Renaissance Siege Weapons
Beginning in the Medieval Era, the introduction of gunpowder in Europe led to new developments in siege weaponry that changed warfare throughout the Renaissance. For campaigns featuring gunpowder, whether rare or commonplace, this supplement features new siege equipment options for your players to encounter, acquire, and use against the strongholds and armies of their enemies whether they're assaulting their keeps or defending their own bastions.
Bombard
| Type | AC | HP | Damage Immunities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Object | 20 | 100 | poison, psychic |
Compared to your standard cannons, a bombard is an unwieldly wide-barreled siege weapon design for bringing down walls, towers, and keeps from incredible distance. Bombards, while effective for destruction, are incredibly difficult to manufacture and transport, typically requiring multiple draft horses and a reinforced wooden frame to mount it on.
Before it can be fired, the bombard must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it.
Cannonball. Ranged Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, range 1,000/4,000 ft., one target. Hit: (66) 12d10 bludgeoning damage.
Field Culverin
| Type | AC | HP | Damage Immunities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Object | 18 | 50 | poison, psychic |
A culverin is an early cannon that uses gunpowder to propel round-shot projectiles through the air at destructive speeds in a flat, forward trajectory. In particular, a field culverin is at least 12 feet in length and is commonly employed in the field to bombard targets or on the decks of ships as a naval weapon.
Field culverins are transported by a wooden frame with wheels, and can be transported by attaching it to the harness of a draft horse. Before it can be fired, the cannon must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it.
Roundshot.
Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 400/1,600 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (5d10) bludgeoning damage.
Mortar
| Type | AC | HP | Damage Immunities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Object | 18 | 150 | poison, psychic |
Mortars are muzzle-loaded siege weapons consisting of a smooth-bore metal tube affixed to a platform that fires cannonballs in a high-arcing trajectory to attack targets indirectly. A typical mortar is unwieldly, difficult to transport, and featured a long flight time for its projectiles.
A mortar could be affixed to a reinforced wooden platform to stabilize its recoil or to the deck of a warship. Before it can be fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it. A mortar can fired at a target up to 1,000 feet away.
When fired, you unleash a cannonball in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point you can see. Each creature in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 22 (4d10) fire damage and 22 (4d10) bludgeoning on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Petard
| Type | AC | HP | Damage Immunities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small object | 16 | 25 | poison, psychic |
A petard is a small metal cylindrical or square shaped explosive object featuring a slow-burning fuse. It is used for breeching fortified doors, walls, or gates. Some designs feature small wooden frames around it to be secured against its target.
Securing a petard takes an action, and one action to light it, after which it will detonate after one minute. Upon detonation, the petard deals 22 (4d10) fire damage to its target. The damage is doubled if made against an object made of wood or stone.
Ribauldequin
| Type | AC | HP | Damage Immunities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Object | 16 | 75 | poison, psychic |
Less a siege weapon and more of an anti-personnel weapon, the ribauldequin, otherwise called an organ gun, is a volley gun featuring multiple small-caliber barrels atop a wheeled wooden frame. When fired, the multiple barrels unleashed a shower of iron shot to shred enemies.
The ribauldequin can be transported via the wheels on its frame. Before it can be fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load two barrels of the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it.
Multi-barreled. Ribauldequins can vary in the amount of barrels featured in their design. A standard ribauldequin features 4 barrels. For every additional barrel included up to a maximum of 12 barrels, increase its damage by 1d10 piercing damage.
When fired, any creature within a 90 foot cone of the ribauldequin must make a DC15 Dexterity Saving Throw or take 4d10 piercing damage (plus 1d10 x the amount of additional barrels). On a success, the damage is halved.
