Add Better Guns to Your D&D Campaign

Welcome,
I always loved tthe presence of firearms in fantasy stories and games. However multiple people often consider firearms as not belonging to a mediaeval era inspired setting. Which I disagree with, because there was a moment in history when we had "knights with guns" however even when some people decide to add firearms to their games they just add the boring plain version of them presented in the base game. This is why in today's video I'll present to you how to aad better guns to your d&d campaign. Enjoy
The Firearm system:
docs.google.co...
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[@piranhaplantX]

There was a point where pikes and firearm users were mixed into the same formation to protect their shooters from cavalry and infantry charges. I believe it was actually called the pike and shot formation. Even into the early modern age, we still had remnants of this. Muskets were made as long as they were, partly so that a musket with a bayonet on it could function as a stand-in for a spear. Effectively being similar to a pile and shot formation without dedicated polearm users

[@BardicSheep-wp7pd]

Imagine heavy armor knights carrying a catapult that launches heavy armored allies into the enemy lines. Or pirates with a cannon strapped onto their backs so they can scale enemy walls while dealing damage.

[@primachpepe8597]

i have sadly yet to play a campaign but i have seen firearms used in other settings. i think further distinction should be required - the arquebus (long rifle) should have good armour penetration with only near max armour possible being impervious. IE depending on where the shot hits, if the armour is sufficient, it does still deal impact damage (call it 1/2 damage), but no penetration (so call it a AC of like 18+). However, that armour would be heavy, expensive and only cover part of the body. Pistols should be medium range, but lose accuracy and should roll on a scatter table. if the pistol gets upgraded with a rifled barrel, then either lose the accuracy pentalty or scrap the scatter roll (or both for high quality). lower damage, but keep misfire chance of long rifle as well blunderbus i think is fine, not sure on the knock back though. I would reserve that for a hand cannon. change i would make is that there is a roll for each bullet in terms of damage/hit location. drop malfuntion charge, but make weapon unweildy so add difficulty to hit, but numerous hits per shot. roll once for the shot (if it hits, roll die on location table with 10/20% chance to miss). lean into the high risk high reward. for a complete miss, if miss was only about by 1 degree of success, roll hit die as normal/half total projectiles but increase miss threshold to 50%. again, lean into this being a broad and fat shotgun as for disadvantage in certain fights, undead should be practically impervious to them unless bullets are enchanted and even then that should only really work on ghouls/zombies. Unless you point blank range blunderbuss blow half their torso away, dont expect damage against undead. i would argue stone/metal golems as well. as for buffs/unique enchantments/upgrades. Bayonette for longrifle (weapon profile changes to 2h spear for melee) Rifled barrels being the obvious one. elemental bullets (gm ruling on resources required to add elemental damage effects) sonic damage (replace piercing damage) blunderbuss that has lightning run through each ball, dealing bonus lighting damage to all pellets (enchantment, or resource requirement) blunderbuss with dragons breath, again gm ruling on exact mechinics & usage blunderbuss with (flashbang) stun my personal idea would be that members of the party would have this as the mainline weapon at start of combat or kept as reserve till required. take front line fighter as example, has blunderbuss out & "ready" for encounter, shoots on 1st turn, then free action draws sword/axe (gun either on sling or just dropped to the ground). gm ruling on 2h weapons pistols should have a free action to draw.

[@davidthemonkeyv1]

Check out Matt Mercers gunslinger subclass for reload/misfire rules. So i started to type out all the corrections but then decided to use Chatgpt, i read through it and agree with these points. Check it out: 1. Armor Penetration Mechanics (Arquebus) Issue: D&D 5e does not have a granular "armor penetration" or partial damage system. The AC mechanic abstracts all forms of defense, so introducing armor penetration could clash with existing rules. Solution: Instead of creating an entirely new armor system, you could have the arquebus deal damage that ignores a set amount of a target's damage resistance or impose disadvantage on saving throws to maintain concentration (representing its powerful impact). Alternatively, have it deal a fixed bonus damage against targets with a high AC (e.g., +1d6 against AC 18 or higher). 2. Scatter Table and Misfire Mechanics (Pistols) Issue: Scatter tables and similar mechanics add complexity that may slow down gameplay, especially in combat. D&D 5e combat generally prioritizes quick, streamlined mechanics. Solution: Use a simplified system: Pistols could impose disadvantage on attack rolls beyond their optimal range. Misfire can use a flat percentage chance or occur when rolling a natural 1, similar to how Matt Mercer's gunslinger handles it. 3. Blunderbuss and Knockback Issue: Resolving multiple attack rolls for every pellet can bog down combat, especially if there are many targets or hit locations. Solution: Treat the blunderbuss as a "cone attack" with a Dexterity saving throw mechanic (like the burning hands spell). Creatures in the cone take damage on a failed save, and you can flavor it as multiple pellets hitting. 4. Disadvantage Against Undead/Constructs Issue: While this is thematically interesting, it may unfairly penalize firearm users compared to other martial classes. Weapon-specific limitations in 5e are usually rare. Solution: Instead of rendering firearms ineffective against certain creatures, adjust the damage type (e.g., force or thunder for enchanted bullets) to maintain viability. This ensures firearms are still usable but require more creativity. 5. Enchantment and Upgrade System Issue: This adds depth but needs balance against existing magic items and crafting rules. Overpowered upgrades could overshadow other characters' abilities. Solution: Tie upgrades to milestones or specific in-game events. For example: Rifled Barrel: Increases firearm range and eliminates disadvantage for long-range shots. Dragon’s Breath: One-time use, area-of-effect attack requiring a Dexterity save. 6. Action Economy (Reloading and Drawing) Issue: 5e is designed around streamlined action economy, and having multiple free actions or too many item interactions (e.g., reloading, switching weapons) can disrupt the flow. Solution: Use the Loading property from existing firearms. Allow pistols to be drawn as a free action (like crossbows) but require a bonus action to reload unless the character has a special feature (e.g., Crossbow Expert or a similar firearm-related feat). 7. Frontloading Damage Issue: Starting combat with a powerful firearm attack could overshadow other classes or lead to balance issues if the weapon deals too much damage. Solution: Balance firearms' damage to be comparable to existing ranged weapons like longbows or crossbows, with trade-offs (e.g., higher damage but slower reload or higher misfire chance). 8. Complexity of Hit Locations Issue: Hit location tables are not a standard part of 5e and add a layer of complexity that may not mesh well with the system's abstract approach to combat. Solution: Incorporate hit location flavor without mechanical changes. For example, describe the damage narratively without rolling on a table. Revised 5e-Compatible Rules Arquebus: Deals 2d10 piercing damage, ignores resistance to nonmagical attacks, and has the Loading property. Misfires on a natural 1. Pistol: Deals 1d10 piercing damage, has a shorter range, and imposes disadvantage on attacks beyond optimal range (unless upgraded). Blunderbuss: Creates a 15-foot cone. Targets in the cone make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + Dex modifier + proficiency bonus) or take 2d8 damage. Reloading: Requires an action unless the character has a feat or feature that reduces this. Upgrades: Rifled barrels extend range and remove disadvantage. Enchanted bullets add damage types like fire, lightning, or thunder.

[@DungeonHussars]

Cool ideas, I might add “add ons” to the weapon document in the future. I thought of adding some armour penetration to the weapons, but I’ve decided that it would just add another layer of complication to an already pretty complicated weapon.

[@primachpepe8597]

@DungeonHussars that therein lies the problem with DnD and most roleplaying games in general, especially those that use medieval/classical weapons things are so dumbed down and simplified to the point of nothing really mattering in terms of weapon choices or armour being entirely misunderstood. fantasy gets this wrong constantly. the most common weapon used in fantasy? Sword. Reality, spear. Not only that but variations of the spear are ubiquitous but they are also THE battlefield weapon for most of history. then its a variation on it, from pike to halberd to poleax, each serving a role and being premier at differing periods. this doesnt even go into training or proficiency. Swords are actually fairly difficult to use effectively if you dont know what you are doing - and thats ignoring the fact that swords were canonically the sidearm of ages past. i get that in game terms, it would add too much complexity, slowing the game too much, however reality was and is more complex

[@Rabijeel]

For me, it is simple: Guns exist mostly or partly, but their use is not widespread and has drawbacks making them not better than other Ranged Weaponry. I do not go along with the "It is a Glock, it does 4D12 Damage of course!" - that is Bull. There are pretty good Chances to survive a Gunshot wound when trated properly and soon enough - so 1D4 is enough for a Handgun. Bigger Gund then go up Dice - like, a Rifle would be 1D8 and be eaqually to a Longbow. Bigger ones go with Crossbows and such of yourse, like a Heavy Crossbow representing a Sniper Rifle. So, basically, Guns are the same to their respective Counterparts - and that are the Guns you can eventually get and that are in use sometimes. They always come with a "Jack of all Trades"-Feat applied to them, making them easier usable with untrained People. Still, getting Proficiency with them is beneficial now. Also, the Ammo is specialized and not easy to obtain - often the User will be forced to make his own Ammo, so there comes a Toolkit for that (and maintaining the Firearm itself) that can be used with that Proficiency. Then, another quirk of my Homebrew comes into play: Science=Magic=Science. A Scientific Effect is alike a Magic Effect, as Science uses circumstances to make Things interact to produce an Effect - and all is the Weave as the Weave is in all. Mages do the same, but they directly manipulate the Weave and do not seek out specific Circumstances in the Weaves Existence, aka specific Substances or Effects, they just form the Weave themselfs direcly, and thus are more prone to the effects of strain on the Weave (aka have to use Spellslots) while the Scientist needs to get his hands on Items representing the metaphysical (!) - as there is no Physics as in our World - Objects for an similar Effect. So, Things easy to us to get are maybe extremeley hard to find - like, "better Gunpowder/Cordite" could need dried and pulverized Glands of a Red Dragon as it also grants a "+2 Enchantment" for Damage. This also prevents from "Mago-Tech" getting out of hand - as the Effects limitation for Magic Items will still be more or less limited. "Better Guns" will be represented by "Enchantments" that grant Feats - like "Quick Loading" or a "Sharpshooter"-Feat for a Repeater Rifle with Scope alike an old Springfield would be - on a "Crossbow" for the Base Stats. Also +1 to Hit/Damage and Additional Dice to Damage or a extended Crit Rate are "Enchantments" one can use. Every single Effect (a +2 would be 2 Effects as a Scope plus Quickloader would be aka the "Sharpshooter Feat) adds a Level of Rarity on top and make the Weapon more expensive. For Ammo - well, I use the "Rule" that "Magic Ammo" always starts with the same Rarity as the Weapon - beeing a Gun or Not. This prevents Archers beeing OP as fuck as they easily can use Artifact-Level-Effects by combining Magic Ammo and Magic Weaponry. This goes also for "Normal Ammo" when the respective Enviroment does not provide it - like, getting Arrows in a Steampunk Enviroment where Gunammo is common and vice versa. Creating the Ammo is always a Difficult Task and needs a lot of Skill also depending on the Weapons Rarity - as "Speciual Guns" need "Special Ammo". This Downside "normal Weaponry" does not share, Arrows are always Arrows and pretty easy to make. This also makes Artificers Rules apply and keep balanced with thoose Thingies.

[@DungeonHussars]

This seems really fun, and I fully agree that guns should not do such insane amount of damage as firearms and other weapons can kill in a single strike. So applying this rule only to firearms seems really stupid.

[@TwinSteel]

🥳🫂👍🏿 Great stuff - always interesting to see how people might add firearms to their games

[@DungeonHussars]

Glad to see you enjoy it :)