Guns in D&D (3.5)

[Bandededed]

This has probably been done, and is probably in an actual splat book somewhere, I just can't find it. If it has, point it out to me! Anyway...

Handcannon-

The handcannon is a two handed exotic ranged weapon. This weapon is, while sharing the name, almost completely unlike a cannon in every way. Created by the [race]'s of [place of origin], this weapon is devastating to it's enemies.

{table=header]Cost|Damage|Critical|Range Inc.|Weight|Type
1000 GP|3d10|x3|100 ft|15 lbs|Piercing[/table]

Firing the handcannon is simple. After a quick sight down the barrel, pulling the trigger back releases the hammer, which - etched with a special magical rune - triggers a burst of energy that flings the bullet out towards the enemy.

The handcannon can fire one shot before needing to be reloaded. Reloading the handcannon is a simple affair - merely dump the bullet down the barrel. However, in order to fire reliably it also requires a quick wiping down of the inside of the weapon. All of this takes a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

Ammo for the weapon is also expensive, costing nearly 20 gp a piece for the small circular pyramid of iron. This is because the bottom of each must also be etched with the same symbol as the hammer. The ammo fired from the handcannon is always destroyed after it hits something, no matter what mundane or magical precautions are taken. Even on a miss, this ammo will strike something eventually (a tree, the ground, etc) and be destroyed.
*Special: Masterwork ammo for the handcannon adds a +1 enhancement bonus to damage instead of to the attack roll.
______________________________________

Crafting a Handcannon.-

The handcannon can be crafted by nearly anyone, but it does have some requirements

Feet: Craft Handcannon
Requirements: int 13, craft 7 ranks OR Craft 12 ranks
Benefit: You have learned the special symbol required to make the handcannon work, and have been trained repetitively in it's creation. You may use the craft(weaponsmithing) or other applicable craft skill (as per DM's approval), to create a handcannon and it's ammo. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to any craft check made to create a handcannon.

[Crow]

There are a bunch of firearms in the 3.5 DMG. I believe in the alternate settings section.

[kpenguin]

You know, there is a homebrew forum.

[Deth Muncher]

You know, there is a homebrew forum.

As well, they had a bit on firearms in one of the Dragon Magazines.

[Thurbane]

Handcannon = yar yar hump hump.

[Leon]

Have a look here at the Fire Arms Pdf

[Kiara LeSabre]

Besides, creating ranged weapons that can't be somehow worked down to a free action reload is essentially pointless because there's almost even less reason to bother actually using them in 3.5e than there is to not just go ahead and be a full caster anyway.

"Look, the hand cannon is devastating to your enemies. And even more devastating to you because now you can't do a full attack no matter what you do."

[Rion]

That handcannon doesn't seem cheap and incapable of hitting a barn door at 50 feet, and it looks like it's more powerfull than a crossbow, so it's not really accurate.

[Deth Muncher]

Besides, creating ranged weapons that can't be somehow worked down to a free action reload is essentially pointless because there's almost even less reason to bother actually using them in 3.5e than there is to not just go ahead and be a full caster anyway.

"Look, the hand cannon is devastating to your enemies. And even more devastating to you because now you can't do a full attack no matter what you do."

I believe if you make it a breech-loaded weapon, it's a free action. Now, I'm AFB, so I can't give you page number/issue, but it's in and older Dragon Magazine, although I think it's after 3.5 came out.

[CASTLEMIKE]

DMG pages 145-146

[Deth Muncher]

DMG pages 145-146

Is it actually in the DMG? I've never noticed. But I specifically remember a Dragon Magazine article about gunpowder weapons.

[CASTLEMIKE]

Is it actually in the DMG? I've never noticed. But I specifically remember a Dragon Magazine article about gunpowder weapons.

Yes to both. Page 145 has the Pistol and Musket. Page 146 has modern era weapons. FRCS page 31 has Smokepowder pistols, a powderhorn and 10 bullets as starting equipment for Lantan or Rock Gnomes.

[Zeta Kai]

I made a Handcannon for the Resident Evil 4 Weapons. It is a Smith & Wesson Model 500 .45 Magnum. The first stat in a block is the initial stat, where as the other stats are upgrades.

[FMArthur]

Maybe it could be a touch attack? Old-style plate armor doesn't stand a chance against even remotely modern firearms. It doesn't help the full-round stuff, but it could at least be a quick battle-opener that you put away and draw a sword the following turn.

[Tam_OConnor]

Speaking as someone who's running a campaign with firearms:
1) Yeah, unless you've got Rapid Reload and breach-loaders, fire, drop and charge the next round.

2) If you're using armor as DR from UA, gunpowder weapons could ignore DR from armor. (Justified in the case of cannons like that; less so for smaller guns. Armorers used to demonstrate the quality of their breastplates by shooting them, without the bullet penetrating).

3) And I believe it was Dragon #221 that had firearms. Fairly generic. There was also a section on guns in the d20 Dragon Annual ("Guns in Freeport"), but that's fairly obscure.

I'm not much in favor of the magically-based guns, but I rabidly dislike magitech...

[BRC]

My current setting takes place in an industrialized DnD world, though weapon technology isn't that advanced for a variety of reasons.


All I did was take the firearms from the DMG and make a few changes (I lowered the prices a little and made them Martial weapons, because Firearms have been around for awhile and are fairly common), then I declared that all crossbows were just different types of weapons, and made Hand Crossbows (or in this case a civilian-model peashooter pistol) a simple weapon. Heck, Ive let one of the players reinforce her rifles stock and use it as a heavy mace. (Counts as a second weapon for the purpose of masterworking/magicness of course)

[FMArthur]

How about a bayonet? Are there any mechanics for those in place?

[Kiara LeSabre]

I'm not much in favor of the magically-based guns, but I rabidly dislike magitech...

Oddly enough, magitech would probably be a logical result of magic existing. Technology itself is only a direct result of our acquisition and usage of exceptional concentrations of energy (in the form of natural gas, coal and especially oil); we didn't get "smarter" so much as we just got our hands on something that could give us the energy to do all kinds of new things that previously weren't possible.

But magic? The way it's generally presented, magic is free energy -- the zero-point energy pipe dream made reality. Perpetual-motion machines aren't possible in the real world, but in a world with magic as it's usually presented, all you need is the right combination of gestures and words! So magitech -- are you kidding? Logically, people in a world with magic as it's generally presented (unlimited) could do technology better than we can do it, without being hindered by the reality constraints we're running up against more and more with every passing day (dwindling nonrenewable resources).

To me, technology would follow magic potentially even more easily than it followed oil.

Okay, I ranted enough. That said, I'm curious: why don't you like it?

[CASTLEMIKE]

How about a bayonet? Are there any mechanics for those in place?

Spear or Dagger

[BRC]

How about a bayonet? Are there any mechanics for those in place?

Crossbow Bayonets in Complete Scoundrel.

[FMArthur]

Oddly enough, magitech would probably be a logical result of magic existing. Technology itself is only a direct result of our acquisition and usage of exceptional concentrations of energy (in the form of natural gas, coal and especially oil); we didn't get "smarter" so much as we just got our hands on something that could give us the energy to do all kinds of new things that previously weren't possible.

But magic? The way it's generally presented, magic is free energy -- the zero-point energy pipe dream made reality. Perpetual-motion machines aren't possible in the real world, but in a world with magic as it's usually presented, all you need is the right combination of gestures and words! So magitech -- are you kidding? Logically, people in a world with magic as it's generally presented (unlimited) could do technology better than we can do it, without being hindered by the reality constraints we're running up against more and more with every passing day (dwindling nonrenewable resources).

To me, technology would follow magic potentially even more easily than it followed oil.

Okay, I ranted enough. That said, I'm curious: why don't you like it?

I always found it funny that people looking at fantasy settings (in any medium) usually think of magic as being in opposition to science. If magic were real, it would easily be the most studied science in the world by a long shot. Depending on the magic, we'd have decended into chaos by now, or colonized multiple different planets.

[mabriss lethe]

Aside from this hand cannon being a better candidate in the Homebrew section, I sort of like the idea of it being a touch attack. sort of like a warlock with gunpowder.... only not quite as neat as that idea for some reason....

[Triaxx]

I've always been annoyed by the theory that if you have magic, you can't have science and vice versa.

I prefer the explanation that magic is just a way to bend, or break the laws of science. Fly? It's just repealing the law of gravity. But eventually gravity returns.

[Deth Muncher]

Yes to both. Page 145 has the Pistol and Musket. Page 146 has modern era weapons. FRCS page 31 has Smokepowder pistols, a powderhorn and 10 bullets as starting equipment for Lantan or Rock Gnomes.

Oh, well how bout that then.

Also, it's Dragon Magazine 321, in case people were wondering.

[hamlet]

Ptolus had a lot of fire arms in it, and they were very well done I think.

Have to locate that book again . . .

[Andras]

Oddly enough, magitech would probably be a logical result of magic existing. Technology itself is only a direct result of our acquisition and usage of exceptional concentrations of energy (in the form of natural gas, coal and especially oil); we didn't get "smarter" so much as we just got our hands on something that could give us the energy to do all kinds of new things that previously weren't possible.

But magic? The way it's generally presented, magic is free energy -- the zero-point energy pipe dream made reality. Perpetual-motion machines aren't possible in the real world, but in a world with magic as it's usually presented, all you need is the right combination of gestures and words! So magitech -- are you kidding? Logically, people in a world with magic as it's generally presented (unlimited) could do technology better than we can do it, without being hindered by the reality constraints we're running up against more and more with every passing day (dwindling nonrenewable resources).

To me, technology would follow magic potentially even more easily than it followed oil.

This post sums up my thoughts on the matter quite well.

[Zeful]

I've always been annoyed by the theory that if you have magic, you can't have science and vice versa.

I prefer the explanation that magic is just a way to bend, or break the laws of science. Fly? It's just repealing the law of gravity. But eventually gravity returns.

Let's look at an average motorcycle that you wanted to magically increase the speed of. What would you be enchanting. The wheels sound good, but it's the rear one that provides the power, the other is freewheeling. The pistons? Crankshaft? Chain/belt? All of it? In the end all the power is derived from a series of short-lived chemical reactions that you can't enchant. So the Bike can't be enchanted to go faster. And even if you could the bike would break down at a faster rate equal to the speed increase.

Technology is complex enough, adding magic simply makes it more so.

[FreiSchultz]

Well, if you like to add a little variety though, there's always Moden d20 (SRD available, I found a copy at the D&D wiki).

[Griffin131]

Let's look at an average motorcycle that you wanted to magically increase the speed of. What would you be enchanting. The wheels sound good, but it's the rear one that provides the power, the other is freewheeling. The pistons? Crankshaft? Chain/belt? All of it? In the end all the power is derived from a series of short-lived chemical reactions that you can't enchant. So the Bike can't be enchanted to go faster. And even if you could the bike would break down at a faster rate equal to the speed increase.

Technology is complex enough, adding magic simply makes it more so.

I'd enchant it to be lighter. That way we can use extremely tough metals and not care about the weight - whereas at the moment we are restricted to Aluminum and lighter metals, which aren't always the strongest.

And as for making a motorcycle faster, dropping the weight from ~400lbs wet to ~200 lbs wet while not changing anything else would service to massively increase potential speed.

[Zeful]

I'd enchant it to be lighter. That way we can use extremely tough metals and not care about the weight - whereas at the moment we are restricted to Aluminum and lighter metals, which aren't always the strongest.

And as for making a motorcycle faster, dropping the weight from ~400lbs wet to ~200 lbs wet while not changing anything else would service to massively increase potential speed.

Point. But that's not really enchanting to be faster, the increased acceleration would merely be a by-product of the new weight, but it's still a good point.

Which goes to serve my point as well. You can't simply make a bike faster by enchanting it to be so, you have to change something else about the bike (weight) which doesn't seem connected at a casual glance.