Firearms

Firearms utilize cartridges that contain Aether. The cartridge is discharged, and the energy within it is guided through an enchanted metal barrel designed to stabilize the energy projectile. Enchantments placed upon the barrel, and the type of cartridge used, can further enhance and manipulate the energy for various effects. The power of the energy within the cartridges pushes the limits of the weapons designs, often overheating or structurally degrading weapons when they are used too frequently. There is currently a worldwide race between artificers to invent the first stable, reliable, and effective firearm design. It seems that each firearm made has to sacrifice one trait for another, either overcharging too quickly, lacking reliability, requiring a long reload process, or becoming too expensive for mass production.

New Weapon Properties

A new set of weapon properties that are unique to firearms, described as follows.

• Reload: A limited number of shots can be made with a weapon that has the reload property. Once firing the weapon that number of times, the wielder must spend an action or a bonus action to reload the weapon, allowing the weapon to be fired that number of times again.
• Slow Reload: A limited number of shots can be made with a weapon that has the slow reload property. Once firing the weapon that number of times, the wielder must spend an action to reload the weapon, allowing the weapon to be fired that number of times again.
• Overcharge: A limited number of shots can be made with a weapon that has the overcharge property, at which point the structure of the weapon has difficulty handling any further energy. Any shot fired after reaching this limit has a 50% chance to cause a complex malfunction, damaging the weapon beyond use, and causing the attack to fail. If the weapon has spent 10 minutes without firing a shot, the amount of shots contributing towards overcharge is reset to 0.
• Unreliable: Any attack roll made with the weapon where the natural d20 roll is equal to or below the Unreliable value causes the attack to fail due to a malfunction within the firearm. The ammunition used as part of the attack is expended. After a malfunction in this way, the character must spend an action to remedy the malfunction before the weapon can be fired again.

Generic Firearms: The standard set of firearms, which launch an accurate energy projectile. This set of firearms is balanced for good reliability, single shot, and reasonable overcharge values. Firearms tend to be unique region by region, and are often made by custom order. As such, consult the DM if you are interested in modifying the properties of your firearm. Typically, more damage or overcharge means less reliability, and vice versa.

Light Pistol	80 Gold	2d4 (cartridge)	3 lb.	Ammunition (range 20/60), unreliable 3, reload 1, overcharge 4, light.
Heavy Pistol	50 Gold	2d4 (cartridge)	5 lb.	Ammunition (range 30/90), unreliable 3, reload 1, overcharge 5.
Carbine	100 Gold	2d6 (cartridge)	8 lb.	Ammunition (range 40/120), unreliable 1, reload 1, overcharge 6, two-handed.
Rifle	100 Gold	2d6 (cartridge)	12 lb.	Ammunition (range 60/180), unreliable 2, reload 1, overcharge 6, two-handed, heavy.
Longrifle	150 Gold	2d8 (cartridge)	20 lb.	Ammunition (range 120/360), unreliable 3, slow reload 1, overcharge 3, two-handed, heavy.

Exotic Firearms: Firearms with unique functions, who properties are strange. These firearms tend to trade reliability and dependability in favor or experimental properties.

Revolving Block Pistol	120 gp	2d4 (cartridge)	6 lb.	Ammunition (range 20/60), unreliable 4, reload 4, overcharge 4, light. When making a short range attack using this weapon, you may choose to make two attacks instead, with both attacks suffering disadvantage.
Scattershot	150 gp	1d4 d4s (cartridge)	10 lb.	Ammunition (range 10/30), unreliable 3, reload 1, overcharge 3. On a hit, roll 1d4 to determine how many d4s of weapon damage the weapon deals.
Aethercoil Rifle	200 gp	1d6 (cartridge)	15 lb.	Ammunition (range 60/180), unreliable 3, reload 1, overcharge 4, two-handed, heavy. You may spend a bonus action to empower the Aethercoil, expending cartridges in order to gain coiled charges, up to a maximum of 3. Upon firing the weapon, you may expend any number of coiled charges, adding 1d6 weapon damage and increasing the unreliable value for the attack by 1 point for each coiled charge spent. Each coiled charge spent as part of the attack contributes an additional point towards overcharge.

Ammunitions: Cartridges have their own enchantments, and unique properties. Some add additional damage and accuracy, putting more stress of the weapon. Furthermore, cartridges determine the damage type of the shot. Fire is the standard, and easies to produce damage type, and is thus the cheapest. Cartridges are far more expensive than any other ranged weapon's ammo.

Cartridge (fire)	1 Gold for (5)	Damage type becomes fire.
Cartridge (acid)	1 Gold for (1)	Damage type becomes acid. Firing this cartridge contributes an additional point towards Overcharge. On a hit, the target's AC takes a -2 penalty (non-cumulative) for 1 round.
Cartridge (cold)	1 Gold for (1)	Damage type becomes cold. Firing this cartridge contributes an additional point towards Overcharge. For one round, the targets first 10 ft. of movement costs twice as much speed to traverse, after which they move as normal.
Cartridge (force)	1 Gold for (1)	Damage type becomes force. Firing this cartridge contributes an additional point towards Overcharge. On a hit, the target is pushed back 5 ft.
Cartridge: (lightning)	1 Gold for (1)	Damage type becomes lightning. Firing this cartridge contributes an additional point towards Overcharge. On a hit, lightning arcs from the target to a random creature within 5 ft. of it, dealing 1d4 lightning damage to it.
Cartridge (thunder)	1 Gold for (1)	Damage type becomes thunder. Firing this cartridge contributes an additional point towards Overcharge. On a hit, the target is deafened for 1 round. Spellcasters making concentration checks due to damage from this do so at disadvantage.