Firearms of The Realms

"Firearms" by Todd Lockwood, © Wizards of the Coast 2001

Firearms Cost Damage Weight Special
Pistol 250 gp 1d10 piercing 3 lb. Firearm (range 50/150)
Blunderbuss 50 gp 1d8 piercing 5 lb. Firearm (range 60/240), two-handed
Arquebus 75 gp 1d8 piercing 7 lb. Firearm (range 80/320), heavy, two-handed
Caliver 150 gp 1d10 piercing 9 lb. Firearm (range 100/400), heavy, two-handed
Musket 500 gp 1d12 piercing 15 lb. Firearm (range 150/600), hooked (13), heavy, two-handed
Handgunne 750 gp 3d6 bludgeoning 15 lb. Firearm (range 80/320), hooked (15), heavy, two-handed

Firearms in the Realms

Firearms are becoming more and more widespread in Faerûn
as Lantanese priests of Gond the Wondermaker are making
and spreading them throughout the Realms.
The Lantanese have mastered matchlock weapons-making,
and can regularly produce high-quality matchlock pistols,
matchlock arquebuses, matchlock calivers, and matchlock
muskets (with gun rests). They can also produce hand match
ribalds for armies, as well as matchlock blunderbusses. All
Lantanese firearms are stamped with the mark of Gond on
the butt or grip of the weapon.
Very large, crude bombards are made and used by the Red
Wizards of Thay, and some of these siege guns are in the
Pirate Isles.
One important development is that firearms are entering
numerous worlds from sources in wildspace. Wheellock
pistols known as “starwheels” are sometimes sold or traded
across Toril by spelljammer crews, or they are stolen from
crews by local thieves. The Lantanese were quick to copy the
design of these "starwheels", and have started producing them
"locally".
Sidebar: Spread of Firearms
The extent of firearms use in any specific Realms
campaign is up to the DM. If the DM chooses to
introduce firearms in his campaign, it should take at
least several years to several decades for the
weapons to become commonly available.
The Forgotten Realms Adventures book gives the
following as the canon/recommended timeline of
the spread of firearms through Faerûn, starting in
the year after the Time of Troubles.
1359 DR: Arquebuses begin to pop up in the
Realms, primarily as curios and magical objects.
Price (if available) is 10 times listed price.
1362 DR: Arquebuses and other similar weapons
become more common (people stop looking at the
player characters strangely when they ask about
them). Well-stocked weapon shops will have some,
but at twice the listed price.
1365 DR: Firearms are available in large stores at
the listed price.

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Sidebar: Starwheels
Any firearm that uses bullets as ammunition can be
constructed as a starwheel, using a wheellock
mechanism instead of a matchlock one. A starwheel
firearm costs 50 gp more than a matchlock one and
does not suffer any penalty when used in the rain.
Only an expert clockmaker, a cleric of Gond, or
an artificer can build or repair a wheellock firearm.
Weapon Descriptions
Pistol. The smallest and most compact firearm, the pistol is
also one of the rarest firearms, as most people not only prefer
firearms with longer range, but the pistol itself requires
greater craftsmanship to craft.
Despite its short range, a pistol is still a formidable weapon,
and is often used as a self-defense weapon. Due to this, pistol
grips often have metal butts that allow them to be used as
effective clubs.
Blunderbuss. The shortest of the long guns, a blunderbuss
only has a barrel around one foot long, sometimes less, which
often ends in a flared muzzle. Most blunderbusses have a full
stock like a musket's, but some are made with only a pistol
grip.
The blunderbuss is the preferred weapon of clerics of Gond,
and is often called a "Gondgun" by others.
Arquebus. A scaled down version of the much larger
musket, the arquebus is the long gun most adventurers are
likely to encounter, as it strikes a good balance between size
and power. An arquebus usually has a stock like a musket, but
many only have a cut down version of a musket stock.
Spelljammer crews carry arquebuses as their long gun of
choice.
Caliver. Essentially half-way between a musket and an
arquebus, a caliver has a higher bore and heavier barrel than
the arquebus, but is otherwise identical in design.
Musket. A marskman's gun, a musket has long barrel three
to four feet long and a heavy wooden stock, allowing for
greater accuracy than all other firearms.
A lantanese musket comes with a pivoting fork integrated
into the design, allowing the user to hook the weapon at-will.
Handgunne. The most basic firearm, a handgunne is a
miniature cannon fitte on the end of a long pole. This pole
functions as the weapon's "fork" for the purpose of hooking,
and is integrated into the weapon.
New Weapon Properties
Firearm. A firearm functions as a weapon with the
Ammunition property except that you can only be fire it once
before you must forego one attack or use a bonus action to
reload it. Reloading a firearm requires two hands.
As most firearms ignite their powder with a slow burning
cord match, a firearm also has a 25% chance (1-5 on your
attack roll) of not firing in heavy rain, and a 10% chance (1-2
on your attack roll) of not firing in light rain. A firearm that
does not fire wastes the smokepowder used for that shot, but
does not waste any ammunition.
A simple blacksmith could conceivably build or repair most
firearms.
2
Spread. When attacking a target within half this weapon's
normal range, roll an additional damage die and add it to the
weapon’s damage. When fired at long range, you may apply
the attack roll to an additional creature within 5 feet of the
target. Roll damage against the secondary target separately.
Hooked. A weapon that has the hooked property is
designed to be fired only when hooked onto a special fork –or
over a hard, stationary surface, such as a low wall. Hooking
the weapon requires an action or a bonus action (the
character’s choice). If the character moves after hooking the
weapon, or drops the weapon, the weapon is no longer
considered to be hooked. While a weapon with this property is
not hooked, attack rolls with it are made at disadvantage
unless the character's Strength score is equal to or higher
than the number in brackets.
Ammunition
Ammunition Cost Weight
Bullet 2 sp 1 lb.
Lead Shot 5 sp 1 lb.
Handgunne Ball 3 gp 1 lb.
Bullets. Bullets are lead spheres used for single target
attacks. When loaded with a bullet, a firearm functions as
written. The price give is for 1 bullet.
Lead Shot. Lead shot consists of many tiny lead balls that
are packed into the barrel of the firearm together. The price
give is for 1 "load" of shot.
Lead shot can be loaded into any firearm that normally fires
bullets. Loading a firearm with lead shot halves its Normal
and Long Ranges but imparts the Spread property on the
attack.
Handgunne Balls. Handgunnes shoot heavy lead balls that
are simply smaller versions of cannon balls. The price give is
for 1 ball.
Powder
Besides ammunition, all firearms also require magical
smokepowder to function. A packet contains enough powder
for 5 shots of a firearm, a horn holds enough powder for 20
shots, and a keg holds enough powder for 500 shots.
Sidebar: Guns in other Settings
Outside of the Fogotten Realms and Spelljammer,
firearms have a varying degree of presence.
In Greyhawk, gunpowder and smokepowder do
not function. However, the restriction on
smokepowder is only true on Oerth itself, and it
functions as normal elsewhere in Greyspace.
In Dragonlance, tinker gnomes do create some
primitive firearms, but due to the reputation of
gnomish artifice, firearms are not widespread, and
are limited to only handgunnes and arquebuses.
In Mystara, smokepowder and firearms are only
manufactured in the region known as the Savage
Coast. All firearms from the Savage coast are
wheellock.
In Eberron, firearms are non-existant. As the
pinnacle of a setting with industrialized magic,
people have no need for firearms.
 Siege Equipment
Sidebar: Magical Firearms Besides Cannons (DMG, pg 255) employed by the wizards of
No magical versions of firearms have currently Thay and the pirates of the Pirate Isles, the world of Faerûn is
appeared in the Realms, but given the tendency of also familiar with organ guns, AKA ribalds.
artificers to play around with the latest toys, it is
only a matter of time before the vicious musket or Ribald
the +1 blunderbuss appears on the scene. They will Large object
be very rare, more likely found in the king’s armory
than in a dragon’s lair or the tomb of an ancient lich.
Armor Class: 19
Hit Points: 75
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic
Explosives Ribalds fire a volley of lead shot from a series of linked
barrels arrayed in an arc. Rather than being used to destroy
Explosives Cost Weight Damage fortifications, ribalds are used as anti-personnel weapons,
Shou Rocket 150 gp 1 lb. 3d6 fire
riddling enemy armies with holes.
Before it can be fired, the ribald must be loaded. It takes one
Grenade 150 gp 1 lb. 3d6 piercing action to load half of the weapon's barrels, and one action to
Smokepowder, keg 250 gp 20 lb. 7d6 fire fire it.
Ribald Volley. The ribald fires a volley of shots in a 60-foot
Smokepowder, horn 35 gp 2 lb. 3d6 fire cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity
Smokepowder, packet 10 gp 1/2 lb. 1d6 fire saving throw, taking 44 (8d10) piercing damage on a failed
save if all of the weapon's barrels are loaded, or 22 (4d10)
Foeshredder 250 gp 1 lb. 3d6 piercing piercing damage if only half the weapon's barrels are loaded. A
Smokebomb 250 gp 1 lb. creature takes half as much damage on a successful save.
Shou Rocket. Explosive rockets used as portable (if
somewhat inaccurate) siege or support weapons in the Shou
Empire of Kara-Tur; Shou rockets are fired off of a reusable
wooden sled (4 lbs, 5 sp) that aims the weapon.
As an action, a character can light the rocket and aim it a
point up to 60 feet away. The rocket flies towards the chosen
point and each creature within 5 feet of that point must
succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 fire
damage.
Grenade. A grenade is a ball-sized iron spheres packed
with gunpowder and fitted with a slow-burning wick. As an
action, a creature can light a grenade and throw it at a point
up to 60 feet away. Each creature within 5 feet of that point
must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6
piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on
a successful one.
Smokepowder. Smokepowder functions as Gunpowder
does, as detailed on page 267 of the Dungeon Master's Guide,
except that it is also an Uncommon wondrous item, explodes Ribaldequin, Leonardo daVinci, Public Domain
if set on fire, dropped, or otherwise handled roughly, deals
damage in a 20-foot radius when it explodes, setting fire to an
ounce of smokepowder causes a small explosion rather than a
slow burn, and casting dispel magic on smokepowder renders
it permanently inert. Sidebar: Fuses and Grenade Bundles
Foeshredder. A foeshredder is a specialized grenade with An explosive can be rigged with a longer fuse to
an attached handle, allowing it to be thrown twice as far. A explode after a set amount of time, usually 1 to 6
foeshredder functions identically to a grenade except in the rounds. Roll initiative for the explosive. After the set
fact that it can be thrown up to 120 feet away. number of rounds goes by, the explosive explodes
Smokebomb. A smokebomb consists of a wooden tube on that initiative.
filled with alchemical compounds and smokepowder. As an A character can bind additional grenades to the
action, a creature can light a smokebomb and throw it at a head of a foeshredder to effectively create a heavy
point up to 60 feet away. One round after a smokebomb lands, explosive charge. Each grenade attached to the
foeshredder increases the damage by 1d6 (to a
it emits a cloud of smoke that creates a heavily obscured area maximum of 10d6), and the burst radius by 5 feet
in a 20-foot radius. A moderate wind (at least 10 miles per (to a maximum of 20 feet).
hour) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds; a strong wind (20 or
more miles per hour) disperses it in 1 round.

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 Additional Rules Missing with Explosives
These following rules are meant to aid a Dungeon Master
intent on running a game featuring firearms, and are If you want an element of risk to the throwing of explosives,
supplemental to the main document. call for a ranged weapon attack roll against the target's AC.
If the target is a square with a creature in it, use the
Firearm Proficiency creature's AC. If the target is a square with an object in it, such
as a table, use the "Object Armor Class" rules on page 246 of
Normally no class (other than an artificer) is proficient with the DMG. If the target is an empty square, treat it as having an
firearms. However, if you wish firearms to be common enough AC of 10.
that characters in your game can be proficient with them from If a character misses the attack roll, the explosive rolls,
the start, then they can be divided as follows: bounces, or otherwise lands in a different square than the
Simple Weapons: Blunderbuss, arquebus, and caliver. target's.
Martial Weapons: Pistol, musket, and handgunne. First, roll a d8. The result determines the direction in which
the explosive misses.
Firearm Rarity
d8 Direction d8 Direction
If you wish to hand out firearms as part of loot instead of
magic items, rather than having a set price for firearms, you 1 North 5 South
can use the following chart to determine the rarity of firearms 2 North-East 6 South-West
and related items.
3 East 7 West
Rarity Item
4 South-East 8 North-West
Common Blunderbuss, Arquebus, Ammunition
Uncommon Pistol, Caliver, Musket, Explosives Once the direction is determined, roll 1d4 (or 1d8 if the result
on the d20 was a 1). The result is the number of squares in
Rare Handgunne the determined direction by which the explosive misses its
mark.
Smokepowder should more often be found as powder horns
(75% of the time) rather than kegs, unless it is found in an Magic Items
armory stocking it for use by cannons or troops.
Ammunition and powder should be given out frequently So you wish to ignore the Magical Firearms sidebar? Great!
enough that the players can afford to use their weapons, but Here's some new magical firearms and item you can use to
rare enough that they can risk running out. If it's awarded only populate your treasure hordes and merchant inventories.
very rarely, it should be awarded in large numbers, such as 50 Combination Weapon
shots per treasure hoard.
Weapon (any melee), common
Random Firearms This melee weapon has a starhweel mechanism carefully built
If you ever need to randomly generate a firearm or selection of into it, and is created in such a way that it's perfectly balanced
firearms, such as when creating a treasure hoard or filling out to be used as either type of weapon.
a shop's inventory, you can use the following table. This magic weapon can be used either as the original
weapon or as a starwheel pistol, without the need to switch
Table: Random Firearm Table weapons. The weapon must still be reloaded after every shot.
d20 Firearm % Chance Combination Weapons that can be used as starwheel
1 Starwheel Pistol 5%
arquebuses are also known to exist, but these are always built
out of melee weapons with long hafts, such as battleaxes or
2 Starwheel Arquebus 5% pikes.
3-4 Matchlock Handgunne 10 % Double-Barreled Firearm
5-6 Matchlock Musket 10 % Weapon (any firearm that deals piercing damage), common
7-8 Matchlock Pistol 10 %
This magic weapon has two parallel barrels, either side by
9-11 Matchlock Caliver 15 % side or one over the other. Each barrel has its own trigger
12-15 Matchlock Blunderbuss 20 %
wheellock mechanism that ignites the powder in that barrel.
Each barrel can be fired separately, or both can be fired at
16-20 Matchlock Arquebus 25 % the same time, allowing you to perform two attacks instead of
one. These attacks must both target the same creature, and
This table attempts to conform to the rarity and distribution are always made at a disadvantage, regardless of
of firearms in the Realms, with the relatively common circumstances.
arquebus and blunderbuss being the most likely rolls, and the Each barrel can be reloaded separately, or both barrels can
relatively rare starwheel pistol being the least likely rolls. be reloaded as an action.

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N-Shot Pistol
Weapon (starwheel pistol), uncommon
This starwheel pistol has 1d4+2 barrels arrayed in a revolving
pattern. When you fire this weapon, the pistol magically cycles
to the next loaded barrel and aligns it to the firing mechanism,
allowing it to be fired once for every loaded barrel, without the
need to reload in-between shots.
Each barrel can be reloaded separately as normal, or all
barrels can be reloaded as an action.
The number of barrels determines what this type of pistol is
called, such as 4-Shot Pistol or 6-Shot pistol.
Assassin Firearm
Weapon (any firearm that deals piercing damage), rare
This firearm is made of blued steel and ebony wood, and
handling it seems to produce no sound, not even when it
brushes against other objects.
You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with
this magic weapon. Additionally, attacks made with this
magical firearm produce no visible flash or audible noise.
Dragon Pistol
Weapon (pistol), rare (requires attunement)
This matchlock pistol has a flared muzzle decorated to look
like a dragon's gaping maw, and the rest of the barrel is
covered in small scales.
When you load this magic weapon with lead shot, its
normal and long ranges are not halved.
Whenever you make an attack with this magic weapon, all
creatures within 5 ft. of where it strikes must make a DC 12
Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 fire damage.
Quipper Pistol
Weapon (starwheel pistol), rare (requires attunement)
This pistol is designed to to vaguely resemble a quipper fish.
Its barrel is covered in scales and stylized fins, and ends in a
fanged maw resembling a quipper's.
Whenever you make an attack with this magic weapon and
fire lead shot, the weapon unleashes repeated volleys of
pellets. Instead of making an attack roll against the target's
AC, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw against a
DC of 8 + your attack bonus. On a failed saving throw the
target takes 2d10 points of damage, plus your dexterity
modifier, or half as much on a successful one.
Targets at long range have advantage on this saving throw.
Repeating Arquebus
Weapon (starwheel arquebus), rare
This arquebus has two hollow tubes inside the stock. One
tube can be filled with seven attacks worth of smokepowder
and the other with seven loads of ammunition (bullet or shot),
in addition to the smokepowder and bullet that can be loaded
down the barrel.
If you lower this magic weapon after making an attack with
it, the clockwork mechanism inside of it rotates the chamber
to align with the powder tube, allowing it to fill with powder,
before aligning with the second tube, allowing it load
ammunition.
When you then raise the firearm, the chamber aligns itself
with the barrel, allowing you to fire the loaded ammunition
without the need reload.
Each bullet and powder charger can be loaded separately as
normal, or all eight can be loaded as an action.
If you load the ammunition tube with a mixture of bullets
and lead shot, the firearm will load them into the chamber in
the same order in which they were loaded into the tube.
Spellsniper Musket
Weapon (starwheel musket), rare (requires attunement by an
artificer, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard)
This wheellock musket is made of a stark white, smooth
material, similar to ivory, and etched with intricate, arcane
patterns.
As an action, you can use this weapon to perform a
spellstrike. A spellstrike is similar to a ranged weapon attack,
except that you cast a single offensive cantrip as part of the
attack. This cantrip must be one that has a casting time of 1
action, deals damage to one or more targets, and has a range
greater than 10 feet.
If the attack hits, the target takes both the damage of the
musket and the damage of the cantrip, even if the cantrip
would normally require a saving throw to harm a target.
If the cantrip normally harms multiple targets, then the
spellstrike only harms the target of the musket attack.
A spellsniper musket counts as an arcane focus, and you
can provide somatic components for spellcasting even while
holding it with two hands.
The Firebrand
Weapon (starwheel pistol), legendary (requires attunement)
A great weapon of unknown origin, some say this pistol was
crafted by Gond himself, while those on other worlds attribute
it to any number of other gods, such as Murlynd, Hephaestus,
or even Reorx.
The Firebrand appears much as a 6-shot Pistol, except that
it has a revolving six-shot chamber connected to a single
barrel. The chamber is loaded with six empty brass cartridges.
You have a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with
this magic weapon, which deals 2d8 points of damage, rather
than 1d10.
The weapon also magically loads each cartridge with
powder and a bullet when the trigger is squeezed. The weapon
then rotates the chamber to the next empty cartridge. As a
result, you never need to reload the Firebrand and it does not
require ammunition.
However, should you desire, you can swing the weapon's
chamber open and remove the cartridges to manually load
them with powder and ammunition. Loading a single
cartridge requires you forego one attack or use a bonus action,
but all cartridges can be loaded as a single action.
A cartridge manually loaded with ammunition does not
magically load powder and a bullet when the pistol cycles to
that cartridge, but resumes doing so once the ammunition has
been fired.
And finally, you can make one attack with it as a bonus
action on each of your turns.
5
Magic Ammunition
Baldrick Bullet
Weapon, uncommon (cursed)
You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with
this magic bullet.
Curse. When someone makes an attack with this magic
bullet, the bullet flies in an arc and attempts to harm them
instead. Compare the attack roll to the user's own AC rather
than that of their target. If the attack exceeds their AC, they
are hit by the attack instead of the target. If it does not, the
bullet still attempts to hit them, but they narrowly avoid being
harmed by it.
This magic bullet appears to be a normal +1 bullet when
examined. This bullet is not rendered non-magical after use,
only a Remove Curse spell can render it non-magical.
Illumination Bullet
Weapon, uncommon
This magic bullet causes the target to glow like a torch for 10
rounds (1 minute).
If fired into the air, it slowly falls back down to the ground
whilst emitting light like a torch. It descents at a rate of 60 ft.
per turn, down from the firearm's maximum range, and stops
glowing after 10 rounds (1 minute).
Once fired, the bullet is rendered non-magical.
Explosive Bullet
Weapon, rare
This magic bullet explodes in a great ball of fire on impact.
Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere around the point
where it strikes must make a DC 15 Dexterity save. A target
takes 6d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half on a success.
The fire spreads around corners and ignites flammable
objects that aren't being worn or carried.
Once detonated, the bullet is destroyed.
Poisonous Bullet
Weapon, rare
A creature struck by this magic bullet must succeed on a DC
15 Constitution saving throw or take 2d10 poison damage
and become poisoned for 1 minute.
After dealing its poison damage, the bullet is rendered non-
magical.
Named Bullet
Weapon, very rare
A named bullet is a magic bullet meant to slay a particular
person and only that person. A named bullet functions as an
arrow of slaying with a very focused target (a single, specific
creature). Additionally, a named bullet has advantage on attack
rolls made against its intended target.
After dealing additional damage to its intended target, the
bullet is rendered non-magical.
Wondrous Items
Efficient Bandolier
Wondrous Item, uncommon
Each of this bandolier’s eight pouches connects to an
extradimensional space that allows the bandolier to hold
numerous items while never weighing more than 2 pounds.
Each compartment can hold up to 60 bullets, 60 loads of shot,
6 pouches of smokepowder, two one-handed firearms, or one
two-handed firearm each.
You can draw any item the bandolier contains as if doing so
from a regular pouch.
Lens of Distance
Wondrous Item, uncommon
This simple glass lens allows the user to see better at longer
ranges. On its own it functions as a spyglass, but when it is
attached to a firearm it doubles the normal and long ranges of
the firearm. Attaching the lens is an action, while detaching it
can be done as a bonus action.
The lens has an illusory dot in the center, with an illusory
number next to it. The number shows the distance, in feet,
between the lens and whatever the dot is overlayed over.
Spyglass of Seeing
Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)
This small tube filled with many alchemical lenses functions
as a Lens of Distance, even when used by a character not
attuned to it.
If a character attunes to, then that character can also use it
as a Gem of Seeing.
Amulet of Bullet Protection
Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)
This magic amulet has 7 charges. While wearing it, you can
expend 1 or more charge to cast one of the following spells:
blur (2 charges), mirror image (2 charges), shield (1 charge), or
protection from normal missiles (3 charges).
The amulet regains 1d6+1 expended charges daily at dawn.
New Spell
Protection from Normal Missiles
3rd-level abjuration
(Artificer, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Conc. Up to 1 hour
Touch a willing creature. They have resistance to non-magical
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from ranged
weapons (but not siege weapons).