Base Class: Fighter
This archetype focuses on the ability to design, craft, and utilize powerful, yet dangerous ranged weapons. Through creative innovation and immaculate aim, you become a distant force of death on the battlefield. However, not being a perfect science, arcane gunslingers augment their unique style by weaving magic into bullets or weapon attacks to produce supernatural effects.
Firearm Proficiency
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms, allowing you to add your proficiency bonus to attacks made with firearms.
Gunsmith
Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Tinker’s Tools. You may use them to craft ammunition at half the cost, repair damaged firearms, or even draft and create new ones (DM’s discretion). Some extremely experimental and intricate firearms are only available through crafting.
Firearm Properties
Firearms are a new and volatile technology, and as such bring their own unique set of weapon properties. Some properties are followed by a number, and this number signifies an element of that property (outlined below). These properties replace the optional ones presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Firearms are ranged weapons.
Reload. The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score before you must spend 1 attack or 1 action to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm.
Misfire. Whenever you make an attack roll with a firearm, and the dice roll is equal to or lower than the weapon’s Misfire score, the weapon misfires. The attack misses, and the weapon cannot be used again until you spend an action to try and repair it. To repair your firearm, you must make a successful Tinker’s Tools check (DC equal to 8 + misfire score). If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended out of combat at a quarter of the cost of the firearm. Creatures who use a firearm without being proficient increase the weapon’s misfire score by 1.
Explosive. Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or suffer 1d8 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so.
Ammunition
All firearms require ammunition to make an attack, and due to their rare nature, ammunition may be near impossible to find or purchase. However, if materials are gathered, you can craft ammunition yourself using your Tinker’s Tools at half the cost. Each firearm uses its own unique ammunition and is generally sold or crafted in batches listed below next to the price.
Firearm Proficiency
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms, allowing you to add your proficiency bonus to attacks made with firearms.
Gunsmith
Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Tinker’s Tools. You may use them to craft ammunition at half the cost, repair damaged firearms, or even draft and create new ones (DM’s discretion). Some extremely experimental and intricate firearms are only available through crafting.
Firearm Properties
Firearms are a new and volatile technology, and as such bring their own unique set of weapon properties. Some properties are followed by a number, and this number signifies an element of that property (outlined below). These properties replace the optional ones presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Firearms are ranged weapons.
Reload. The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score before you must spend 1 attack or 1 action to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm.
Misfire. Whenever you make an attack roll with a firearm, and the dice roll is equal to or lower than the weapon’s Misfire score, the weapon misfires. The attack misses, and the weapon cannot be used again until you spend an action to try and repair it. To repair your firearm, you must make a successful Tinker’s Tools check (DC equal to 8 + misfire score). If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended out of combat at a quarter of the cost of the firearm. Creatures who use a firearm without being proficient increase the weapon’s misfire score by 1.
Explosive. Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or suffer 1d10 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so. A flammable object hit by this spell ignites. The damage scales to 2d10 at level 10; 3d10 at level 15.
Ammunition
All firearms require ammunition to make an attack, and due to their rare nature, ammunition may be near impossible to find or purchase. However, if materials are gathered, you can craft ammunition yourself using your Tinker’s Tools at half the cost. Each firearm uses its own unique ammunition and is generally sold or crafted in batches listed below next to the price.
Firearms
| Name | Cost | Ammo | Damage | Weight | Range | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Pistol | 50g | 2g (20) | 1d8 piercing | 1 lb. | (40/160) | |
| Pistol | 150g | 4g (20) | 1d10 piercing | 3 lb. | (60/240) | |
| Musket | 300g | 5g (20) | 1d12 piercing | 10 lb. | (120/480) |
|
| Pepperbox | 250g | 4g (20) | 1d10 piercing | 5 lb. | (80/320) | |
| Blunderbuss | 300g | 5g (5) | 2d8 piercing | 10 lb. | (15/60) | |
| Bad News | Crafted | 10g (5) | 2d12 piercing | 25 lb. | (200/800) |
|
| Hand Mortar | Crafted | 10g (1) | 2d8 fire | 10 lb. | (30/60) |
Adept Marksman
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to perform powerful trick shots to disable or damage your opponents using your firearms.
Arcane Trick Shots. You learn two arcane trick shots of your choice, which are detailed under “Arcane Trick Shots” below. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. Other maneuvers enhanced your ammunition. Each use of an arcane trick shot must be declared before the attack roll is made. You can use only one arcane trick shot per attack.
You learn an additional trick shot of your choice at 6th, 9th, 15th level, and 18th level. Each time you learn a new arcane trick shot, you can also replace one arcane trick shot you know with a different one.
Grit. You gain a number of grit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You regain 1 expended grit point each time you roll a 20 on the d20 roll for an attack with a firearm, or deal a killing blow with a firearm to a creature of significant threat (DM’s discretion). You regain all expended grit points after a short or long rest.
Saving Throws. Some of your arcane trick shots require your targets to make a saving throw to resist the shot’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Arcane Trick Shot save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier
Quickdraw
When you reach 7th level, you add your proficiency bonus to your initiative. You can also stow a firearm, then draw another firearm as a single object interaction on your turn.
Rapid Repair
Upon reaching 10th level, you learn how to quickly attempt to fix a jammed gun. You can spend a grit point to attempt to repair a misfired (but not broken) firearm as a bonus action.
Lightning Reload
Starting at 15th level, you can reload any firearm as a bonus action.
Vicious Intent
At 18th level, your firearm attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20, and you regain a grit point on a roll of 19 or 20 on a d20 attack roll.
Hemorrhaging Critical
Upon reaching 18th level, whenever you score a critical hit on an attack with a firearm, the target additionally suffers half of the damage from the attack at the end of its next turn.
Arcane Trick Shot
At 3rd level, you learn to perform powerful trick shots and imbue ammunition with special properties.
When you gain this feature, you learn two Arcane Trick Shot options of your choice.
Once per turn when you fire a shot from a gun as part of the Attack action, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options.Each use of an arcane trick shot must be declared before the attack roll is made. You can decide to use the option when it doesn’t involve an attack roll. You can use only one arcane trick shot per attack.
You learn additional Arcane Shot option of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class: 6th, 9th, 15th level. Each option also improves when you become an 18th-level fighter. Each time you level up, you can replace an existing arcane trick shot with a new one.
Curving Shot
At 6th level, you can expend one grit point to direct a bullet toward a new target. When you make an attack roll with a gun and miss, you can use a bonus action to reroll the attack roll against a different target within 60 feet of the original target.
Dazing Shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to attempt to dizzy your opponent. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage on attacks until the end of their next turn.
Deadeye Shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to gain advantage on the attack roll.
Disarming Shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to attempt to shoot an object from their hands. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw or drop 1 held object of your choice (or DM's choice if not aimed) and have that object be pushed 10 feet away from you.
The distance scales to 20 feet at level 9; and 30 feet at level 15.
Forceful Shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to attempt to trip them up and force them back. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away from you.
The distance scales to 20 feet at level 9; and 30 feet at level 15.
Piercing Shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to attempt to fire through multiple opponents. The initial attack gains a +1 to the firearm’s misfire score. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and you make an attack roll with disadvantage against every creature in a line directly behind the target within your first range increment. Only the initial attack can misfire.
This attack bonus scales to +2 at level 15 and +3 at level 18.
Poison shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to poison your shot. When the target is hit, the pellets explode to create a poisonous gas cloud in a 10 foot diameter, which forces all creatures inside to make a DC 12 Constitution save or else take 1d6 Poison damage and be Poisoned for 1d4 rounds. This cloud can be blown away by winds 10 miles per hour or stronger.
The damage increases to 2d6 at level 9 and 3d6 at level 15.
Sleep shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to imbue your shot with sleep pellets. When a target is hit, the pellets explode into a sleep gas in a 10 foot area and sends creatures into a magical slumber. Roll 3d8; the total is how many hit points of creatures this spell can affect. Creatures within 10 feet of the impact area are affected in ascending order of their current hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures.) The cloud can be blown away by winds 10 miles per hour or stronger.
This scales to 4d8 at level 9; 5d8 at level 15.
Tangler shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to imbue your shot with entanglement When the target is hit, the pellets expand in to a mass of thick, sticky webbing at a point of impact. The web fills a 10 foot cube. The webs are difficult terrain and lightly obscure their area. Each creature that starts its turn in the webs or that enters them during its turn must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained as long as it remains in the webs or until it breaks free.
A creature restrained by the webs can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. If it succeeds, it is no longer restrained. The webs are flammable.
Tracer shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to infused your shot with pyrotechnics. These rounds leave trails of smoke (or/and light) behind them, giving the user a bonus to hit equal to their proficiency modifier on their next attack against the same creature.
If the creature escapes in the next round after being hit, instead the tracer provides the user advantage on their next survival role when tracking the creature for one round.
Winging Shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one grit point to attempt to topple a moving target. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.