Tame Fire and Thunder
Blackpowder (a.k.a. "Smokepowder" within the Forgotten Realms) and firearms are prototype technology. While powerful and relatively easy to use, both are ungainly to make and mass produce, leaving the role of archery or combat magic largely untouched.
Firearm Properties
All firearms are considered 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 X. 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's Misfire score increases by one until you spend an Action to clear the chamber.
Explosive. Upon a hit, everything else within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or also suffer the 2d8 fire damage of the weapon. If the attack 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, one can craft ammunition using 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.
Special Properties
Rifling. Due to rifling within the barrel, you may add your ability modifier to the damage of this weapon.
Loud and Proud. When used, all firearms let loose a distinctive crack which can be heard up to 300 feet away.
Smoothbore. Unlike other weapons, do not add your ability modifier to the damage roll of a firearm unless otherwise stated.
Firearms
| Name | Cost | Ammo Cost | Damage | Weight | Range | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Pistol | 100gp | 2g (20) | 2d6 piercing | 1.5 lb. | (30/120) | Light, reload 1, misfire 1 |
| Pepper-box | 300gp | 4g (20) | 2d8 piercing | 2 lb. | (40/160) | Reload 4, misfire 1 |
| Revolver | 750gp | 4g (20) | 2d8 piercing | 4.5 lb. | (60/240) | Reload 6, misfire 2 |
| Musket | 300gp | 5g (20) | 2d10 piercing | 20 lb. | (100/400) | Two-handed, reload 1, misfire 2 |
| Long Rifle | 1000gp | 10g (5) | 2d12 piercing | 25 lb. | (200/800) | Two-handed, heavy, rifling, reload 1, misfire 3 |
| Blunderbuss | 150gp | 5g (5) | 3d10 piercing | 12 lb. | (15/60) | Two-handed, reload 1, misfire 2 |
| Hand Cannon | 450gp | 10g (1) | 2d6 bludgeoning + 2d8 fire | 28 lb. | (30/90) | Two-handed, heavy, reload 1, misfire 3, explosive |
Rare and Unique
All firearms, due to their rare nature, are near impossible to find or purchase. However, if materials are gathered, one can craft them using Tinker’s Tools at half the cost. How long that takes depends on the cost of the firearm which represents both the material cost and the expertise needed to craft it. Refer to Xanathar's Guide to Everything's Downtime Revisited: Crafting an Item on how to make it with downtime, but with a bit of risk the process can be sped up.
When attempting a rush job, the minimum number of hours needed are equal to the total cost of a firearm divided by 50gp. For every hour of work, the crafter must succeed on a Tinker’s Tools check (DC = 8 + Ammo Cost in gp + 2 x the misfire number) or waste the materials needed that hour (25gp). For example, if one wanted to create a Pepper-box as a rush job, you would need 150gp of materials and a minimum of 6 hours with a DC 14 Tinker’s Tools check at the end of every hour. Each failure adds an additional 25gp to the cost and another hour of work. The work hours need not be consecutive.
Once the crafter has accrued the necessary number of successes, the firearm is completed.