While many weapons use mechanical energy provided by human or animal muscles, low-tech warriors also exploited thermal energy released by burning materials – both incendiaries, which use heat to set things on fire, and explosives and propellants, which convert it to mechanical energy. Indeed, the invention of gunpowder (TL3) started a revolution in warfare!

Players may want low-tech PCs to have black powder. This is up to the GM, but here are some important considerations.

Making black powder requires a Chemistry or Explosives (Fireworks) roll at +4, or an Explosives (Demolition) roll. Before gunpowder comes into common use, the Explosives skills are unavailable and have no default. Failure means the product is substandard: -2 to Malf. for bombs and firearms, and damage is at -1 per die. Critical failure means the mixture catches fire, destroying the maker’s laboratory! A Per-based Chemistry roll, or a Danger Sense roll, gives the chemist enough warning to avoid injury; otherwise, he suffers 3d burning damage.

At the GM’s option, early experimenters may be unable to obtain sufficiently pure ingredients, especially saltpeter. Impure ingredients give -5 (quality) to rolls to make black powder. Taking extra time (p. B346) for purification can partially or fully offset this penalty.

Of all the “what ifs” in the history of technology, the most compelling may be the early invention of gunpowder. A Roman Empire with firearms might not have fallen; an Assyria with cannon might have destroyed Jerusalem’s walls and prevented the birth of Christianity and Islam. But could they have come up with black powder in the first place?

Charcoal is no problem; it has been a portable fuel for millennia. Native sulfur was discovered in antiquity – the Bible calls it brimstone. Impure saltpeter can be found in stable manure piles. After the invention of the chariot, ancient kings from Egypt to China had plenty of manure!

The problem is curiosity: an interest in picking up saltpeter crystals in the first place, purifying them, and mixing them with other substances. Chinese alchemists seeking an immortality drug tried this. Perhaps some physician or alchemist in the Roman Empire might have done the same experiment – or even an Egyptian priest or doctor seeking a medicine, an incense, or a preservative for mummies. Such a tradition of experimentation

Setting things aflame as a combat tactic may go back to prehistory; several recent-but-TL0 tribal societies used flaming arrows (p. B410). Experiments with incendiary weapons and combustible mixtures date to the start of the Iron Age. The Greek historian Thucydides described use of an improvised flamethrower to set fire to a defensive wall in 423 B.C.

Early Mixtures (TL2). Ancient Greek combustibles were predominantly based on pitch, which burned hot and stuck to what it hit. Common additives included sulfur, charcoal, and even incense. A small splash of such a mixture inflicts 1 point of burning damage per second; anything in an area doused with it takes 1d-1 burn per second. Such mixtures are flammable (see Making Things Burn, p. B433), and burn for 3d seconds once ignited unless smothered or submerged under water. Per pint: $1, 1 lb.

Black Powder (TL3). A powder train burns at 3” per second and requires 0.25 lb. of black powder (p. 85) per yard. Greek Fire (TL3). This mixture of incendiary substances – likely including naphtha – was invented by a Syrian refugee, Kallinikos, in 673 A.D. Its exact composition was a secret of the Byzantine Empire and was lost, probably in the 1200s. Treat Greek fire as a Molotov cocktail (p. B411) for damage and other effects. It burns on top of water, making it a terror to enemy fleets, and can’t be put out by pouring water over it; one of its Byzantine names was “marine fire.” Often dispersed via fire-siphon (below). Per pint: $10, 1 lb.

Naphtha (TL3). Near Eastern alchemists developed methods for distilling petroleum, producing a substance called naft. Treat this as equivalent to oil (p. B288). It inflicts the same damage as early pitch mixtures, but is highly flammable (see Making Things Burn, p. B433) and continues to burn for 10d seconds. Per pint: $2, 1 lb.

Saltpeter (TL3). Potassium nitrate was first purified by Chinese alchemists around 492 A.D. They discovered its incendiary properties not long afterward. The raw material can be extracted from urine-soaked manure, or mined. It gives off oxygen when heated, accelerating the burning of other substances. Treating a material that’s highly flammable, flammable, or resistant (see Making Things Burn, p. B433) with an alcohol/water solution of saltpeter makes it one flammability class easier to ignite. $5/lb.

Match (TL4). Used to set off matchlock guns (see Locks, p. 90) and charges of black powder (p. 85). Using match in a fuse requires an Explosives (Demolition or Fireworks) roll. Slow match is saltpeter-impregnated flax or hemp cord. Once ignited, it burns at 1” per 15 minutes. Per yard: $2, 0.2 lb. (An improvised form, made by soaking cord in a wood ash solution, costs 1/10 as much, but gives -2 to firearms Malf. and Explosives rolls.)

Quick match is made by treatment with black powder and gum arabic. It burns at up to 4 yards per minute. Per yard: $2, 0.2 lb.

Fire-Cage Arrow (TL2). See Alternate Arrows (p. 73).

Flask (TL2). A light ceramic vessel (which shatters when it hits something hard) or a wooden one (which burns) can deliver incendiaries. Small containers (holding 1 pint) can be hurled by hand or by a light ballista (pp. 80, 82); assume that cost is that of 1 pint of incendiary and total weight is 1.5 lbs.

Fire-Siphon (TL3). A Byzantine device for spraying Greek fire at enemy ships, based on Roman pumping engines. It’s built into a warship, its nozzle extending outside the hull. Greek princess Anna Comnena described its use in a sea battle in 1103 A.D. The handheld cheirosiphon appeared on battlefields by the early 10th century; the Arabs adopted it a few decades later as the zarraq al-naft, spraying naphtha rather than Greek fire. It remained in use in Egypt until at least the 1400s. A handheld siphon resembles a squirt gun with a large tank attached and a fuse of slow match (above) just outside the nozzle to ignite the fuel. These weapons appear on the Flamethrowers Table (p. 86).

Incendiary Blowpipe (TL3). Byzantine sources mention a blowpipe that was charged with pine resin. On being discharged, the fuel was set aflame by a wick at the end. This produced a small cloud of burning vapor, not as hot as Greek fire or naphtha. See the Flamethrowers Table (p. 86) for stats.

Incendiary Sphere (TL3). See Bombs (pp. 85-86).

Because saltpeter (pp. 26, 84) was expensive, Chinese alchemists tried mixing it with other substances. Sometime around 1100 A.D., they developed an explosive mixture: black powder. Saltpeter was exported to the Arabs by 1225; black powder, by 1250. Roger Bacon, in England, recorded black powder’s formula in 1257. The ingredients are saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur; typical proportions are 75%, 15%, and 10%, respectively. Charcoal is the main fuel, while saltpeter serves as the oxygen source; sulfur lowers the temperature at which the saltpeter releases oxygen. These components are ground fine with a mortar and pestle, and mixed together.

Early black powder was finely ground. This serpentine powder (TL3) burned rapidly but had limited explosive force. In the 15th century, corned powder (TL4) was invented, originally to make black powder easier to store and ship. It was made by moistening serpentine, pressing it into cakes, and grinding it into fine grains for priming powder, medium grains for small arms, or coarse grains for cannon and blasting explosives.

Black powder has many uses. It can serve as an incendiary, in a powder train (see Incendiaries, p. 84), or as an explosive (use the rules under Explosions, pp. B414- 415). It can be made into fireworks (see Fireworks, p. 40). And of course it can be used in weapons. Black powder is customarily sold in 100-lb. kegs. Corned powder is $20/lb.; treat serpentine as cheap (-0.5 CF). LC3.

These are containers of black powder, designed to be thrown by hand, hurled from a catapult, or placed and set off.

Incendiary Sphere (TL3). Available in China in the early 1100s, this contraption is meant to be hurled by a beam sling (p. 81). It’s a perforated metal ball holding several pounds of low-grade black powder. The powder burns for 2 minutes, spraying flame out the holes to inflict 1d+1 burn over a one-yard radius. The sphere is studded with metal hooks that can catch on enemy fortifications or ladders. $200, 10 lbs.

Paper Bomb (TL3). Another Chinese development of the early 1100s, this is a huge firecracker: 3-4 lbs. of black powder enclosed in string-wrapped paper, or in bamboo. It inflicts 5d cr ex and fills a five-yard radius with smoke that lasts 1 minute, giving -10 to Vision and acting as a mild poison (p. B439). The burst is loud; anyone who takes crushing damage must make a HT-5 roll or suffer a Hearing penalty equal to his margin of failure for (20 - HT) minutes, minimum 1 minute. Failure by 10+, or critical failure, means deafness. Roll to recover from crippling injury, or suffer lasting or permanent Hard of Hearing or Deafness. Any failure on the initial HT roll also stuns the victim; roll vs. HT each turn to recover. Riding animals not specifically trained to tolerate explosions – and, at the GM’s option, people encountering this weapon for the first time – must make a Fright Check (p. B360). $100, 5 lbs.

Iron Bomb (TL3). In the early 1200s, the Chinese developed higher-powered black powder that could burst an iron casing and produce shrapnel. A small iron bomb holds 14 lbs. of serpentine powder. Damage is 6dx4 [2d] cr ex. $600, 30 lbs.

Land Mine (TL4). A Chinese invention described in a 14th-century military text: a 9’ length of bamboo buried upright in earth, the bottom 80% filled with black powder and the rest with lead balls. Stepping on it releases a weight whose fall powers a wheellock device, setting off sparks that ignite the powder. The soil channels the blast upward, inflicting 14d [4d] cr in a one-yard radius; the fragmentation damage is crushing, not cutting. $350, 10 lbs.

Petard (TL4). This is a Renaissance invention for forcing an entrance through a strong door or gate. Its name is a crude military joke, from the French péter, “to fart.” It consists of an iron pot that holds 5 lbs. of black powder, mounted in a board that can be nailed to a door to hold the pot’s mouth against the barrier. Roll 15d crushing damage for the blast and compare it to the target’s DR and HP. $250, 15 lbs.

A fire arrow is an arrow with an ounce of low-grade black powder fastened to the shaft in a paper globe or tube sealed with pine resin. See Alternate Arrows (p. 73).

These weapons discharge continuing flame jets – like a rocket exhaust, but from a fixed or handheld base.

Fire-Lance (TL3). Developed in China in the early 1200s, the fire-lance was valued for defending city walls. It’s a two-foot- long rocket fastened to the end of a pole. After lighting it, the soldier points it at the enemy, spraying out flame and sparks. The user needs a Ready maneuver to take hold of it, another to light it, and a third to shift grip to full length. Once used, it’s discarded.

Iron Fire-Lance (TL3). Later fire-lances, developed in the late 1200s, used yard-long iron barrels on two-foot wooden poles. These could expel a fiercer flame than the earlier paper or bamboo models. Bits of metal or pottery were often mixed into the powder to inflict penetrating wounds on enemy soldiers. Readying works as for the regular firelance (above). The barrel can be recharged after use; this requires 10 minutes and an Explosives (Fireworks) roll.

Eruptor (TL3). A large-scale iron fire-lance, designed to be mounted on a city’s walls or on a frame facing its gates. Lighting it takes a Ready maneuver. It’s rechargeable in the same way as an iron fire-lance, but this takes 20 minutes.

Terms and notation are as defined on pp. B268-271.

Notes:

• [1] Requires two hands to ready, but only one hand to attack. Range is ST-based. Produces a cone with terminal width equal to Range. Each charge costs $0.50.
• [2] A shot may hit a single solid target or spread out over a two-yard radius on water. Listed damage is for initial hit; continuing damage is 1d burn per second for 10d seconds after initial impact (for fire-siphon) or 1d seconds (for cheirosiphon).
• [3] Takes 10 seconds to prepare for firing. After first shot, further shots may be fired continuously. Range is ST-based.
• [4] Placed on a static mount: $270, 13.5 lbs.
• [5] Requires a two-man crew to operate the pump. Readying it takes a variable time; roll vs. crew’s average ST every 10 seconds to see if the fuel has started to emerge. They may substitute ST-based Liquid Projector (Flamethrower) skill, if higher. After first shot, further shots may be fired continuously.

The Chinese developed rockets in the mid-1200s; the Koreans adopted them in the 1300s. Rockets seemingly evolved from fire arrows, when archers realized that the flaming exhaust could propel these arrows without a bow. The wooden shaft helped to stabilize the rocket’s flight. Its explosion could set a distant target ablaze. Rockets aren’t fired blind (p. B389) but are unguided. Rocket attacks are the ranged equivalent of Wild Swings (p. B388); they have -5 to hit and maximum effective skill 9, and can’t target specific hit locations.

Below are statistics for a typical rocket. It takes three seconds to reach full range and explode, traveling 90 yards in the first second, 270 in the next, and 450 in the third. As well as a crushing explosion, it does 1 point of burning damage over a two-yard radius and fills that radius with smoke. Further, anyone who takes crushing damage from the blast may suffer hearing loss and stun as for a paper bomb (p. 85); roll vs. HT-2 rather than HT- 5 to resist.

The fire-lance and eruptor gave rise to actual projectile weapons by the late 1200s. Armorers realized that projectiles that filled an eruptor’s barrel, instead of being scattered through the propellant, flew farther and hit harder. They began making weapons specifically to hurl projectiles – the first guns. Early models tried many sorts of ammunition, including bundles of arrows, iron bolts like large crossbow quarrels, and bags of lead pellets, but in the 1300s, solid balls became standard. Wadding on top of the ball sealed the barrel so that nearly all of the explosion’s force was used.

Early gunpowder weapons – called bombards – were heavy and awkward to use. Gun carriages hadn’t been invented; bombards were built into vehicles or buildings, or held in place by massive wooden frames. See Aiming Fixed-Mount Weapons (p. 80) for how this affects operation.

Bombards normally fire stone balls (see The Cost of Ammunition, below), which take a lighter powder charge and can safely be used in breechloading guns. Stone shot gets half the damage and range of metal shot.

The weapon tables already account for this. For examples of really huge guns, see GURPS Low- Tech Companion 2.

European guns in the Middle Ages were made like actual wooden barrels, with long metal bars shaped into a cylinder and bound with metal hoops. To close off the end, a separate cup-shaped piece was joined to the barrel at the breech. Most such weapons were breechloaders. Guns of different sizes and proportions had different names:

Bombard: A big, short-barreled gun firing large or huge stones. The Bombards Table (p. 88) offers two examples.

Crapaudeau: A long-barreled, small-caliber breechloader firing small stones.

Veuglaire: A fairly small breechloader with a moderately long barrel, about 12 times its caliber, firing stones somewhat larger than the crapaudeau’s.

The first Chinese guns were small and low-powered. They were essentially personal firearms; see Early Experiments (p. 91). The use of metal made larger, heavier weapons possible. Cast-iron Chinese guns are classified as TL4.

Ammunition for TL3-4 firearms consists of separate powder and balls. Balls must be cut or cast to fit individual weapons. Black powder and lead are bought in bulk, by weight, for soldiers to measure out for their guns. It’s accurate enough to treat cost per shot as a simple multiple of weight per shot. Lead or iron shot is simply cast. Stone balls have to be cut, raising costs; on the other hand, stone is much lighter than metal for the same volume.

Metal ammunition: $20/lb.

Stone ammunition: $100/lb.

Terms and notation are as defined on pp. B268-271.

ARTILLERY (CANNON) (IQ-5)

In the 1500s, big guns became more mobile. Ships’ guns were mounted on carriages; thus, the barrel could be thrust out through a gun port to fire, and the weapon’s recoil would carry it back into the ship for reloading. In the 1600s, Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus developed field artillery, designed to be towed on the battlefield by draft animals. These weapons were cannon in the modern sense, and predominantly TL4.

Most of the cannon described here are comparatively small; a squad of soldiers or a band of adventurers could haul one around. A few larger models are included to illustrate what big guns were like. Huge weapons were rare – TL4 warfare put a premium on mobility.

Early gunners, especially ships’ gunners, developed several forms of special-purpose ammunition:

Chain Shot (TL4). Designed to bring down an enemy ship’s mast, rigging, or sails. Two sub-caliber balls are linked by a yard or two of metal chain. Damage amount is unchanged, but type becomes cutting, with armor divisor (0.5). Also halve Range, increase reload time by 20%, and double cost per shot. No other stats are affected.

Grapeshot (TL4). Primarily for antipersonnel use, this consists of half-inch-diameter iron balls sewn into a canvas bag. To determine the number of balls a given cannon fires, multiply the total weight of one round of ammunition by 40. Multiply RoF by the number of balls, but divide damage by the square root of this number. Damage becomes pi+, 1/2D becomes 60, Max becomes 600, and Rcl becomes 1. No other stats are affected.

Heated Shot (TL4). Cannonballs heated red-hot on a fire. They can only be used with powder in a cloth bag, which won’t be touched off by the ball’s heat; it’s customary to add an empty bag and put a layer of clay between powder and ball. Even so, heated shot gives -1 to Malf., increases reload time by 50%, and adds the need for two extra crewmen. Other stats are unchanged, but in addition to its normal damage, the hot metal ball inflicts 3d burning damage per second for 30 seconds. If it sticks in a ship’s outer hull, it may set the hull on fire – and if it penetrates the magazine, it may touch off the powder stored there!

Swivel-guns are small cannon that can be mounted on a ship’s gunwale or a city wall, and swung about to engage attackers. They entered use at TL3, in the form of relatively low-powered breechloaders that amounted to aimable bombards. Many TL4 models were also breechloaders. The Cannon Table (p. 89) includes an example for each TL: The TL3 lantaka (.69 caliber) is an Indonesian design using serpentine powder; similar weapons could be found on Chinese junks or Mediterranean galleys. The TL4 swivel-gun (2.25 caliber), using corned powder, is typical of small guns on European naval vessels and pirate ships.

By the early 16th century, armorers had worked out the best way to make a big gun with the resources they commanded: a single piece cast from bronze, muzzle-loaded, firing an iron ball. These weapons still used serpentine powder; early corned powder was uneven in quality and burned too fast for safety. The name “cannon” actually referred to a specific size; other sizes had their own, often poetic names. Common sizes in England were the rabinet, serpentine, falconet, falcon, minion, saker, culverin bastard, demiculverin, basilisk, culverin, pedrero, demicannon, bastard cannon, cannon serpentine, cannon, and cannon royal. Other countries had their own names for different numbers of sizes spanning the same range.

These early cannon still weren’t very mobile. Many were mounted on ships or on city walls. Others battered the defenses of besieged cities. Artillery forces hauled their guns about on large carts.

Cannon in the style developed by Gustavus Adolphus. The 3-lb. model is designed for regimental support; the 12- lb. gun supports larger forces in the field; the 24-lb. weapon is reserved for defending fortifications. Restriction to three standard sizes greatly simplifies problems of supply. These cannon have thinner walls and slightly shorter barrels than older models, making them lighter; in addition, they’re designed to be placed on field carriages.

Classic cannon as used by pirate ships on the Spanish Main. Table entries include a range of sizes: the 42-pounder cannon of seven, 18-pounder culverin, 9-pounder demiculverin, and 4-pounder minion. Barrel length is 9’-10’ for the three larger sizes and 7’ for the 4-pounder.

Terms and notation are as defined on pp. B268-271.

GUNNER (CANNON) (DX-4 or other Gunner-4)

Notes:

For the type of mount that each cannon requires, and its weight and cost, along with the number of loaders needed (if any), consult the following table:

The first gunpowder weapons small enough for an individual soldier to carry date to the Middle Ages. Early designs didn’t have a proper grip or stock, making them both awkward to use and inaccurate. The firing mechanism was equally clumsy. Low-Tech calls such weapons gonnes, and assigns them their own Guns specialty (see Guns, p. 10). The standard “lock, stock, and barrel” design appeared early in TL4; Leonardo da Vinci sketched a musket in his notebooks in 1500. By the 16th century, standard designs had been worked out and named, and the best sizes for various purposes determined. Calibers weren’t standardized, however; those given here are rough averages.

Musket-and-pike armies dominated TL4 battlefields. The complex sequence of actions needed to load and fire a musket, and the need to carry out these motions under fire, inspired the development of military drill. Late in TL4, the first bayonets appeared; soldiers armed with firearms no longer had to depend on pikemen for protection. For more on this, see Pike and Shot and Bayonet (p. 55).

Pistols were invented as weapons for cavalrymen, and soon adopted for self-defense. They were seldom dueling weapons, however. Gentlemen settled their differences with swords, reserving pistols for situations where honor wasn’t involved.

The early modern era saw rapid innovations in gunsmithing, affecting all aspects of the gun.

The lock is the mechanism that ignites the powder and discharges the gun. Locks went through rapid technological progress involving several fundamentally different designs. Guns with older and newer styles often existed side by side.

Cannonlock: The oldest design, used throughout the Middle Ages. It had a simple touchhole, like a cannon’s. Thrusting a handheld slow match (p. 84) or hot wire into the touchhole fired the gun.

Matchlock: Developed by 1411 and standard after 1500, this lock placed the burning match in a mechanical holder attached to the gun. Pulling a trigger moved the match into the touchhole. Matchlocks had limitations – they were vulnerable to rain (see Water and Firearms, below), the smoking match made them hard to conceal (-4 to Holdout), and the glow was visible at night – but they were sufficiently easy to use to become the standard infantry weapons of their era. At the GM’s option, critical failure on Fast-Draw (Ammo) may either extinguish the match or set off the powder prematurely, causing 1 point of burn damage to the user.

Wheellock: This design came into use around 1500. Such locks were complicated and expensive. A clockwork spring in the lock turned a serrated steel wheel against a piece of iron pyrites, striking sparks that set off the powder. Pulling the trigger released the wheel. Then the gunner had to rewind the spring with a small lever, the spanner; reload the gun; and lower the cock, which held the pyrites, onto the firing pan. A gunman who loses his spanner can improvise one with a roll against Machinist-2, Armoury (Small Arms)-4, or IQ-based Guns-6.

Flintlock: Developed in the 1500s and perfected by 1620, a flintlock has a cock that holds a piece of flint, which is pulled back against spring tension. Pulling the trigger releases the spring, which drives the flint against a steel frizzen, discharging the gun. While found on the most advanced weapons of TL4, this design didn’t become standard in military use until TL5. GURPS uses “flintlock” broadly to include variants such as the snaphaunce, Miquelet lock, and doglock. A shooter accustomed to one type of lock is at -2 to use another variety until he acquires familiarity with it (see Familiarity, p. B169).

A TL3 cannonlock firearm was mounted at the end of a wooden pole, like a fire-lance (p. 56). Most illustrations show the pole tucked under the firer’s arm. It’s difficult to aim such a weapon – Acc is 1, at best!

By about 1450, gunsmiths adopted the curved stock to brace firearms against the shoulder. This gave rise to muskets, rifles, and other long arms. Long arms were awkward on horseback; cavalrymen needed a hand free to hold the reins. The pistol grip – developed sometime before 1520 – made this possible, and cavalrymen took to carrying pairs of pistols. Pistol grips were often heavy, enabling pistols to function as improvised maces after firing.

The flintlock carbine under Muskets (pp. 92-93) has a peculiar telescoping stock. Folding this removes -1 from Bulk; gives -1 to Acc and +1 to Rcl (unless Rcl is 1); and multiplies ST by 1.2 (round up). Adapted to another gun, this feature would add $100, 0.5 lb.

The barrels of gonnes were often made of bronze, but occasionally of wrought iron. The Chinese developed cast iron comparatively early and sometimes used it in gonnes.

Moisture can extinguish a match or get primer wet, preventing a cannonlock or matchlock from firing. Reduce Malf. by 4 in light rain; by 8 in heavy rain or blowing spray; or by 12 in a driving gale or heavy surf. If these penalties cause a malfunction when one wouldn’t have occurred otherwise, it’s a misfire, not a stoppage or an explosion (see p. B407). A match cover (p. 96) can partially protect against this.

A wheellock or flintlock has no match to go out; halve the above penalties (2, 4, or 6). Most flintlocks have a plate – the frizzen – that covers the primer when the gun isn’t being fired, halving the penalties again (1, 2, or 3). The early snaplock variant lacks this feature, however.

Loading a gun with loose powder under wet conditions almost certainly gets the powder wet – the weapon will fire only on a critical success! Powder in paper cartridges or cloth bags isn’t affected.

When Europe developed more sophisticated personal weapons, some early models had wrought-iron barrels, as did Japanese firearms inspired by them. The later matchlock weapons, and wheellock and flintlock firearms, had cast-iron barrels, which gave better strength for the same weight.

Most barrels were smoothbore. These were favored for military use because they took less time to reload and could thus achieve a greater volume of fire. However, balls from smoothbores come out spinning on a random axis, which often deflects them from the target. Rifled barrels, which have spiral grooves that give the ball a controlled spin about an axis parallel to the barrel, date to the 1500s. Rifled guns were used in hunting, where accuracy was more important than reloading speed.

Hunting guns often had two or more barrels, to give the hunter a second shot if the first one missed. This was especially important when hunting dangerous game such as bear or boar.

Early firearms were loaded with powder, shot, and wadding – in that order. Each was put in separately. Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, seeking more rapid fire from his troops, adopted paper cartridges with a premeasured amount of powder; the soldier could tear open the end, pour in the powder, and use the paper for wadding, saving time. See Loading (p. 94-95) for rules and additional information.

At TL3, powder is serpentine powder. At TL4, corned powder replaces this for small arms; only the arquebus and the Japanese firearms use serpentine. The standard material for shot is lead. Gun bores aren’t standardized, although Low-Tech lists them as if they were; most gun owners carry equipment for casting their own bullets (see Bullet-Molding Gear, p. 96). Throughout this period, bullets are spherical and often called “balls.” An exception was the Puckle gun (pp. 92-93).

The first small arms were basically miniature cannon. Period illustrations depict something like vases with arrows or stones flying out of them. To facilitate shooting – and for safety if they exploded! – these gonnes were mounted on wooden poles; see Stocks and Grips (p. 90).

Firing such a cannonlock requires looking at the touchhole rather than the target. See Locks (p. 90). This means sacrificing any Acc bonus for aiming and incurring -2 to hit for divided attention.

Some gonnes had two-man crews: a man to fire the gonne and a man to hold and aim it, avoiding the -2 and retaining the Acc bonus. Only the man aiming the weapon needs Guns skill. The one touching it off rolls against DX (or Guns, if better); success sets it off instantly, failure means the shot is delayed by a second, and critical failure indicates a dropped match or wire.

All of these details make gonnes different enough from later firearms to require their own Guns specialty; see Guns (p. 10).

Gonne (.87 caliber). A miniature cannon, cast in bronze, mounted on the end of a wooden pole. The Arabian version is called a midfa; the Chinese one, a pao (“eruptor”). It usually fires lead balls, but some illustrations show gonnes shooting missiles resembling crossbow bolts. These firearms come in many sizes; the model on the table is comparable to the smallest surviving Chinese examples. Weapons of this type were commonly carried on Hussite war wagons (pp. 136, 137).

Mr. Facing-Both-Ways Gonne (.87 caliber). A Chinese gonne with a barrel at each end of a long pole, which can be flipped around (a Ready maneuver) for a second shot. The added weight and bulk make it awkward, but the greater weight also decreases felt recoil.

Ten-Eyed Gonne (.87 caliber). A Chinese gonne that goes about as far as possible toward repeated fire. Each half has touchholes for five charges, which are set off starting from the far end; when they’re used up, the gun is flipped around (a Ready maneuver) for the other five shots. European firearms of similar design are often called “Roman candle guns.”

Terms and notation are as defined on pp. B268-271.

Note:

• [1] Range and damage increase from the first to the fifth bullet on each end. The five lines show the increase. After one end is fully discharged, start over at the lowest values for the other end. Reloading the inner rounds takes 60 seconds per round rather than 30.

These weapons fire multiple balls with a diameter smaller than their caliber. They only become common in the flintlock era.

Blunderbuss (.62 caliber). A short-barreled shotgun with a muzzle that widens from back to front; the muzzle is 1.25 caliber. This doesn’t much affect performance, but gives +1 to Intimidation against anyone it’s pointed at! Thanks to the flared barrel, it’s exempt from the usual Guns-2 roll to reload on a moving vehicle (see Loading, pp. 94-95). It fires the equivalent of buckshot. Fiction and cartoons sometimes depict blunderbusses being loaded with scrap metal and small stones, but this works poorly; see Variant Ammunition (p. 95) for effects.

Fowling Piece (12 gauge). A very long-barreled shotgun designed for hunting, customarily loaded with birdshot. It comes in single- and double-barreled versions.

Terms and notation are as defined on pp. B268-271.

GUNS (SHOTGUN) (DX-4 or most other Guns-2)

Long arms of several sizes are the basis of “pike and shot” warfare at TL4. For most of the period, these are matchlocks; toward its end, the flintlock-based fusil enters use. Military weapons at TL4 are mostly smoothbores – both because they allow more rapid fire (see Loading, pp. 94-95) and because they cost much less than rifles. Military training emphasizes rapid reloading and standing one’s ground under fire over marksmanship. Elite troops know Fast-Draw (Ammo).

Arquebus (.60 caliber). The original long arm; the name derives from hackbusch, or “hook-barrel,” and probably refers to the downward-curved stock. Guns of this type came into use in Europe shortly after 1500 and in China under the Ming Dynasty, which used them to complete the expulsion of the Mongols. Arquebuses use serpentine powder, not corned powder.

Caliver (.59 caliber). A lighter, handier musket, designed for use by ordinary soldiers without the strength to serve as musketeers.

Musket (.80 caliber). A larger smoothbore with a very long barrel, too heavy to hold level unaided. A musketeer requires a musket rest (p. 96) to use his weapon effectively; see ST (Strength) (p. B270). Musketeers need to be large, strong men to manage these high-powered weapons. The name “musket” came to be used for smoothbore long arms in general.

Teppo (.47 caliber). A Japanese arquebus first made in 1543 on the island of Taneshigama, in imitation of a Portuguese original. Sizes vary, but this is the standard model issued to the shogun’s armies: 53.5” long, with a forged iron barrel. Matchlocks remained in use in Japan long after Europe moved on to flintlocks and caplocks (TL5). The teppo uses serpentine powder.

Winged Tiger Gun (.55 caliber). A short-barreled Chinese weapon, designed for use by cavalrymen. It’s too awkward to reload on horseback. To allow multiple shots, it has three loaded barrels that can be fired separately.

Carbine (.69 caliber). A musket-like weapon designed for cavalrymen who want more than a pistol. It has a short barrel and weighs much less than a musket or caliver.

Wall Gun (1.06 caliber). A smoothbore weapon even heavier than a musket, placed on a tripod mount atop a city wall for use in defensive fire. Some tripods have small wheels for improved mobility, but this isn’t enough to make wall guns useful field weapons. The wall gun is normally fired with a wheellock – but for $25 more, it can also have a matchlock, for backup if the wheellock breaks down.

Flintlock Carbine (.62 caliber). A carbine developed in England around 1690, with a telescoping stock. Collapsing this allows use as a handgun rather than as a shoulder arm. With stock collapsed: Acc 2, ST 10, Bulk -3, Rcl 5.

Fusil. The fusil is similar to a caliver, but with a flintlock rather than a matchlock. The fusil de chasse (.55 caliber) is widely used by hunters, avoiding the inconvenience of keeping a match lit in the wilderness; it becomes available around 1630. The fusil fin is similar, but custom-made for noblemen seeking a superior gun; treat it as fine (accurate), for +0.75CF. The heavier military model, or fusil ordinaire (.64 caliber), is initially used where a burning match would be inconvenient or dangerous; a French regiment sent to Canada in 1660 to fight the Iroquois was the first general military force to carry it. The fusil grenadier resembles this, but comes with a sling (p. 96). An even heavier variant, the buccaneer fusil, is favored for shipboard use: Dmg 3d+1 pi++, Wt. 7.5/0.065, ST 10†, Bulk -11.

Puckle Gun (1.25 caliber). One of the early 18th century’s more eccentric weapons, the Defence Gun is commonly named for its inventor, James Puckle. It’s a tripod-mounted weapon, like the wall gun, but with a flintlock. To boost its rate of fire, it has a cylinder that holds nine rounds of ammunition, turned with a hand crank between shots to line up unfired rounds with the firing mechanism. Normally, several cylinders are readied ahead of time.

Swapping in a new, loaded cylinder for an old one takes 15 seconds. It came in two versions: one intended for use against Christians, which fired standard balls, and one intended for use against Turks, which fired square bullets!

Notes:

• [1] Normally used with a tripod mount. For Puckle gun: $380, 20 lbs. For wall gun: $260, 7.5 lbs.
• [2] Spare cylinder (empty): $200, 10 lbs.

Pistols were developed as horsemen’s weapons, designed to be aimed and fired one-handed while the other hand held the reins (they were no easier to reload on horseback; see Loading, pp. 94-95). They were initially carried with their butts hung from the pommel, and later in holsters (p. 96). Smaller models for other uses soon appeared – including belt pistols for self-defense, and concealable pocket pistols.

Tantsutsu (.70 caliber). A Japanese firearm similar to the teppo (p. 92), designed for use by horsemen and reserved to nobles wealthy enough to afford a horse. Tantsutsu are made as presentation weapons; see Styling (p. 14). The example on the Pistols Table (p. 94) has +4 CF. The tantsutsu uses serpentine powder.

Military Pistol (.55 caliber). A large, heavy pistol for cavalrymen. At least two are carried into battle, allowing more than one shot without struggling to reload on horseback. Petronel (.60 caliber). A 16th-century cavalry weapon with a pistol-like grip, used with the grip resting against the breastplate of a cuirass, and often held two-handed. The barrel is 40” long, comparable to that of a carbine; reloading takes a correspondingly long time.

Pocket Pistol (.33 caliber). A small pistol with a very short barrel – just over 4” long – designed to be concealed under clothing. Fear of assassination attempts often leads to legal restrictions on such concealable weapons.

Puffer Pistol (.53 caliber). A lighter pistol than the military pistol, with a slightly smaller bore and a significantly shorter barrel, which can be thrust under a belt. The “puffer” design has a distinctive enlarged bulb at the end of the butt, giving +1 to Fast-Draw (Pistol). Also called a dag in the British Isles.

Dragoon Pistols. Cavalrymen’s weapons of the early 18th century. The light model is .56 caliber and has a 9” barrel. The heavy one is .65 caliber and has a 12” barrel.

Duck’s Foot Pistol (.40 caliber). Developed in 1720 for crowd control, this bizarre handgun has four barrels spreading out from a single lock that fires them all at once. At up to 2 yards, it acts as a RoF 1×4 weapon that can engage one target. At 3+ yards, it works like four RoF 1 guns! Pick a 30° arc (as for Spraying Fire, p. B409) and attack one foe there with one shot; he need not be in the center. Then use Hitting the Wrong Target (p. B389) for everyone else in the arc. Roll in order from right to left or vice versa – your option. If you somehow manage to hit four targets total, immediately stop rolling.

Highland Pistol (.52 caliber). This weapon comes into use very late in TL4. Its 8” barrel makes it a convenient belt pistol. Unusually for the era, it’s made entirely of steel.

Queen Anne Pistol (.50 caliber). A distinctive pistol design of the reign of England’s Queen Anne (1702-1714), much favored by pirates. The 8” barrel is “brass” (meaning cast bronze), and screws into the combined lock and grip. To reload, the barrel must be unscrewed, but this allows use of bullets with minimal windage, improving accuracy.

Snaphaunce Pistol (.45 caliber). An early variant on the flintlock pistol, available from 1600, with a comparatively long 11” barrel.

Terms and notation are as defined on pp. B268-271.

The rifle was originally a hunter’s weapon. Later, armies put rifles to use for hunting enemy soldiers. Ordinary troops, armed with muskets, often resented the sharpshooters who could pick them off from afar…

Breechloading Carbine (.54 caliber). Based on an early carbine made for Henry VIII. The rifled barrel is short but the construction is substantial.

Jäger Rifle (.65 caliber). Used initially by German hunters and later adopted by the aristocrats they guided. Available in single- and double-barreled versions.

Terms and notation are as defined on pp. B268-271.

There’s more to shooting than aiming and pulling the trigger! You have to load the gun beforehand – and you must clean it afterward, if you want to go on shooting with any accuracy. In between, you need to handle it with care.

At TL3-4, ammunition has three components: powder, shot, and wadding. Loading multi-part ammo is an involved process. The shooter must pour in the propellant, usually through the muzzle; insert and ram down the projectile, followed by the wadding; add powder to the priming pan; and then ready the action. The number of Ready maneuvers (seconds) required varies by weapon type, but some general rules apply:

• Using powder in small, pre-measured flasks subtracts

5 seconds from final loose-ammunition loading time.

• Paper cartridges halve the basic time required (round up), and supersede using pre-measured flasks.
• Loading a muzzleloading shoulder arm – not a pistol – in any posture other than standing multiplies the basic time required by 1.5 (round up). Loading any gun while mounted requires a roll against the lower of Guns-3 and Riding-3; see Mounted Reload (p. 12). Loading on a moving vehicle, or as a passenger in a howdah (p. 135), requires a Guns-2 roll.
• Loading a weapon with multiple barrels takes the indicated time for each barrel loaded.

Muzzleloading gonne with cannonlock action: 30 seconds. For “Roman candle”-style gonnes, double time for all shots but the outermost. Fast-Draw (Ammo) doesn’t apply.

Muzzleloading musket or shotgun with matchlock action: 60 seconds. A successful Fast-Draw (Ammo) roll reduces this to 50.

Muzzleloading musket or shotgun with wheellock or flintlock action: 40 seconds. Fast-Draw (Ammo) reduces this to 30.

Muzzleloading pistol with matchlock action: 45 seconds. Fast-Draw (Ammo) reduces this to 36.

Muzzleloading pistol with wheellock or flintlock action: 20 seconds. Fast-Draw (Ammo) reduces this to 16.

Muzzleloading rifle with matchlock action: 90 seconds. Fast-Draw (Ammo) reduces this to 80.

Muzzleloading rifle with wheellock or flintlock action: 60 seconds. Fast-Draw (Ammo) reduces this to 50.

Breechloading musket, shotgun, or rifle with matchlock, wheellock, or flintlock action: 10 seconds, regardless of position. Fast-Draw (Ammo) reduces this to 8.

In a realistic campaign, a firearm should always be considered loaded. Those who run around with a finger on the trigger, try to climb rigging with a pistol in hand, drop a loaded weapon as a “free action,” and so on are inviting accidental discharge. If somebody with a gun in hand attempts to do anything but shoot – e.g., ride a horse or climb – the GM may rule that a failed DX or skill roll means an accidental discharge, a malfunction (p. B407), or even a broken firearm… especially if the gunman suffers from Unluckiness or Cursed! A weapon may also discharge accidentally if hastily shoved into a belt or pocket. An accidental discharge may hit the holder of the gun or somebody else (see Hitting the Wrong Target, p. B389), or at least draw attention at a possibly inconvenient time.

Certain environments pose special challenges to shooters.

Shooting at an underwater target is difficult – as may be seeing the target in the first place. The projectile will be deflected considerably at some entry angles. All shots going into the water are at -4 to hit. As well, the water slows down the round; multiply the underwater distance to the target by 1,000 to check if it’s in range.

Firing any firearm (from small arms to artillery) into the air at an elevation of 50°-90° reduces its range to 80% normal.

Black powder produces a solid residue. In a long fight, carbon and lead buildup can have adverse effects on accuracy, loading speed, and reliability. After every five shots, the firer must take a two-minute break to clean his gun thoroughly. Any kind of watery liquid, including urine, will do. Saliva works well – shooters commonly hold a patch in their mouth until it’s saturated. For every five shots without cleaning, increase basic loading time by 10% (round up) and reduce Malf. by one step. For every 10 shots without cleaning, lower Acc by 1, too.

Battlefield swabbing can’t remove all the fouling. Black powder is corrosive and attracts moisture. Cleaning and oiling the gun is a necessary after-battle chore. Disassembling the lock, cleaning it, reassembling it, and swabbing the barrel takes about an hour. Firearms that haven’t been cleaned keep the accumulated penalties from previously fired shots. The GM may assess further penalties if an uncleaned or loaded weapon is kept in a damp environment. A gun-cleaning kit (p. 96) is basic equipment for the above tasks.

Most multi-part ammunition can be given an extra-powerful propellant charge to eke out higher damage and better range. Make an Armoury (Small Arms) roll or an IQ-based Guns roll at -2 to stay within your weapon’s safe limits. Multiply Dmg, Range, and ST by 1.1. Multiply cost per shot by 1.5. If you exceed safe limits – through failure or deliberately – the weapon has -2 to Malf. If this penalty cause a malfunction when one wouldn’t have occurred otherwise, it’s always an explosion (see p. B407).

If you resort to field-expedient projectiles such as stones or coins, apply -1 to Acc and halve Dmg and Range. Such ammo gives -2 to Malf., too – it’s likely to damage the barrel!

Taking time to load carefully has a marked effect on muzzleloader accuracy. Smoothbores in particular are more accurate when firing a well-fitted, tightly patched ball from a clean barrel. A perfectly smooth ram of the load and/or an exactly measured quantity of priming can affect the likelihood of the gun firing and scoring a hit. One reason that low-tech military commanders like to save the first volley for as long as possible is that it’s the one that’s most carefully loaded. Doubling loading time for a muzzleloading musket or rifle gives +1 to Acc.

Improvements to firearm quality typically affect either accuracy or reliability. These options can be combined. It’s also possible to add Styling (p. 14) – alone or with other improvements – to create “presentation” weapons. These rules expand on the standard examples on p. B280 (which are both “accurate” and “reliable”).

Fine (Accurate). The shooter’s quest for accuracy commonly lands guns on the gunsmith’s bench. By improving the fit of individual parts and installing custom-made triggers, grips, etc., a gunsmith can improve quality to fine (accurate).

This only benefits weapons with a base Acc of at least 2, and gives +1 Acc. The necessary modifications require an Armoury (Small Arms) roll and five hours’ work. CF is +0.75.

Fine (Reliable). By installing better springs, custom-fitting all components, etc., a gunsmith can improve quality to fine (reliable). This increases Malf. (p. B407) by a step; e.g., from 14 to 15. The modifications require an Armoury (Small Arms) roll and two hours’ work. CF is +0.25.

Very Fine (Reliable). Further work can improve Malf. by two steps. This is exceedingly rare except on the best target and sporting weapons available. The modifications require an Armoury (Small Arms) roll and 10 hours’ work. CF is an additional +1 over that for fine (reliable) – that is, a total CF of +1.25.

At TL4, ingenious armorers start to produce handy gadgets for users of small arms and artillery.

A leather strap, worn over one shoulder and crossing to the opposite side of the torso, that holds the essential supplies for using a firearm: a dozen flasks for powder charges, a flask of priming powder, a small oilcan, a bullet pouch, a pouch of cleaning patches, and for matchlocks, a yard of slow match. Takes one second (a Ready maneuver) to don or remove. $50, 5 lbs.

Belt pistols, especially aboard ship, may have a metal hook attached to the side to prevent their slipping through a sash or belt. $10, 0.25 lb.

Gun calibers aren’t standardized, and balls can’t be mass-produced. Gun owners need equipment for casting their own balls: an iron or bronze crucible for melting lead, tongs for handling it, and a set of bullet molds. The latter resemble a large pair of needle-nose pliers with several round hollows of the proper size; they can be closed, clamped shut, and then opened when the balls have cooled. A campfire produces enough heat to melt lead; casting half a dozen balls takes 4 minutes. Armies carry lead ingots with them; if this runs out, a Scrounging roll can locate lead in any TL2+ town. $50, 2 lbs.

Anyone who uses a firearm professionally needs equipment to clean it. This includes nipple key, vent pricker, oil bottle, screwdriver, double-pronged worm for cleaning, and tools for extracting jammed bullets. $20, 0.5 lb.

At TL4, holsters are horse furniture, designed to hang from a saddle. They’re sold in pairs, one for each side of the horse, so that the rider can have two pistols available. Pair: $125, 5 lbs.

This detachable cover fits over the lock of a matchlock gun, keeping the rain off. It was invented in Japan, which experienced frequent rainstorms. A secondary benefit is that it conceals the glowing match, keeping it from revealing the arquebusier’s location at night. $10, 0.5 lb.

A pole with a forked upper end designed to be driven into the ground so that it can support the barrel; see ST (Strength), p. B270. $10, 2 lbs.

A prop for a long arm, made from crossed sticks strapped together with cord or leather. A sitting marksman may treat a gun supported by shooting sticks as braced (see Aim, p. B364). $5, 1 lb.

A sling is standard with the fusil grenadier (see Muskets, pp. 92-93), but other long arms can be adapted to use one. It allows the gunman to use two hands while keeping his shoulder arm close. Unslinging or slinging a long arm takes two Ready maneuvers – or three, if the slung position is across the back. For unslinging, a successful Fast-Draw (Long Arm) roll reduces these times by a second. A sling also lets a shooter brace even when he has nothing to prop his gun on, giving an extra +1 when aiming; see Aim (p. B364). Bracing with a sling is a two-handed task that takes one Ready maneuver per -1 Bulk; e.g., five seconds at Bulk -5. Leaving this position, thereby freeing the hands, requires a Ready maneuver. $10, 1 lb.