Firearms

Comments from the writer: These are the most essential, setting-neutral version of our firearm rules for 5th edition. Other releases like Valda’s Spire of Secrets, Dark Matter, the Complete Craftsman, and the Complete Gunslinger. 

Firearms

Black powder represents a paradigm shift in the art of warfare, fueling everything from powerful siege weapons to concealable, handheld guns. In many campaign settings, firearms supplant the traditional scheme of weapons, forcing arrows, swords, and battleaxes into obsolescence. They might even be commonplace, a staple tool for hunting and defense.
Firearms follow slightly different rules to conventional ranged weapons, and also generally use two or more damage dice.

Firearm Damage Rolls

Unlike other weapons, you don’t add your ability modifier to the damage roll of a firearm unless otherwise stated.

Two-Weapon Fighting with Firearms

When you engage in two-weapon fighting with two light firearms, you subtract 2 from the damage roll of the bonus attack, to a minimum of 1 damage.

Firearm Ammunition

All firearms require special ammunition. Most firearms use bullets, but some require even more specialized projectiles. The ammunition of a firearm is destroyed upon use.

Ammunition	Cost	Weight
Blunderbuss shot (10)	1 gp	2 lb.
Bullets (10)	2 gp	2 lb.
Cannonball	5 gp	10 lb.
Dragon bullet	1 gp	—
Grenade	5 gp	3 lb.
Harpoon	5 gp	4 lb.
Musket balls (10)	1 gp	2 lb.
Rocket	20 gp	6 lb.
Shell (10)	5 gp	2 lb.

 

Firearm Eras

Firearms have evolved dramatically throughout human history, and will continue to evolve into the far future. Therefore, in addition to being organized into simple, martial, and exotic categories, the firearms presented in this book are organized by eras, the periods of time in which they might be encountered. Many firearms might appear in any era, especially if the story demands an unusual weapon enters the fray, but many are best suited to campaign settings which echo their level of technology.
Renaissance-era firearms, such as flintlocks and muskets, are weapons that have taken the first steps away from heavy cannons and into portable rifles, making them the progenitors of all modern firearms. Weapons from this era use musket balls and loose black powder, and are therefore slow to reload and more prone to malfunction. Importantly, these weapons exist comfortably in many fantasy settings alongside bows, swords, and axes, especially where pirates are at play.
Industrial Age firearms, such as revolvers and double-barrel shotguns, stem from advancements in machinery and assembly lines, granting them more interchangeable parts and cartridged bullets. These guns lacked the clean assembly-line consistency of modern firearms, but laid down the bedrock for designs that have not changed much since: a classic six-shot revolver is as timeless as it is effective. While the heyday of Industrial Age firearms was in the Wild West, their simple and reliable construction means they are still commonplace in the modern day.
Modern firearms have embraced automatic fire, ammunition magazines, and lighter caliber bullets (which can travel at much higher speeds). For these guns, form begets function: weapons are designed for a specific role, such as sniper rifles for long range and shotguns for close quarters, and every aspect of their design supports this role. Moreover, weapons that enjoyed success in the West, such as the double-barrel shotgun, can still be found in use today.

Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Flintlock	75 gp	2d6 piercing	6 lb.	Ammunition (range 30/120), dry, light, loading, misfire

Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Blunderbuss	180 gp	2d8 piercing	8 lb.	Ammunition (range 30/90), dry, heavy, loading, misfire, scatter (2d10), two-handed
Musket	175 gp	2d8 piercing	10 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), dry, loading, misfire, two-handed

Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Double-Barrel Shotgun	200 gp	2d6 piercing	8 lb.	Ammunition (range 10/30), reload (2), scatter (2d8), two-handed
Hunting Rifle	175 gp	2d6 piercing	8 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), reload (5), two-handed
Revolver	100 gp	2d6 piercing	3 lb.	Ammunition (range 60/240), reload (6)

Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Gatling Gun	3,000 gp	2d8 piercing	125 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), automatic, heavy, mounted, reload (40), two-handed
Light Cannon	3,000 gp	2d12 bludgeoning	225 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), heavy, mounted, reload (1, 2 actions), special, two-handed

Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Handgun	100 gp	2d6 piercing	3 lb.	Ammunition (range 60/240), reload (10)
Submachine Gun	200 gp	2d4 piercing	6 lb.	Ammunition (range 10/40), automatic, light, reload (16), foregrip

Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Assault Rifle	350 gp	2d6 piercing	7 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), automatic, reload (20), two-handed
Pump Shotgun	200 gp	2d6 piercing	7 lb.	Ammunition (range 30/90), heavy, reload (10), scatter (2d8), two-handed
Sniper Rifle	500 gp	2d6 piercing	8 lb.	Ammunition (range 150/560), heavy, reload (4), sighted, two-handed

 

Weapon Properties

Many weapons have special properties related to their use, as shown in the weapons tables.
Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the Ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of ammunition. The ammunition of a firearm is destroyed upon use. Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). At the end of the battle, you can recover half your expended ammunition by taking a minute to search the battlefield.
If you use a weapon that has the Ammunition property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon. A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when used in this way.
Automatic. When you make an attack with this weapon on your turn, you can choose to make two attacks instead. These attacks are always made with disadvantage, regardless of circumstance. These attacks use twice the normal amount of ammunition.
Dry. If this weapon is ever submerged in water or doused with a significant quantity of water, it jams. A jammed firearm can’t be used to make an attack until a creature uses its action to clear the weapon malfunction.
Explosive. When this weapon’s projectile hits a target, it explodes in a 15-foot diameter sphere. The projectile can target an unoccupied space within its range. Each creature other than the target within the blast radius (for a Medium or smaller target, each creature within 5 feet of it) must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking half the damage rolled on a failed save or no damage on a successful one.
Foregrip. This weapon can be used with one or two hands. If used in two hands, its normal range increases by 50 feet and its long range increases by 200 feet.
Heavy. Small creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. A heavy weapon’s size and bulk make it too large for a Small creature to use effectively.
Light. A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.
Loading. Because of the time required to load this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.
Misfire. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll with this weapon, it jams. A jammed weapon can’t be used to make an attack until a creature uses its action to clear the weapon malfunction.
Mounted. This weapon is normally used while attached to a tripod, vehicle, or other bracing mount. You can mount or unmount this weapon as an action. While it is mounted, it can’t be moved. It can only be used to make an attack while unmounted if held by a Medium or larger creature with a Strength score of at least 15.
Reload. This weapon can be used to make a number of attacks before it must be reloaded. If you are proficient with the weapon, reloading it takes a bonus action; otherwise, reloading it takes an action. Some weapons require an action or longer to reload, even if you have proficiency, which is specified in the Reload property. If reloading a weapon requires longer than one action, the weapon can’t be used to make attacks until reloading is finished.
Scatter. If you make an attack against a target that is within half this weapon’s normal range, you deal the damage value listed in parentheses instead of the weapon’s normal damage dice.
Sighted. This weapon has disadvantage on attack rolls made against targets within 20 feet.
Special. A weapon with the special property has unusual rules governing its use, explained in the weapon’s description (see “Special Weapons”).
Two-Handed. This weapon requires two hands when you attack with it.

Special Weapons

Weapons with special properties are described here.
Light Cannon. This weapon deals double damage to objects and structures.
Rocket Launcher. This weapon deals double damage to objects and structures.

Find more 5E firearm rules in Valda’s Spire of Secrets!