Firearms
This section presents an anachronistic collection of hand-held black powder weapons. Most of them are single-shot muzzle-loaders with highly inefficient triggering mechanisms—traditional sword and sorcery firearms. More advanced firearms are also presented for those brave enough to mix their fantasy with a technology much closer to that of the Old West than the slow and unstable weapons that gave musketeers their name. If you are interested in letting such weapons in your game, do so with the following warning: Advanced guns can substantially change the assumptions of your game world, in the same way that they changed the face of warfare in the real world. If you like your fantasy to be of the more traditional variety, stand clear. Or, better yet, run for cover.
Firearms in Your Campaign
Firearms and gunslingers are not for every campaign, and even if you are excited about introducing firearms into your campaign, you should still decide how commonplace they are. The following are broad categories of firearm rarity and the rules that govern them. Emerging guns is the default category of gun rarity detailed in this supplement.
No Guns. If you do not want guns in your campaign, simply don’t allow the rules that follow. 5e plays perfectly well without them.
Very Rare Guns. Early firearms are rare; advanced firearms, the gunslinger class, the Amateur Gunslinger feat, and archetypes that use the firearm rules do not exist in this type of campaign. Firearms are treated more like magic items—things of wonder and mystery—rather than like things that are mass-produced. Few know the strange secrets of firearm creation. Only NPCs can take the Gunsmithing feat.
Emerging Guns. Firearms become more common. They are mass-produced by small guilds, lone gunsmiths, dwarven clans, or maybe even a nation or two—the secret is slipping out, and the occasional rare adventurer uses guns. The baseline gunslinger rules and the prices for ammunition given in this chapter are for this type of campaign. Early firearms are available but relatively rare. Adventurers who want to use guns must take the Gunsmithing feat just to make them feasible weapons. Advanced firearms may exist, but only as rare and wondrous items—the stuff of high-level treasure troves.
Commonplace Guns. While still expensive and tricky to wield, early firearms are readily available. Instead of requiring the Firearms Proficiency feat, all firearms are martial weapons. Early firearms and their ammunition cost 25% of the amounts listed in this supplement, but advanced firearms and their ammunition are still rare and cost the full price to purchase or craft.
Guns Everywhere. Guns are commonplace. Early firearms are seen as antiques, and advanced firearms are widespread. Firearms are simple weapons, and early firearms, advanced guns, and their ammunition are bought or crafted for 10% of the cost listed.
Firearm Rules
Firearms work differently from other ranged projectile weapons—they instead use the following rules.
Firearm Proficiency
The Firearms Proficiency feat allows you to use all firearms without penalty. In a setting with Commonplace Guns, this feat is only required for creatures who do not have proficiency in all martial weapons. In a setting with Guns Everywhere, this feat is only required for creatures who do not have proficiency in all simple weapons.
Firearm Properties
There are two general categories of firearms: early and advanced.
Firearms are further divided into one-handed, two-handed, and siege. As the category’s name implies, one-handed firearms need only one hand to wield and shoot. Two-handed firearms need two hands to wield and shoot. Siege firearms are typically mounted on some sort of platform, movable or otherwise, and have greater power but a much slower rate of fire.
Range and Penetration
Armor Class, whether magical, manufactured, or natural, provides little protection against the force and speed of a bullet at short range. When you have proficiency with firearms and make a ranged weapon attack with a firearm, add a bonus equal to half your proficiency bonus, rounded up.
Firearm Critical
The shot from a firearm deals increased damage on a critical hit. You can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a ranged attack from shooting a firearm.
Loading a Firearm
You need at least one hand free to load one-handed and two-handed firearms. In the case of two-handed firearms, you hold the firearm in one hand and load it with the other—you only need to hold it in two hands to aim and shoot the firearm.
Loading siege firearms requires both hands, and one hand usually manipulates a large ramrod (which can be wielded as a club in combat). Loading siege firearms takes three actions.
Other rules for loading a firearm depend on whether the firearm is an early firearm or an advanced firearm.
Ammunition
Firearm ammunition takes two forms: either black powder (or a setting-specific equivalent) and shot (either bullets or pellets) or cartridges. Unlike other types of ammunition, firearm ammunition is always destroyed when it is used, and has no chance of being retrieved. No part of a cartridge can be reused to create new cartridges. Firearm ammunition cannot be treated with poison unless the ammunition specifically allows it.
Inappropriately Sized Firearms
You cannot make optimum use of a firearm that is not properly sized for you. You have disadvantage on attack rolls with firearms that are made for a different size of creature to you. The size of a firearm never affects how many hands you need to use to shoot it, the exception being siege firearms and Large or larger creatures. In most cases, a Large or larger creature can use a siege firearm as a two-handed firearm, but the creature makes attack rolls with disadvantage for using it this way because of its awkwardness.
Firearms, Black Powder, and Water
Black powder becomes useless when exposed to water, but powder horns and cartridges protect black powder from exposure. You cannot normally load an early firearm underwater or fire any firearm underwater without magical aid.
Firearm Properties
Firearms can have the following properties in addition to existing properties for ranged weapons.
Advanced Firearm. Advanced firearms are chamber-loaded with metal cartridges. You can use your action or bonus action to load an advanced firearm with metal cartridges to its full capacity.
Capacity. A firearm's capacity is the number of shots it can hold at one time. In the case of early firearms, capacity often indicates the number of barrels a firearm has. In the case of advanced firearms, it typically indicates the number of chambers the firearm has. If a firearm does not list a capacity, its capacity is one shot.
You can attack with a firearm until it has no more shots, at which point you must reload at least one barrel or chamber before you can fire it again.
Early Firearm. Early firearms are muzzle-loaded, requiring either a bullet and black powder or a single alchemical cartridge to be rammed down the muzzle. As an action, you load one barrel of an early firearm. If an early firearm has multiple barrels, each barrel must be loaded separately.
If an early firearm misfires while it is damaged, it explodes in a 5-foot-radius-sphere. Each creature in the area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking piercing damage equal to the firearm’s damage dice on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
When a mundane early firearm explodes, it is destroyed. Magical firearms are wrecked, which means they can't fire until they are fully restored. Restoring a wrecked firearm takes the same process as repairing a damaged firearm but must be completed successfully two times.
Misfire. This shows the misfire value of a firearm. If the d20 roll for an attack with a firearm is a 1, in addition to the attack missing regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC, roll another d20. If that d20 roll is at or below a firearm’s misfire value, the firearm misfires. Firearms which do not have a misfire property listed misfire on a 1. When a firearm misfires, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC, and the firearm is damaged. You make ranged attack rolls with a damaged firearm at disadvantage.
You can attempt to repair a damaged firearm with 1 hour of work with a gunsmith’s kit. At the end of the hour, you repair the damaged firearm with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check with the gunsmith’s kit. A gunsmith will repair a damaged firearm for one tenth of its total value.
Scatter. A scatter firearm can use a group of pellets for its ammunition in place of a bullet. For early firearms, the group of pellets can be loaded with 1 dose of black powder or as part of an alchemical cartridge. Advanced firearms load the pellets as part of a metal cartridge.
When you use a scatter firearm to make an attack with pellets, you make an attack against a target within the firearm’s normal range. On a hit, you roll twice the damage dice listed for the firearm. On a critical hit, you do not add the additional weapon die from Firearm Critical. As an example, a critical hit from a blunderbuss normally allows you to roll 4d8, not 5d8.
Firearm Variants
New firearms for crafting or purchase can be created by the GM by applying one of the following firearm variants.
Integrated Melee Weapon. This firearm has a melee weapon integrated into it. You can use the weapon as a firearm or as a melee weapon. A two-handed or versatile melee weapon can only be integrated into a two-handed firearm and can only be used with two hands when making a melee weapon attack.
A firearm with an integrated melee weapon has the following changes over the original firearm:
- The cost equals 110 percent of the original firearm plus the cost of the melee weapon.
- The weight increases by half the weight of the melee weapon.
Double-Barreled. This firearm has two parallel barrels giving it a capacity of 2. When you make a ranged weapon attack with this firearm, you can fire one or both loaded barrels at the target. If you fire both barrels, the firearm becomes wildly inaccurate, imposing disadvantage on the attack, and the misfire value increases by 1 for the attack. When you hit a target with an attack made with both barrels, the firearm deals piercing damage equal to two times the damage dice from an attack made with only one barrel + your Dexterity modifier.
A double-barreled firearm has the following changes over its single-barreled counterpart:
- The cost is 50 percent more.
- The weight increases by 25 percent.
Special Firearms
Coat Pistol. Though less powerful than other, larger firearms, this pistol is small enough to be easily concealed in a jacket or coat. You have advantage on ability checks made to conceal a coat pistol on your body.
Culverin. The culverin, also known as a hand bombard, consists of a simple smoothbore tube, sealed at one end except for a small hole used to ignite a gunpowder charge. A wooden stock partially encases the barrel, allowing you to hold it under your arm with relative ease when carrying it. Firing a culverin without support (such as a wall, a window, or a stand) imposes disadvantage on attack rolls, and knocks you prone.
A culverin uses 4 doses of black powder and 4 handfuls of grapeshot (pellets) as ammunition. When a damaged culverin misfires, it explodes in a 10-foot-radius sphere.
Pepperbox. This pistol has six barrels instead of one. The entire barrel housing can be quickly rotated by hand between shots, requiring one free hand, allowing all six bullets to be fired before the pepperbox must be reloaded.
Pepperbox Rifle. This rifle has four barrels instead of one. The entire barrel housing can be quickly rotated by hand between shots, allowing all four bullets to be fired before the pepperbox rifle must be reloaded.
Firearms
| Name | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
| Martial Ranged Weapons | | | | |
| Blunderbuss | 2,000 gp | 1d8 piercing | 8 lb. | Early firearm (range 20/60), misfire (2) scatter, two-handed |
| Coat Pistol | 750 gp | 1d4 piercing | 1 lb. | Early firearm (range 10/30), special |
| Culverin | 4,000 gp | 2d8 piercing | 40 lb. | Early firearm (range 40), scatter, special, two-handed |
| Dragon Pistol | 1,000 gp | 1d6 piercing | 3 lb. | Early firearm (range 20/60), misfire (2), scatter |
| Musket | 1,500 gp | 1d12 piercing | 9 lb. | Early firearm (range 40/160), misfire (2), two-handed |
| Pepperbox | 3,000 gp | 1d8 piercing | 5 lb. | Early firearm (range 20/60), capacity 6, misfire (2), special |
| Pepperbox Rifle | 7,000 gp | 1d10 piercing | 15 lb. | Advanced firearm (range 80/320), capacity (4), misfire (2), special, two-handed |
| Pistol | 1,000 gp | 1d8 piercing | 4 lb. | Early firearm (range 20/60) |
| Revolver | 4,000 gp | 1d8 piercing | 4 lb. | Advanced firearm (range 20/60), capacity (6) |
| Rifle | 5,000 gp | 1d10 piercing | 12 lb. | Advanced firearm (range 80/320), two-handed |
| Shotgun | 5,000 gp | 1d8 piercing | 12 lb. | Advanced firearm (range 40/160), scatter, two-handed |
Firearm Ammunition / Gear
This section describes items that have special rules or require further explanation.
Alchemical Cartridges
An alchemical cartridge is a prepared bundle of black powder with a bullet or pellets, sometimes with more exotic material added, which is then wrapped in paper or cloth and sealed with beeswax, lard, or tallow. There are many types of alchemical cartridges, the simplest being the paper cartridge—a simple mix of black powder and either pellets or a bullet. Alchemical cartridges make loading an early firearm easier, reducing the time to load a firearm by one step (an action becomes a bonus action, and a bonus action becomes an interaction with the environment), but they tend to be unstable. The misfire value of a weapon firing an alchemical cartridge increases as listed in each entry.
An alchemical cartridge is fired as pellets from an early firearm with the scatter property unless its entry states that it is fired as a bullet, in which case, it can be fired from any early firearm that can fire bullets.
Dragon’s Breath Cartridge. This cartridge contains alchemical compounds that, when fired, produce a gout of flame. The nonmagical flame spreads in a line 5 feet wide and as long as the firearm’s normal range. Each creature in the area must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
A dragon’s breath cartridge increases the firearm’s misfire value by 2. Because this ammunition forces a saving throw instead of making an attack roll, the misfire rules are slightly different. You always roll a d20 to determine if the firearm misfires when firing a dragon’s breath cartridge. Even if the firearm misfires, the firearm still emits the flame successfully, and any creatures in the area still have to make saving throws.
Entangling Shot Cartridge. This cartridge contains a mix of black powder and alchemically treated resin strong enough to survive the shot. On a hit, the target must succeed at a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained (escape DC 11). An entangling shot cartridge increases the firearm’s misfire value by 2.
Flare Cartridge. This cartridge fires a bullet made of alchemical ingredients that burns brightly when fired. When you hit a creature with a flare cartridge, it deals 1d4 fire damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn. Creatures within 20 feet of the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be dazzled until the start of your next turn. A dazzled creature has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and attack rolls based on sight. Flare cartridges are also useful for sending up signal flares. Firing a flare cartridge increases the firearm’s misfire value by 2 unless it is fired from an early firearm with the scatter property, in which case doing so only increases the firearm’s misfire value by 1.
Paper Cartridge. This simple mix of black powder and either pellets or a bullet increases the misfire value by 1. For paper cartridges with special bullets, add the cost of the bullet to the cost of the paper cartridge.
Salt Shot Cartridge. This mix of black powder and rock salt pellets deals nonlethal damage. If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points by this cartridge, it falls unconscious and is stable. A salt shot cartridge increases the firearms misfire value by 1.
Black Powder
Black powder is the key explosive component within a firearm that enables it to function, but in larger amounts this alchemical material can be quite destructive on its own as well.
Black Powder (Dose). A single dose of black powder is enough to power a single shot from most one-handed and two-handed firearms, while 10 doses are required to fire a cannon. Exposure to fire, electricity, or a misfire explosion causes black powder to explode. Storing black powder in a powder horn or cartridges protects the powder from explosion.
Black Powder (Keg). Black powder is often stored and transported in kegs (which hold 100 doses), but in this quantity the powder itself becomes dangerous. Exposure to fire, electricity, or a misfire explosion causes the black powder keg to explode in a 20-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in the area must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Bullets
Bullets can be fired from any early firearm unless the firearm’s description says otherwise.
Bullet. The ammunition of most one-handed and two-handed firearms, firearm bullets typically take the form of small balls of lead or some other metal. Sixty bullets weigh 1 pound.
Adamantine Bullet. These expensive bullets are crafted from adamantine. They ignore damage threshold when attacking objects.
Pitted Bullet. This ammunition is pitted with a pattern of small pocks into which specially formulated poison compounds can be applied. A poison compound is a derivative of a standard toxin that is alchemically reduced to a solid form. These can be made from any injury or contact poison with a successful Dexterity or Intelligence check with a poisoner’s kit. The DC is equal to the poison’s DC + 3. The cost of purchasing an already prepared poison compound for the purpose of treating pitted bullets is equal to the poison’s cost + 20 gp. Once crafted, the compound can be pasted into the ammunition’s pitted design and allowed to harden. Upon completion, the bullet can be fired from an appropriate firearm, releasing the poison compound into its target upon impact. A pitted bullet cannot be used with an alchemical cartridge. The listed cost does not include the cost of poison.
Gunsmith's Kit. This small kit has all the tools a person needs to create, repair, and restore firearms, except for the necessary raw materials. Without such a kit, you cannot properly construct or provide upkeep for firearms. Having access to the kit allows you to attempt to repair a damaged firearm.
Proficiency with a gunsmith’s kit provides the following benefits:
- You can craft any early firearm for a cost in raw materials equal to half the price of the firearm. At your GM’s discretion, you can craft advanced firearms for a cost in raw materials equal to half the price of the firearm. Crafting a firearm in this way takes 1 day of work for every 1,000 gp of the firearm’s price (minimum 1 day).
- You can craft bullets, pellets, and black powder for a cost in raw materials equal to 10% of the price. If you have alchemist’s supplies, you can craft alchemical cartridges for a cost in raw materials equal to half the price of the cartridge. At your GM’s discretion, you can craft metal cartridges for a cost in raw materials equal to half the cost of the cartridge. Crafting bullets, black powder, or cartridges takes 1 day of work for every 1,000 gp of ammunition (minimum 1 day).
- You automatically succeed in repairing a damaged firearm. You must complete a long rest before you can use this benefit again.
Metal Cartridge. These sturdier versions of paper alchemical cartridges serve as the ammunition for advanced firearms. They either hold a bullet or pellets.
Pellets. A handful of pellets, along with 1 dose of black powder, is commonly used as ammunition for one- and two-handed firearms with the scatter weapon property, though pellets can be improvised with rocks or other small bits of hard material can be used in the pellets’ place. Using improvised materials for pellets increases the weapon’s misfire value by 1. Thirty handfuls of pellets weigh half a pound.
Powder Horn. Typically crafted from animal horn, but increasingly crafted from metal in a wide variety of shapes, a powder horn can hold up to 10 doses of black powder. A powder horn protects black powder stored within it from exposure to fire, electricity, firearm misfires, and water.
Firearm Ammunition / Gear
| Name | Cost | Weight |
| Alchemical cartridge (dragon’s breath) | 40 gp | — |
| Alchemical cartridge (entangling shot) | 40 gp | — |
| Alchemical cartridge (flare) | 10 gp | — |
| Alchemical cartridge (paper, bullet or pellet) | 12 gp | — |
| Alchemical cartridge (salt shot) | 12 gp | — |
| Black powder (1 dose) | 10 gp | — |
| Black powder (keg) | 1,000 gp | 5 lb. |
| Bullet | 1 gp | — |
| Bullet (30) | 30 gp | 1/2 lb. |
| Bullet, adamantine | 61 gp | — |
| Bullet, pitted | 5 gp | — |
| Gunsmith’s kit | 15 gp | 2 lb. |
| Metal cartridge | 15 gp | |
| Pellets (1 handful) | 1 gp | — |
| Pellets (30 handfuls) | 30 gp | 1/2 lb. |
| Powder horn | 3 gp | 1 lb. |
Feats
Firearm Proficiency
You understand how to use firearms in combat, gaining the following benefits.
- Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You are proficient with all firearms.
Gunsmithing
You have undergone extensive training with firearms and their inner workings to gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You are proficient with a gunsmith’s kit.
Rapid Reload
You have undergone extensive training with ranged weapons to gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You can reload one barrel of an early firearm with an action or bonus action.
- When you fire an early firearm, you can reload the barrel with your reaction.
- You ignore the loading property of hand crossbows and light crossbows for which you are proficient.
- When you fire a heavy crossbow for which you are proficient as part of your action, you can make a second attack with the heavy crossbow as a bonus action.
OGL Notice
http://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/SRD-OGL_V5.1.pdf
15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat. Copyright 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.
