NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nareau" data-source="post: 2303696" data-attributes="member: 969">Wow!  This is a lot of great info.  Thanks, all!I've got a lot to think about.For one, I want to keep the rules simple.  I don't want to create any new rules for firearms.  I also don't want to have to learn too much about the specific differences between different firearm technologies.  But it sounds like I might have to, in order to figure out which version I want to represent in my game.For the most part, it sounds like guns really changed things because of the impact they had on armies, not on heroes:1) They were cheaper to make than longbows2) Any peasant could be conscripted, handed a rifle, and sent to war3) Armies could carry more ammo, and thus outlast their bow-wielding enemiesUnfortunately, my D&D game focuses on the heroes much more than the armies.  So a lot of this won't apply to the PC's in my specific game.I'm thinking of trying to abstract firearms to D&D rules in one or more of the following ways:Firearms are simple weapons.  Anyone can pick one up and fire it decently well.Firing a gun requires a ranged touch attack.  Unless a suit of armor is specially (magically?) treated, it is ineffective.  Things like dex, dodge, deflection still count, though.2d8 to 4d8 damage.  Guns produce a great force that can be very dangerous.x4 or maybe even x5 critical.  Guns can be extremely deadly, as they aren't stopped by bone.Ability damage.  Probably just on a critical hit.  A gunshot will do 1d6 damage to a physical ability.  I'm not sure if it should be CON or DEX, but I'm leaning towards CON.Fear.  The smoke and fire from a firearm strikes fear into your enemies, requiring a Will Save DC 15 to avoid becoming Shaken.  This effect only works within 30' of the shooter.All of these things taken together would obviously make guns COMPLETELY deadly.  But I'm less interested in "balance" than I am in grabbing the right "feel" of guns.I'm not interested in running a simulationist game.  I'm interested in running a game where the invention of guns represents a major shift in the battlefield.  A new era of combat, if you will.  It represents an era where heroes begin to fade away, replaced by masses of untrained people with deadly boom-sticks.Thanks again for all your input.  It's given me a lot of things to think about--things that I hadn't even realized I should explore.  Both combat-specific AND societal issues.Spider</blockquote>

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