Hey all gonna sound like a total noob. But started dnd with some friends and im running a dragonborn fighter class thats dual weilding long swords like hes kirito from sao. Thats taking place online completey. However a few of us decided to start a local campaign. And i had a thought for a character but im wondering how i could go about this.
dwarven artificer w/blacksmith background who uses a magic sniper he build with magic infused bullets ? Could this work or no? My dm and i are in discussion on how to go about this if its even plausible. Any and all thoughts would be appreciated.
forwarning like i said im new but have these weird idea so if its impossible i understand if im called dumb 😅😅
There’s a home brew sniper rifle from Critical Role called “Bad News” that should work for you. Definitely get Repeating Shot infusion for it.
Technically the Exandrian firearms aren't compatible with Repeating Shot, as they don't use the same weapon properties.
If you want to go for a fully rules legal "sniper" then you want a musket and the Sharp Shooter feat, this will give you range up to 120 feet ignoring cover, and with the Repeating Shot infusion on the musket you get +1 to hit and damage, and you ignore the loading property of the gun (so you can fire twice once you get Extra Attack).
So basically you'll want to ask your DM to let you start with a musket in place of a martial weapon choice (as technically firearms are categorised as martial weapons, you just need the extra firearms proficiency to actually use them properly), and then you'll build with taking Sharpshooter at 4th level in mind. Before you get that feat you'll be limited to a 40 foot range unless you're willing to fire at disadvantage.
If your DM is open to going completely nuts via homebrew however, you might consider taking a look at my Gunfighter sub-class (for Fighter); you don't actually need to use the sub-class itself, as the crafting section is intended for anyone with firearms and tinker's tools proficiency (we just have no way to publish general/shared rules yet on D&D Beyond). It will give you a wide array of upgrades you can make to your firearms over time towards building yourself a better sniper rifle, and could eliminate the need for the Sharp Shooter feat (though you'll need the money and downtime for the upgrades instead). Basically with this you'd still start limited to the 40 foot range, but you'd aim to make the two sight upgrades as soon as possible (improved and then precision sight) to boost your range to 50/140 and then 60/180, then work towards the expensive rifled barrel to make it a proper rifle (100/300) and then the even more expensive telescopic sight (160/480). I can't promise that it's perfectly balanced, and some DM fiat is involved, but it's by far my most heavily tested homebrew creation and the crafting is intended to let you feel like you're building a custom weapon you're improving over time.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Well the best idea is be an artillerist not battlesmith as they get guns as a force ballista but it is not a true sniper as it only has 120 ft but if you want to use an actual gun it is the closest thing but it is more something you use in tandem with another weapon but it can do 2d8 force at level 3 and last for hour and requires only bonus action and if you need to resummon it is only a spell slot. plus if you get to 9th level you could throw it and it will explode to deal a good amount of damage.
Hey all gonna sound like a total noob. But started dnd with some friends and im running a dragonborn fighter class thats dual weilding long swords like hes kirito from sao. Thats taking place online completey. However a few of us decided to start a local campaign. And i had a thought for a character but im wondering how i could go about this.
dwarven artificer w/blacksmith background who uses a magic sniper he build with magic infused bullets ? Could this work or no? My dm and i are in discussion on how to go about this if its even plausible. Any and all thoughts would be appreciated.
forwarning like i said im new but have these weird idea so if its impossible i understand if im called dumb 😅😅
You're not dumb, and us trying to make weird ideas work is half the fun.
That said, a word of warning about firearms: they're not the best. It sounds like what you're probably looking for is a musket, but they have some issues. First, their default short range is 30 feet and a functional long range is 120 feet. That's only 40 yards, which isn't very far at all. During the American Civil War, the Union Army required competitive sharpshooters to place 10 shots within a 3-inch target at a distance of 200 yards (600 feet). So you probably want something that gets you within that ballpark. The longbow is the only weapon that can, and that's with the Sharpshooter feat. And their Enhanced Weapon infusion will add to their attack and damage rolls. Alternatively, you can settle for a heavy crossbow with the Repeating Shot infusion. The damage is comparable, but with slight differences, and on balance they're about even. The longbow can have a slightly higher attack roll modifier from level 10 onward, but at level 20 the crossbow can add to their Soul of Artifice feature. In practical terms, you might see yourself going back and forth between the two.
The other issue with the musket is they don't just require ammunition. They also require gunpowder. The DMG, where the firearms rules are found, mention bullets and powder horns, but unfortunately are sparse on details. This means your DM needs to fill in the gaps. RAW, because there are no hidden rules, its possible the intention is that the bullets are self-contained paper cartridges. Those came into existence in Europe not that long after firearms; with some sources pointing to their use as early as the late 14th Century. Museums even have surviving pieces dating back to the 16th Century. But I digress.
If your DM decides to allow renaissance era firearms, they'll have to make a ruling on the relevancy of gunpowder. They might turn to the 3rd edition rules, which state each bullet needs 1 ounce of powder. This means the 2 lbs. of powder will grant 32 shots. But if the bullets are self-contained paper cartridges, then it's just cheaper to buy the bullets. Which means they're likely not intended to be self-contained paper cartridges and the Repeating Shot infusion would only cover the bullet. Maybe your DM will hand-waive the amount of powder in the horn and let it be a one-time purchase. These firearms are just examples of what might be available. If these were hard-coded rules intended for your use, they'd be in the Player's Handbook and not buried on page 267 in the Dungeon Master's Guide.
To sum up, the firearm rules are messy and your DM would have to parse them and make a ruling. For simplicity's sake, I suggest avoiding them altogether and sticking to some kind of bow. But if you both really want to tackle the challenge, go for it!
The main challenge is just figuring out 1: Does your DM allow firearms in their campaign. Then 2: What type of firearms do they allow?
The DMG has three classifications of Firearms... there are Renaissance Firearms, Modern Firearms, and Futuristic Firearms.
The most "Sniper Rifle" as we understand it would the Modern Firearm Hunting Rifle, which has a huge range and deals 2d10 damage.
Anyway, the important thing to remember is that, if you put one of your Artificer Infusions (such as Repeating Shot) into your gun, then you can use your Gun as an arcane focus. Your gun is also considered a Magic Weapon at that point, which qualifies it for your Battle Ready feature which allows you to attack with your Intelligence Modifier. Stuff like your Arcane Jolt feature can also be used with a Ranged attack.
It's also a good subclass to use as a Sniper because you have your Steel Defender, which you can throw into melee combat to distract enemies. Your Steel Defender is totally disposable... you get a free new on at the end of a Long Rest or you can revive one that gets killed by spending a spell slot of any level. Just have it rush in with any frontline attackers and use it to draw out enemies to snipe from a distance.
Thanks everyone for all the input., SO i decided to go artilerist route. My DM said he would allow sniper intro around lvl 7, Currently lvl 6 but have had no time to tinker as a artificer normally does. So im wondering how i'll be able to go about this. im thinking of whenever i get time do some RP of trying to create something that would "fire" an arrow like a Gun would fire bullets in terms of loading an arrow in a chamber and firing it. and working that into different things. of course im goinna make it heavy as hell. and attempt to make it be a magical irem.
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Hey all gonna sound like a total noob. But started dnd with some friends and im running a dragonborn fighter class thats dual weilding long swords like hes kirito from sao. Thats taking place online completey. However a few of us decided to start a local campaign. And i had a thought for a character but im wondering how i could go about this.
dwarven artificer w/blacksmith background who uses a magic sniper he build with magic infused bullets ? Could this work or no? My dm and i are in discussion on how to go about this if its even plausible. Any and all thoughts would be appreciated.
forwarning like i said im new but have these weird idea so if its impossible i understand if im called dumb 😅😅
That can be easily built. Just use the Repeating Shot infusion.
Im talking about using an actual sniper which would be using 2 hands so im a little lost
There’s a home brew sniper rifle from Critical Role called “Bad News” that should work for you. Definitely get Repeating Shot infusion for it.
You could use a heavy Xbox with repeating shot and flavor it as a sniper
Technically the Exandrian firearms aren't compatible with Repeating Shot, as they don't use the same weapon properties.
If you want to go for a fully rules legal "sniper" then you want a musket and the Sharp Shooter feat, this will give you range up to 120 feet ignoring cover, and with the Repeating Shot infusion on the musket you get +1 to hit and damage, and you ignore the loading property of the gun (so you can fire twice once you get Extra Attack).
So basically you'll want to ask your DM to let you start with a musket in place of a martial weapon choice (as technically firearms are categorised as martial weapons, you just need the extra firearms proficiency to actually use them properly), and then you'll build with taking Sharpshooter at 4th level in mind. Before you get that feat you'll be limited to a 40 foot range unless you're willing to fire at disadvantage.
If your DM is open to going completely nuts via homebrew however, you might consider taking a look at my Gunfighter sub-class (for Fighter); you don't actually need to use the sub-class itself, as the crafting section is intended for anyone with firearms and tinker's tools proficiency (we just have no way to publish general/shared rules yet on D&D Beyond). It will give you a wide array of upgrades you can make to your firearms over time towards building yourself a better sniper rifle, and could eliminate the need for the Sharp Shooter feat (though you'll need the money and downtime for the upgrades instead). Basically with this you'd still start limited to the 40 foot range, but you'd aim to make the two sight upgrades as soon as possible (improved and then precision sight) to boost your range to 50/140 and then 60/180, then work towards the expensive rifled barrel to make it a proper rifle (100/300) and then the even more expensive telescopic sight (160/480). I can't promise that it's perfectly balanced, and some DM fiat is involved, but it's by far my most heavily tested homebrew creation and the crafting is intended to let you feel like you're building a custom weapon you're improving over time.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Well the best idea is be an artillerist not battlesmith as they get guns as a force ballista but it is not a true sniper as it only has 120 ft but if you want to use an actual gun it is the closest thing but it is more something you use in tandem with another weapon but it can do 2d8 force at level 3 and last for hour and requires only bonus action and if you need to resummon it is only a spell slot. plus if you get to 9th level you could throw it and it will explode to deal a good amount of damage.
You're not dumb, and us trying to make weird ideas work is half the fun.
That said, a word of warning about firearms: they're not the best. It sounds like what you're probably looking for is a musket, but they have some issues. First, their default short range is 30 feet and a functional long range is 120 feet. That's only 40 yards, which isn't very far at all. During the American Civil War, the Union Army required competitive sharpshooters to place 10 shots within a 3-inch target at a distance of 200 yards (600 feet). So you probably want something that gets you within that ballpark. The longbow is the only weapon that can, and that's with the Sharpshooter feat. And their Enhanced Weapon infusion will add to their attack and damage rolls. Alternatively, you can settle for a heavy crossbow with the Repeating Shot infusion. The damage is comparable, but with slight differences, and on balance they're about even. The longbow can have a slightly higher attack roll modifier from level 10 onward, but at level 20 the crossbow can add to their Soul of Artifice feature. In practical terms, you might see yourself going back and forth between the two.
The other issue with the musket is they don't just require ammunition. They also require gunpowder. The DMG, where the firearms rules are found, mention bullets and powder horns, but unfortunately are sparse on details. This means your DM needs to fill in the gaps. RAW, because there are no hidden rules, its possible the intention is that the bullets are self-contained paper cartridges. Those came into existence in Europe not that long after firearms; with some sources pointing to their use as early as the late 14th Century. Museums even have surviving pieces dating back to the 16th Century. But I digress.
If your DM decides to allow renaissance era firearms, they'll have to make a ruling on the relevancy of gunpowder. They might turn to the 3rd edition rules, which state each bullet needs 1 ounce of powder. This means the 2 lbs. of powder will grant 32 shots. But if the bullets are self-contained paper cartridges, then it's just cheaper to buy the bullets. Which means they're likely not intended to be self-contained paper cartridges and the Repeating Shot infusion would only cover the bullet. Maybe your DM will hand-waive the amount of powder in the horn and let it be a one-time purchase. These firearms are just examples of what might be available. If these were hard-coded rules intended for your use, they'd be in the Player's Handbook and not buried on page 267 in the Dungeon Master's Guide.
To sum up, the firearm rules are messy and your DM would have to parse them and make a ruling. For simplicity's sake, I suggest avoiding them altogether and sticking to some kind of bow. But if you both really want to tackle the challenge, go for it!
The main challenge is just figuring out 1: Does your DM allow firearms in their campaign. Then 2: What type of firearms do they allow?
The DMG has three classifications of Firearms... there are Renaissance Firearms, Modern Firearms, and Futuristic Firearms.
The most "Sniper Rifle" as we understand it would the Modern Firearm Hunting Rifle, which has a huge range and deals 2d10 damage.
Anyway, the important thing to remember is that, if you put one of your Artificer Infusions (such as Repeating Shot) into your gun, then you can use your Gun as an arcane focus. Your gun is also considered a Magic Weapon at that point, which qualifies it for your Battle Ready feature which allows you to attack with your Intelligence Modifier. Stuff like your Arcane Jolt feature can also be used with a Ranged attack.
It's also a good subclass to use as a Sniper because you have your Steel Defender, which you can throw into melee combat to distract enemies. Your Steel Defender is totally disposable... you get a free new on at the end of a Long Rest or you can revive one that gets killed by spending a spell slot of any level. Just have it rush in with any frontline attackers and use it to draw out enemies to snipe from a distance.
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Thanks everyone for all the input., SO i decided to go artilerist route. My DM said he would allow sniper intro around lvl 7, Currently lvl 6 but have had no time to tinker as a artificer normally does. So im wondering how i'll be able to go about this. im thinking of whenever i get time do some RP of trying to create something that would "fire" an arrow like a Gun would fire bullets in terms of loading an arrow in a chamber and firing it. and working that into different things. of course im goinna make it heavy as hell. and attempt to make it be a magical irem.