by new technology). Also, im pretty sure Drizzt Du'Urden talks about the wizard brothers (forgot their name), and how one of them was getting ideas of some sort of gun-like weapon, in one of his journals. He mentions that this kind of technology essentially destroys the pure warrior, mocking his training and dedication by presenting him with such an easy-use weapon.

[bosssmiley]

Obligatory Iron Kingdoms link. (http://www.privateerpress.com/ironkingdoms/default.php)

There you go. Steampunk.

Tinker gnomes (Dragonlance & Spelljammer) are another example of steampunk D&D, although with more Robe Goldberg overtones.

There was also a demiplane of machines in the "Endless Staircase" adventure. The law of nature there was that magic simply didn't work, but that *any* machine that the creator can think up a pseudo-science rationale for did. That gave you things like ornithopters, flying machines made from glass jars filled with dew, swan-towed carriages, antigravity metals, self-lifting ladders. Great fun :smallbiggrin:

[Yakk]

More Mojo-tech.

At the top of mountains, held down by the icy glaciers, is lift-ore.

In ore form, it is a mottled gray rock that is far lighter than it should be. When the proper alchemical procedures have been performed, it becomes a stark-white metal that pulls away from the Earth. The substance has two additional strange properties -- first, it is extremely sticky. Anything that touches it becomes stuck on it, and resists being pulled free. Second, it resists changes in movement, as if it where moving underwater.