5E Fantasy Firearms

I've got a 5E Dungeons and Dragons fantasy campaign world, and it's renaissance-ish in feel, so I wanted guns.  I wanted a European flavour game with pistols and rifles, swashbuckling rogues with blade and shot, and all manner of contraptions that would make DaVinci proud.  But before I passed around the ammunition, I put some thought and debated with my players on the best way to include guns in the campaign world.

I've read the 5e Dungeon Master's Guide and that take on firearms, 3.5E Ptolus' approach, and even the Pathfinder rules for guns, and I decided while I liked some of their ideas, I decided to craft my own set of weapons and rules around them.  My rule set has evolved from 3E to Pathfinder to 5E, and I think I've maintained good game balance along the way.


Avoiding the Gunpowder Trap

So, if you use gunpowder, you may end up in arguments about guns evolving to replace medieval weapons, changing the way warfare is conducted, the lack of expense of bullets and shot, and all the modern arguments for how or how not to have firearms work under various environments and circumstances.  So the first thing I did was keep it mysterious, and magical (small m, it's technology not magic, but it doesn't need to be explained). 

By stating that firearms operate in my game under a system of pneumatic steam power and flammable powder, I can make weapons as complex or rare or expensive as I want, and I don't have to worry about some player gathering seagull guano to blow something up.


Make Guns Attractive To Players, But Not Too Attractive

The next thing is to make guns attractive - for someone to want to use them over a crossbow, especially when in-game you are charging 10 times the amount a crossbow costs in gp, there needs to be an upshot to getting one of these weapons. I don't think the DMG version of firearms is attractive enough.

For a pistol, 1d12 is definitely attractive, and a rifle 2d10 is also attractive - it's significantly better than a crossbow or longbow, so players may covet one for effectiveness as well as a stylish image.  And like any ranged weapon, Dexterity modifiers are added to attack and damage rolls, so this is pretty deadly.

On the flip side, there needs to be a balancing act -- just charging up to 500 gp for a pistol doesn't alleviate the fact it does as much as a battleaxe but at extreme range.  Some rule sets require a special firearms proficiency or a special skill to load the weapon, which can be cumbersome when the core 5E rule set just has simple and martial proficiencies, so I added a somewhat dangerous misfire option on rolling a 1 causing the user 3d6 fire damage (with the option of expensive ammunition that can be purchased that won't misfire), or will jam on an attack roll of 2-3.

I also decided to give all guns the loading quality, so they can't be fired 2-4 times a round (unless someone wades in with two pistols, or takes the Crossbow Expert feat with a generous DM -- I wouldn't).


Skills To Use?

So I created a tool set called a firesmith's kit, which can be used to repair or craft firearms and ammunition -- it created a bit of a skill bump without rendering a gun unusable to a character, when in fact all they have to do in combat is pull the trigger.  However, the firearm will eventually jam, or they will need more ammunition, so a tool set can be acquired by characters, and used with or without proficiency.


The 5E Crafting Rules and Firearms

So, the next problem - guns in a fantasy world are expensive!  How do you justify it?  Well, if you follow the pneumatic steam/engineered/rare approach, and also state that firesmiths carefully guard their craft or it's a lost art from when civilization was stronger (before the Verdraaken Empire fell, in my game), then it makes sense that not everyone can just go buy a rifle, and that a few days or a week might be needed to craft some bullets.


I'll Explain Later

You may notice below item's have a rarity rating and a huge range for prices -- I'll get into that in a future article.  Suffice it to say that there is no established market in my campaign for firearms, and while you might find a night pistol in an alchemist's shop for 100 gp, you could find a retired soldier offering to sell theirs down the street for 500 gp.


Conclusion

Thoughts or comments?  How do you handle it in your 5E game?  Feel free to email me at archadethered@gmail.com  

 

Firearm Ranged Weapons
Draken Pistol	100 - 500 gp	1d12 piercing	2 lbs	Ammunition (range 50/200), Light, Loading, Special	Rare
Draken Rifle	501 - 5,000 gp	2d10 piercing	12 lbs	Ammunition (range 150/600), Heavy, Loading, Special, Two-handed	Rare
Hand Cannon	501 - 5,000 gp	2d12 piercing	5 lbs	Ammunition (range 40/80), Heavy, Loading, Special, Two-handed	Rare
Night Pistol	100 - 500 gp	1d10 piercing	1 lb	Ammunition (range 30/120), Light, Loading, Special	Rare

Item

Cost

Weight

Rarity

Fineshot (firearm, 10)

75 gp

2 lbs

Rare

Shot (firearm, 10)

15 gp

2 lbs

Uncommon

Firesmith's Kit

100 - 500 gp

6 lbs

Uncommon

     Draken Pistol (Rare): The most common firearm in the Marchlands, although it is rare and relatively unknown to common folk.  Powered by pneumatic steam pressure and flammable powder, it is a delicate and complex instrument requiring martial weapon proficiency.

     This weapon is often ornamented with draconic symbols, or even crated to have a dragon’s head around the muzzle so that its shot comes from it’s mouth.  Ammunition cannot be recovered with a draken pistol. 
     Firearms are dangerous and delicate weapons -- if an attack roll of 1 is rolled on the attack, the weapon jams and causes 3d6 fire damage to it’s wielder.  If an attack roll of 2-3 is rolled, the weapon is rendered inoperative until a DC 15 Dexterity (firesmith's kit) tool check is made.

    Draken Rifle (Rare): This firearm is a larger, longer barreled version of the draken pistol with better range and greater damage.  Powered by pneumatic steam pressure and flammable powder, it is a delicate and complex instrument requiring martial weapon proficiency.
     Firearms are dangerous and delicate weapons -- if an attack roll of 1 is rolled on the attack, the weapon jams and causes 3d6 fire damage to it’s wielder.  If an attack roll of 2-3 is rolled, the weapon is useless until a DC 15 Dexterity (firesmith's kit) tool check is made.

     Fineshot (Ammunition, Rare): Well crafted ammunition for firearms, fineshot can be used without a chance of misfire or jams.

     Firesmith's Kit (Uncommon): This kit contains a number of fine instruments for the construction and maintenance of firearms.  Proficiency with this kit allows you to craft or repair firearms or their ammunition.

     Hand Cannon (Rare): This short, wide pistol is a hefty weapon. It has a very short range but is exceptionally powerful. This weapon is used to breach doors or barriers, or take down exceptionally large game. 

     A hand cannon requires two hands to load and fire. However, it can be fired one handed with disadvantage to the attack roll.
     Firearms are dangerous and delicate weapons -- if an attack roll of 1 is rolled on the attack, the weapon jams and causes 3d6 fire damage to it’s wielder.  If an attack roll of 2-3 is rolled, the weapon is useless until a DC 15 Dexterity (firesmith's kit) tool check is made.

     Night Pistol (Rare): A concealable short-range, one-shot firearm carried by nobles and scoundrels with means for self-defense.  Powered by pneumatic steam pressure and flammable powder, it is a delicate and complex instrument requiring martial weapon proficiency.

     Loading a night pistol is particularly difficult, requiring a DC 15 Dexterity check and an action each attempt.  Ammunition cannot be recovered. 
     Firearms are dangerous and delicate weapons -- if an attack roll of 1 is rolled on the attack, the weapon jams and causes 3d6 fire damage to it’s wielder.  If an attack roll of 2-3 is rolled, the weapon is useless until a DC 15 Dexterity (firesmith's kit) tool check is made.