Rules for Firearms

Below are all of the basic rules necessary to use firearms in the Flintlock Era. All firearms are considered to be ranged weapons.

Rules Changes
The following features are changed to align with firearms rules. Added text is italicized.

Sharpshooter (feat)
Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that is not a firearm and that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.

Archery (fighting style)
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons that are not firearms.

Fighting Style
The Crackshot fighting style is added as an option for Fighters, Rangers, and Blood Hunters.

Crackshot
All firearms gain the Deadly property for you.

Deadly
Whenever you score a critical hit you may roll each of the weapon's damage die one additional time.

Proficiency
All firearms are categorized as martial or exotic weapons. Proficiency applies to firearms as normal, for example, a character with proficiency in martial weapons are also proficient in all martial firearms. Additionally, proficiency in individual firearms is added to the proficiency lists of specific classes and races as detailed below.

Dwarves
You may choose to exchange proficiency in battleaxes and warhammers from the Dwarven Combat Training feature for proficiency in two firearms of your choice.

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.

Reload
The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score, after which it must be reloaded before it can be fired again. You must expend half your movement on a turn to begin reloading a firearm, until the start of your next turn you have the reloading condition (see below). If the reload is interrupted for any reason it fails and the weapon remains unfirable, otherwise, it is ready to fire again at the start of your next turn.

When reloading a weapon you must have at least one piece of the appropriate ammunition. Weapons with a Reload score higher than 1 may be loaded with fewer pieces of ammunition than their Reload score, but can only be fired once for each piece of ammunition before it must be reloaded again. Additionally, these weapons may be loaded with more than one type of ammunition at a time, it is the player's responsibility to track which ammunition type is loaded into each barrel/cylinder, or in which order the ammunition is loaded (possible future magazine based firearms).

Only one weapon can be reloaded at a time (see Sidearm Mastery feat), and both hands must be free of any weapon or object, except the firearm to be reloaded.

Reloading Condition
While reloading, melee attacks against you are made with advantage. The reload is interrupted if any of the following occur before it is completed:
 * You take a reaction
 * Your speed is reduced to 0
 * You are incapacitated

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 it is repaired as an action using Gunsmith's Tools (DC 10 + misfire score). If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended using Gunsmith's tools during a short rest. Creatures who use a firearm without being proficient increase the weapon’s misfire score by 2.

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. Bullet, shot, and rifle bullet ammunition is sold in the form of paper cartridges. These cartridges contain the ammunition and a standard amount of wraithpowder to be loaded into the firearm. Non-standard ammunition is detailed below.

Martial Firearms
1 - A hand mortar must be loaded with three doses of wraithpowder, instead of the usual one.

Double Barreled
Double-barreled weapons include muskets, pistols, and pocket pistols. A double-barreled weapon has a reload score of 2. Whenever you reload a double-barreled weapon you reload each barrel simultaneously.

Rifled
A rifled weapon has spiral grooves inside the barrel that impart spin on the bullet to increase range and accuracy. Any firearm that uses bullets as ammunition can be rifled. Rifled weapons are designed to be fired with special rifle bullets, but standard bullets can also be used. Attacks made with a rifled weapon and using rifle bullets do not suffer disadvantage at long range, however, when the weapon is fired with standard ammunition the misfire rate increases by 2.

Spell Shot
The term spell shot refers to a firearm that has been modified to fire Egni ammunition (detailed below). The inner barrel of a spell shot is coated with draíocht stone in order to contain and channel the magic released from Egni ammunition. Any base firearm can be altered to become a spell shot, provided the task is performed by a talented gunsmith with access to the requisite amount of draíocht.

Overloading
Any firearm can be overloaded with an additional charge of wraithpowder when reloaded. This charge might be taken from an extra paper cartridge, a powderhorn, or any other accessible supply of wraithpowder. Whenever you deal damage with an overloaded shot you may roll each of the weapon's damage die one additional time. Whenever a weapon has been overloaded its misfire score is increased by 3, additionally if an overloaded weapon misfires the charge explodes, dealing 2d10 fire damage to the firearm itself and the operator, additionally, any creature within 5ft of the weapon must make a Dexterity Saving throw (DC 14), taking the same damage on a failure.

Gunsmith's Tools
These tools are primarily used to repair misfired or broken firearms, and to package paper cartridges. They can also be used to create guns, forge ammunition, mix gunpowder, create special ammunition, or identify explosives. Gunsmith's tools are artisan's tools, and as such can be chosen whenever any feature or trait grants you proficiency in a set of artisan tools of your choice. Additionally, any feature or trait that specifically grants proficiency in either Tinker's Tool or Smith's Tools can instead be used to gain proficiency in Gunsmith's Tools.

Components
Gunsmith's tools include a supply of paper used to create cartridges, a cleaning cloth, oil, a ramrod, and a small set of tools used to disassemble most firearms.

Arcana and History
Your expertise lends you additional insight when examining firearms. Including identifying magic or otherwise exotic ammunition.

Investigation
You can spot clues and make deductions that others might overlook when an investigation involves firearms, ammunition, or explosives.

Package Cartridges
As part of a long rest, or over the course of a short rest, you can package individual components into a paper cartridge. When you do so you can create up to 20 paper cartridges from the same number of bullets, shot, or rifle bullets, and charges of wraithpowder (usually stored collectively in a powder horn).

Ammunition
1 - weight given per 20 count

Antimagic Shot
This enhanced ammunition is identical to standard shot, except the pellets that make up the shot are made from draíocht, instead of the standard lead. Antimagic shot is typically fired in large doses from cannons to cover a large area with draíocht, weakening the effects of magic within that area. Smaller doses can be fired from blunderbuss and dragon pistols. Whenever antimagic shot is fired from a firearm, the attacker targets a point they can see instead of a specific creature, they must still make an attack roll and the roll is still effected by the range of the weapon. The shot covers a circular area centered on the chosen point, the radius of which is equal to half of the short-range score of the weapon used. Whenever a creature attempts to cast a spell within the effect of the shot, they must make an ability check using their spellcasting ability (DC equals the attack roll - the spell's level). If the check fails, the spell has no effect.

Bullet
A standard lead ball weighing roughly 1/2 oz to be fired from a palm pistol, pistol, or musket.

Cannonball
A small, round explosive with a short fuse. The fuse is lit just before the ball is dropped down the barrel of a hand mortar. It is then launched by a triple charge of wraithpowder, an experienced user can time the fuse and launch of a cannonball to explode nearly on impact.

Elemental Round
An elemental round is one that has been coated with Oil Elementa. These rounds come in the standard bullet, rifle bullet, shot options. An attack made with an elemental round deals an extra 2d6 damage of the corresponding damage type. More rare ammunition known as Hunter Rounds have been coated in the same way using Monster Oil instead of Oil Elementa. Hunter Rounds deal an extra 2d8 damage to the corresponding creature type.

Mage Killer
A mage killer round is a bullet or rifle bullet that has been manufactured using draíocht stone instead of the usual lead. Whenever a creature is hit by an attack roll using a mage killer they take normal damage and suffer the following additional effects: they cannot be healed using magic, they have advantage on saving throws caused by a spell or magical effect, and they cannot cast spells or activate spell-like effects. The duration of these effects is based on the natural attack roll (no modifiers) as shown in the table below.

Rifle Bullet
A conical piece of lead with groves carved around the base. These grooves engage the rifling in a firearm to impart spin upon the bullet, increasing the range and accuracy of the shot. More info.

Shot
Multiple small, lead balls. Meant to be fired from a blunderbuss or dragon pistol. When fired these pellets expand to deal maximum damage to the target, at the expense of range.

Battle Harness
A series of sidearm holsters and/or longarm scabbards connected by a vest-like series of leather straps and meant to be worn on the chest. A battle harness allows a creature to carry multiple, easily drawn firearms on their person. Configurations vary and are often custom-designed for the wearer, but modern militaries use two standard configurations; one of which holds six sidearms along the chest of the wearer, the other holds two sidearms in this manner and two longarms on the back of the wearer.

Holster, Sidearm
A leather holster that attaches to a belt and allows one palm pistol, pistol, or dragon pistol or be drawn and stowed easily.

Powder Bomb
This small explosive is filled with wraithpowder and set with a short fuse. A small, sealed chamber along the outside of the bomb is used to arm the fuse quickly, and the explosive itself is sized to easily fit in a Medium creature's hand. As an action, you can throw this bomb up to 20 feet. At the end of your turn, the charge explodes. Each creature within 10 feet of the bomb when it explodes must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 12), taking 2d10 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Powderhorn
A hollowed animal horn designed to carry a small amount of wraithpowder. Useful for manually loading (without a prepackaged paper cartridge) or overloading a firearm.

Scabbard, Rifle
A leather scabbard meant to be worn on a belt and wrapped around a creatures back, or attached to a saddle. Allows for the easy drawing and stowing of a musket, blunderbuss, or hand mortar.

Wraithpowder
An extremely valuable explosive powder. A single dose is used to manually load a firearm or to create a paper cartridge. Multiple doses are used to prime hand cannons and larger siege weapons. The powder ignites on contact with an open flame, and is rendered useless if gotten wet.

Wraithpowder Keg
A wooden keg that carries a large amount of wraithpowder. Typically used to load siege weapons or supply military posts.