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.

Firearm Eras
Weapon Properties
Mastery Properties
Firearm Ammunition
Firearm Tables

Firearm Eras

Firearms have evolved dramatically throughout history, and will continue to evolve into the far future. Therefore, in addition to being organized into Simple and Martial weapons, the following firearms are organized into eras, the periods of time in which they might be encountered. Some firearms might appear in multiple eras, especially if the story demands an unusual weapon, but many are best suited to campaign settings that echo their level of technology.

The GM determines which era or eras of weapons are in the campaign.

Renaissance Firearms

Renaissance-era firearms, such as Pistols and Muskets, are weapons that have taken the first steps away from 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. Importantly, these weapons exist comfortably in many fantasy settings alongside bows, swords, and axes, especially where pirates are at play.

Industrial Age Firearms

Industrial Age firearms, such as Revolvers and Double-Barrel Shotguns, stem from advancements in machinery and assembly lines, granting them more interchangeable parts and cartridge-based bullets. These guns lack the assembly-line consistency of modern firearms, but laid down the bedrock for designs that haven’t 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

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 Pump Shotguns for close quarters. Moreover, weapons that enjoyed success in the Wild West, such as the Double-Barrel Shotgun, can still be found in use today.

Weapon Properties

Here are definitions of the properties in the Properties column of the Firearm tables. New properties are marked with an asterisk (*).

Ammunition

You can use a weapon that has the Ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from it. The type of ammunition required is specified with the weapon’s range. Each attack expends one piece of ammunition. Drawing the ammunition is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). After a fight, you can spend 1 minute to recover half the ammunition (round down) you used in the fight; the rest is lost. Firearm ammunition is destroyed upon use.

Finesse

When making an attack with a Finesse weapon, use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.

Firearm*

You don’t add your ability modifier to the weapon’s damage, unless otherwise stated.

Heavy

You have Disadvantage on attack rolls with a Heavy weapon if it’s a Melee weapon and your Strength score isn’t at least 13 or if it’s a Ranged weapon and your Dexterity score isn’t at least 13.

Light

When you take the Attack action on your turn and attack with a Light weapon, you can make one extra attack as a Bonus Action later on the same turn. That extra attack must be made with a different Light weapon, and you don’t add your ability modifier to the extra attack’s damage unless that modifier is negative.

Range

A Range weapon has a range in parentheses after the Ammunition, Blaster, or Thrown property. The range lists two numbers. The first is the weapon’s normal range in feet, and the second is the weapon’s long range. When attacking a target beyond normal range, you have Disadvantage on the attack roll. You can’t attack a target beyond the long range.

Recoil*

After you make an attack with this weapon, you can’t make ranged attacks beyond the weapon’s normal range until the end of the current turn.

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 an action or a Bonus Action; otherwise, reloading it takes an action.

Two-Handed

A Two-Handed weapon requires two hands when you attack with it.

Mastery Properties

Each weapon has a mastery property, which is usable only by a character who has a feature, such as Weapon Mastery, that unlocks the property for the character. The properties used in this book are defined below. New mastery properties are marked with an asterisk (*).

Automatic*

When you make an attack with this weapon, you can choose to make two attacks instead. These attacks are always made with Disadvantage, regardless of circumstance. You can’t replace these attacks. If this weapon has the Ammunition property, these attacks use twice the normal amount of ammunition.

Explode*

When you take the Attack action, you can replace one of your attacks with an explosion from this weapon’s projectile. This explosion is a 5-foot-radius Sphere centered on a point you choose within the weapon’s normal range. Each creature within the Sphere makes a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 plus your Strength or Dexterity modifier and your Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, a creature takes the weapon’s damage, but don’t add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage. You can create an explosion only once per turn.

Mounted*

You can use a Bonus Action to mount this weapon in a fixed position until the end of your turn. A damage value in parentheses appears with this property. While mounted, the weapon deals that damage when used to make a ranged attack, and the weapon can’t be moved.

Push

If you hit a creature with this weapon, you can push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from yourself if it is Large or smaller.

Sap

If you hit a creature with this weapon, that creature has Disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of your next turn.

Scatter*

Being within 5 feet of an enemy doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with this weapon.

Sighted*

Attacking at long range with this weapon doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your attack rolls. When you hit a creature with an attack using this weapon at long range, you can reroll any of the damage dice and must use the new roll.

Slow

If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.

Vex

If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to the creature, you have Advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn.

Firearm Ammunition

Ammunition is required by a weapon that has the Ammunition property. A weapon’s description specifies the type of ammunition used by the weapon. The following Ammunition table lists new types of ammunition used by firearms and the amount you get when you buy them.

Firearm ammunition is destroyed upon use.

Type	Amount	Weight	Cost
Bullets	10	1 ½ lb.	3 GP
Cannonballs	5	10 lb.	25 GP
Flares	5	5 lb.	5 GP
Grenades	5	3 lb.	25 GP
Shells	10	1 ½ lb.	5 GP
Shot	10	2 lb.	1 GP
Cannonballs	5	10 lb.	25 GP
Flares	5	5 lb.	5 GP
Grenades	5	3 lb.	25 GP
Shells	10	1 ½ lb.	5 GP
Shot	10	2 lb.	1 GP

Renaissance Firearms

Name	Damage	Properties	Mastery	Weight	Cost
Martial Ranged Weapons
Blunderbuss	1d12 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 20/60; Shot), Heavy, Loading, Two-Handed	Scatter	15 lb.	750 GP
Musket	1d12 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 40/120; Bullet), Loading, Two-Handed	Slow	10 lb.	500 GP
Pistol	1d10 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 30/90; Bullet), Loading	Vex	3 lb.	250 GP

Industrial Age Firearms

Name	Damage	Properties	Mastery	Weight	Cost
Simple Ranged Weapons
Double-Barrel Shotgun	2d6 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 20/60; Shell), Firearm, Recoil, Reload (2), Two-Handed	Scatter	8 lb.	175 GP
Hunting Rifle	2d6 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 80/320; Bullet), Firearm, Reload (4), Two-Handed	Sighted	8 lb.	150 GP
Parlor Gun	2d4 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 30/120; Bullet), Firearm, Light, Reload (2)	Vex	1 lb.	75 GP
Revolver	2d6 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 30/120; Bullet), Firearm, Recoil, Reload (6)	Slow	3 lb.	125 GP
Martial Ranged Weapons
Cannon	2d8 Fire	Ammunition (Range 100/400; Cannonball), Firearm, Heavy, Loading, Two-Handed	Explode	225 lb.	1,500 GP
Gatling Gun	2d6 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 60/240; Bullet), Firearm, Heavy, Reload (40), Two-Handed	Automatic	125 lb.	750 GP
Magnum	2d8 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 30/120, Bullet), Firearm, Heavy, Recoil, Reload (6)	Slow	6 lb.	600 GP

Modern Firearms

Name	Damage	Properties	Mastery	Weight	Cost
Simple Ranged Weapons
Flare Gun	2d6 Fire	Ammunition (Range 30/120; Flare), Firearm, Loading	Slow	1 lb.	100 GP
Handgun	2d4 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 30/120; Bullet), Firearm, Light, Reload (10)	Vex	3 lb.	125 GP
Martial Ranged Weapons
Assault Rifle	2d6 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 80/320; Bullet), Firearm, Reload (20), Two-Handed	Automatic	7 lb.	300 GP
Grenade Launcher	2d8 Fire	Ammunition (40/160; Grenade), Firearm, Loading, Two-Handed	Explode	10 lb.	1,000 GP
Pump Shotgun	2d8 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 20/60, Shell), Firearm, Heavy, Recoil, Reload (8), Two-Handed	Scatter	7 lb.	550 GP
Sniper Rifle	2d8 Piercing	Ammunition (Range 100/400, Bullet), Firearm, Heavy, Loading, Two-Handed	Sighted	8 lb.	450 GP
Submachine Gun	2d4 Piercing	Ammunition (20/60; Bullet), Firearm, Light, Reload (16)	Automatic	6 lb.	250 GP