Firearms and Explosives

© RDD Wilkin / Spilled Ale Studios

Ramshackle assumes that firearms and black powder explosives are available. Use the firearm rules that follow, or your favourite firearm rules from another source!

Firearms Proficiency

In Ramshackle’s default setting, firearms aren’t completely commonplance, but they are an established enough weapons technology to be considered martial weapons.

If slotting Ramshackle into a world where firearms are rarer, then proficiency with firearms likely shouldn’t be automatic. In such settings, a character can either select individual firearms using the Weapon Master feat, or become proficient with all firearms by selecting the Renaissance Soldier feat presented in the sidebar Note that if you require proficiency to be purchased in this way then a character who is not a variant human can’t become proficient in firearms using feats until fourth level. If this is a concern, consider allowing members of other races to gain proficiency with a single type of firearm at 1st level in one of the following ways:

• If the character gains proficiency in weapons through a racial feature, they may gain proficiency with a single firearm instead.

• The character can trade one of their skill proficiencies for proficiency with a single firearm.

Weapon	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Pistol	250 gp	2d4 piercing	3 lb.	ammunition (range 30/90 ft.), loading
Musket	500 gp	2d6 piercing	10 lb.	ammunition (range 40/120 ft.), heavy, loading, two-handed
Prototype Repeating Musket	2000 gp	2d6 piercing	15 lb.	ammunition (range 40/120 ft.), heavy, two-handed, special
Longrifle	1000 gp	2d6 piercing	12 lb.	ammunition (range 60/180 ft.), heavy, loading, two-handed
Speargun	650 gp	2d8 piercing	20 lb.	ammunition (range 30 ft.), heavy (out of water), loading, two-handed, special
Light Cannon	1000 gp	2d10 piercing	20 lb.	ammunition (range 40/120 ft.), heavy, two-handed, special
Dwarven Dragonsfire Rod	1500 gp	Special	18 lb.	ammunition (range 30 ft.), heavy, special
Mana Rifle	(10 + 1d10) x 1,000 gp	1d10 force	7 lb.	range 180 ft., special

Special Weapon Properties

Prototype Repeating Musket. The repeating musket is a prototype weapon which can be loaded with multiple bullets at once, making reloading between each shot unnecessary. Six bullets are fed into a revolving cylinder, which rotates them into position in the musket’s barrel automatically as the weapon is fired. While there is still ammunition in the cylinder, the repeating musket doesn’t have the loading property.

Once the weapon is empty of pre-loaded bullets, the wielder can continue to use it as a regular musket with the loading property until they can spare the time to reload all six chambers.

The weapon’s mechanisms are temperamental, and prone to jamming. On a natural 1 on an attack roll, the weapon becomes jammed.

A repeating musket’s wielder can spend their entire turn and their reaction to fully reload the weapon’s six chambers or clear a jam, but not both.

Speargun. The speargun is a weapon created by Ramshackle’s artificers and wielded exclusively by marine divers and manta pilots. Outside of the water, it gains the heavy property.

Light Cannon. The so-called “light cannon” is a bulky weapon that does indeed resemble nothing so much as a smaller version of a cannon set upon a long wooden stock, like a musket. It fires cast iron balls that are significantly larger than the ammunition of a musket.

The light cannon is a handheld weapon of unprecedented destructive power, but requires extraordinary physical strength to use without harm to the wielder. Due to the weapon’s weight and the need to brace, a light cannon must be fired from the waist or braced. To wield a light cannon safely, the bearer must therefore have a Strength score of at least 18 or be a Large or larger creature. Anyone else attempting to fire a light cannon suffers bludgeoning damage equal to that of the weapon, is pushed back 10 feet, and is knocked prone.

A light cannon deals double damage to objects, but not structures.

It takes one action to load a light cannon, one bonus action to aim it, and one action to fire it.

Dwarven Dragonsfire Rod. The dragonsfire rod is a metal tube attached by a hose to a pressurised cask of specially formulated alchemist’s fire the dwarves call dragonsfire. The cask either sits in a fixed position from which the wielder of the dragonsfire rod can move no further than 10 feet, or else the cask is strapped to the wielder’s back using a special rig which is included in the price of the weapon. A curved crank handle is fitted to cask. If the cask is on the ground the crank is positioned near the top. When a cask is worn on a person’s back it is rotated 180 degrees so that the handle is at the bottom, within easy reach of the wielder’s hand.

To prime the dragonsfire rod, the crank handle needs to be pulled 30 degrees away from the wielder’s body, which can be accomplished as an object interaction.

Once the weapon is primed the liquid contents flow through the hose into the rod, after which the wielder may spend an action to pull the trigger. The rod sprays dragonsfire in a 30 foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much if successful. A creature that fails its save also takes a further 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The creature can end this ongoing damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.

It takes one action to decouple a depleted cask and one action to connect a new one, which must be adjacent. However, removing the depleted cask from one’s back and replacing it with another is a more involved process of buckling and unbuckling and is equivalent to donning and doffing light armor.

It’s common practice for dwarven dragonsfire teams to operate in teams of two, one to wield the weapon and the other to help defend them and assist in reloading. These teams typically establish stationary positions where they have access to stores of dragonsfire casks. While the dwarves take every possible precaution to reduce the chances of these stored casks catching fire from enemy attacks, dragonsfire bunkers are still notoriously dangerous assignments.

Mana Rifle. These weapons are the creations of advanced empires now long since fallen, and might occasionally be discovered within ancient ruins. A mana rifle resembles an extremely large wand, roughly the size of a gymnast’s baton, attached to a stock similar to that of a crossbow.

A mana rifle counts as a Rare magic item. It has 30 charges, which recharge at dawn. At the expense of a charge the mana rifle fires a beam of force energy, not unlike an eldritch blast. An additional charge may be spent to push the target backward 10 feet.

Variants exist that deal other types of damage, and some possess unusual special properties.

Ammunition	Cost	Weight	Properties
Bullets (10)	3 gp	2 lb.	—
Light Cannon Balls (4)	5 gp	2 lb.	—
Dragonsfire Cask	400 gp	12 lb.	Special
Black Powder Horn	35 gp	2 lb.	Special
Black Powder Keg	250 gp	20 lb.	Special
Speargun Spear	1 sp	1 lb.	—

Special Ammunition Properties

Dragonsfire Cask. A cask of the incendiary alchemical substance known as dragonsfire contains enough fluid for four attacks with a dwarven dragonsfire rod. Dragonsfire is considered a banned substance on Ramshackle.

Setting fire to a cask of dragonsfire results in an explosion. All creatures within 10 feet of the cask must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save or half as much if successful. A creature that fails its save also takes a further 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The creature can end this ongoing damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.

Black Powder Horn. Black powder is an explosive substance, that can be used to propel a bullet. A powder horn is a portable container, traditionally made from an animal’s horn, that contains enough black powder to fire ten bullets.

Setting fire to a powder horn results in an explosion. All creatures within 10 feet of the powder horn must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much if successful.

Setting fire to an ounce of gunpowder results in a flare of light for one round, shedding bright light in a 3-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet.

Black Powder Keg. When not portioned into portable powder horns, black powder is stored in large, heavy kegs. A powder keg carries enough black powder for firing eighty bullets.

Setting fire to a powder horn results in an explosion. All creatures within 10 feet of the powder horn must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much if successful.

Setting fire to an ounce of gunpowder results in a flare of light for one round, shedding bright light in a 3-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet.

Explosive	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Bomb	50 gp	Special	1 lb.	Special
Smoke Bomb	30 gp	Special	2 lb.	Special

Special Explosive Properties

Bomb. A bomb can be lit as an action and thrown into a space within 60 feet. All creatures within 10 feet of the target space must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much if successful.

Smoke Bomb. A smoke bomb is filled with an alchemical substance that generates large quantities of smoke when the casing breaks. It can be lit as an action and thrown into a space within 60 feet. A 20 foot radius area with the target space as its center becomes lightly obscured. One round after, the area becomes heavily obscured. A moderate wind (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds or a strong wind (20 or more miles per hour) disperses it in 1 round. Otherwise, the smoke disperses after 10 rounds.

Modification	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Axe Blade	8 gp	1d8 slashing	modified weapon x 1.5*	Special
Bayonet	5 gp	1d6 piercing	+1 lb.	Special
Bipod	50 gp	—	+1 lb.	Special
Double Barrel	x1.5 gp	—	base weapon x 1.5*	Special
Spyglass	1,200 gp	—	+1 lb.	Special

* Multiply the weapon’s weight by 1.5 after applying any weight adjustments from other modifications.

** Multiply the base weapon’s cost and weight by 1.5 before applying any adjustments from other modifications.

Special Modification Properties

Axe Blade. An axe blade is a modification that can be added to any two-handed firearm that allows it to be wielded as a Strength-baded slashing melee weapon equivalent to a battleaxe.

Unlike a bayonet, which is designed to spear the enemy’s flesh and be pulled out, the heavy swings of an axe blade can do a great deal more damage to a gun which isn’t designed for such impacts. Therefore, this modification includes additional structural support to the rest of the weapon and its other modifications. After applying all other modifications, multiply the combined weight of the base weapon and its other modifications by one and a half.

Axe blades, bayonets, and bipods can’t be applied to the same weapon.

Bayonet. A bayonet is a modification that can be added to any two-handed firearm that allows it to be wielded as a piercing melee weapon equivalent to a spear.

Bayonets, axe blades, and bipods can’t be applied to the same weapon.

Bipod. A bipod is a modification that can be added to any two-handed firearm or crossbow that allows it to be braced against a flat, firm surface for additional accuracy.

Bracing a weapon requires a bonus action. Additionally, the wielder must be adjacent to a suitable piece of half or three-quarters cover on which the weapon can be propped, or the wielder must be lying prone on solid ground.

While braced, the short range of the weapon is doubled.

Bipods, axe blades, and bayonets can’t be applied to the same weapon.

Double Barrel. A double barrel is a modification that can be added to any two-handed firearm that does not already ignore the loading property (such as a repeating musket) and uses bullets or cannon balls. This modification can be applied at the time of the weapon’s creation only.

A double-barreled weapon can be fired twice before its wielder needs to reload, ignoring the loading property or special loading rules of the weapon. After the second shot, it becomes a normal weapon of its type. Ammunition can be loaded one at a time. Alternatively, the wielder can reload both barrels which requires an action or double the reloading time of the base weapon, whichever is longer.

A double barrel adds considerable weight to a weapon. Before other modifications are applied, increase the weight of the base weapon by one half.

The cost of a double barrel weapon is calculated in the same fashion: increase the cost of the base weapon by one half before applying the costs of any additional modifications.

Spyglass Attachment. A spyglass attachment is a modification that can be added to any two-handed firearm or crossbow that makes attacks against a single target, with the exception of a light cannon. A spyglass allows the weapon to be fired with greater accuracy. The weapon has its short range doubled, and it deals an additional die of damage whenever the wielder scores a critical hit.

Firearms Feats

Musketeer

Thanks to birth or luck, you had the opportunity to train in the use of smoke powder weapons and devices. You gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• You gain proficiency with all firearms.

Gunslinger

You are skilled at maximising the potential of any smoke powder weapon you wield. You gain the following benefits:

• You ignore the loading quality of firearms with which you are proficient.

• When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a loaded pistol you are holding. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.