Homebrew Firearms

[eriktheguy]

This makes them good first round weapons - shoot once and then draw your blade. It also makes carrying several firearms a good tactic. Both these things happened historically and might make sense, but they might also unbalance your game. Done this way, firearms is the ranged weapon for characters who have Dex but don't use ranged weapons all the time - that is rogues. Rangers are better off with weapons with faster reload.

I ended up going this route. Rifles were bows (increase damage die and reload minor) and pistols were crossbows (increase damage die, reload move). The pistols are pretty much the 'fire and drop' weapon of choice, excellent for rogues.
The rifles are far more appropriate for rangers.
I made a feat that allows you to reload pistols and move 2 squares in one action, so that they weren't useless.
If you want options to make firearms the weapon of choice, I added a 'clockwork' upgrade that makes them load as fast as their template bows and crossbows. Obviously this imbalances the weapons an makes them strictly better than PHB weapons.

 

[eriktheguy]

I updated my rules and included the gunblades in the writeup. The whole thing is a bit shorter and simpler, and I think the balance is a bit better. Revolvers now require a standard action to reload, but can be fired 3 times before reloading.

I added two new optional rules.
The first makes firearms much more powerful than standard weapons by giving them uber damage, but ammo can only be found and is rare. The net effect is that players can use guns occasionally for a big BANG without altering the campaign otherwise. In this variant players do not need feats to be proficient with guns.

The other rule is more interesting. Players find and use guns according to the balanced rules. They can occasionally find 'true ammo' in the ruins of the civilization that built the weapons, or they can buy 'imitation ammo' in bulk. The imitation ammo does normal damage and the true ammo does uber damage. Characters can still be built around the weapons, but the occasional WOW effect of firearms is not lost.

Rules here

 

[The Human Target]

For what its worth, here is our homebrew: Hastur Firearms

Cool thank you.

 

[The Human Target]

This makes them good first round weapons - shoot once and then draw your blade. It also makes carrying several firearms a good tactic. Both these things happened historically and might make sense, but they might also unbalance your game. Done this way, firearms is the ranged weapon for characters who have Dex but don't use ranged weapons all the time - that is rogues. Rangers are better off with weapons with faster reload.

I was thinking about going for that, but I don't think its a viable tactic for a lot of characters in 4E. A fighter (as an example) would usually rather double move or charge rather than waste time shooting a gun first.

And I wanted Rangers to have guns, because it makes me oddly happy.

 

[The Human Target]

I realy like this idea, and commend you all for trying to keep it simple. A couple 2cents for what it is worth.

I would take most of the feats mentioned for gunblades and make them magical properties. Maybe think of them as technology rather than magic, but this way they can scale with the pc's other gear. Nobody mentioned magic being added to the base weapon, or double weapon with gunblades. I would be interested to see what other forms of technology would rise similar to guns, like trains or flying ships, but that is another thread.


I would make them higher damage, but longer reload times. This may be more realistic, but less fun in the way that characters cannot use them more like crossbows and bows. I guess this being the case, I would leave them like you have them and embrace the goblin pirates and golem supercanon.

Trains and fly ships and telegraphs and photo cameras I'm just leaving as kind of stat-less flavouring.

Although my party managed to capture a little zeppelin airship tonight, so that may have to change if they can figure out how to drive the thing.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I once had a take on firearms up:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/blogs/mustrum_ridcully/1300-firearms-d-d-4-edition.html
It's a more extensive system, considering different "progress levels" of firearms.

I am sure if I'd revisit the topic now, I'd do things differently. But that's always the case for me.

 

[Dredly]

I love the idea, I think it would be awesome to make this:

Shotgun (blunderbus)

1d10+5

Damage is reduced by -1 for every square beyond 2 that the enemy is

 

[eriktheguy]

I once had a take on firearms up:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/blogs/mustrum_ridcully/1300-firearms-d-d-4-edition.html
It's a more extensive system, considering different "progress levels" of firearms.

I am sure if I'd revisit the topic now, I'd do things differently. But that's always the case for me.

I like the idea of classing firearms as items. Letting players use them once at the beginning of battle before charging into the action is cool.
I have a problem with the damage. It seems low, as in I don't see characters wanting to use them that often. The hand-cannon does about as much damage as an at-will, and the other two weapons only deal slightly more. I cannot see any player actually reloaded the musket (two actions for a 2d6 damage attack is very weak). The damage also scales slowly with level.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I like the idea of classing firearms as items. Letting players use them once at the beginning of battle before charging into the action is cool.
I have a problem with the damage. It seems low, as in I don't see characters wanting to use them that often. The hand-cannon does about as much damage as an at-will, and the other two weapons only deal slightly more. I cannot see any player actually reloaded the musket (two actions for a 2d6 damage attack is very weak). The damage also scales slowly with level.

I went with very conservative values. Probably to conservative.

The idea of making all special firearm properties "magical" was a little to transfer the contept of item levels on technology and a potential "modern" 4E. So that, for example, a Bazooka might be a Level 10 item, and a HARM might be a level 25 item.

Even if you don't actually use the D&D pricing tables in any way, you have at least an idea on how powerful a weapon might actually be.

 

[eriktheguy]

Yes, I see your point. I think conservative is the way to go with any firearms (or other future weapons) in 4e. Making something uber powerful can get out of hand fast. You will be regretting it, but unable to take the items away from the players without making them angry.
Giving it to them as an item with a power is a great way to do things. Your items have a set attack bonus and damage, so that even if they were over powered, they would still be obsolete in a few levels.
If you want to experiment with making them more powerful, but are worried about balance, you could simply limit ammunition and powder. If the level 7 weapon gets out of hand, don't let them find any bullets until level 9...
They might notice that you are being stingy with the bullets, but more likely you can distract them with some other cool lewt for a few levels before they start finding firearm related stuff again.