Gunpowder, Firepower, and levels

[Stormborn]

Running a homebrew world with low magic and gunpowder (flintlocks mainly). As the players have just hit 6th level I am begining to wonder about their ability to make ranged attacks that do sufficent damage for higher CR monsters, not to mention mass attacks by low CR but numerous foes. I can easily incorporate either Dwarven special weapons or ancient artifacts to increase their firepower if the need arises. Just wondering if anyone had played at higher levels in a setting w/o magic weapons or high powered combat spells; and if so how you handled combat.

(I realize that some of you may point out that I will have the same questions about melee damage, but with some carefully placed ancient artifacts I can deal with that. Ranged weapons seem to be a more difficult issue.)

 

[Aaron2]

Running a homebrew world with low magic and gunpowder (flintlocks mainly). As the players have just hit 6th level I am begining to wonder about their ability to make ranged attacks that do sufficent damage for higher CR monsters, not to mention mass attacks by low CR but numerous foes. I can easily incorporate either Dwarven special weapons or ancient artifacts to increase their firepower if the need arises. Just wondering if anyone had played at higher levels in a setting w/o magic weapons or high powered combat spells; and if so how you handled combat.

One thing I did was to give the pistol packing player some gnomish rifle grenades. These would stick into the barrel (like WW1 era rod grenades). Some could fire alchemist fire (bigger than thrown kind) as well as tanglefoots and smokesticks. They could also shoot a spike attached to a rope. None were particularly effective but they were entertaining.

The other choice is to go with some sort of double barrel or pepperbox design to allow multiple shots.


Aaron

 

[Prothall]

It'll be that or adamantine bullets. Any of the characters have a multibarrel blunderbuss yet? They really made such things.

 

[Tonguez]

Lone Wolf & Cub - the famous manga series - features a multibarreled gun which Itto Ogami mounted in the base of the Baby Cart, when it is shown in use it is devestating against multiple opponents (and I'd suspect high CR ones too)

then of course there is the magc/silver/adamantium/blessed bullets

 

[Stormborn]

The low magic setting is going to nix any ideas of special/magical ammo. Right now the PCs have a Dwarven exile NPC who has already shown them parts of a breech loading wepaon. My current plan is that he will have a few of them made for the PCs eventually. This will cut down on reload times significantly, increasing their Rate of Fire over the standard NPCs in the Human/Goblin states. I will allow the Rapid Reload feat with it and really hike up their fire rates. This is all a few levels down the line though.

The Dwarf has a blunderbuss, but when you consider the range limitations on it, I doubt any of the PCs will be looking to borrow it from him.

The funny thing is, they all seem to be concentrating on melee. Which in a world where it takes about 4 round to reload a ranged weapon isn't so bad, but I see the need for more ranged profficency and am hoping that a few goodies in that department will encourage them.

 

[Tetsubo]

The answer is the Volley Gun:

http://www.southessex.co.uk/weapons/nock.htm