Muskets and Pistols - Discussion.
- Thread starter Pbz
- Start date
Amal Shukup
First Post
Kinda winging off into house rule territory here...
One way to model the relationship between primitive gunpowder and armors is to implement a Damage Reduction system for armors (either across the board, or simply vs ballistic weapons) AND reducing balistic damage based on range increments to model the projectile's decreased effectiveness at longer ranges - perhaps the same -2 Cumulative that is imposed on Attack rolls.
In D20 Modern, yer basic bullet does 2d6 damage, but a Musket has inferior ballistic properties, so perhaps a reduced range increment (20'?). I've seen DR systems based on 1/2 the Armor Bonus = DR. That sounds pretty reasonable.
So, by example: Musket vs Breastplated (DR = 2) target at Ranges:
Another way to do it would be to allow Armor-based DR to scale vs range (rather than the range itself imposing the reduction) - either increasing it by 2 each increment, or (more interestingly) multiplying the Armor's DR by Range Increment (1 through 10). For Breastplated folk, this works out the same as the above method, but it's much easier to damage unarmored folk (DR = 0) and virtually impossible to touch Full Platies at any kind of range ( DR = 4) At 80' they'd only get 2d6-16...
Either way though, Armored folk would have an edge vs long ranged musketballs (as it should be), but they're still fairly vulnerable up close.
A'Mal
One way to model the relationship between primitive gunpowder and armors is to implement a Damage Reduction system for armors (either across the board, or simply vs ballistic weapons) AND reducing balistic damage based on range increments to model the projectile's decreased effectiveness at longer ranges - perhaps the same -2 Cumulative that is imposed on Attack rolls.
In D20 Modern, yer basic bullet does 2d6 damage, but a Musket has inferior ballistic properties, so perhaps a reduced range increment (20'?). I've seen DR systems based on 1/2 the Armor Bonus = DR. That sounds pretty reasonable.
So, by example: Musket vs Breastplated (DR = 2) target at Ranges:
20' - Ranged Touch Attack at no Range Penalty. 2d6-2 (DR)
40' - Ranged Touch Attack at -2 (increment). 2d6-4 (DR+Increment)
60' - Ranged Touch Attack at -4 (increment). 2d6-6 (DR+Increment)
80' - Ranged Touch Attack at -6 (increment). 2d6-8 (DR+Increment)
40' - Ranged Touch Attack at -2 (increment). 2d6-4 (DR+Increment)
60' - Ranged Touch Attack at -4 (increment). 2d6-6 (DR+Increment)
80' - Ranged Touch Attack at -6 (increment). 2d6-8 (DR+Increment)
Another way to do it would be to allow Armor-based DR to scale vs range (rather than the range itself imposing the reduction) - either increasing it by 2 each increment, or (more interestingly) multiplying the Armor's DR by Range Increment (1 through 10). For Breastplated folk, this works out the same as the above method, but it's much easier to damage unarmored folk (DR = 0) and virtually impossible to touch Full Platies at any kind of range ( DR = 4) At 80' they'd only get 2d6-16...
Either way though, Armored folk would have an edge vs long ranged musketballs (as it should be), but they're still fairly vulnerable up close.
A'Mal
Tetsubo
First Post
Suggested books to look at:
Sorcery & Steam (mentioned above)
Iron Kingdom
WarCraft
Spellslinger (set in a fantasy 19th century "west")
I like the idea of making them ranged touch attacks all the time. I also recommend looking at the book Arsenal for an idea of an AC dodge bonus based on class level to balance this out some.
Sorcery & Steam (mentioned above)
Iron Kingdom
WarCraft
Spellslinger (set in a fantasy 19th century "west")
I like the idea of making them ranged touch attacks all the time. I also recommend looking at the book Arsenal for an idea of an AC dodge bonus based on class level to balance this out some.
Shadowdweller
Explorer
I once ran a series of adventures using firearms. Perhaps needlessly complicated, but I treated them as ignoring mundane and natural armor except for the following:
Light armor provided nothing
Medium armor provided a +1 AC bonus
Heavy armor provided a +2 AC bonus
Large metal shields added a further +1 bonus
So the attacks were pretty potent, but not quite as nasty as touch attacks.
Light armor provided nothing
Medium armor provided a +1 AC bonus
Heavy armor provided a +2 AC bonus
Large metal shields added a further +1 bonus
So the attacks were pretty potent, but not quite as nasty as touch attacks.
Thanee said:That sounds sooo ... wrong!
Musketeer is probably a better name for a Musket-based PrC.
Bye
Thanee
Sorcery and Steam has several prestige classes, which combine early steam-technology and/or clockwork gadgets with magic; make firearm-wielders feel like the princes of the battlefield; there's even an Arcane Archer parallel that works nicely, without being just a renamed class.
And some logical BASE classes, too.
In short:
Base Classes
- Urban druids (adapted to a city environment);
- Animal Lord (a martial class focussing on the Animal Companion as primary class feature);
- Artificer (to machines as a wizard is to spells);
- Musketeer (unequalled mastery of firearms).
Prestige Classes
- Arcane Airman (elite, spellcasting crew of dirigible-style aircraft);
- Arcane Performer (SUPER-bard, focussed primarily on singing ^_^);
- Brawler (self-eplanatory);
- Demolitionist (... "the mad midnight bomber, what bombs at midnight!" ... heh);
- Detective (think "watch detective" without the ranger-esque prerequisites);
- Game Hunter (firearm-wielding pseudo-ranger);
- Gun Glyph (arcane archer with a new weapon ...);
- Hypnotist (mind-control wizard);
- Noble Bodyguard (self-explanatory);
- Physician (non-cleric healer);
- Pilot (self-explanatory - if it flies, he's driving it);
- Rocket Ace (you TOO can strap a tank full of liquid explosives to your back and LIGHT THEM OFF, in order to fly ...!);
- Steamcraft Mage (blending steam technology and magic);
- Street Runner (the Artful Dodger's class, heh);
- Watchman (cop; 'nuff said);
The Gun Glyph and Steamcraft Mage are particularly of interest to me; the Glyph gets (very small) reductions in ASF% (2% at 1st level, 4% at 4th, and 8% at 7th; personally, I'd probably make it 5%, 10%, and 15%; easier to use, that way) ... a specially-bonded firearm with which they gain ever-increasing combat benefits ... and the ability to imbue spells into their bullets in the act of firing them (like the AA can).
The steamcraft mage ... what can I say, I like the image of a steam-powered golem, a la Thief II: MEtal Age.
