The rules for Guns and Beams are based in part on the Gunpowder Codex, with modifications to fit the Arcydean world. Where differences between the Gunpowder Codex and this wiki arise, this wiki is considered authoritative.

Proficiency: Firearms are defined as Simple, Martial, or Advanced. Simple Firearms can be used by anyone, regardless of class, who has general familiarity with firearms; Martial Firearms require martial weapons proficiency; and Advanced Firearms require either the Advanced Gunner feat, a firearms class archetype, or special requirements defined by the DM. Beam Weapons are considered firearms for the purpose of proficiency.

Familiarity: Those not proficient in firearms for whatever reason can develop familiarity with a specific model of weapon through practice (time spent at the rifle range). This requires 10 days of downtime training (20 days if not being taught by a proficient teacher), and gives them a flat +1 to use a particular weapon instead of a proficiency bonus. For more information on improving proficiency during downtime, see the Downtime section.

For the purpose of rules text, firearms count as both ranged weapons and firearms, and are eligible for most abilities that include ranged weapon attacks.

Reload: A firearm may be shot a number of times equal to its Reload score before it must be reloaded by using either an action or a bonus action (Standard firearms require a standard action). You must have one free hand to reload a firearm - although you could use your free action to stow a weapon in your other hand before reloading. A reload action loads a single round into the weapon, or a speedloader, magazine or cell for weapons that are loaded with them, if available.

Misfire: Whenever you roll an attack roll with a firearm and the result on the die is equal to or lower than a firearm’s Misfire score, the weapon misfires. The attack misses, and the firearm is in danger of breaking completely. You may spend an action to clear the misfire (no check required), but if you do not, a second misfire will cause an explosion and break the weapon. This explosion deals the weapon’s listed damage to you and any creatures or objects within five feet. Clearing a misfire out of combat similarly requires no check. Repairing a broken firearm, however, requires one hour and an Intelligence-based check with Tinker’s Tools (DC 10 + the firearm’s misfire score). On a success, the weapon is repaired and functional again; failure simply means you must spend another hour to attempt the repairs again. Items with two numbers separated by a slash are particularly reliable; they only suffer a misfire 1/X of the time (1/2 means that on a roll of 1, there is a 50% chance they malfunction, 1/3 means that on a roll of 1, there is a 33% chance, etc.)

Armor-Piercing. Attacks with weapons or ammunition with the armor piercing trait are quite effective against armor, by either burning straight through it or passing through unsealed areas.

• Armor Piercing (-1). Targets with natural armor or worn armor and an AC of 14 or better take a -1 penalty to AC.
• Armor Piercing (-2). Targets with natural armor or worn armor and an AC of 16 or better take a -2 penalty to AC, in addition to the benefits of armor piercing (-1).
• Armor Piercing (-3). Targets with natural armor or worn armor and an AC of 18 or better take a -3 penalty to AC, in addition to the benefits of armor piercing (-1) and (-2).
• Armor Piercing (-4). Targets with natural armor or worn armor and an AC of 20 or better take a -4 penalty to AC, in addition to the benefits of armor piercing (-1), (-2), and (-3).
• Armor Piercing (-5). Targets with natural armor or worn armor and an AC of 22 or better take a -5 penalty to AC, in addition to the benefits of armor piercing (-1), (-2), (-3), and (-4).

The AC penalties do not stack together. Replaces Pierce.

Note: Special abilities that reduce damage from an attack by a flat number via some form of deflection, such as Interception or Deflect Missiles or the special effects of some armors, will inflict at minimum the Pierce number in damage, if positive, to the object used to deflect the attack. This does mean that attempting to deflect a bullet with one's bare hands results in some level of minimum damage suffered.

Accuracy: Weapons default to Accuracy 0; weapons with Accuracy of 1 or greater give an Accuracy bonus to all attacks made with the weapon if one takes the time to aim a single shot. This is in addition to any bonuses for Quality.

Quality: Weapons of low quality have a -1; this manifests as a -1 to all attacks with the weapon. Weapons of high quality have a +1 to +3, which adds a Quality bonus to all attacks made with the weapon.

Range: Firearms have three range increments instead of the standard two. The first is their 'standard targeting' range, at which attacks are rolled normally, the second is their 'long range', the range at which attacks receive disadvantage due to factors like wind, gravity, and so on; and the third is their 'extreme range', the range at which attacks receive double disadvantage (roll three times and take the lowest roll) and the farthest range a bullet fired from the weapon can possibly travel. (In reality, of course, maximum range varies, but it's worth noting that musket shot, for example, has an expected range of about two to three hundred yards for the purposes of designing defensive fortifications to support each other, not 120 feet. Source)

Scope: Firearms with the scope trait have a scope which facilitates extreme long-range engagements. If you have not moved since the end of your last turn, you can use an action to aim down the scope of a firearm that has this trait at a specific target. Once you do so, you are incapacitated and your speed becomes 0 until the start of your next turn. However, the first attack you make against the target at the start of your next turn is made as if the firearm has a different range value (listed in parentheses), with no long range at which attacking imposes disadvantage on your attack roll.

Scatter: When you fire a weapon with the scatter property at a target, you may simultaneously attack a second target that is within 5 feet of the first. Use the same attack and damage rolls for both targets.

Carrier: Carrier effects may be noted for some firearm ammunition or beam weapons; this is a secondary effect that occurs if the initial attack is successful.

Cone: Weapons with “Cone X”, where X is a number, fire a spread of pellets or bullets that are a danger to everyone within X feet of the firer; use the same attack and damage roll against everyone within this area, allowing bonuses for cover to apply for those standing behind other people as well as behind other obstructions. This is most commonly used for shotguns (which fire a spread of pellets) and automatic weapons used to spray an area (using fifteen pieces of ammunition to do so).

Burst Fire. The DC of Dexterity saving throws made against firearms using burst fire is 13 + the attacker's proficiency bonus (not 15) if the attacker has proficiency with the weapon.

Short Burst. Firearms with the short burst trait can, fire a number of rounds of ammunition with a single pull of the trigger. This is typically a three-round burst but could be anywhere between two and five.

When you make an attack with a firearm with this trait, you can choose to expend a single round of ammunition as normal, or fire a short burst and expend additional rounds of ammunition as indicated in the parenthesis. If you fire a short burst and successfully hit, you can re-roll a number of the damage dice, as indicated in the parenthesis, accepting the new results.

For example, a bolter has short burst (2), so when you attack you expend three rounds of ammunition and re-roll two of the damage dice if you successfully hit.

Covert: Weapons with the covert property grant advantage on checks made to conceal the weapon, whether on your person, under or in an object, or somewhere else. The DM has the final say on whether or not this property applies to a situation.

Light: Weapons of low enough bulk are considered Light for combat purposes.

Two-Handed: Weapons that require two hands to load or operate successfully. Some two-handed weapons can be fired one-handed at disadvantage, at the judgment of the DM.

Loading: All firearms must be loaded in order to fire; the time this takes typically depends on Reload above and whether the user has proper equipment (speedloaders or moon clips for revolvers, for example).