Firearms

Firearms Overview

Firearms in Dustriders have several options while using them, allowing for players to be more flexible with how they approach a combat situation. By default, a burst is a normal attack players make while using a firearm, and a single shot or a half burst is a more controlled attack with a bonus to hit typically.

As a general guideline, unarmored targets are more evasive and it is better to use these options to your advantage. Firearms do use your Dexterity modifier and Proficiency Bonus (assuming you are proficient with them) to make an attack unless otherwise specified, but do not gain additional damage from their attacks from ability scores, like other ranged weapons. Remember, an individual dice's damage must beat an armor grade to actually deal damage, as 20D4 Piercing, Slashing, or Bludgeoning damage versus Grade 4 Armor will deal 0 damage.

All firearms are by default, very loud, and will attract attention from a great distance.

Mods

Firearm mods allow players to tailor and customize their weapons in a give and take fashion, while some mods have smaller downsides than others, it is all meant to allow for greater flexibility in how you play the game.

Firearm Properties

Cartridge: The cartridge type determines which ammunition the weapon accepts, as well as how much and what type of damage it does. As a general rule of thumb, Pistol cartridge damage dice sizes range from 1d4 to 1d8, Intermediate cartridge damage dice sizes range from 1d8 to 1d10, and Rifle cartridge damage dice sizes range from 1d10 to 1d12, depending on the weapon. Other cartridge types may have their damage dice sizes and damage types specified in their weapon's descriptions.

Jamming: Firearms do have the unique failure point of potentially jamming and being unable to be fired again until a Bonus Action is taken to clear the jam. A jam has the potential to occur on a critical failure in combat. When this happens, the player must roll a secondary dice outlined in the statblock. If it hits or is lower than the specified threshold on the roll, the weapon is jammed. If the player's weapon has jammed, it is counted as if it had not fired in the first place.

Loading: Players can choose to reload with an Action or a Bonus Action, usually. Additional details on specifics for individual statblocks.

Magazine Size: Firearms need to be reloaded once enough attacks are made. The number of shots and the size of the dice usually correlates with the cartridge size and weapon type.

Special Maneuvers: are something done as an attack typically, unless otherwise specified. Each statblock itself has one or more special maneuvers. Some are unique to that firearm.

Firearm Special Properties

Firearms are very diverse and frequently have special properties that distinguish them from one another, giving each a unique way of using them.

Armor Piercing: Most often listed as a rating such as AP I through AP VIII. Armor Piercing I treats armor as if it is 1 grade lower. Higher AP ratings treat armor grades lower by an amount equal to the AP rating. Armor Piercing ammo stacks with this effect. Weapons with High Powered Rounds do not benefit from Armor Piercing.

For example, Armor Piercing III treats armor as if it were lowered by the AP value, so Grade 3 and lower armor is treated as unarmored.

Armor Piercing on Aimed Shot: The Aimed Shot maneuver grants a higher AP rating than the base weapon. This treats the armor as if it were a number of Armor Grades lower equal to the AP rating. This is usually available on weapons that use Intermediate or Rifle cartridges.

Bullpup: Removes disadvantage from being in melee range, no other advantages.

CQC: Specifies a bonus to hit when certain conditions are met and removes disadvantage from being in melee range.

High Powered Rounds: Each successful shot does additional damage matching the High Powered rating. Magnum ammunition stacks with this effect, adding a damage bonus of +1. High Powered rounds deal double the rolled damage to Poise before mitigations. Weapons with Armor Piercing do not benefit from High Powered Rounds.

With High Powered Rounds, the individual rolled die's value must be greater than the Armor Grade. These weapons are meant to hurt unarmored targets more reliably than they are to defeat armor. As one real-world example, hollow-point rounds are designed specifically for soft-body targets but struggle to defeat body armor.

As a few examples of weapons with High Powered rounds, the KDI Zelo Ndeke-50 Automag uses high powered rounds, and so does the Union Defense MG60.

In a scenario where one is using the Union Defense MG60 against an opponent with Superheavy Armor (Armor Grade 7), they fire two burst attacks, rolling two D12's for each burst. The MG60 has a High Powered rating of II. The first D12 in the burst lands on a 4, and deals no damage, but the second D12 lands on an 8 and the burst deals a total of 10 (8+2) damage. In another attack, both D12's land on a 9, each dealing 11 (9+2) damage for a total of 22 damage.

Ignores Armor: Bypasses physical damage mitigations of armor completely.

Ignores Resistances: Bypasses elemental damage resistances, magical or otherwise.

Integrally Suppressed: Attacks with advantage deal your Proficiency Bonus in extra damage. See the Suppressed special property for additional information. Integrally suppressed weapons cannot have a suppressor added on top of the existing suppressor and do not suffer any range penalties.

Overheating: Firing the highest damage burst either with consecutive attacks or turns more times than the specified number will cause the weapon to be unusable for one turn, usually reserved for some machine guns as a means of keeping the action and ammo economy more in line with other weapon classes. For example with a weapon that overheats after 2 consecutive bursts, if I fire a full burst one round of combat, then fire a full burst in the next round of combat, the following burst after that will cause the weapon to overheat. You can fire a single shot, half burst, or controlled burst to reset this counter.

Sundering: The elemental equivalent of Armor Piercing. It has a rating like Sundering I, II, or III, where it treats an armor's Elemental Resistance value lower by an amount equal to the rating. This does not apply to innate Elemental Resistances, like those granted by magic or features.

Suppressed/Stealthy: Firearms with this property do not automatically alert an unaware opponent, nor do they attract reinforcements. Firing a suppressed firearm does not automatically alert enemies that are outside of initiative or when you attack while hidden. After attacking, roll a Stealth check versus the target's Passive Perception. If you succeed, you stay hidden.

When a suppressor is added to a weapon, its range is cut by 1/4th its total range. When it is removed, that range is added back. Some firearms have integral suppressors or are already stealthy.

You may remove or attach a suppressor as a free object interaction.

Underslung

A weapon with this property means that it can be attached to another weapon with the Underslung Attachment mod. When it is underslung, meaning it is attached to the appropriate weapon, the weapon can be fired as a Bonus Action or as an Attack.