D&D 5E (2014) Let's Talk About Guns in 5E

[Rocker26a]

Honestly it would probably be far better as a moderate level magic item.
‘Flame quiver’ - every piece of standard ammunition you pull from this quiver deals an additional 1d6 fire damage’

Plus they nearly offered a spell that, in my opinion, should just flatly replace Flame Arrows; Arcane Weapon from the "Unearthed Arcana: The Artificer Returns". Really nice spell.

 

[Remathilis]

I mean, yeah. It's rough that you still need to turn to magic when an alchemical arrow should be possible, though.

One of the things I really liked was when 3e tried to expand alchemy into other areas. The PHB had alchemist fire, acid, tanglefoot bags, etc. Eberron added alchemist frost and alchemist spark (doing other elemental damage). The problem is that alchemy doesn't scale and quickly becomes obsolete to magic, but the idea would be interesting if they could somehow fix the scaling issue...

 

[James Gasik]

Froma practical perspective, what is the difference between an alchemical arrow and buying magic fire arrows?

It depends on how your DM feels about purchasing magic items with gold.

 

[James Gasik]

One of the things I really liked was when 3e tried to expand alchemy into other areas. The PHB had alchemist fire, acid, tanglefoot bags, etc. Eberron added alchemist frost and alchemist spark (doing other elemental damage). The problem is that alchemy doesn't scale and quickly becomes obsolete to magic, but the idea would be interesting if they could somehow fix the scaling issue...

I miss those items. I used to have great fun with them, though admittedly, I found better uses for them with magic. For example, casting silence on a tanglefoot bag and lobbing it at an enemy spellcaster.

 

[Reynard]

It depends on how your DM feels about purchasing magic items with gold.

I would have strong questions for a GM that let me buy complete nonsense alchemy items but not equivalent complete nonsense magic items.

 

[James Gasik]

I would have strong questions for a GM that let me buy complete nonsense alchemy items but not equivalent complete nonsense magic items.

Alchemical items are usually found in player facing content, magic items are not. So there are GM's who think you shouldn't be allowed to buy magic but are ok with alchemist's fire or acid being on the open market.

 

[AlViking]

Sure, the PHB has firearms artificially frozen there, and doesn't address how they would impact armor.

There are examples of plate armor that has a dent from a bullet because it was proof it was bulletproof. Armor is still in use today, it's just made of Kevlar and ceramic plates.

Armor in a D&D game that uses firearms may look a bit different - for example in The Dresden Files they mention a customized Kevlar vest that has a layer of titanium chain mail because many of the "monsters" don't use guns.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Sure, the PHB has firearms artificially frozen there,

What makes you believe that they are "artificially" "frozen"?
It is unknown whether most D&D worlds have reached the level of metallurgy that allows casting or boring firearms to be manufactured cheaply. Why do you feel that D&D worlds being at this level of technology is "artificial" compared to a different level of advancement?

and doesn't address how they would impact armor.

Usually with a loud "Clang!" . . .

The PHB does address how D&D firearms impact armour: They have a chance of bypassing armour completely based on the attack roll. Given that even heavy cloth was able to stop the more advanced Napoleonic muskets, and shields were still used effectively against firearms, why do you think that they would do so differently from any other attack?

I mean, if D&D firearms having to check to see if they penetrate armour hurts your verisimilitude, then surely the fact that they can be fired every 6 seconds at least also misses your V-spot?
Either you have realistic firearms which are currently inferior to the existing missile weapons in the rules and so wouldn't impact the setting much, or you accepts that the firearms rules, alongside all the other rules, are an abstraction, and so "realism" is not required.

D&D opts to ignore it. Which is fine. D&D armor is hardly realistic. The kinetic impact of 21 foot tall, 8,000 lb giant's axe would reduce a human to red mist; plate armor or no. The same armor would roast him alive when bathed like dragonfire like a baked potato in tinfoil. Bullets are child's play when you consider that.

I've watched enough action flick where the hero "takes a stray" shot to the arm and shrugs the wound off one scene later to accept D&D bullets are slightly better than bolts/arrows and not the near-instants-fatality machines they are IRL.

I mean the belief that bullets are "near instant-fatality machines" is just as hollywood-driven as people being able to shrug off wounds for a while, if not more so.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Personally my view of firearms in D&D in D&D is based on the setting:

Dark Sun and Eberron: Canonically non-existent.

Greyhawk and Ravenloft: Extremely rare. I believe officially, there are more laser guns in Greyhawk than firearms.

FR: Known to be some that were manufactured in significant numbers, but still rare.

 

[Parmandur]

D&D opts to ignore it. Which is fine. D&D armor is hardly realistic. The kinetic impact of 21 foot tall, 8,000 lb giant's axe would reduce a human to red mist; plate armor or no. The same armor would roast him alive when bathed like dragonfire like a baked potato in tinfoil. Bullets are child's play when you consider that.

I've watched enough action flick where the hero "takes a stray" shot to the arm and shrugs the wound off one scene later to accept D&D bullets are slightly better than bolts/arrows and not the near-instants-fatality machines they are IRL.

Right, as I said, modern D&D is unconcerned with it.