This is a homebrew I have been working on to try and recreate the caster gun showcased in outlaw star as a usable item in d&d 5e. The 2 main concepts of the gun that I am trying to maintain are: 1 - Anyone can use it(no attunement required and no spell caster requirements of the user) so a ranger or fighter could use it so long as they are proficient with firearms 2 - It is a single-shot pistol style gun I am looking for advice for recommended changes to the homebrew that will keep to the 2 above concepts and advice on what the rarity of these(the caster guns and each shell individually) would be as findable/sellable items if a DM so chooses to make these findable/sellable in their world.
Caster/spell gun d&d 5e homebrew
The caster gun would be made up of 3 components, each with its own imbued magic. The targeting system for deploying spells, the handle, and lastly the firing/spell activation mechanism
Targeting system(looks like the iron sights on a normal gun) The targeting system is always on(continuous duration) when it is functional so when the shell gets activated, there is no targeting delay. If the targeting system is activated, the closest possible target in its path will be the target of that shot. If the targeting system is not functional(and the spell calls for a target to be selected), no target will be selected and a beam of magic energy is shot out in the direction the barrel is facing instead of the stored spell with a maximum range equal to the range of the original spell. Anyone in the path of this beam needs to make a reflex(dex) save. Only one person can take damage from this beam, which will be the closest person in its path that fails their reflex(dex) save. Also, when firing without a functional targeting system, the caster gun has a 20% chance that the barrel will be damaged causing the caster gun to be non-functional for the rest of the day unless “mending”(or some other method of instantly repairing an item) is cast upon it. Spells that don't require selecting a target will function as normal without the targeting system.
This system will react and target the closest possible target in front of the barrel within the targeting zone. The targeting zone is a 15ft wide by 60 long cone extending out from the front of the barrel. This will be the target for the shell about to be fired(if that spell requires a target to be selected) unless the targeting system loses track of the target. The spell required for magical infusion(Arcane eye – LVL 4)
P.S. The gun can function without the targeting system but any spell(that requires a target be selected) fired without the targeting system being functional will fire nothing more than a split second beam of magical energy that deals damage equivalent to what the spell initial damage would have caused but without any special properties and damage types. Think magic missile with only a single missile and different damage amounts.
The handle The handle of the gun will be imbued with the mending spell to be activated automatically at midnight of each day. This mending only repairs physical damage to the entire gun(including the magically imbued components but not including the shells). If the targeting system or the spell activation system gets physically damaged, those components will need to go through the item creation process to be re-imbued with their magical properties again. The spell required for magical infusion(Mending - cantrip)
The firing/spell activation system(the firing pin) Simply put this is the firing pin. In traditional guns, the firing pin causes damage to the shell, igniting the gunpowder inside. The firing pin for the caster/spell gun functions in a similar way but instead of causing damage to the shell, it releases a magic seal placed on the shell that allows the magic stored inside to be activated in the direction directly opposite to the position of the firing pin. The use of the firing pin's knock spell can only be used to unlock the shells, this firing pin can't unlock doors or other objects that are magically sealed even if the gun is disassembled. The spell required for magical infusion(Knock – LVL 2)
This is my homebrew design for the caster/spell gun from outlaw star for d&d 5e.
Caster shells d&d 5e homebrew
These shells are imbued with a variation of the “arcane lock” spell that keeps the magic that is to be stored inside, stable, and locked inside of the shell until the arcane lock(via being dispelled or the knock spell) disappears, activating the spell. When spells are fired, they use the ranged attack spell casting attributes of the person that stored the spell inside of the shell instead of the wielder's attributes.
If an identify spell is used on a shell with or without a stored spell. The identify spell will always come back saying that there is an arcane lock spell of [spell level] used on this object. The identify spell will not be able to tell you what that stored spell might be or even if there is a spell stored inside it, unless the identify spell is cast at a level that is equal to or higher than the arcane lock spell used on that shell.
If the shell is activated outside of a caster/spell gun, one of 2 things will happen.
1 - an explosion immediately upon the arcane lock dropping with a 15ft radius that deals damage equivalent to what the spell stored would have caused(same damage type as the magic missile spell for calculating resistances and weaknesses). Everyone in the radius must make a reflex save for half damage. It could technically be useful for suicide bombing purposes but other than that not really usable as a weapon.
2 – If the spell doesn't require the need to select a target(an example being a cone effect attack spell) then the spell activates in a random direction being the focus. Roll a d6, 1 = down, 2 = north, 3 = east, 4 = south, 5 = west, 6 = up
When determining the spells that can be placed into the shells the following are the limitations.
1 – Only one spell can be store in each shell at a time
2 – Only ranged attack spells(or touch attack spells with a modified range thanks to the distance spell metamagic effect giving it a range of 30ft) that targets one or more targets in a specific direction(beams, cones, one target, one target that then jumps to secondary targets. Radius AoE effect spells are not usable in this way). Just be aware that the gun chooses the target based on the direction it is facing when the trigger gets pulled. If the spell calls for a chaining effect, the chained targets are always the closest possible targets(friend or foe) to the original target. If more than one is equally close to the previous target, the DM chooses the target. In other words, be ready for the possibility of friendly fire.
3 – When the shells are created, the arcane lock spell placed on them determines the level of spells that can be stored in them. When making these shells, the maker chooses what level spell slot they are going to use to cast their arcane lock. The maximum spell level that can be stored is equal to one level lower than the level used for that shell's arcane lock. Example – if the level used for the arcane lock is level 6, that shell can only store one level 5 or lower spell.
Homebrew modified Arcane lock spell for the shells
Arcane Lock(homebrew variant) Level 2nd Casting Time 1 Action Range/Area Touch Components V, S, M * Duration Until Dispelled School Abjuration Attack/Save None Damage/Effect Utility (...) You touch a small object(must be small enough to fit into a 6in cube) and it creates a magic energy shell that locks onto the surface of the object for the duration. You and the creatures you designate when you cast this spell can open the object normally(open at your own risk in case a spell is stored inside). You can also set a password that, when spoken within 5 feet of the object, suppresses this spell for 1 minute. Otherwise, it is impassable (even to magic spells unless of an equal or higher level than the spell slot used when casting arcane lock onto that object) until it is broken or the spell is dispelled or suppressed. Casting knock on the object suppresses arcane lock for 10 minutes.
While affected by this spell, the object is more difficult to break or force open; the DC to break it increases by 10.
When casting this spell at higher levels, the amount of gold dust required doubles for each spell level above level 2 used. Example – LVL 3 50gp, LVL 4 100gp, LVL 5 200gp, ...
* - (gold dust worth at least 25 GP, which the spell consumes)
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This is a homebrew I have been working on to try and recreate the caster gun showcased in outlaw star as a usable item in d&d 5e. The 2 main concepts of the gun that I am trying to maintain are:
1 - Anyone can use it(no attunement required and no spell caster requirements of the user) so a ranger or fighter could use it so long as they are proficient with firearms
2 - It is a single-shot pistol style gun
I am looking for advice for recommended changes to the homebrew that will keep to the 2 above concepts and advice on what the rarity of these(the caster guns and each shell individually) would be as findable/sellable items if a DM so chooses to make these findable/sellable in their world.
Caster/spell gun d&d 5e homebrew
The caster gun would be made up of 3 components, each with its own imbued magic. The targeting system for deploying spells, the handle, and lastly the firing/spell activation mechanism
Targeting system(looks like the iron sights on a normal gun)
The targeting system is always on(continuous duration) when it is functional so when the shell gets activated, there is no targeting delay. If the targeting system is activated, the closest possible target in its path will be the target of that shot. If the targeting system is not functional(and the spell calls for a target to be selected), no target will be selected and a beam of magic energy is shot out in the direction the barrel is facing instead of the stored spell with a maximum range equal to the range of the original spell. Anyone in the path of this beam needs to make a reflex(dex) save. Only one person can take damage from this beam, which will be the closest person in its path that fails their reflex(dex) save. Also, when firing without a functional targeting system, the caster gun has a 20% chance that the barrel will be damaged causing the caster gun to be non-functional for the rest of the day unless “mending”(or some other method of instantly repairing an item) is cast upon it. Spells that don't require selecting a target will function as normal without the targeting system.
This system will react and target the closest possible target in front of the barrel within the targeting zone. The targeting zone is a 15ft wide by 60 long cone extending out from the front of the barrel. This will be the target for the shell about to be fired(if that spell requires a target to be selected) unless the targeting system loses track of the target.
The spell required for magical infusion(Arcane eye – LVL 4)
P.S. The gun can function without the targeting system but any spell(that requires a target be selected) fired without the targeting system being functional will fire nothing more than a split second beam of magical energy that deals damage equivalent to what the spell initial damage would have caused but without any special properties and damage types. Think magic missile with only a single missile and different damage amounts.
The handle
The handle of the gun will be imbued with the mending spell to be activated automatically at midnight of each day. This mending only repairs physical damage to the entire gun(including the magically imbued components but not including the shells). If the targeting system or the spell activation system gets physically damaged, those components will need to go through the item creation process to be re-imbued with their magical properties again.
The spell required for magical infusion(Mending - cantrip)
The firing/spell activation system(the firing pin)
Simply put this is the firing pin. In traditional guns, the firing pin causes damage to the shell, igniting the gunpowder inside. The firing pin for the caster/spell gun functions in a similar way but instead of causing damage to the shell, it releases a magic seal placed on the shell that allows the magic stored inside to be activated in the direction directly opposite to the position of the firing pin. The use of the firing pin's knock spell can only be used to unlock the shells, this firing pin can't unlock doors or other objects that are magically sealed even if the gun is disassembled.
The spell required for magical infusion(Knock – LVL 2)
This is my homebrew design for the caster/spell gun from outlaw star for d&d 5e.
Caster shells d&d 5e homebrew
These shells are imbued with a variation of the “arcane lock” spell that keeps the magic that is to be stored inside, stable, and locked inside of the shell until the arcane lock(via being dispelled or the knock spell) disappears, activating the spell. When spells are fired, they use the ranged attack spell casting attributes of the person that stored the spell inside of the shell instead of the wielder's attributes.
If an identify spell is used on a shell with or without a stored spell. The identify spell will always come back saying that there is an arcane lock spell of [spell level] used on this object. The identify spell will not be able to tell you what that stored spell might be or even if there is a spell stored inside it, unless the identify spell is cast at a level that is equal to or higher than the arcane lock spell used on that shell.
If the shell is activated outside of a caster/spell gun, one of 2 things will happen.
1 - an explosion immediately upon the arcane lock dropping with a 15ft radius that deals damage equivalent to what the spell stored would have caused(same damage type as the magic missile spell for calculating resistances and weaknesses). Everyone in the radius must make a reflex save for half damage. It could technically be useful for suicide bombing purposes but other than that not really usable as a weapon.
2 – If the spell doesn't require the need to select a target(an example being a cone effect attack spell) then the spell activates in a random direction being the focus.
Roll a d6, 1 = down, 2 = north, 3 = east, 4 = south, 5 = west, 6 = up
When determining the spells that can be placed into the shells the following are the limitations.
1 – Only one spell can be store in each shell at a time
2 – Only ranged attack spells(or touch attack spells with a modified range thanks to the distance spell metamagic effect giving it a range of 30ft) that targets one or more targets in a specific direction(beams, cones, one target, one target that then jumps to secondary targets. Radius AoE effect spells are not usable in this way). Just be aware that the gun chooses the target based on the direction it is facing when the trigger gets pulled.
If the spell calls for a chaining effect, the chained targets are always the closest possible targets(friend or foe) to the original target. If more than one is equally close to the previous target, the DM chooses the target. In other words, be ready for the possibility of friendly fire.
3 – When the shells are created, the arcane lock spell placed on them determines the level of spells that can be stored in them. When making these shells, the maker chooses what level spell slot they are going to use to cast their arcane lock. The maximum spell level that can be stored is equal to one level lower than the level used for that shell's arcane lock.
Example – if the level used for the arcane lock is level 6, that shell can only store one level 5 or lower spell.
Homebrew modified Arcane lock spell for the shells
Arcane Lock(homebrew variant)
Level 2nd
Casting Time 1 Action
Range/Area Touch
Components V, S, M *
Duration Until Dispelled
School Abjuration
Attack/Save None
Damage/Effect Utility (...)
You touch a small object(must be small enough to fit into a 6in cube) and it creates a magic energy shell that locks onto the surface of the object for the duration. You and the creatures you designate when you cast this spell can open the object normally(open at your own risk in case a spell is stored inside). You can also set a password that, when spoken within 5 feet of the object, suppresses this spell for 1 minute. Otherwise, it is impassable (even to magic spells unless of an equal or higher level than the spell slot used when casting arcane lock onto that object) until it is broken or the spell is dispelled or suppressed. Casting knock on the object suppresses arcane lock for 10 minutes.
While affected by this spell, the object is more difficult to break or force open; the DC to break it increases by 10.
When casting this spell at higher levels, the amount of gold dust required doubles for each spell level above level 2 used. Example – LVL 3 50gp, LVL 4 100gp, LVL 5 200gp, ...
* - (gold dust worth at least 25 GP, which the spell consumes)