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Message: <blockquote data-quote="bbjore" data-source="post: 5391138" data-attributes="member: 27539">I have some playtest experience with my rules, and the campaign uses Fable for inspiration, so that gives you an idea of the feel of how it includes firearms. I just made them all superior variations of other ranged weapons including heavy thrown weapons, & used the regular things to do so. I focused on things like brutal, high crit., or heavy shot (really heavy thrown) to give them a firearms feel. This allowed them to easily be slotted into the standard game without breaking things. In my opinion this is the only way to go if you allow them to be used with powers. Plate armor and firearms existed side by side for over a hundred years, bullets didn't always pierce plate, especially in the beginning, and hit points aren't real injuries anyways. Just assume what's missing in damage is factored in by the fact that the strike, though more powerful and quite noisy, was less accurate, and therefore brought the imaginary target closer to his imaginary end by the same amount a much more accurate strike with a different, less powerful imaginary weapon would. If you start increasing damage beyond that normally allowed by a power, you will end up with balance problems, even if you have something like load standard. Character will just use their 2d8 damage pistol with their highest [w] power, and switch to something else afterwards. If you want more damage, I'd just make them encounter use magic items.I've found that most ranged characters wants something with multiple shots, so keep those weapons really close to par with other ranged weapons, and if you want single shot weapons, make them appeal to melee characters. I've found that that is where firearms really shine, as a back-up weapon for melee characters (heavy thrown). They're the sort of PCs you could give a higher damage weapon (2d6 with a load standard), because that's balanced when they're only using basic attacks. It also enforces the opening salvo with a ranged basic and draw a sword thematic really well, which I like.What I found happening was a bow ranger using a +3, 1d8 (brutal 2, load move, 12 shot) rifle and a fighter using the +2, 2d6 (heavy thrown, load standard) pistol. Both were fun and seem balanced, although I do think there's a nice case to be made for firearms as magic items as well. I just prefer that PCs use their powers rather than item powers. It helps retain their class's and role & flavor.</blockquote>

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