I’m still tinkering with some firearm rules for my campaign setting of Terra Nara but I think i’ve settled on something I can actually live with.
Guns require the exotic weapon proficiency firearms to use properly. Only one feat is required for both pistols and rifles.
Flintlock Pistol 3lbs
———––Small/Medium
250gp, 1d8/2d6 Critical x3 Range Increment 50ft Piercing
Two-Handed
Long Rifle 10lbs
———–Small/Medium
700gp 2d6/3d6 Critical x3 (Range Increment 100ft Piercing
3gp for 10 bullets
1oz of smokepowder to fire
1gp of smokepowder per oz
Smokepowder costs 16gp per pound, (1 gp/ ounce)
A refillable Ivory horn capable of storing 2 pounds of powder costs 4gp(not counting powder)
Firearms could be constructed for larger creatures however the amount of somepowder required
would quickly get out of hand and the giants would be better off making explosives.
Firearms are deadly against armored targets as the bullets can easily rip straight through armor and into flesh. The target takes a -8 penalty on its armor class. (this penlalty can not exceed the combined shield, armor and natural armor bonus) So a target wearing only a chain shirt would take a -4 penalty to his armor class.
Guns are not capable of penetrating armor generated by force effects such as through the spells mage armor, shield, inertial armor, force screen.
You could more or less consider guns to be incorporeal ranged touch attacks but they only ignore up to 8 points of armor.
This is one issue I had, I thought guns should have some bonus against armored targets as firearms are what made wearing full suits of metal plate obsolete. However I figured magical armor should provide some protection as should the massive natural armor of some creatures such as dragons.
Firearms carry only one shot, Reloading takes 3 move actions (or one move action and one full-round action), each action is a separate step in the reloading process and could be broken up in several rounds.
For example Phil fires his pistol at the goblin, he then stops takes a move action to start reloading. The next round he moves back 30ft (a move action) and takes another move action to continue reloading. On the third round he spends one last move action reloading and fires again. Or Phil could fire his gun, spend a move action reloading and a full round action the next round to finish reloading and fire again on the 3rd round.
Reloading a firearm provokes an attack of opportunity.
I picked this idea out of a d20 Rokugan book. Reloading a flintlock as basically three steps
load powder, load bullet, and ramrod.
This also means the character need not stand in once place the whole time and at least have some movement.
A special type of smokepowder is used to fuel guns and cannons. This alchemical powder does not ignite when exposed to fire unless a special alchemically treated metal is present. This metal lines the insides of guns and cannons. The end result is simple fire spells won’t cause stacks of smokepowder to explode like a bomb. (I wanted to avoid making fire magic an easy solution to cannon carrying ships)
As guns use a chemical reaction to propel the bullet enchanting firearms costs 25% extra. Thus enchanting a rifle to be a +1 weapon would cost 2,500gp instead of 2,000.
Bullets can be enchanted as any other ammunition.
So for my setting there are 3 basic advantages of guns.
1: They have deadly critical hits
2: They have large bonus over armor
3: They have impressive damage for their size.
And three basic disadvantages
1: Slow-rate of fire, also gives numerous chances for AoO.
2: More expensive to enchant.
3: Can be rather expensive at low to mid levels. Every shot costs you 1gp of smokepowder.
