D&D 4E Firearms in 4E

Mallus · Feb 9, 2009

The quasi-magic firearms I'm going to introduce into our collaborative campaign setting will be very simple: encounter use ranged powers (DEX+2/3 vs REF) with variable damage and rider effects, usually in the form of 1 round of a status + ongoing damage.

Some rarer ones might shoot bullets into your soul (vs. WILL), or have status effects like Blindness as their ongoing effect.

Xath · Feb 9, 2009

Moved to 4e House Rules.

Kraydak · Feb 9, 2009

Pbartender said:
Do you realize that Rangers and Rogues are the only ones who will be able to use this power? It means no one else at all would be able to use a musket.

Ranged basic attack FTW! Note that most people who don't have a better ranged attack won't pick up a firearm. It is designed for non-dex characters who *do* have a non-basic ranged attack, most likely a Str ranger or someone MCed into ranger or rogue.

Even you let them use it with basic ranged attacks, the rules are unnecessarily complicated, and don't really accomplish anything that you couldn't from a straight up Dex vs. Reflex Encounter power.

It allows non-dex characters to make a large investment to make use of ranged weapon powers (which they also make a large investment to get), something they currently really cannot do *at all*. The inability to use heavy-thrown weapons with MCed ranger powers irritates me, although this wouldn't fix that directly... Making it non-dex based gives it a unique role.

The more I think about it, the more I *like* the idea of items that let you replace the attack line with a set value. It makes MCing and split-stat classes more functional: a Str based paladin could pick up a 1/encounter flat attack holy symbol to use with his one charisma/implement power, or a lowish-int fighter MCed into wizard could use his 1/encounter flat attack wand with his one wizard power.

On top of that, the numbers don't really scale well, if you compare them to typical PC attack bonuses at the various levels. +8, for example, is huge for a 1st level character, but less than mediocre at 9th or 10th.

Ooops, you are right. I forgot that the +1/2 levels is considered part of the "dex" in the attack line. Add that in. So: 1/2 level +8/11/14.