Base Class: Fighter
A gunfighter is an inventor, innovator and deadeye all rolled into one. Long nights are spent tinkering with powerful firearms in the pursuit of creating a more perfect weapon. But a gunfighter isn't happy just to wile away the hours in a workshop – they need to test their inventions in the field, leading them to seek adventure and danger anywhere they might find it, using their deadly creations and quick wits to great effect wherever they roam!
Notes
This sub-class is loosely based upon the Pathfinder Gunslinger conversion by Matthew Mercer of Critical Role, tweaked and rebalanced to work with the Dungeon Master's Guide firearms, with new and remastered trick shots, a number of feature changes, and a substantial section on the crafting and upgrading of your own unique firearm(s).
Firearm Proficiency
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms, allowing you to add your proficiency bonus to firearm attacks.
Gunsmith
Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Tinker's Tools, and your proficiency bonus is doubled when using them to craft firearms or firearm ammunition. See the “Crafting & Upgrades” section for crafting details.
Skilled Shooter
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to perform powerful trick shots using firearms.
Grit
You have four grit points to spend on trick shots. You regain all expended grit points after a short or long rest. You will gain an additional grit point at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level.
Trick Shots
You know two trick shots of your choice, which are detailed under “Trick Shots” below. You can apply only one trick shot per attack, and must declare the trick shot before making an attack roll.
You learn an additional trick shot of your choice at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level. Upon reaching 5th level, and each time you learn a new trick shot, you can replace one trick shot you know with a different one.
Trick Shot save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Quickdraw
When you reach 7th level, you add your proficiency bonus to your initiative. In addition, you may now stow one firearm and then draw another as a single object interaction.
True Grit
Upon reaching 10th level, whenever you use your Indomitable class ability you may also regain one expended grit point.
Additionally, whenever you make a ranged firearm attack roll against a difficulty set by your DM, you may expend a number of grit points up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) to reduce the DC by 5 for each point of grit spent, to a minimum of 10. Your DM does not need to reveal the initial or modified difficulty, or how much grit you may wish to spend.
Difficult Shots
Your DM may ask you to make an attack roll against a difficulty of their choosing when attempting impressive ranged feats such as shooting out a lock, severing a rope, or hitting a target balanced upon a person's head, and so-on. The difficulty will usually be harder the further you are from the target, the smaller the target is, and the faster it is moving.
Deadshot
Starting at 15th level, your firearm attacks score a critical hit on a 19 or 20.
Masterful Shooter
When you reach 18th level, you may perform two or three different trick shots as part of a single firearm attack. If you do-so and miss, you may recover one expended point of grit.
Trick Shots
The following Trick Shots are presented in alphabetical order:
Aimed Shot
When attacking with a firearm, you can use your bonus action and expend one grit point to roll the attack with advantage.
Dazing Shot
When attacking with a firearm against a creature, you can expend one grit point to daze your opponent. On a hit, the target will be unable to use any reactions until the end of its next turn.
Disarming Shot
When attacking with a firearm against a creature, you can expend one grit point to attempt to disarm them. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your trick shot DC, or drop one held object of your choice.
Flourish
Whenever you take an ability check involving a one-handed firearm, you may expend one point of grit to roll with advantage.
Examples of flourishes include attempting to conceal a pistol (Deception or Sleight of Hand), firing a pistol in the air to scare someone (Intimidation), spinning a pistol as you draw or holster it to impress or distract others (Performance), or flicking a palm pistol from your sleeve to your hand to surprise attack an enemy (Sleight of Hand).
Fusillade
Before making any attacks during your turn, you may expend a number of grit points up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) to begin a fusillade lasting until the end of your turn. All of your attacks during a fusillade must be firearm attacks, each using a different weapon, with every hit dealing extra weapon damage equal to the amount of grit points spent.
Lethal Shot
When attacking with a firearm against a creature you can expend a number of grit points up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). For each grit point spent the attack deals an additional d6 weapon damage if it hits.
Lightning Reload
Before making a firearm attack you may use your reaction and expend one point of grit to either immediately reload one held firearm with the Reload property, or instead ignore the Loading property of one held firearm until the end of the turn.
Piercing Shot
When you make a firearm attack against a creature that is providing cover to a second creature within 10 feet of the first, you may expend one grit point to attempt to harm both. If the initial attack hits, the second creature suffers weapon damage of the same type equal to 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 0).
Powder Blast
At the start of your turn, before attacking with a firearm against a target within five feet, you can expend up to three grit points. If you spend two or more, you may choose one additional target for each point of grit after the first, where each additional target must also be within five feet of both you and your initial target. Instead of attacking as normal, you are pushed five feet backwards and your target(s) take thunder damage equal to 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 0). This trick shot consumes a single piece of ammunition, and when using gunpowder consumes three additional charges per grit spent. †
Ricochet
When attacking with a firearm, you can expend a number of grit points up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), in order to bounce the shot off the same number of objects or surfaces. This enables you to attack a target that is obscured or hidden from you, but which you know the location of. Whether the target benefits from cover will depend upon the trajectory of the final ricochet, and the range of the attack is determined by the total distance travelled to the target.
Unless you have setup surfaces for the ricochet in advance, the number of grit points you will need to spend will be determined by your DM, who will decide which objects or surfaces you are able to bounce your shot from in order to reach your target.
Smokescreen
Once per turn, when attacking with a firearm you can expend one grit point to choose no target and instead produce a ten foot cube of smoke directly in front of you, the area of which is heavily obscured. The smoke dissipates after a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), or when subjected to a wind of at least 10 miles per hour. When using gunpowder, this trick shot consumes four additional charges (five charges total). †
Surprise Shot
When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may use your reaction and expend one grit point to make a firearm attack against the creature. If you hit, you will deal additional weapon damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 0). If the firearm is one-handed, you will not suffer disadvantage for firing within melee range in this way.
Warning Shot
When you miss with a firearm attack against a creature, you may use your reaction and expend one grit point to make it a warning shot. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your trick shot DC, or else become Frightened of you until the end of its next turn.
Winging Shot
When attacking with a firearm against a Large or smaller creature you can expend one grit point to attempt to topple it. On a hit, the creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your trick shot DC, or be knocked prone.
Crafting & Upgrades
It is exceptionally rare to simply find firearms or ammunition for sale, even in the largest of Faerün's cities, though other settings may differ – for example, firearms are somewhat common in Eberron, but these are mainly the domain of the Artificers, and so independent non-Artificer gunsmiths may be uncommon, shunned or even outlawed in some places.
As a Gunsmith you are able to craft you own firearm(s) and ammunition, at your DM's discretion (see notes below for a sample system). While all Gunfighters are Gunsmiths, other characters can become Gunsmiths as well – to do so, a character needs to have proficiency in both firearms and Tinker's Tools.
Crafting has a material cost, usually in gold, as well as a time component – as such, weapons and upgrades below have been given sample project times representing the hours of work required to complete them in the form [90h] for 90 hours of work.
The following are the basic firearms and ammunition available to a gunsmith:
Name | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pistol | 250 gp [180h] |
1d10 piercing | 3 lb. | Ammunition (Range 30'/90'), Loading |
Musket | 500 gp [180h] |
1d12 piercing | 10 lb. | Ammunition (Range 40'/120'), Loading, Two-handed |
Bullets, Renaissance (10) | 3 gp | – | 2 lb. | – |
Bullets, Silvered (10) | 103 gp | – | 2 lb. | Bypasses immunity/resistance to non-magical piercing damage. |
Gunpowder, Powder Horn | 35 gp | – | 2 lb. | Flammable. Used by firearms † |
Gunpowder, Keg | 250 gp | – | 20 lb. | Flammable. Used to fill horns (up to 10) |
† You need a powder horn to reload firearms. When playing for realism, a full horn can be used to load 200 pieces of ammunition.
Drawbacks of Firearms
Though not strictly written in the rules, firearms should not normally work anywhere that a fire cannot be produced (such as underwater), unless the player can somehow create a pocket of air to fire from.
Additionally, early firearms were loud – it should be assumed that firing such a weapon will alert most enemies within 240 feet unless muffled by terrain, thick walls, magical silence etc. This distinguishes them noticeably from bows and crossbows which fire quietly by comparison (audible only within immediate earshot). However, a player may also choose to exploit this loud noise in attempts to intimidate, deafen or distract others.
Upgrades
A Gunsmith may use their Tinker's Tools to upgrade firearm(s), or craft new ones with one or more upgrades already applied.
Some upgrades have suggested prerequisites, which are upgrades that should be completed before developing something more advanced. Your DM may waive prerequisites or impose alternative restrictions such as requiring schematics or a story-driven breakthrough before certain upgrades can be attempted or completed.
The following are a number of common historic firearms improvements with some fantasy license in how they function:
Name | Cost | Effect |
---|---|---|
Bayonet Fitting* [M/P/S] |
5 gp [3h] |
A firearm can have a bayonet fitting added, to which a Dagger can be affixed or removed as an action. While a Dagger is affixed to a firearm you are holding, you may still use the dagger to make melee weapon attacks. While affixed to a musket a dagger has the Versatile (1d6) property. |
Bipod (integrated)* [M] |
250 gp [30h] |
Prerequisite: Hook & Fork. A musket with an integrated bipod increases its weight by 1 lb., enabling it to rest on a surface for stability. If you have not moved during a turn, and began with the bipod resting either upon cover, or upon the ground while prone, then you may choose to reduce your speed to 0 and gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls for this weapon until the end of the turn. Being prone while firing this way does not impose disadvantage when firing at targets that began the turn in front of you and at least 80 feet away. Replaces hook & fork. |
Bipod (improvised)* [M] |
(varies) | An improvised bipod isn't an upgrade to a specific weapon. It is two arrows, rods, sticks etc. placed on the ground to create a vertical X upon which a musket can sit for stability, requiring one full turn to set up. If you have not moved during a turn, and began it prone with a musket on an improvised bipod, you may reduce your speed to 0 until the end of the turn. Being prone while firing a musket in this way does not impose disadvantage when firing at targets that began the turn in front of you and at least 80 feet away. |
Cartridge Loading (2)/ Cartridge Loading (4)/ Cartridge Loading (6)/ Cartridge Loading (8) [M/P] |
50 gp/ 100 gp/ 150 gp/ 200 gp [60h] |
Prerequisite (2): 3 different upgrades. Prerequisite (4): Cartridge Loading (2). Prerequisite (6): Cartridge Loading (4). Prerequisite (8): Cartridge Loading (6). A pistol or musket with a lever or bolt action cartridge loading mechanism uses its own ammunition type (cartridges), and swaps Loading for Reload (2 shots), Reload (4 shots), Reload (6 shots) or Reload (8 shots). |
Concealable (Palm Pistol) [P] |
50 gp [30h] |
Prerequisite: Lightweight. A palm pistol has an extremely short barrel and miniature grip, making it Light, reducing its weight to 1 lb., and limiting its total range to 10'/30'. You have advantage on Deception and Sleight of Hand checks to conceal a palm pistol. Cannot be combined with other upgrades. |
Flared Muzzle (Dragon/Blunderbuss) [M/P] |
100 gp [30h] |
A pistol or musket with a flared muzzle uses its own ammunition type (shot), reduces its range by 20'/60', and rolls twice for weapon damage before using the better result. This weapon cannot be made lightweight or have multiple barrels, rifling or a sight. If combined with Cartridge Loading the ammunition type will be shot cartridges. |
Holster* [P] |
1 gp [1h] |
A leather holster for a pistol isn't an upgrade to a specific weapon, but is a piece of equipment in its own right weighing 1 lb. A character may wear two holsters comfortably on a belt, plus up to six holsters across their chest as part of a brace of pistols. After each firearm attack they make, a character may draw one pistol from a holster as a free action. |
Hook & Fork* (Arquebus/ Hook Gun) [M] |
100 gp [30h] |
A hook bracket and fork mount adds 2 lb. to a musket's weight, enabling it to be hooked onto walls or mounted on its fork (monopod) for stability. If you have not moved during a turn, and began with the hook upon either cover or the placed fork, then you may choose to reduce your speed to 0 and gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls for this weapon until the end of the turn. You may place and stow the fork as a Bonus Action. |
Improved Sight* [M/P] |
10 gp [15h] |
An improved iron sight increases the total range of a firearm by 10'/30'. A firearm can only have one sight. |
Lanyard & Ring* [P] |
1 gp [1h] |
A pistol with a ring and lanyard attached to your belt, bandolier, holster etc. remains upon your person if dropped instead of falling to the ground. |
Lightweight [P] |
50 gp [20h] |
A pistol can be made Light, reducing its weight to 2 lb., and reducing its base range by 10'/45'. Cannot be combined with multiple barrels. |
Multiple Barrels (2) [M/P] |
25 gp [30h] |
A pistol or musket with twin barrels swaps Loading for Reload (2 shots), and increases its weight to 4 lb. (pistol) or 15 lb. (musket). |
Multiple Barrels (4)/ Multiple Barrels (6) (Pepperbox) [P] |
50 gp/ 100 gp [30h] |
Prerequisite (4): Multiple Barrels (2). Prerequisite (6): Multiple Barrels (4). A pistol with four or six barrels swaps Loading for Reload (4 shots) or Reload (6 shots), and increases its weight to 5 lb. or 6 lb. |
Pistol Sword [P] |
500 gp + sword [120h] |
Prerequisite: 3 upgrades including Lightweight. A Lightweight pistol built into a Greatsword, Rapier, Shortsword or Longsword does not require a hand to wield it – so long as you are wielding the sword you may attack with the pistol instead. In addition, if you make a one-handed attack with the sword, you may immediately attack the same target using the pistol as if it were an off-hand weapon following the rules for two-weapon fighting. Cannot be combined with a Lanyard. Weapons are considered separate for enchanting/upgrade purposes. |
Precision Sight* [M] |
150 gp [60h] |
Prerequisite: Improved Sight. A finely crafted precision sight increases the total range of a musket by 20'/60'. A musket can only have one sight. |
Reinforced Stock** [M] |
25 gp [30h] |
A reinforced musket stock can be used as a simple Strength based two-handed melee weapon dealing 1d6 bludgeoning damage. |
Rifling (Short)** [P] |
125 gp [60h] |
A finely wrought barrel with precisely engineered rifling along the inside surface will double the base ranges of a pistol. A multi-barrelled pistol must pay the same material cost for each barrel. |
Rifling (Long)** [P/S] |
250 gp [120h] |
A rifled barrel doubles the base ranges of a long barrelled firearm. A multi-barrelled firearm must pay the material cost for each barrel. |
Superior Stock** [M] |
250 gp [60h] |
An expertly crafted stock increases the stability of a single-barrelled musket. If you did not move during a turn you may choose to reduce your speed to 0 and gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls for this weapon until the end of the turn. |
Telescopic Sight* [M] |
200 gp + Spyglass [90h] |
Prerequisite: Precision Sight. Adapting a Spyglass into a sight doubles the total ranges of a musket, and it can still be used as a Spyglass. A musket can only have a single sight. |
Tracer Rounds (5)* [M/P/S] |
25 gp + Oil [1h] |
Prerequisite: Alchemist's Supplies. Specially prepared bullets (or cartridges) are not an upgrade for a specific weapon, but can be loaded into a weapon and illuminate when fired. Firing a tracer round illuminates you, and will also illuminate your target on an attack roll of 15 or higher (including misses). Attacks against illuminated creatures ignore non-magical dim light and darkness until the end of your next turn. |
Volley Gun (Nock Gun) [M] |
1,500 gp [180h] |
Prerequisite: Multiple Barrels (6), Flared Muzzle (musket). A musket with six barrels is a volley gun, increasing its weight to 25 lb. A volley gun is Heavy and requires Strength 16 and a full action to fire. When fired it makes six firearm attacks against a single target, and cannot use trick shots. Once fired, a volley gun always takes a full minute to reload. May not be combined with cartridge loading, rifling, or a sight. |
* Does not prevent a modified firearm from being used while the project is incomplete.
** Does not prevent a modified firearm from being used until the final three hours of the project.
[M/P/S] Indicates an upgrade is only available for Muskets, Pistols and/or Special weapons.
Name | Cost | Weight | Properties |
---|---|---|---|
Cartridges (10) | 6 gp | 2 lb. | – |
Cartridges, Silvered (10) | 106 gp | 2 lb. | Bypasses immunity/resistance to non-magical piercing damage. |
Shot (10) | 3 gp | 2 lb. | – |
Shot, Silvered (10) | 103 gp | 2 lb. | Bypasses immunity/resistance to non-magical piercing damage. |
Shot (10) | 6 gp | 2 lb. | – |
Shot Cartridges, Silvered (10) | 106 gp | 2 lb. | Bypasses immunity/resistance to non-magical piercing damage. |
Magical Upgrades
With access to enchanted materials, a Gunsmith may also apply magical upgrades to firearms, or create new, magically enhanced firearms, at your DM's discretion.
Obtaining enchanted materials will usually incur considerable expense, or require substantial favours such as completing a quest. Spellcasters may attempt to enchant ordinary gem dust by using enough magical energy (see suggestion below). Regardless of how the enchanted material is obtained, it is consumed by the upgrade.
Gold costs below are given in the form 300 gp + 3,000 gp (enchanted amber dust) indicating the upgrade has a base material cost of 300 gp, and requires enchanted amber dust with a value of 3,000 gp. A single firearm cannot normally hold more than one enchantment, though some enchantments will note if they can be applied in addition to others.
Enchantments also have recommended rarities of Uncommon, Rare or Very Rare. If an item has multiple enchantments, its overall rarity is the rarest of its upgrades, increased by one level for each additional enchantment, potentially increasing a weapon's rarity to Legendary. The following are the sample magical upgrades:
Name | Cost | Effect |
---|---|---|
Electrified Ammunition* | 300 gp + 3,000 gp (enchanted amber dust) [180h] |
A firearm with lightning runes fires charged ammunition, dealing an additional d4 lightning damage on a hit. |
Enchanted Sight* | 100 gp + 500 gp (enchanted zircon dust) [60h] |
A musket with a Telescopic Sight can have it enchanted to increase its total long range by a further 320', and magnifying up to four times when used as a Spyglass. A sight can be enchanted in addition to other magical upgrades, and does not increase the rarity when doing so. |
Frozen Ammunition* | 300 gp + 3,000 gp (enchanted quartz dust) [180h] |
A firearm with freezing runes fires frozen ammunition, dealing an additional d4 cold damage on a hit. |
Heated Ammunition* | 300 gp + 3,000 gp (enchanted ruby dust) [180h] |
A firearm with flaming runes fires heated ammunition, dealing an additional d4 fire damage on a hit. |
Runes of Dampening* | 300 gp + 3,000 gp (enchanted jasper dust) [180h] |
When activated, dampening runes cause the next shot fired by this weapon to produce no flash, smoke or sound. Once used, these runes cannot be activated again until dawn the next day. |
Runes of Force* | 300 gp + 6,000 gp (enchanted azurite dust) [180h] |
A firearm with force runes is a magic weapon dealing an additional d4 force damage on a hit. |
Runes of Guiding* (requires attunement) |
300 gp + 6,000 gp (enchanted citrine dust) [240h] |
When a firearm attack with runes of guiding misses, you may use your reaction to repeat the attack against another creature along the projectile's path (assume a straight line five feet wide up to long range). If you perform a Ricochet Trick Shot with this weapon, you may bounce the shot one additional time at no extra cost. |
Runes of Piercing (+1)*/ Runes of Piercing (+2)*/ Runes of Piercing (+3)* |
200 gp + 500 gp/ 200 gp + 4,000 gp/ 300 gp + 8,000 gp (enchanted opal dust) [120h/180h/300h] |
A firearm inscribed with runes of piercing is a magic weapon with a bonus of +1, +2, or +3 to attack and damage rolls. These runes can be inscribed in addition to a different magical upgrade, or may replace Runes of Piercing already on the weapon (swapping +1 for +2 etc.). |
Runes of Poisoning* (requires attunement) |
500 gp + 7,500 gp (cursed emerald dust) [300h] |
A firearm with runes of poisoning is a magic weapon dealing an extra d6 poison damage on a hit. When a non-poisoned creature is hit by this firearm it must pass a DC 17 Constitution save or be Poisoned for one minute. On a successful save, it does not test again for 24 hours. |
Runes of Radiance* (requires attunement) |
500 gp + 7,500 gp (enchanted diamond dust) [300h] |
A firearm with runes of radiance is a magic weapon dealing an extra d4 radiant damage on a hit. A creature hit by this weapon emits bright light for 10 feet, dim light for another 10 feet, and cannot be hidden or obscured from view by any means until the end of your next turn. |
Runes of Reliability* | 100 gp + 500 gp (enchanted torquise dust) [180h] |
A firearm with runes of reliability can be fired even in an environment where no flame can be produced, such as underwater. These runes can be inscribed in addition to other magical upgrades, and do not increase the weapon's rarity when doing so. |
Runes of Tracking* (requires attunement) |
500 gp + 6,000 gp (enchanted topaz dust) [300h] |
A firearm with runes of tracking is a magic weapon. Once per long rest, immediately after hitting a creature with this weapon, you may cast Hunter's Mark upon it as a free action requiring no spell slots or concentration checks. The spell ends if this weapon is no longer on your person. |
Runes of Vengeance* (requires attunement) |
500 gp + 6,000 gp (cursed sapphire dust) [300h] |
A firearm with runes of vengeance is a magic weapon. Once per long rest, immediately after hitting a creature with this weapon, you may cast Hex upon it as a free action requiring no spell slots or concentration checks. The spell ends if this weapon is no longer on your person. |
* Does not prevent a modified firearm from being used while the project is incomplete.
Special Weapons
In addition to the standard, fully upgradeable weapons, your DM may wish to grant access to special weapons as unique rewards or special crafting projects. These are powerful, and should be limited to higher level rewards restricted by requiring either a schematic or some kind of breakthrough to begin the project. A small number of standard upgrades are compatible with special weapons, as are magical upgrades, but material and time costs for special weapon upgrades are doubled.
Name | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cannon (Demi culverin) |
2,000 gp [480h] |
4d10 bludgeoning | 220 lb. | Ammunition (Range 40'/600'), Two-handed, Heavy, Large Firearm |
Prerequisites: 15 different upgrades, Smith's Tools with proficiency. A Cannon requires its own ammunition type (9 lb. lead ball, 10g each), and requires your full turn to fire. When firing, choose a point within range and roll an attack against a DC of 18, on a hit the shot lands on target, otherwise it randomly scatters a number feet equal to the number you failed by. The attack then hits every creature or object starting from that final point along a straight line up to 3d6 feet directly away from you, dealing double damage to objects and structures, and stopping short if it hits a structure that isn't destroyed. A critical hit applies only to the first creature or object. A cannon cannot use trick shots, and once fired it always takes a full five minutes to reload (or one minute, with help). When using gunpowder, a cannon requires 200 charges (a full powder horn) to reload. † |
||||
Fire Thrower | 3,000 gp [480h] |
5d6 fire | 30 lb. | Ammunition, Two-handed, Heavy |
Prerequisites: 10 different upgrades, Alchemist's Supplies with proficiency. A Fire Thrower requires its own ammunition type (1/2 gallons of fuel weighing 5 lb. each) and your full turn to fire. Instead of a firearm attack a fire thrower deals weapon damage to everything within either a 15 ft. line that is 5 ft. wide (1/2 gallon) or a 15 ft. cone (1 gallon), setting alight objects that are not being held or worn. Creatures take only half damage on a successful Dexterity save against a DC of 12 + your proficiency bonus. A Fire Thrower can hold up to 5 gallons of fuel, and once empty it always takes a full minute to reload (or two full actions with Help). Does not require gunpowder. † |
||||
Rotary Cannon (Gatling Gun) |
4,000 gp [600h] |
1d12 piercing | 110 lb. | Ammunition (Range 20'/120'), Two-handed, Heavy, Large Firearm |
Prerequisites: 15 different upgrades including Cartridge Loading (8), Multiple Barrels (6) and Superior Stock. A Rotary Cannon has ten barrels and requires your full turn to make 3d4 firearm attacks. Each shot after the first must choose either the same target as the previous one, or another within 10 feet of it. A Rotary Cannon cannot use trick shots, and fires a total of 60 shots before it needs to be reloaded, which always takes a full five minutes (or one with help). |
Large Firearm: A Large firearm requires Strength 18 or higher to wield. Otherwise it must be placed and setup at a fixed position before firing, and before it can be moved again must be prepared for carrying, each taking one minute. A Large Firearm wielded by a Medium sized creature has a -5 penalty to attack rolls if Heavy, and cannot be wielded at all by a smaller creature.
Name | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grapeshot* | 15 gp [1h] | 3d12 piercing | 9 lb. | – |
Grapeshot is a special ammunition type for a cannon that can be loaded in place of a lead ball. When fired, instead of rolling to attack as normal, grapeshot deals damage to all creatures and objects within a 30 foot cone directly in front of the weapon, or half damage if a target succeeds on a Dexterity saving throw against a DC of 12 + your proficiency bonus. | ||||
Gun Carriage* | 250 gp [30h] | – | 100 lb. | – |
A Gun Carriage is an upgrade that can be applied to a Cannon or Rotary Cannon, consisting of a heavy wooden frame, a pair of wheels and a hitching point enabling it to be hauled by a Large creature such as a Draft Horse. A weapon with gun carriage cannot be wielded, but requires only a single action to setup (unhitch) and can be reloaded in one minute (or two full actions with Help). |
* Does not prevent a modified firearm from being used while the project is incomplete.
Crafting Suggestion
When starting a new crafting project, total the time cost for all new components (weapon and upgrades) – this is the total number of hours of work required to complete the project. Each time a player spends one or more hours on a project, they roll an Intelligence (Tinker's Tools) check for each hour spent – on a 25+ three hours of work are completed, or on a 15+ two hours of work are completed, otherwise only a single hour of work is completed. If a gunsmith is working on a component they've completed before, the base gold cost of that component is halved, and they have advantage on Tinker's Tools checks to complete that part of the project. A gunsmith may also gain advantage or another bonus if they have access to a fully equipped workshop, expert help and/or some of the parts that they would otherwise need to make.
When applied to an existing firearm, upgrades will prevent that firearm from being used until the project is completed – exceptions are marked with one asterisk (* does not prevent the firearm's use) or two asterisks (** prevents use only during the final three hours of the project). Some upgrades may require a schematic before a project can even begin, at the DM's discretion, which may be used to limit the availability of some upgrades earlier in the campaign.
Magical Upgrades
When performing magical upgrades, obtaining or creating the necessary magical component(s) should take additional time as shops are unlikely to stock enchanted gem dust in the necessary quantities. The difficulty of obtaining magical components should be made consistent with the rarity of magic items in your campaign, so a player developing magical firearms will progress at roughly the same pace at which other party members acquire magical weapons.
A DM may allow spellcasters to perform the enchantment upon sufficiently pure un-enchanted gem dust. To do so the caster must expend one spell slot level for every 50g of value required, divided over any length of time. For example, a caster expending four 1st level slots and three 2nd level slots may enchant up to 500g (4x50 + 3x100 g) of gem dust.
Ammunition
Early firearms use simple projectiles that can be cast with a basic spherical mould, a hot flame and the right value of lead, tin or silver. Ammunition can be crafted during a short or long rest, with a Dexterity (Tinker's Tools) check determining the maximum number of bullets, cartridges or portions of shot created.
When playing for realism, cartridges also require one charge of gunpowder each to craft (instead of being used to reload), plus one sheet of thin paper for every 10 cartridges crafted.
I'm sorry! I meant 27! haha
He seems to have made his peace. I'm sorry for all the messages. He's trying to go with the gunblade sort of thing you listed in your upgrades, so he needed strength as well. He's spreading himself too thin!
Is 21 less than the default (D&D Beyond seems to use 27)? I could see why that might get difficult.
But it depends on the exact build they're going for; while Dexterity is probably the most crucial score for any Gunslinger, neither Wisdom or Intelligence is actually required. They'll want more Wisdom if they're going to use a lot of save based trick shots, or shots where the bonus is important (such as Fusillade or Ricochet), or more Intelligence if they want to advance the crafting faster (though built-in expertise from Gunsmith means this is less critical).
My own current Gunfighter character has both Wisdom and Intelligence of +0, but she's quite an unconventional build, setup a lot more like a classic front-line barbarian but using the Archery fighting style to keep her ranged attacks competitive for opening salvos or prolonged shooting matches, focusing on trick shots that don't require higher Wisdom, and switching roles to be a melee damage sponge as required by the party. I also have another example build I used to construct an NPC, she still only has +1 Intelligence and Wisdom because of the decision to go for good Constitution and high Charisma, so her DC on warning and winging shots is only 13, but against the right targets that's still decent odds for the bonus effect.
I didn't really keep any of the others I tested with, but a more classic gunslinger type would probably forego Strength and Constitution in favour of getting Dexterity and Wisdom to +3 or +4 by level 6, while Intelligence can work with +1 or +2? I'd try and build an example character but the character builder seems to be on the fritz for me at the moment (just giving me beholder errors). I'll try again if I remember tomorrow. If the goal is to move around shooting at range most of the time then having a lot of hit-points is less important; meanwhile a front-line character is more gunfighter second so you can drop WIS/INT a bit and focus on trick shots that don't need it – as with Bullette above I went for aimed shot which doesn't use Wisdom at all, and surprise shot on which the damage bonus is negligible (being able to make a reaction attack is the important part).
I guess the issue my player has here is that he needs to pump stats into almost everything with Wisdom as the trick shot stat, except Charisma. He feels it makes him very non-exceptional. Do you have any advice or thoughts on this? We're using a 21 point buy system and I *kinda* see what he's saying.
Not sure I'd release a version with that change, as it was very intentionally balanced around being very multi-ability-dependent with Dexterity for aiming, Wisdom for trick shots and Intelligence for crafting, changing trick shots to Intelligence would make it a stronger sub-class. It'd also be very complicated to do, as D&D Beyond's homebrew doesn't let us copy our own sub-classes so I'd need to completely re-create it to avoid replacing the Wisdom-based version.
That said, if you want to do this in your own campaign, then there isn't really a huge need to create an all new version of the sub-class; Wisdom is only used for trick shots, and only for those with a save DC or some other Wisdom-based bonus, so all you need to do is remind the player to use their Intelligence score instead. For example, if their character has WIS +0 and INT +3 then they just need to add +3 anywhere they see a DC or bonus on their trick shots. Also depends a lot on which ones they take anyway, as some trick shots don't use the Wisdom score at all.
This is a long shot-in-the-dark (pun intended), as its been a year since you've commented here... But I don't suppose you'd be willing to make an INT version of this instead of WIS for one of my players? I love the way this is formatted and works perfectly in the character builder, and I'd hate to have to try to remake this whole thing from scratch just to change the WIS descriptors to INT.
My DM and I would be happy to provide a few if he let's me use this subclass. I like the idea of splitting the difference and letting people who haven't made homebrew before see how its done.
Unfortunately you'll need to either Customize a weapon on your sheet (to override weight, add attack/damage bonuses or add notes) or create a homebrew magic item for some of the magical effects and other bonuses.
My intention was originally to create a load of premade magic weapons, but it could involve a lot of duplicate items (to add +1, +2 and +3 varieties for both pistol and musket etc.) so I keep going back and forth on whether I should provide these, or leave it to players to just update their own unique magic items. I might split the difference and just come up with a few samples that will be easy enough to copy and tweak, such as a sample Bad News equivalent or such.
I absolutely LOVE the attention to detail and the whole idea of this homebrew. Being new to using Dndbeyond I assume that alot of the upgrades and magical enchantments aren't also in the homebrew content and need to be manually added?
FAQ
Gunfighter
Firearms and Upgrades
Suggested Builds
Since this is a sub-class with quite a range of options represented both through build, trick shot choice and crafting, I decided to add a few suggested builds to give people an idea of where to start with their Gunfighter:
Dragoon
Going in heavy and hard, a dragoon is an armoured knight with a black powder punch, and often rides into battle on horseback to close the distance quickly.
Primary Abilities: STR, CON, DEX
Suggested Fighting Style: Two-weapon Fighting or Great Weapon Fighting, or Archery if low on DEX.
Suggested Trick Shots: Surprise Shot, Lightning Reload, Lethal Shot, Disarming Shot, Powder Blast, Smokescreen.
Suggested Armour: Heavy.
Suggested Weapons: Warhammer or Longsword plus a Pistol with Flared Muzzle (Dragon).
Suggested Feat: Mounted Combatant.
Gunsmith
For a gunsmith, artistry and craft come first, but that doesn't mean they can't handle themselves when things go awry.
Primary Abilities: DEX, INT, WIS
Suggested Fighting Style: Archery, Blind Fighting or Superior Technique.
Suggested Trick Shots: Aimed Shot, Smokescreen, Powder Blast, Flourish, Dazing Shot, Winging Shot.
Suggested Armour: Light.
Suggested Weapons: Multiple firearms with as many upgrades as possible!
Suggested Feat: Skilled or Skill Expert.
Gunslinger
Mixing skill with style, a Gunslinger is quick witted and fast on the draw.
Primary Abilities: DEX, CHA
Suggested Fighting Style: Archery or Superior Technique.
Suggested Trick Shots: Flourish, Ricochet, Aimed Shot, Disarming Shot, Surprise Shot, Winging Shot.
Suggested Armour: Light.
Suggested Weapons: One heavily upgraded pistol, at least one backup pistol (possibly concealed).
Suggested Feat: Alert, Gunner or Lucky.
Musketeer
Fighting with a mixture of finesse and force, a musketeer is a skirmishing gunfighter adept at medium to short range.
Primary Abilities: DEX, CON
Suggested Fighting Style: Archery or Duelling.
Suggested Trick Shots: Aimed Shot, Surprise Shot, Disarming Shot, Flourish, Smokescreen, Powder Blast
Suggested Armour: Medium or Light.
Suggested Weapons: Rapier, Musket, optionally a backup Pistol. For musket-only build take improved then precision sight, reinforced stock and cartridge loading. If you also have a backup pistol consider fewer musket upgrades with multiple barrels on the pistol.
Suggested Feat: Defensive Duellist or Dual Wielder.
Pistolero
Brash and reckless, a pistolero trades quality for quantity, firing off a punishing salvo from multiple pistols as they close before finishing a target off at close range.
Primary Abilities: DEX, WIS, CON
Suggested Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting.
Suggested Trick Shots: Fusillade, Surprise Shot, Powder Blast, Smokescreen, Disarming Shot, Flourish
Suggested Armour: Light or Medium.
Suggested Weapons: Rapier and multiple Pistols with Holsters and Lanyards.
Suggested Feat: Dual Wielder.
Sniper
The ultimate in ranged support, a sniper is at home at a distance defending a wall or on top of a ridge overlooking an ambush site.
Primary Abilities: DEX, WIS
Suggested Fighting Style: Archery.
Suggested Trick Shots: Aimed Shot, Lethal Shot, Warning Shot, Dazing Shot, Winging Shot, Piercing Shot.
Suggested Armour: Light.
Suggested Weapon: Musket with Bipod (improvised then integrated), Rifled Barrel, Cartridge Loading, sights (improved, precision then telescopic), Superior stock.
Suggested Feat: Sharpshooter.