Ultimate Equipment | Rules | Arms And Armor | Weapons | Firearms

Firearms

This section presents an anachronistic collection of hand-held black powder weapons suitable for a wide variety of fantasy adventure campaigns. Most of them are single-shot muzzle-loaders with highly inefficient triggering mechanisms—traditional sword and sorcery firearms. More advanced firearms are also presented for those brave enough to mix their fantasy with a technology much closer to that of the Old West than the slow and unstable weapons that gave musketeers their name. Of course, it is the GM's decision whether or not guns of any type are allowed in a campaign.

What follows are additional rules for using firearms.

Firearm Proficiency

The Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) feat allows you to use all firearms without penalty. A nonproficient character takes the standard –4 penalty on attack rolls with firearms, and a nonproficient character who loads a firearm increases all misfire values by 4 for the shots he loads.

Even though the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) feat grants you proficiency with all firearms, anytime you take a feat that modifies a single type of weapon (such as Weapon Focus or Rapid Reload), you must still pick one specific type of firearm (such as musket, axe musket, blunderbuss, pistol, or double pistol) for that feat to affect.

All firearms are part of the same weapon group for the purposes of the fighter's weapon training class feature.

Firearm Categories

The firearms in this chapter fall into one of two categories: early or advanced firearms.

Early Firearms: Early firearms are typically matchlock, wheellock, or flintlock weapons, and require more finesse and care to use than advanced firearms. Early firearms are muzzle-loaded, requiring a bullet and powder (or other special alchemical substances) to be shoved down the barrel before the weapon is fired. Early firearm ammunition can be loaded from a cartridge, but that cartridge is made of soft material (like paper or cloth) that is torn open so that the contents may be shoved down the barrel.

Advanced Firearms: Advanced firearms are more reliable and accurate than early firearms. The ammunition for an advanced firearm takes the form of metal (usually brass) cartridges that are loaded into a chamber rather than shoved down the muzzle.

Capacity

A firearm's capacity is the number of shots it can hold at one time. When making a full-attack action, you may fire a firearm as many times in a round as you have attacks, up to this limit, unless you can reload the weapon as a swift or free action while making a full-attack action. In the case of early firearms, capacity often indicates the number of barrels a firearm has. In the case of advanced firearms, it typically indicates the number of chambers the weapon has.

Range and Penetration

Armor, whether manufactured or natural, provides little protection against the force of a bullet at short range.

Early Firearms: When firing an early firearm, the attack resolves against the target's touch AC when the target is within the first range increment of the weapon, but this type of attack is not considered a touch attack for the purposes of feats and abilities such as Deadly Aim. At higher range increments, the attack resolves normally, including taking the normal cumulative –2 penalty for each full range increment. Unlike other projectile weapons, early firearms have a maximum range of five range increments.

Advanced Firearms: Advanced firearms resolve their attacks against touch AC when the target is within the first five range increments, but this type of attack is not considered a touch attack for the purposes of feats such as Deadly Aim. At higher range increments, the attack resolves normally, including taking the normal cumulative –2 penalty for each full-range increment. Advanced firearms have a maximum range of 10 range increments.

Loading a Firearm

You need at least one hand free to load one-handed and two-handed firearms. In the case of two-handed firearms, you hold the weapon in one hand and load it with the other—you only need to hold it in two hands to aim and shoot the firearm.

The Rapid Reload feat reduces the time required to load one-handed and two-handed firearms. Loading any firearm provokes attacks of opportunity. Other rules for loading a firearm depend on whether the firearm is an early firearm or an advanced firearm.

Early Firearms: Early firearms are all muzzle-loaded, requiring bullets or pellets and black powder to be rammed down the muzzle. If an early firearm has multiple barrels, each barrel must be loaded separately. It is a standard action to load each barrel of a one-handed early firearm and a full-round action to load each barrel of a two-handed early firearm.

Advanced Firearms: Advanced firearms are chamber-loaded. It is a move action to load a one-handed or two-handed advanced firearm to its full capacity.

Misfires

If the natural result of your attack roll with a firearm is equal to or less than the firearm's misfire value, that shot misses, even if you would have otherwise hit the target. When a firearm misfires, it gains the broken condition. While it has the broken condition, it suffers the normal disadvantages that broken weapons do, and its misfire value increases by 4 unless the wielder has gun training in the particular type of firearm. In that case, the misfire value increases by 2 instead of 4.

Early Firearms: If an early firearm with the broken condition misfires again, it explodes. When a nonmagical firearm explodes, the weapon is destroyed. Magical firearms are wrecked, which means they can't fire until they are fully restored (which requires either the make whole spell or the Gunsmithing feat). When a gun explodes, pick one corner of your square—the explosion creates a burst from that point of origin. Each early firearm has a burst size noted in parentheses after its misfire value. Any creature within this burst (including the firearm's wielder) takes damage as if it had been hit by the weapon—a DC 12 Reflex save halves this damage.

Advanced Firearms: Advanced firearms can misfire, but when they do, they only gain the broken condition. A subsequent misfire does not cause advanced firearms to explode.

Ammunition

Firearm ammunition takes two forms: either black powder and shot (either bullets or pellets) or cartridges. Firearm ammunition is destroyed when it is used. Unlike other types of ammunition, there is no chance to retrieve firearm ammunition that misses. No part of a cartridge can be reused to create new cartridges. Firearm ammunition cannot be treated with poison, unless you are using a pitted bullet.

Concealing Firearms

Like light weapons and hand crossbows, one-handed firearms are easy to conceal on your person. Some smaller firearms (like the coat pistol) can grant bonuses to conceal a weapon on your person.

Bucklers

You can use a one-handed or two-handed firearm without penalty while carrying a buckler.

Fire while Prone

Firearms, like crossbows, can be fired while their wielders are prone.

Firearms, Black Powder, and Water

Black powder becomes useless when exposed to water, but powder horns and cartridges protect black powder from exposure. You cannot normally load an early firearm underwater or fire any firearm underwater without magical aid.

Deflecting and Snatching Bullets

The Deflect Arrows feat and the Snatch Arrows feat can be used to deflect bullets, but not pellets shot from a scatter weapon.

Scatter

A weapon with the scatter weapon quality can shoot two different types of ammunition. It can fire normal bullets that target one creature, or it can make a scattering shot, attacking all creatures within a cone. Cannons with the scatter weapon quality only fire grapeshot, unless their descriptions state otherwise. When a scatter weapon attacks all creatures within a cone, it makes a separate attack roll against each creature within the cone. Each attack roll takes a –2 penalty, and its attack damage cannot be modified by precision damage or damage-increasing feats such as Vital Strike. Effects that grant concealment, such as fog or smoke, or the blur, invisibility, or mirror image spells, do not foil a scatter attack. If any of the attack rolls threaten a critical, confirm the critical for that attack roll alone. A firearm that makes a scatter shot misfires only if all of the attack rolls are misfires. If a scatter weapon explodes on a misfire, it deals triple its damage to all creatures within the misfire radius.

Firearm Ammunition

Firearm Ammunition
ItemPriceWeight
Alchemical cartridge, dragon's breath40 gp
Alchemical cartridge, entangling shot40 gp
Alchemical cartridge, flare10 gp
Alchemical cartridge, paper, bullet or pellet12 gp
Alchemical cartridge, salt shot12 gp
Black powder, dose10 gp
Black powder, keg1,000 gp5 lbs.
Firearm bullet (1)1 gp
Metal cartridge15 gp
Pellets (handful)1 gp
Pitted bullet5 gp

Alchemical Cartridge

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Price:
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Type

TypePriceWeight
Dragon's breath40 gp
Entangling shot40 gp
Flare10 gp
Paper12 gp
Salt shot12 gp

An alchemical cartridge is a prepared bundle of black powder with a bullet or pellets, sometimes with more exotic material added, which is then wrapped in paper or cloth and sealed with beeswax, lard, or tallow. There are many types of alchemical cartridges, the simplest being the paper cartridge—a simple mix of black powder and either pellets or a bullet. Alchemical cartridges make loading a firearm easier, reducing the time to load a firearm by one step (a full-round action becomes a standard action, a standard action becomes a move action, and a move action becomes a free action), but they tend to be unstable. The misfire value of a weapon firing an alchemical cartridge increases as listed in each entry.

Dragon's Breath Cartridge

This cartridge contains alchemical compounds that, when fired, produce a cone of fire instead of the normal attack of a one-handed or two-handed firearm with the scatter weapon quality. The nonmagical flame deals 2d6 points of fire damage to all targets within the cone of the scatter firearm (DC 15 Reflex save for half). These cartridges cannot be used in firearms that don't have the scatter weapon quality. Because this ammunition forces a saving throw instead of making an attack roll, the misfire rules are slightly different. If you roll a 1 with either of the damage dice, the firearm misfires.

Entangling Shot Cartridge

This mix of black powder and an alchemically treated resin strong enough to survive the shot can only be loaded into a blunderbuss, a dragon pistol, or another scatter weapon. It deals half damage to those hit by a cone attack made with this weapon, but any creature hit by the shot must succeed at a DC 15 Reflex saving throw or become entangled for 2d4 rounds. An entangling shot cartridge increases the firearm's misfire value by 2.

Flare Cartridge

When a flare cartridge hits its target, it deals only half the normal damage, but the creature struck is blinded for 1 round (Fortitude DC 15 reduces this to dazzled), and creatures within a 20-foot burst are dazzled for 1 round (Fortitude DC 15 negates the effect). Flare cartridges are also useful for sending up signal flares. Firing a flare cartridge increases the firearm's misfire value by 2 unless it is fired from a blunderbuss or a dragon pistol, in which case doing so only increases the firearm's misfire value by 1. Flares can be used only to attack single creatures; they do not work as a shot for a scatter weapon's cone attack.

Paper Cartridge

This simple mix of black powder and either pellets or a bullet increases the misfire value by 1.

Salt Shot Cartridge

This mix of black powder and rock salt can only be loaded into a blunderbuss, a dragon pistol, or other scatter weapon. It deals nonlethal instead of lethal damage, and increases the misfire value by 1. You can use it only with a scatter weapon's cone attack.

Axe Musket

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Price: 1,600 gp
Weight: 6 lbs.

This short musket features an axe blade at the end of its barrel. It can be used as both a musket and a battleaxe. It is considered a double weapon for the purposes of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. If this firearm gains the broken condition, both the firearm component and the axe are considered broken. An axe musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Black Powder

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Weight: 5 lbs.

Amount

AmountPriceWeight
1 dose10 gp
1 keg1,000 gp5 lbs.

Black powder is the key explosive component within a firearm that enables it to function, but in larger amounts this alchemical material can be quite destructive on its own as well. A single dose of black powder is enough to power a single shot from most one-handed and two-handed firearms, while 10 doses are required to fire a cannon. Black powder is often stored and transported in kegs (which hold 100 doses), but in this quantity the powder itself becomes dangerous. Exposure to fire, electricity, or a misfire explosion causes black powder to explode—a single keg that explodes in this manner deals 5d6 points of fire damage to anyone within a 20-foot burst (DC 15 Reflex half). Storing black powder in a powder horn protects the powder from explosion.

Blunderbuss

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Price: 2,000 gp
Weight: 8 lbs.

This weapon fires pellets or a bullet from its trumpet-shaped barrel, making it an effective fowling weapon or close-fighting personal defense weapon. The blunderbuss fires in a 15-foot cone when firing pellets, and has a 10-foot range increment when firing a bullet. A blunderbuss uses a bullet or pellets and a single dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Buckler Gun

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Price: 750 gp
Weight: 6 lbs.

The front of this buckler is fitted with a small, double-barreled gun that can be shot while wearing the buckler. Unlike with a double-barreled pistol, you can shoot only one barrel at a time. You must remove the buckler to reload the gun. Each barrel of a buckler gun uses either a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. Because of its awkward construction, a buckler gun is always considered an off-handed weapon. This is an early firearm.

Coat Pistol

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Price: 750 gp
Weight: 1 lb.

Though less powerful than other, larger firearms, this pistol is small enough to be easily concealed in a jacket or coat. You get a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a coat pistol on your body. A coat pistol uses either a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Culverin

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Price: 4,000 gp
Weight: 40 lbs.

The culverin, also known as a hand bombard, consists of a simple smoothbore tube, sealed at one end except for a small hole used to ignite a gunpowder charge. A wooden stock partially encases the barrel, allowing you to hold it under your arm with relative ease when carrying it. Firing a culverin without support (such as a wall, a window, or a stand) imposes a –4 penalty on attack rolls, and knocks you prone. A culverin uses 4 doses of black powder and grapeshot (a handful of pellets) as ammunition. Note that these statistics simulate only the original, hand-held culverins—their larger descendants are considered cannons and are dealt with in the siege weapon section of Ultimate Combat. This is an early firearm.

Dagger Pistol

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Price: 740 gp
Weight: 1 lb.

A combination of a coat pistol and a blade, the dagger pistol can be used as both weapons. The awkwardness of the configuration means you do not gain the bonus on Sleight of Hand checks that either of those stand-alone weapons grants. The dagger pistol is considered a double weapon for the purpose of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. If this firearm gains the broken condition, both the firearm component and the dagger component are considered broken. A dagger pistol uses either a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Double Hackbut

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Price: 4,000 gp
Weight: 18 lbs.

This double-length rifle uses a pair of trunnions to mount its barrel into a swiveling mechanism fastened to the top of a lightweight, two-wheeled carriage. It takes a full-round action to set up the carriage. The carriage has a hind leg, allowing the wielder to wheel the device about and immediately prop it for stability during combat. Unlike other two-handed firearms, you must fire the double hackbut while it is mounted, or else firing it imparts a –4 penalty on attack rolls and the recoil knocks you prone. A Large or larger creature can fire a double hackbut one size smaller than itself without the gun's mounting as a normal two-handed weapon and without the danger of being knocked prone, but takes the normal penalty for firing an inappropriately sized weapon. This is an early firearm.

Double-Barreled Musket

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Price: 2,500 gp
Weight: 11 lbs.

This musket has two parallel barrels; each barrel can be shot independently as a separate action, or both can be fired at once as the same attack. If both barrels are fired at once, they must both target the same creature or object, and the gun becomes wildly inaccurate, taking a –4 penalty on each shot. Each barrel of a double-barreled musket uses either a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Double-Barreled Pistol

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Price: 1,750 gp
Weight: 5 lbs.

This pistol has two parallel barrels; each barrel can be fired independently as a separate action, or both can be shot at once with the same action. If both barrels are shot at once, they must both target the same creature or object, and the pistol becomes wildly inaccurate, imposing a –4 penalty on each shot. This is an early firearm.

Double-Barreled Shotgun

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Price: 7,000 gp
Weight: 15 lbs.

This twin-barreled shotgun can be shot one barrel at a time, or both together as one attack. A double shot that fires bullets is inaccurate, and takes a –4 penalty on both attacks. A double shot that fires bullets targets only a single creature and increases the damage of each barrel to 2d6 points (Small) or 2d8 points (Medium) for a total of 4d6 or 4d8 points of damage. A double-barreled shotgun uses metal cartridges (loaded with either a bullet or pellets) as ammunition. This is an advanced firearm.

Dragon Pistol

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Price: 1,000 gp
Weight: 3 lbs.

Like a miniature blunderbuss, the dragon pistol fires pellets or a bullet from its flared barrel. The dragon pistol fires in a 15-foot cone when firing pellets, and has a 10-foot range increment when firing a bullet. A dragon pistol uses either a bullet or group of pellets and 1 dose of black powder, or a single alchemical cartridge (with either bullets or pellets) as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Fire Lance

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Price: 25 gp
Weight: 4 lbs.

This primitive firearm is merely a long tube that, when ignited, propels forth a short gout of flame and a javelin. Unlike other firearms, the fire lance is wildly imprecise, and targets AC rather than touch AC. A fire lance is always treated as having the broken condition for the purpose of determining the effects of a misfire. A fire lance uses a javelin and 2 doses of black powder as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Firearm Bullet

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Price: 1 gp
Weight: —

The ammunition of most one-handed and two-handed firearms, firearm bullets typically take the form of small balls of lead or some other metal. Thirty bullets weigh half a pound.

Metal Cartridge

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Price: 15 gp
Weight: —

These sturdier versions of alchemical cartridges serve as the ammunition for advanced firearms. They can hold either bullets or pellets.

Musket

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Price: 1,500 gp
Weight: 9 lbs.

This long-barreled firearm has a much greater range than a pistol. A musket uses either a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as its ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Pellets

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Price: 1 gp
Weight: —

A handful of pellets, along with 1 dose of black powder, is commonly used as ammunition for one-handed and two-handed firearms with the scatter weapon quality, though rocks or other small bits of hard material can be used in the pellets' place. Using anything other than pellets or alchemical cartridges when firing off a cone attack with a scatter weapon increases the weapon's misfire range by 1 (though this increase can be removed by switching back to standard ammunition). Thirty handfuls of pellets weigh half a pound.

Pepperbox

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Price: 3,000 gp
Weight: 5 lbs.

This pistol has six barrels instead of one. The entire barrel housing can be quickly rotated by hand between shots (a free action requiring one free hand), allowing all six bullets to be fired before the weapon must be reloaded. Each barrel of a pepperbox uses either a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Pepperbox Rifle

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Price: 7,000 gp
Weight: 15 lbs.

The four barrels of this rifle are set into a turnable housing that can be quickly rotated by hand (a free action) between shots. A pepperbox rifle uses metal cartridges as ammunition. This is an advanced firearm.

Pistol

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Price: 1,000 gp
Weight: 4 lbs.

The basic single-shot pistol is one of the most common firearms, although in most campaigns it is still rare enough to be an object of envy or curiosity to most. As such, it can take a variety of different forms, from wildly ornate masterpieces in the shape of fire-breathing dragons to the more common wood-handled pistols, or nothing more than a simple metal tube with a triggering device.

A pistol uses either a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. This is an early firearm.

Pitted Bullet

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Price: 5 gp
Weight: —

This ammunition is pitted with a pattern of small pocks into which specially formulated poison compounds can be applied. A poison compound is a derivative of a standard toxin that is alchemically reduced to a solid form. These can be made from any standard injury or contact poison with a successful Craft (poison) check equal to the poison's DC + 4. The cost of purchasing an already prepared poison compound for the purpose of treating pitted bullets is equal to the poison's base cost + 20 gp. Once crafted, the compound can be pasted into the ammunition's pitted design and allowed to harden. Upon completion, the bullet can be fired from an appropriate firearm, releasing the poison compound into its target upon impact, but the poison's DC is reduced by 2. A pitted bullet cannot be used with an alchemical cartridge. The listed cost does not include the cost of poison.

Revolver

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Price: 4,000 gp
Weight: 4 lbs.

A revolver is a pistol with a revolving cylinder containing six chambers. Each chamber can hold a metal cartridge, and when one cartridge is fired, the cylinder automatically rotates (no extra hand or action required), readying the next chamber for firing. A revolver uses metal cartridges as ammunition. This is an advanced firearm.

Rifle

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Price: 5,000 gp
Weight: 12 lbs.

This improvement on the musket features a grooved barrel that imparts a twisting, spiral motion to the bullet as it exits, stabilizing it and preventing the end-over-end tumbling common to projectiles from simpler firearms. As a result, a rifle can fire significantly farther and with more accuracy than early long-bore firearms.

A rifle uses metal cartridges as ammunition. This is an advanced firearm.

Shotgun

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Price: 5,000 gp
Weight: 12 lbs.

This advanced version of the blunderbuss shoots in a 30-foot cone when firing pellets, and has a 20-foot range increment when firing a bullet (often called a slug). Shotguns can either be simple and functional, or art pieces in their own right, with engravings and inlay on the stocks and breeches. Those used by the upper class are often emblazoned with images of game animals, family crests, or elaborate maker's marks.

A shotgun uses metal cartridges (loaded with either a bullet or pellets) as ammunition. This is an advanced firearm.

Sword Cane Pistol

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Price: 775 gp
Weight: 1 lb.

A combination weapon, this gun mixes a coat pistol with a sword cane. The sword cane pistol is considered a double weapon for the purpose of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. The pistol attachment makes the nature of the weapon a little more difficult to hide. An observer must succeed at a DC 15 Perception check to realize that an undrawn sword cane pistol is a weapon rather than a simple walking stick; the DC decreases to 5 if the observer is able to handle the weapon. A sword cane pistol uses either a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. The sword part of the weapon must be drawn in order to load the pistol part of the weapon. This is an early firearm.

Firearms

Firearms
One-Handed RangedWeapons (Early Firearms)PriceDmg (S)Dmg (M)CriticalRangeMisfireCapacityWeightTypeSpecial
Buckler gun750 gp1d41d6×410 ft.1 (5 ft.)26 lbs.B and P
Coat pistol750 gp1d31d4×310 ft.1 (5 ft.)11 lb.B and P
Dagger pistol740 gp1d31d4×310 ft.1 (5 ft.)11 lb.B and P
Double-barreled pistol1,750 gp1d61d8×420 ft.1–2 (5 ft.)25 lbs.B and P
Dragon pistol1,000 gp1d41d6×420 ft.1–2 (5 ft.)13 lbs.B and PScatter
Pepperbox3,000 gp1d61d8×420 ft.1–2 (5 ft.)65 lbs.B and P
Pistol1,000 gp1d61d8×420 ft.1 (5 ft.)14 lbs.B and P
Sword cane pistol775 gp1d31d4×310 ft.1 (5 ft.)11 lb.B and P
Two-Handed Ranged Weapons (Early Firearms)
Axe musket1,600 gp1d61d8×430 ft.1–2 (5 ft.)16 lbs.B and P
Blunderbuss2,000 gp1d61d8×2Special1–2 (10 ft.)18 lbs.B and PScatter
Culverin4,000 gp2d62d8×430 ft.1 (10 ft.)140 lbs.B and PScatter
Double hackbut4,000 gp2d102d12×450 ft.1–2 (5 ft.)218 lbs.B and P
Double-barreled musket2,500 gp1d101d12×410 ft.1–3 (5 ft.)211 lbs.B and P
Fire lance25 gp1d41d6×410 ft.1–4 (5 ft.)14 lbs.P
Musket1,500 gp1d101d12×440 ft.1–2 (5 ft.)19 lbs.B and P
Warhammer musket1,600 gp1d61d8×430 ft.1–2 (5 ft.)16 lbs.B and P
One-Handed Ranged Weapons (Advanced Firearms)
Revolver 4,000 gp1d61d8×420 ft.164 lbs.B and P
Two-Handed Ranged Weapons (Advanced Firearms)
Double-barreled shotgun7,000 gp1d61d8×220 ft.1–2215 lbs.B and PScatter
Pepperbox rifle7,000 gp1d81d10×480 ft.1–2415 lbs.B and P
Rifle5,000 gp1d81d10×480 ft.1112 lbs.B and P
Shotgun5,000 gp1d61d8×220 ft.1–2112 lbs.B and PScatter
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