Firearm Rules

This section offers rules for using firearms in your game. Using these rules, every weapon is classified as either melee, ranged, or firearm. If a feature grants you a bonus with weapon attacks, your firearm attacks can also gain that benefit. If a feature grants you a bonus with only melee or ranged attacks, your firearm attacks gain no benefit.

Firearm Types

There are three types of firearms: sidearm, boomstick, and long gun. Each type is unique and offers certain advantages over the others, provided you are proficient in their use. 

• Sidearms
  If you are proficient with sidearms, you can make an opportunity attack with a sidearm when a hostile creature that you can see moves out of your normal range. To make the opportunity attack, you use your reaction to make one firearm attack against the provoking creature with a sidearm. The attack occurs right before the creature leaves your normal range. 

• Boomsticks
  If you are proficient with boomsticks, your firearm attacks made with boomsticks aren't made with disadvantage due to hostile creatures being within 5 feet of you. 

• Long Guns
  If you are proficient with long guns, and you make a firearm attack with a long gun with advantage, you can aim for the target's weak points, allowing you to add an additional damage die on a hit.

Firearm Proficiency

Proficiency with ranged weapons does not grant you proficiency with firearms. Instead, you gain proficiency with firearms only if you train or if a feature grants you proficiency.

If you gain proficiency with one weapon of specific firearm type, you gain proficiency with all firearms of that type. If you, for example, gain proficiency with one sidearm, you gain proficiency with all sidearms.

If a firearm requires a target to make a saving throw, you can't add your proficiency bonus to the save DC if you aren't proficient.

Firearm Ammunition

Firearms require ammunition to fire and the ammunition is destroyed upon use.

Crafting Firearms

Firearms are rare, making it difficult to find a merchant who sells them. Some firearms, however, are so unique that you can’t find them anywhere and must craft them yourself. Crafting firearms is done with gunsmith's tools (as detailed in this document). You must have proficiency with the gunsmith's tools to craft a firearm. Such firearms are marked with a * next to their cost, as seen in the Firearms table. You can craft a firearm at half its cost.

Due to its rare nature, ammunition may be near impossible to find or purchase but, if materials are gathered, a character can craft ammunition with a set of alchemist's or tinker’s tools. Different firearms use different ammunition and it is generally sold or crafted in batches as shown in the Firearm Ammunition table.

Firearm Attacks

Though often fired at range, firearm attacks are not ranged attacks. When you attack with a firearm, you make a firearm attack. Firearm attacks are weapon attacks.

Attacking with a firearm is otherwise similar to attacking with a melee or ranged weapon, in that you roll a d20 and add the appropriate modifiers, hitting a target if the roll plus modifiers equals or exceeds the target's Armor Class (AC).

Ability Modifier. The ability modifier used for a firearm attack is Dexterity.

Proficiency Bonus. You add your proficiency bonus to your attack roll when you attack using a firearm with which you have proficiency.

Range

Like many ranged weapons, firearms have two ranges. The smaller number is the normal range, and the larger number is the long range. Your attack roll has disadvantage when your target is beyond normal range, and you can't attack a target beyond the long range.

Damage Rolls

To deal damage with a firearm, you roll the damage dice of the ammunition loaded into the firearm and apply the damage to your target. You do not add any ability modifiers to the roll. Magic firearms, special abilities, and other factors can grant a bonus to damage.

Critical Hits

When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target. Roll all of the attack's damage dice two times and add them together. To speed up play, you can roll all the damage dice at once.

Two-Gun Fighting

When you take the Attack action and attack with a light firearm that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light firearm that you're holding in the other hand.

Firearm Attacks in Close Combat 

Aiming a firearm is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a firearm attack, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn't incapacitated.

Underwater Combat

When making a firearm attack while underwater, a creature automatically misses a target further than 5 feet away.

Firearm and Ammunition 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.

Firearm Properties

Burst Fire. A weapon that has the burst fire property can make a normal single-target attack, or it can make a special attack spraying a 10-foot-cube area with shots within its normal range. Each creature in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + twice your proficiency bonus) or take the weapon’s normal damage. This special attack uses ten pieces of ammunition. 

Concealed. A concealed weapon is either exceedingly hard to find or identify as a weapon. If a creature is actively searching the wielder for weapons, it must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If the wielder is proficient with the weapon, the check DC increases by an amount equal to the wielder’s proficiency bonus. 

Divine Aim. Your aim is guided by a higher power, allow- ing you to use Wisdom in place of Dexterity as your ability modifier when making a firearm attack with this weapon. 

Double Barrel. This firearm has two barrels. When making an attack with this firearm, you can choose to fire one or both barrels. If you fire both barrels, you make one attack roll but include the damage dice of both shots, using them both in the process. The immense recoil causing attack rolls against you to have advantage until the start of your next turn. For the purpose of the loading and reload properties, each barrel counts as a separate weapon. 

Loading. Because of the time required to load this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make. 

Precise. You don't make attack rolls with disadvantage with this weapon due to being prone. 

Prepare. Some firearms require you to light a fuse, operate a mechanism, carefully take aim, or perform some other task before use. Whatever the case, you must prepare this firearm to be fired before you can fire it on your turn or if you take the Ready action in order to fire it on a later turn. You use a bonus action on your turn to prepare a firearm. 

Reload. The firearm can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score before you must spend 1 attack, 1 action, or 1 bonus action to reload (the character's choice). You must have one free hand to reload a firearm and you can only do so on your turn. 

Sanctified. This firearm is either consecrated or desecrated. On a critical hit, the damage becomes necrotic if the weapon is desecrated or radiant if it is consecrated.

Ammunition Properties

Blare. Upon being fired, this ammunition releases a thundering boom that can be heard a number of feet away up to its Blare score. 

Dwindle. Ammunition with this property wanes or weakens at longer ranges. Beyond the weapon's normal range, it deals damage equal to the dwindle score of its ammunition, marked in parenthesis next to the property. 

Explosive. Upon a hit, everything within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + twice your proficiency bonus) or suffer 1d8 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly. 

Rend. This ammunition is designed to pierce hide and scale alike. It deals double damage to beasts. 

Spread. When you hit a target with this ammunition, you can choose a second target within 5 feet of it that you can see clearly. If your attack roll equals or exceeds the second target's Armor Class, it takes half as much weapon damage as the original target. 

Wreck. This ammunition is propelled with incredible force, shattering anything in its path. It deals double damage to objects and structures.

Special Firearms

Firearms with special rules are described here. 

Scatter-Gun. When fired, each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + twice your proficiency bonus), taking weapon damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Firearm Attachments

A firearm attachment can be applied to a firearm of a specific type or that has a specific property. The Firearm Attachments table shows examples of attachments that might be available to you, including what firearms are compatible with and what the market value is. Each attachment has a benefit and a detriment. Installing or removing an attachment takes 1 hour of work with tinker's tools in hand which can be done during a short or long rest.

Barlgura's Grip

A narrowing "choke" at the end of the barrel ensures a tighter spread. The firearm gains the following benefits and detriments when using ammunition with the spread property: 

Benefits. The normal range increases by 10 feet and the long range increases by 20 feet. 

Detriments. Ammunition fired with this firearm loses the spread property and you can't also install a Boar Snout.

Boar Snout

This oval-shaped diverter at the end of the barrel ensures a wider spread. The firearm gains the following benefits and detriments when using ammunition with the spread property: 

Benefits. Firearm attacks against an unseen target aren't made with disadvantage. 

Detriments. This firearm can't score a critical hit and you can't also install a Barlgura's Grip.

Death's Whisper

Attached at the firearm's nozzle, this heavy "suppressor" device reduces the sound of its shots. The firearm gains the following benefits and detriments: 

Benefits. The first time on a turn you hit a creature that hasn't taken a turn in combat yet with a firearm attack, you score a critical hit. In addition, ammunition fired with this firearm loses the blare property if it has it. 

Detriments. When you hit a creature that has taken a turn in combat with a firearm attack, the attack deals half its normal damage on a hit. In addition, this firearm's weight increases by 2 lb and it loses the light property if it has it.

Eagle Eye

You mount these optics on top of your firearm. The firearm gains the following benefits and detriments: 

Benefits. You don't suffer disadvantage on firearm attacks against targets beyond your normal range. 

Detriments. You make firearm attacks with disadvantage against targets within your normal range and the firearm's weight increases by 1 lb.

Firearm Descriptions

Firearms are divided into subcategories depending on how the firearm functions. These subcategories are sidearms, boomsticks, and long guns.

Sidearms

Sidearms are one-handed firearms with a medium range.

Castigator

This enormous and unwieldy sidearm holds only a single, massive cartridge at a time. It is breechloaded, requiring its user to lift a hinged lid, slide the cartridge into the chamber from the back of the barrel, and then close the lid. While cumbersome to carry and wield, the castigator packs an incredible punch for a sidearm.

Coat Pistol

A very small single-shot firearm that can be easily concealed. Though most common with a single barrel, artisan gunsmiths have been known to craft coat pistols with two separate barrels.

Flintlock Pistol

Flintlock pistols are muzzleloaded with gunpowder and then with buck and ball. To fire a flintlock pistol, a "hammer" is cocked using a thumb, locking it into place in a spring-tensioned position. Once cocked, a trigger can be pressed to release the hammer, which causes the flint at the end of the hammer to strike steel, creating sparks that ignite the gunpowder. Though limited in both range and stopping power, flintlock pistols are both cheap and the most common of sidearms. A few exceptional gunsmiths have managed to craft flintlock pistols with two separate barrels.

Pepperbox Pistol

A pepperbox pistol has four barrels, firing from the top-most barrel. Once fired, the barrels revolve around the central axis, moving the previous top-most barrel to the left and bringing another barrel in from the right to be in the top-most position.

Peacekeeper

A revolver is a technological marvel. A peacekeeper has a revolving cylinder in its center with six chambers, the top-most chamber aligning with its single barrel. Each chamber can house a single cartridge. A “hammer” above the handle can be cocked using a thumb, causing the cylinder to rotate partially to index the next chamber into alignment with the barrel. Once cocked, the trigger can be pressed to release the hammer, hitting the center of the cartridge in the top-most chamber, causing the bullet to be fired from the firearm.

Persuader

A much larger, more precise version of the peacekeeper that uses larger cartridges. Only true gunsmith artisans know how to craft this sidearm, which is considered to be the pinnacle of sidearm technology.

Redeemer

A revolver similar to the peacekeeper and the persuader, though with the notable difference that the cylinder can hold seven cartridges. It is the favored weapon of faithful gunslingers, exclusively used by agents of various churches. Constructing a redeemer involves a seven-day ritual where the weapon is blessed seven times each day by seven different clerics of the same faith.

Rimfire Revolver

Using a revolving cylinder like all revolvers, the rimfire revolver is an impressive weapon that allows for quick successive shots to be fired. It differs from other revolvers in that the hammer, once released, hits the rim of the cartridge in the top-most chamber, rather than the center. This design is a necessity due to the small cartridge size it uses, though it makes up for it by being incredibly light.

Thumb Gun

A thumb gun is held in the palm with its barrels protruding between the fingers. The thumb is pressed down from above in order to fire, causing the barrels to revolve with a mechanism similar to the pepperbox pistol.

Boomsticks

Boomsticks are large, crudely constructed firearms with short range. Some boomsticks can use various types of ammunition, some of which can hit multiple targets with a single shot.

Handcannon

This firearm resembles a small cannon with a fuse. It is loaded with gunpowder and a mortar grenade. The two are separated by a wax-treated wad to keep the igniting gunpowder from damaging the grenade as it is propelled by the ignition.

Jaculi Charmer

Similar to a long gun, though slightly wider, and much shorter, this firearm holds up to two shotshells. It earned its name when it became a favored weapon of many explorers and hunters in the age of exploration. Some creative gunslingers have found use in sawing off the barrel and stock to make a much smaller weapon while others have incorporated an internal cylinder that revolves with each fired shell, not much different from some sidearms.

Musketoon

Similar to a flintlock musket in design, but with a much shorter barrel. Contrary to other boomsticks, the musketoon uses buck and ball and is muzzleloaded. It is relatively easy to wield and is the most common of all the boomsticks.

Peashooter

With an elegant design, the peashooter is the simplest and most reliable of all the shotshell based boomsticks. It has a single, long barrel which gives it a longer range than most other boomsticks.

Scatter-Gun

A scatter-gun resembles an oversized jaculi charmer, though it is much wider and quite unwieldy. It holds only a single shot at a time and requires several mechanisms to be pulled and pressed before firing. Once fired, the shot is sprayed into the vicinity with little to no precision.

Long Guns

Long guns are large, long-range firearms. Some hit incredibly hard and can shoot further than a longbow.

Arquebus

The arquebus has a rifled barrel and uses a matchlock mechanism for firing. A priming pan is manually filled with gunpowder and the ball ammunition is muzzleloaded. Due to the barrel's unwieldy length, a fork rest can fold down from below the firearm to provide support, thereby allowing steady firing.

Auroch's Bane

A very large and heavy long gun, holding only a single, specially crafted, massive cartridge at a time, firing out to extremely long range. The auroch's bane earned its name for its ability to fell an aurochs with a single bullet.

Flintlock Rifle

With a single, rifled barrel, the flintlock rifle is elegantly designed. It is loaded with a single ball and is muzzleloaded like all flintlock weapons. Its long barrel and dedication ammunition gives it incredible range.

Flintlock Musket

Similar to the flintlock rifle but much cheaper to produce with its shorter, smoothbore barrel. It is muzzleloaded and, like most flintlock weapons, uses buck and ball as ammunition. Though all long guns are rare, the flintlock musket is the most commonly used.

Marksman Rifle

Best described as a smaller auroch's bane, the marksman rifle is an exceptional weapon with incredible range. A single cartridge is chambered from above the barrel, then load- ed into a spring-loaded position with a bolt-handle. If pulled back, the bolt-handle releases the loading chamber, causing the spent cartridge case to eject.

Mechanus Carbine

A single-barrel long gun with an internal chamber that holds up to five immense cartridges, first designed by Oric immigrants in Al'ar. When fired, a spring pushes the next cartridge into place. Though much shorter, the barrel is rifled, giving it incredible range.

Pepperbox Rifle

An oversized pepperbox sidearm with barrels similar in length to that of a musket. The inside of the barrels are rifled, allowing bullets to travel much further with incredible precision.

Rainmaker

Originating from the same plane, the rainmaker is similar in design to the Mechanus carbine, and can hold an impressive ten cartridges. Though it requires operation of several complex mechanisms before firing and has a short range of fire for a long gun, it makes up for it with its incredible stopping power and, most notably, its ability to fire its cartridges in rapid succession. It does so by utilizing the recoil from the firing of the first cartridge to eject its cartridge case while simultaneously chambering the next cartridge and immediately firing it.

Woodpecker Rifle

Similar to the Mechanus carbine and the rainmaker, the woodpecker rifle was invented by Oric immigrants from Al'ar. It is best described as a smaller rainmaker and it gained its name from the sound it makes when firing its cartridges in rapid succession.

Ammunition Descriptions

There are many different types of ammunition, each with different technical properties such as diameter, weight, and velocity. The ammunition descriptions below are listed in alphabetical order.

Ball

A ball is a .5 inch diameter lead pellet, weighing 1,750 grains. When muzzleloaded into a firearm, the wielder must take the ramrod, a metal rod secured in a notch in the firearm's frame, to ram the wad up against the ball and fasten both at the bottom of the barrel.

Buck and Ball

Buck and ball comes in paper cartridges bound with string. First three lead pellets, roughly .3 inches in diameter and weighing around 440 grains each, are filled into the pa- per cartridge, string tightening the paper above and below the pellets to create a half-choke and a choke, respectively. Then a .5 inch diameter, 1,750 grains heavy lead ball is put on top, again using string to half-choke the paper above. Finally, gunpowder is poured into the paper cartridge, and the leftover paper is folded to close it. When loading a firearm with buck and ball, the end of the paper cartridge is torn off and the gunpowder is poured into the barrel. The remainder of the paper cartridge is then muzzleloaded into the firearm, acting as a wad. Just as with ball ammunition, the wielder must then ram the cartridge up against the gunpowder at the bottom of the barrel with the ramrod.

Heavy Cartridge

These 3-inch-long cartridges weigh nearly 1 oz each with their .5 inch diameter. Though more costly than steel, the casing is brass as it creates a better chamber seal and less recoil. As all cartridges, it is first filled with gunpowder. The casing is sealed with a .338 inch diameter cylindro-spherical lead bullet that is fired at speeds up to 2,500 feet per second; an astounding speed considering the bullet's weight of 300 grains.

Light Cartridge

Light cartridges are about 1 inch long and .3 inches in diameter, weighing .222 oz. They are the smallest cartridge and aren't used for many firearms due to their relatively low stopping power. The steel casing is filled with gunpowder and closed with a 45-grain heavy, .22 inch diameter cylindro-spherical lead bullet that moves at almost 1.000 feet per second once fired.

Massive Cartridge

No cartridge is as aptly named as this one, weighing nearly 4.2 oz with its 5.45-inch length and .8 inch diameter. Like the heavy cartridge, this cartridge has a brass casing. The copper bullet, which is cylindro-conical, has more than twice the mass of a heavy bullet, weighing a whopping 700 grains with a .51 inch diameter. It reaches speeds exceeding 3,000 feet per second.

Medium Cartridge

True to its name, a medium cartridge lands exactly halfway between the light and heavy cartridges in terms of diameter and length. With its steel casing, it weighs .311 oz and holds a 60 grains heavy bullet with a .223 inch diameter. A medium bullet, cylindro-spherical in shape, reaches immense velocity once fired, nearing almost 3,000 feet per second.

Mortar Grenade

A mortar grenade is an iron-cast sphere containing a vial of alchemist's fire that is held in place by gunpowder. Upon impact, the vial shatters, causing the gunpowder to combust. The result is a small explosion.

Noisy Cricket

As the pinnacle of bullet cartridges, the noisy cricket is unparalleled in both mass, weight, and pure stopping power. The cartridge is slightly shorter than that of a massive cartridge with its 5 inches, though it is much broader with its 1-inch diameter. This increase in mass gives it a weight of 21.4 oz. The cylindro-conical copper bullet has a diameter of .95 inches and weighs a whopping 3,600 grains (equivalent of a little over 1/2 lb). The mass and weight of a noisy cricket are staggering but nothing compared the bulk of a firearm required to fire it. Once fired, the bullet travels at speeds up to 2,200 feet per second, devastating anything it touches.

Shotshell

A shotshell consists of a cylindric, brass casing, 2 3/4 inch- es long and .71 inches in diameter, with a primer at one end. The casing is filled with gunpowder, a wad, then the shot before being sealed with candle wax. When the firearm is fired, the gunpowder combusts, causing the shot to tear through the wax and travel along the smoothbore barrel before finding open air. There are three kinds of shot used in shotshells, each of which is described below in order from smallest to largest. 

Snake. Commonly called snakeshot, this shot consists of .19 inch diameter, 10 grains heavy lead pellets. A total of 77 pellets fit in a cartridge, which is the heaviest shot-shell cartridge at 2.348 oz. The shot's name is derived from its primary use, though some opt to instead refer to it as birdshot, dustshot, or ratshot. It is ideal for hunting small critters without excessively damaging the surrounding environment. Once fired, snakeshot reaches speeds up to 1,200 feet per second. 

Buck. With .33 inch diameter, 54 grains heavy lead pellets, this type of shot is ideal for hunting medium and large game. A shotshell cartridge holds 9 of these pellets and is the lightest shotshell with 1.664 oz. It fires faster than snakeshot, reaching a velocity up to 1,300 feet per second. 

Slug. This type of shot consists of only a single .7 inch diameter, 656 grains heavy lead pellet. Contrary to other types of shot, this shot's name doesn't reference the type of beast it is designed to shoot, but rather the shot's shape. The single slug can reach a velocity of up to 1,500 feet per second and is used to hunt very large game.

Tools and Miscellany

Gunpowder

Gunpowder is a black, granular, alchemical mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, giving the substance its more common name of “black powder.” It is a necessary ingredient in bombs and in the paper cartridges used by firearms. Igniting an ounce of gunpowder causes it to burn for 1 round, shedding bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. Gunpowder in larger quantities can have more devastating effects. 

• Barrel. A barrel contains enough gunpowder to fill approximately 40 gunpowder horns. Igniting a full barrel of gunpowder causes it to explode at the end of the next round. Each creature within 15 feet of the keg must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d4 piercing plus 5d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 

• Horn. A horn contains enough gunpowder to create 30 paper cartridges. Igniting a full horn of gunpowder causes it to explode immediately. Each creature within 5 feet of the horn must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 

• Keg. A keg contains enough gunpowder to fill approximately 20 gunpowder horns. Igniting a full keg of gunpowder causes it to explode at the end of the next round. Each creature within 10 feet of the keg must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d4 piercing plus 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Gunsmith's Tools.

A necessary tool for any firearm wielder, a gunsmith’s tools allows its owner to maintain, modify, and otherwise tinker with firearms. Proficiency with these tools lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make to analyze, repair, or craft firearms.

• Components. A gunsmith’s tools includes calipers, hammers, a set of iron pin punches, a pair of pliers, metal files, scourers, cloths, polish & cleaning kit, and precise implements used for deconstructing and reconstructing firearms. 

• Arcana, History. Your knowledge of firearms aids you in identifying the properties of magical firearms and mods or the history of such items. 

• Investigation. When you examine the scene of a gunfight, proficiency with a gunsmith’s tools is useful for determining factors such as a shooter’s position, the firearm they used, the type of ammunition that was shot, and the skill of a shooter. 

• Medicine. This tool proficiency grants additional insight whenever you treat anyone suffering from a gunshot wound, or when examining the corpse of a creature killed by a firearm. 

• Sabotage Armament. Your knowledge of a firearm’s internal design enables you to sabotage them with ease. With a gunsmith’s tools in hand, you can spend 1 minute tinkering with a firearm or a similar weapon, such as a cannon, to sabotage it. The sabotage is not immediately obvious unless a creature inspects the weapon. A sabotaged weapon cannot be used to make ranged weapon attacks until it is maintained or otherwise fixed. 

Gunsmith's Tools