Over the past few months I've been working on some Homebrewed races/subraces, class options, and similar ideas. I like to do a lot of homebrewed content, and I would very much appreciate some good criticism/opinions of what I've done, due to the fact I haven't had a lot of chances to playtest these. So more than likely these are unbalanced. If so, voice your opinion! If you would like to take a peek, review, or use them yourself, be my guest.
My first Homebrew I'm posting is going to be my School of the Gunnhildyr subclass for the Wizard, it might need some rework, but take a look and voice your opinion.
I have not written the flavor text yet, but that will come at a later date. For the actual firearms themselves, I use a combination of the DM's toolbox plus several Homebrewed items I found from Critical Role.
School of the Gunnhildyr Wizard Subclass
The Arcane Tradition of the Gunnhildyr makes use of firearms as a means to channel arcane energies, and to take those magical energies and infuse them into the weapon itself, creating Runework. A Gunnhildyr is a master of Runework and of firearms, they rain death with gunpowder, bullets, and magic.
Gunnhildyr's Training When adopting this tradition at the 2nd level, you gain proficiency in all firearms, as well as tinkerer's tools. You gain proficiency in light armor.
Also at 2nd level, the Gunslinger gains proficiency with Tinker’s Tools and Runeworking Tools, able to use them to craft ammunition, repair damaged firearms and arcane firearms, or draft, modify, and create them.
Arcane Firearm You have gained access to an invention called the Arcane Firearm, you can use this firearm as an arcane focus. It still functions as a regular firearm would, and can fire mundane ammunition. However, such a firearm is bound to you, through a ritual performed during a short rest. You may only use one Arcane Firearm as an Arcane Focus. This is your Arcane Firearm.
You can use your arcane firearm to cast spells that use attack rolls, however, the spell channeled through must has to fall under one of the following restrictions: - The spell shot only affects one target - The spell shot has the "line" zone of effect - Or the spell shot is Magic Missile
Arcane firearms have Runework adorning the weapon, which makes the weapon inherently magical. You can pick one of the following as your Arcane Firearm.
Arcane Shotgun: - Concussive Runework: You may cast area of effects spells and spells that can attack multiple creatures with this arcane firearm. As a bonus action you can add an extra d4 per half of the spell level of force damage to your total damage. You can use this feature once per short rest.
Tri-Barrel Pistol: - Elemental Runework: You may cast spells that can attack multiple creatures, however it cannot be an Area of a Effect spell. Pick three elements from the following list: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, radiant, or thunder. These three elements form the three barrels of your Tri-Barrel Pistol. When you cast a spell with a spell slot and the spell deals acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can substitute that damage type with one of the damage types that is on one of the element barrels you have. You have one use of this feature per barrel, you gain all uses of your Tri-Barrel after a short rest.
Longcaster Rifle: - Augmenting Runework: Yon can cast line area of effect spells. You can double the range of a spell through this Arcane Firearm. - Articulated Runework: As a bonus action, you can take a penalty to your attack role, and if it hits, you double the number of the penalty and add it to your damage roll. You can use this ability per a short rest.
However, the gun's inherent attack and damage roll bonuses apply (attack roll bonuses are applied to saving throw DCs, an vice-versa- where applicable). Mundane Arcane Firearm attacks can use either your Dexterity or Intelligence, at your discretion.
These firearms are considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity.
Improved Arcane Firearm At the 6th level, you can improve your specialized arcane firearm using your knowledge of Runework and firearm technology. Your chosen Arcane Firearm gains an additional ability, in addition to those of your current Arcane Firearm.
Arcane Shotgun: - Doubled Barrel: This weapon, once per short rest, can allow you to spend your bonus action to twin a spell, provided you have enough spell slots for the two spells.
Tri-Barrel Pistol: - Exploitative Runework: Pick three of the ability scores, These three ability scores form the three barrels of your Tri-Barrel Pistol. When you cast a spell with a spell slot and the spell requires a saving throw, you can change the saving throw from one ability score to another from your Tri-Barrel Pistol. You have one use of this feature per barrel, you gain all uses of your Tri-Barrel after a short rest. - Elementalis Runework: Your Elemental Runework Barrels now can each be used twice per short rest.
Longcaster Rifle: - Caruine Runework: Attacks made with this weapon ignore 1/2 and 3/4 cover.
Advanced Arcane Firearm At 10th level, your Arcane Firearm utilizes your spell attack modifier bonus in regards to firing mundane ammunition, in concern to attack and damage rolls. When using your Arcane Firearm with mundane ammunition, you score a critical hit on a 19-20. Your arcane firearm now has additional Runework for a third modification.
Arcane Shotgun: - Expulsion Runework: Your Concussive Runework damage is changed to d6s.
Tri-Barrel Pistol: - Cambiare Runework: You may now add a forth elemental barrel to your Tri-Barrel Pistol, with the following elemental options now available, necrotic, radiant, psychic, and you can also choose another ability score for this barrel as well, the same rules still apply.
Longcaster Rifle: - Intricate Runework: As a bonus action, you can reroll a number of damage dice for the spell equal to your intelligence modifier, taking the highest of the rolls, per a short rest.
Empowered Firearm At the 14th level, spells cast through your arcane gun ignore a creature's resistances (but not immunity). Mundane attacks fired through the gun deal an additional 1d8 force damage.
Arcane Shotgun: - Cataclysmic Runework: Your Concussive Runework damage is changed to d8s. You can use it twice per short rest.
Tri-Barrel Pistol: - Reformare Runework: You may now add a fifth barrel to your Tri-Barrel Pistol, with the following option now available. the same rules still apply. You can also now use your each of your Exploitative Runework barrels twice.
Longcaster Rifle: - Intricae Runework: As a bonus action, you can reroll a number of damage dice for the spell equal to your intelligence modifier, taking the highest of the rolls, you can use it twice per a short rest.
Firearm Properies - Reload – The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload number before the wielder must spend 1 Attack of your Attack Action, or an Action, to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm. - Misfire – Whenever the Firearm is fired in a way that requires an Attack Roll, if the dice roll is equal to or lower than the Misfire Number - the weapon Misfires, the attack misses, and it cannot be used to attack again until an Action and successful Tinker’s Tools Ability Check (DC = 10 + Firearm’s Misfire Score) is used to repair and clear the weapon. Should the Tinker’s Tools check fail, the weapon is considered broken and must be repaired out of combat at half the cost of the weapon (or DM’s discretion). - Scatter – An attack is made against each creature within a 30 ft cone. If an affected creature is adjacent to you, they suffer double damage on a hit. - Explosive – Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw or suffer half damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so
Over the past few months I've been working on some Homebrewed races/subraces, class options, and similar ideas. I like to do a lot of homebrewed content, and I would very much appreciate some good criticism/opinions of what I've done, due to the fact I haven't had a lot of chances to playtest these. So more than likely these are unbalanced. If so, voice your opinion! If you would like to take a peek, review, or use them yourself, be my guest.
My first Homebrew I'm posting is going to be my School of the Gunnhildyr subclass for the Wizard, it might need some rework, but take a look and voice your opinion.
I have not written the flavor text yet, but that will come at a later date. For the actual firearms themselves, I use a combination of the DM's toolbox plus several Homebrewed items I found from Critical Role.
School of the Gunnhildyr
Wizard Subclass
The Arcane Tradition of the Gunnhildyr makes use of firearms as a means to channel arcane energies, and to take those magical energies and infuse them into the weapon itself, creating Runework. A Gunnhildyr is a master of Runework and of firearms, they rain death with gunpowder, bullets, and magic.
Gunnhildyr's Training
When adopting this tradition at the 2nd level, you gain proficiency in all firearms, as well as tinkerer's tools. You gain proficiency in light armor.
Also at 2nd level, the Gunslinger gains proficiency with Tinker’s Tools and Runeworking Tools, able to use them to craft ammunition, repair damaged firearms and arcane firearms, or draft, modify, and create them.
Arcane Firearm
You have gained access to an invention called the Arcane Firearm, you can use this firearm as an arcane focus. It still functions as a regular firearm would, and can fire mundane ammunition. However, such a firearm is bound to you, through a ritual performed during a short rest. You may only use one Arcane Firearm as an Arcane Focus. This is your Arcane Firearm.
You can use your arcane firearm to cast spells that use attack rolls, however, the spell channeled through must has to fall under one of the following restrictions:
- The spell shot only affects one target
- The spell shot has the "line" zone of effect
- Or the spell shot is Magic Missile
Arcane firearms have Runework adorning the weapon, which makes the weapon inherently magical. You can pick one of the following as your Arcane Firearm.
Arcane Shotgun:
- Concussive Runework: You may cast area of effects spells and spells that can attack multiple creatures with this arcane firearm. As a bonus action you can add an extra d4 per half of the spell level of force damage to your total damage. You can use this feature once per short rest.
Tri-Barrel Pistol:
- Elemental Runework: You may cast spells that can attack multiple creatures, however it cannot be an Area of a Effect spell. Pick three elements from the following list: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, radiant, or thunder. These three elements form the three barrels of your Tri-Barrel Pistol. When you cast a spell with a spell slot and the spell deals acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can substitute that damage type with one of the damage types that is on one of the element barrels you have. You have one use of this feature per barrel, you gain all uses of your Tri-Barrel after a short rest.
Longcaster Rifle:
- Augmenting Runework: Yon can cast line area of effect spells. You can double the range of a spell through this Arcane Firearm.
- Articulated Runework: As a bonus action, you can take a penalty to your attack role, and if it hits, you double the number of the penalty and add it to your damage roll. You can use this ability per a short rest.
However, the gun's inherent attack and damage roll bonuses apply (attack roll bonuses are applied to saving throw DCs, an vice-versa- where applicable). Mundane Arcane Firearm attacks can use either your Dexterity or Intelligence, at your discretion.
These firearms are considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity.
Improved Arcane Firearm
At the 6th level, you can improve your specialized arcane firearm using your knowledge of Runework and firearm technology. Your chosen Arcane Firearm gains an additional ability, in addition to those of your current Arcane Firearm.
Arcane Shotgun:
- Doubled Barrel: This weapon, once per short rest, can allow you to spend your bonus action to twin a spell, provided you have enough spell slots for the two spells.
Tri-Barrel Pistol:
- Exploitative Runework: Pick three of the ability scores, These three ability scores form the three barrels of your Tri-Barrel Pistol. When you cast a spell with a spell slot and the spell requires a saving throw, you can change the saving throw from one ability score to another from your Tri-Barrel Pistol. You have one use of this feature per barrel, you gain all uses of your Tri-Barrel after a short rest.
- Elementalis Runework: Your Elemental Runework Barrels now can each be used twice per short rest.
Longcaster Rifle:
- Caruine Runework: Attacks made with this weapon ignore 1/2 and 3/4 cover.
Advanced Arcane Firearm
At 10th level, your Arcane Firearm utilizes your spell attack modifier bonus in regards to firing mundane ammunition, in concern to attack and damage rolls. When using your Arcane Firearm with mundane ammunition, you score a critical hit on a 19-20. Your arcane firearm now has additional Runework for a third modification.
Arcane Shotgun:
- Expulsion Runework: Your Concussive Runework damage is changed to d6s.
Tri-Barrel Pistol:
- Cambiare Runework: You may now add a forth elemental barrel to your Tri-Barrel Pistol, with the following elemental options now available, necrotic, radiant, psychic, and you can also choose another ability score for this barrel as well, the same rules still apply.
Longcaster Rifle:
- Intricate Runework: As a bonus action, you can reroll a number of damage dice for the spell equal to your intelligence modifier, taking the highest of the rolls, per a short rest.
Empowered Firearm
At the 14th level, spells cast through your arcane gun ignore a creature's resistances (but not immunity). Mundane attacks fired through the gun deal an additional 1d8 force damage.
Arcane Shotgun:
- Cataclysmic Runework: Your Concussive Runework damage is changed to d8s. You can use it twice per short rest.
Tri-Barrel Pistol:
- Reformare Runework: You may now add a fifth barrel to your Tri-Barrel Pistol, with the following option now available. the same rules still apply. You can also now use your each of your Exploitative Runework barrels twice.
Longcaster Rifle:
- Intricae Runework: As a bonus action, you can reroll a number of damage dice for the spell equal to your intelligence modifier, taking the highest of the rolls, you can use it twice per a short rest.
Firearm Properies
- Reload – The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload number before the wielder must spend 1 Attack of your Attack Action, or an Action, to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm.
- Misfire – Whenever the Firearm is fired in a way that requires an Attack Roll, if the dice roll is equal to or lower than the Misfire Number - the weapon Misfires, the attack misses, and it cannot be used to attack again until an Action and successful Tinker’s Tools Ability Check (DC = 10 + Firearm’s Misfire Score) is used to repair and clear the weapon. Should the Tinker’s Tools check fail, the weapon is considered broken and must be repaired out of combat at half the cost of the weapon (or DM’s discretion).
- Scatter – An attack is made against each creature within a 30 ft cone. If an affected creature is adjacent to you, they suffer double damage on a hit.
- Explosive – Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw or suffer half damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so
Firearm Cost Damage Weight Range Properties
Tri-Barrel Pistol
- Cost: 250g
- Damage: 1d10 piercing
- Weight: 3 lbs
- Range: (100/400)
- Traits: Reload 3, Misfire 2
Tri-Barrel Pistol
- Cost: 250g
- Damage: 1d10 piercing
- Weight: 3 lbs
- Range: (100/400)
- Traits: Reload 3, Misfire 2
Longcaster Rifle
- Cost: 500g
- Damage: 1d12 piercing
- Weight: 10 lbs
- Range: (200/800)
- Traits: Two-handed, Reload 1, Misfire 2
Arcane Shotgun
- Cost: 500g
- Damage: 1d8 piercing
- Weight: 10 lbs
- Range: (15/30)
- Traits: Two-Handed, Reload 2, Misfire 3, Scatter
Dwarf Wizard ftw
― Steven Erikson, Memories of Ice