New DM Handbook: Implementing Firearms

Last week, I talked about how you can include firearms in your Dungeons & Dragons game. Truthfully, I don’t think I included everything, but I believe it was a good primer for how to think about including firearms into your game. Perhaps in the future I’ll compile a more detailed modern firearms ruleset, which would include a detailed look at what I talked about last week, what I’m going to talk about right now, and other elements I never addressed, but that is then and this is now.

My main focuses here is about class archetypes. While the Monk will require the Way of Gun Fu archetype in order to use modern firearms, the Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, and Rogue classes will be granted proficiency in the identified modern firearms by class.

Class Archetypes

Listed here are the proficiencies that are automatically granted by class. Classes not listed below do not have proficiency in firearms.

• Barbarians: shotguns
• Fighters: all firearms
• Paladins: automatic rifles and revolvers
• Ranger: automatic rifles and hunting rifles
• Rogues: pistols and hunting rifles

Path of the Spartan (Barbarian)

Known as “a wall of men, instead of bricks,” Spartans are a proud warrior society that value strength in the face of unrivaled adversity. With a ferocious might, they won’t stand down to anyone or anything and prefer to be face-to-face with their targets. They are the ultimate first line of defense, with the ability to continue to engage with anyone stupid enough to charge past them.

Focused Rage: Spartans are trained to fight with extreme ferocity while still maintaining sharp focus. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can use modern firearms when you rage. When you rage and make a modern firearm attack using Wisdom, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as you gain levels as a barbarian, as shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian table.

Unflinching Rage: As a Spartan, you are fearless in the face against front line combat with a will to meet all incoming attacks with total resolve. Starting at 6th level, attacking with automatic rifles and shotguns within 5 feet doesn’t impose disadvantage on you.

Force of Will: Spartans a mentally fortified and have a resilient will when in the midst of combat. Starting at 10th level, you have advantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom saving throws when raging.

Phalanx: Spartans defend the wall by killing the enemy before they have a chance to attack. Starting at 14th level, when a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to shoot the attacker with a modern firearm.

Commando (Fighter)

Commandos are members of a mobile infantry, extensively trained in combat tactics and special operations. They’re required to be experts in all weapon systems and be able to take on a wide variety of missions, to include direct action, surveillance and reconnaissance, and unconventional warfare. Commandos are versatile warriors, ready for any scenario.

Marksman: Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. With this action, you can choose to ignore half cover and three-quarters cover, or attack at long range without imposing disadvantage on your ranged weapon rolls with modern firearms until the end of your turn.

Land’s Stride: In order to be able to move swiftly and precisely anywhere, Commandos are vigorously trained in most environments. Starting at 7th level, moving through non-magical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through non-magical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such as those created by the entangle spell.

Freedom of Movement: Commandos need to move quickly when called into action in any environment. Starting at 10th level, you gain a swimming, climbing, and crawling speed equal to your walking speed. If you’re prone, standing up doesn’t take any additional movement.

Targeted Shot: Commandos know there are times when you need to sacrifice precision for the sake of accuracy. Starting at 15th level, you can target a specific portion of the target creature that can be seen. When shooting with a modern firearm, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you can choose which location of the target’s body you want to hit that can be seen. The target must make a saving throw against your Targeted Shot DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. If the target fails, it suffers the additional effect.

• Head: On a hit, the target takes normal damage and must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage on attacks until the end of their next turn.
• Arms: On a hit, the target takes normal damage and must make a Strength saving throw or drop one held item of your choice.
• Torso: On a hit, the target takes normal damage and is pushed 10 feet directly away from you.
• Legs/Wings: On a hit, the target takes normal damage and must make a Strength saving throw or get knocked prone.

(I take no claim for originality on this ability. This ability is almost entirely based on Matthew Mercer’s Gunslinger class he made for Critical Role. Please go there and buy his module that he sells based on contribution. It’s a well designed class.)

Tactical Reload: Experienced Commandos can reload their modern firearms in fractions of a second. Starting at 18th level, you can use your reaction to reload instead of an action or a bonus action.

Way of Gun Fu (Monk)

Monks who learn the Way of Gun Fu are masters of handguns. They are equally proficient in pistols and revolvers, often using them in concert with high-flying acrobatics. Gun Fu Masters’ sly movement almost makes them seem like they’re flying through combat, a leaf on the wind.

Dancing Leaf: As a Gun Fu Monk, your firearms are as one with your body as are your own hands or feet. Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, pistols and revolvers become monk weapons. You can choose to use Dexterity instead of Wisdom for the attack and damage rolls of modern firearms. Additionally, attacking with pistols and revolvers within 5 feet doesn’t impose disadvantage on you.

Nimble Step: Gun Fu Monks are known for their agility. Starting at 6th level, you gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill.  If you are already proficient in the skill, you add double your proficiency bonus for checks you make with it.

Walking Feather: Monks who practice the Way of Gun Fu use modern firearms in a flurry of combat. Starting at 11th level, when you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack with your modern firearm. Additionally, immediately after you take your Attack action, you can spend 1 ki point to shoot your modern firearm as a bonus action.

Gun Kata: Masters of the Way of Gun Fu are unparalleled in their ability to use their agility to deflect or evade enemy attacks. Starting at 17th level, if you use 5 ki points, you may use your reaction to add your Acrobatic skill score to your AC.

Oath of Judgement (Paladin)

Paladins who take the Oath of Judgement pledge themselves to justice. They are the arbiters of the law. Their devotion to justice is unmatched because they don’t focus on the “greater good” the way that paladins who take the Oath of Devotion do. Their primary concern is to uphold law and order and ensure that society functions as it’s meant to. They worship the lawfully aligned gods exclusively and tend towards lawful neutral deities, but because they’re devoted to the law, they are granted support from good, neutral, and evil lawful gods equally. This is why most kingdoms, societies, and cultures give them free reign to execute justice without question.

Oath of Judgement Spells:

• 3rd Level: guiding bolt, hellish rebuke
• 5th Level: flame blade, hold person
• 9th Level: counterspell, spirit guardians
• 13th Level: dimension door, phantasmal killer
• 17th Level: flame strike, hallow

Channel Divinity: When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

• Divine Shot: As a bonus action, you can imbue one modern firearm that you are holding, using your Channel Divinity. For one minute, you can apply Divine Smite to the modern firearm as a ranged weapon. If you have Improved Divine Smite, those effects are applied as well. If you are no longer holding or carrying this weapon, or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.
• Interrogation: As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer of testimony. You create a magical zone that forces everyone in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on a point of your choice within range to answer all of your questions in full for 10 minutes. A creature that enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, a creature can’t speak a deliberate lie while in the radius. You know whether each creature succeeds or fails on its saving throw. It can’t lie or avoid answering your questions.

Aura of Justice: Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain a bonus to modern firearm damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of  +1). A creature can benefit from this feature from only one paladin at a time. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Pursuit: Starting at 15th level, you learn hunter’s mark as an Oath Spell. You can cast it at will without consuming a spell slot.

Spirit of the Law: At 20th level, the Spirit of the Law, a spectral war hammer manifests at your side, where it stays. It grants you an aura with a 30-foot radius for a duration of one minute. For the duration, whenever an enemy creature enters the aura or starts their turn in it, the Spirit of the Law hits the creature for 1d8 force damage. Additionally, you can use your bonus action to attack a creature that’s within 5 feet of you with the  Spirit of the Law for 2d8 force damage. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Pathfinder (Ranger)

Pathfinders are advanced reconnaissance specialists sent deep into uninhabited areas. They’re trained to effortlessly move through various types of terrain, clearing areas of all types of threats, including monsters, creatures, and enemy forces. Pathfinders rely heavily on not being seen, preferring to hide and attack from afar if they’re able to. Being so far advanced in hostile territory, they train in hunting rifles to kill from great distances, and assault rifles in offensive and defensive measures when stealth and distance fail them. Pathfinders are also often called upon to secure remote locations while advanced fortifications can be built.

Basic Training: At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

• Marksman: You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. With this action, you can choose to ignore half cover and three-quarters cover or attack at long range without imposing disadvantage on your ranged weapon rolls with modern firearms until the end of your turn.
• Cunning Action: You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat.  This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Enhanced Training: At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

• Dead Shot: You add your proficiency bonus to the damage roll of any modern firearms that you are proficient in.
• Experienced Tracker: Your proficiency bonus is doubled for Wisdom (perception), Wisdom (survival), and Dexterity (stealth).  If you weren’t already proficient in any of those skills, you gain proficiency in them.

Expert Pathfinder: At 11th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

• Remarkable Darkvision: You gain darkvision with a radius of 120 feet.  You don’t have sunlight sensitivity.  You no longer have sunlight sensitivity if you already did.
• Superior Stealth: You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomenon.  In addition, you gain advantage on any Dexterity (stealth) checks when your are completely obscured or previously unnoticed.

Master Pathfinder: At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

• Precise Shots: When using the burst fire with the assault rifle, you use 5 shots instead of 10.
• Sniper: When you attack and hit a creature that is surprised with a hunting rifle, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus).  On a failed save, double the damage of your attack against the creature.

Covert Agent (Rogue)

Covert Agents are talented urban infiltrators.  They tend to work for states and kingdoms as spies and assassins, but they aren’t limited to anyone.  Businesses, guilds, and merchants have use for their services, too.  They breath worlds of intrigue, where they have to be aware of double and triple agents, as well as counterspies, and whose loyalties aren’t always guaranteed.  Even though most are loyal, no one trusts a Covert Agent, because no one knows who they’re working for, but they also need them.  If a Covert Agent goes to work for themselves, they tend to be information brokers, with vast networks of spies and informants that they can call on.  Be careful if they do you a favor, because you may not like what they ask for in return.

Hitman: When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, attacking with pistols within 5 feet doesn’t impose disadvantage on you.

Marksman: Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat.  With this action, you can choose to ignore half cover and three-quarters cover or attack at long range without imposing disadvantage on your ranged weapon rolls with modern firearms until the end of your turn.

Silencer: Starting at 9th level, as a bonus action you can imbue one modern firearm that you are holding with the silencer spell.  For 1 minute, the modern firearm emits no sound.  Other than deafening the firing of the modern firearm, no other mechanics are affected.  If you are no longer holding or carrying this weapon, or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.  You can cast this spell once and regain the ability to do so after a long rest.

Urban Explorer: You are particularly familiar with urban settings, and can easily navigate the streets and all levels of society.  Starting at 13th level, when you make a Dexterity, Wisdom, or Charisma check in an urban environment, add your proficiency bonus again.  In addition, you gain the following benefits while in urban settings:

• If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at any pace, and you have advantage on Dexterity checks when moving at a normal pace or slower.
• If you are alone while trying to engage in a social action, you have advantage on deception, insight, intimidation, and persuasion checks.
• Even when engaged in another activity, you remain alert to danger.
• You can climb buildings equal to your walking speed.

Sniper: When you attack and hit a creature that is surprised with a hunting rifle, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus).  On a failed save, double the damage of your attack against the creature.

Fin

I know I promised feats, but this became much more involved than I originally anticipated, so I will leave them out for now.  It’s highly likely that I’ll create an entire rulebook for including modern firearms at some point, including what I have here, with a lot of playtesting and feedback, so feats will be there, and they’ll be better fleshed out.  As a suggestion for now, you can just give players a +1 to their Wisdom score (maximum of 20), and give them a choice between pistols and revolvers, assault rifles and shotguns, or hunting rifles.  If one were to gain proficiency based on more logical foundations than theme, those proficiencies would be the ones to be linked together.

Thanks for the patience.  Stay Nerdy!

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