Firearms are specialized weapons invented by the dwarves of Alkenstar and Dongun Hold. Until recently, knowledge and use of these violent weapons were limited to these dwarves. Within the last century or so, however, firearms have slowly begun to spread throughout the Inner Sea region. Their complex construction and need for rigorous care makes them rather expensive, thus limiting their availability to the very rich and the armies of nations. Their unpredictable nature and the danger of misfires and explosions make them weapons for the truly adventurous or foolhardy in most peoples opinions.
This section presents an anachronistic collection of hand-held black powder weapons. Most of them are singleshot muzzle-loaders with highly inefficient triggering mechanisms—traditional sword and sorcery firearms.
This section presents an anachronistic collection of hand-held black powder weapons. Most of them are singleshot muzzle-loaders with highly inefficient triggering mechanisms—traditional sword and sorcery firearms.
Firearm Proficiency: The Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) feat allows you to use all of the firearms presented here without penalty. A non-proficient character takes the standard –4 penalty on attack rolls with firearms and increases all misfire values by 4.
Even though Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) grants you proficiency with all firearms, when you take feats that modify a single type of weapon (such as Weapon Focus or Rapid Reload), you must still pick one type of firearm (such as musket, pepperbox, or pistol) for those feats to affect.
All firearms are part of the same weapon group for the purposes of the fighter’s weapon training class feature.
All firearms are part of the same weapon group for the purposes of the fighter’s weapon training class feature.
Capacity: A firearm’s capacity is the number of shots it can hold at one time. When making a full-attack action, you may fire a firearm as many times in a round as you have attacks, up to this limit, unless you can reload the weapon as a swift or free action while making a fullattack action. In the case of early firearms, capacity often indicates the number of barrels a firearm has.
Range and Penetration: Armor, manufactured or natural, provides little protection against the force of a bullet at short range. When firing upon a target within a firearm’s first range increment, the attack resolves against the target’s touch AC. At higher range increments, the attack resolves normally (including taking the normal cumulative –2 penalty for each full range increment). Unlike other projectile weapons, most firearms have a maximum range of five range increments.
Loading a Firearm: You need at least one hand free to load one-handed and two-handed firearms. In the case of two-handed firearms, you hold the weapon in one hand and load it with the other—you only need to hold it in two hands to aim and shoot the firearm. Loading siege firearms requires both hands, and one hand usually manipulates a large ramrod (which can be wielded as a club in combat).
The Rapid Reload feat reduces the time required to load one-handed and two-handed firearms, but this feat does not reduce the time it takes to load siege firearms.
Loading any firearm provokes attacks of opportunity.
Early firearms are muzzle-loaded, requiring bullets or pellets and black powder to be rammed down the muzzle. If an early firearm has multiple barrels, each barrel must be loaded separately. It is a standard action to load each barrel of a one-handed early firearm and a full-round action to load each barrel of a two-handed early firearm. It takes three full-round actions by one person to load a siege firearm. This can be reduced to two full-round actions if more than one person is loading the cannon.
The Rapid Reload feat reduces the time required to load one-handed and two-handed firearms, but this feat does not reduce the time it takes to load siege firearms.
Loading any firearm provokes attacks of opportunity.
Early firearms are muzzle-loaded, requiring bullets or pellets and black powder to be rammed down the muzzle. If an early firearm has multiple barrels, each barrel must be loaded separately. It is a standard action to load each barrel of a one-handed early firearm and a full-round action to load each barrel of a two-handed early firearm. It takes three full-round actions by one person to load a siege firearm. This can be reduced to two full-round actions if more than one person is loading the cannon.
Misfires: If the natural result of your attack roll falls within a firearm’s misfire value, that shot misses, even if you would have otherwise hit the target. When a firearm misfires, it gains the broken condition. While it has the broken condition, it suffers the normal disadvantages that broken weapons do, and its misfire value increases by 4 unless the wielder has gun training in the particular type of firearm (see the gunslinger class on page 9). In that case, the misfire value increases by 2 instead of 4.
If an early firearm with the broken condition misfires again, it explodes. When a nonmagical firearm explodes, the weapon is destroyed. Magical firearms are wrecked, which means they can’t fire until they are fully restored (which requires either the make whole spell or the Gunsmithing feat). When a gun explodes, pick one corner of your square—the explosion creates a burst from that point of origin. Each firearm has a burst size noted in parentheses after its misfire value. Any creature within this burst (including the firearm’s wielder) takes damage as if it had been hit by the weapon—a DC 12 Reflex save halves this damage.
If an early firearm with the broken condition misfires again, it explodes. When a nonmagical firearm explodes, the weapon is destroyed. Magical firearms are wrecked, which means they can’t fire until they are fully restored (which requires either the make whole spell or the Gunsmithing feat). When a gun explodes, pick one corner of your square—the explosion creates a burst from that point of origin. Each firearm has a burst size noted in parentheses after its misfire value. Any creature within this burst (including the firearm’s wielder) takes damage as if it had been hit by the weapon—a DC 12 Reflex save halves this damage.
Ammunition: Firearm ammunition takes two forms: either black powder and shot (either bullets or pellets) or cartridges. Unlike other types of ammunition, firearm ammunition is destroyed when it is used, and has no chance of being retrieved on a miss. No part of a cartridge can be reused to create new cartridges. Firearm ammunition cannot be treated with poison, unless you are using a pitted bullet (see page 141).
Concealing Firearms: Like light weapons and hand crossbows, one-handed firearms are easy to conceal on your person. Some smaller firearms (like the coat pistol) can grant bonuses to conceal a weapon on your person.
Inappropriately Sized Firearms: You cannot make optimum use of a firearm that is not properly sized for you. A cumulative –2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference between your size and the size of the firearm. If you are not proficient with the firearm, a –4 nonproficiency penalty also applies. The size of a firearm never affects how many hands you need to use to shoot it, the exception being siege firearms and Large or larger creatures. In most cases, a Large or larger creature can use a siege firearm as a two-handed firearm, but the creature takes a –4 penalty for using it this way because of its awkwardness.
Bucklers: You can use a one-handed or two-handed firearm without penalty while carrying a buckler.
Fire while Prone: Firearms, like crossbows, can be fired while their wielders are prone.
Firearms, Black Powder, and Water: Black powder becomes useless when exposed to water, but powder horns and cartridges protect black powder from exposure. You cannot normally load an early firearm underwater or fire any firearm underwater without magical aid.
Deflecting and Snatching Bullets: The Deflect Arrows feat (Core Rulebook 121) and the Snatch Arrows feat (Core Rulebook 134) can be used to deflect bullets, but not pellets shot from a scatter weapon. Neither of these feats can be used to deflect siege firearm attacks.
Firearm Descriptions
Firearms are divided into one-handed, twohanded, and siege firearms. As the category’s name implies, one-handed firearms need only one hand to wield and shoot. Two-handed firearms work best when you use twohands while shooting them. Two-handed firearms can be shot with one hand at a –4 penalty on the attack roll.
Scatter Weapon Quality: A weapon with the scatter weapon quality can shoot two different types of ammunition. It can fire normal bullets that target one creature, or it can make a scattering shot, attacking all creatures within a cone. Cannons with the scatter weapon quality only fire grapeshot, unless their descriptions state otherwise. When a scatter weapon attacks all creatures within a cone, it makes a separate attack roll against each creature within the cone. Each attack roll takes a –2 penalty, and its attack damage cannot be modified by precision damage or damage-increasing feats such as Vital Strike. Effects that grant concealment, such as fog or smoke, or the blur, invisibility, or mirror image spells, do not foil a scatter attack. If any of the attack rolls threaten a critical, confirm the critical for that attack roll alone. A firearm that makes a scatter shot misfires only if all of the attack rolls made misfire. If a scatter weapon explodes on a misfire, it deals triple its damage to all creatures within the misfire radius.
Firearms are typically matchlock, wheellock, or flintlock weapons, and require more finesse and care to use than advanced firearms. Early firearms are muzzle-loaded, requiring a bullet and powder (or other special alchemical substances) to be shoved down the barrel before the weapon is fired. Early firearm ammunition can be loaded from a cartridge, but that cartridge is made of soft material (like paper or cloth) that is torn open so that the contents may be shoved down the barrel.
Blunderbuss: This weapon fires pellets or a bullet from its trumpet-shaped barrel, making it an effective fowling weapon or close-fighting personal defense weapon. The blunderbuss fires in a 15-foot cone when firing pellets, and has a 10-foot range increment when firing a bullet. A blunderbuss uses a bullet or pellets and a single dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Buckler Gun: The front of this buckler is fitted with a small, double-barreled gun that can be shot while wearing the buckler. Unlike with a double-barreled pistol, you can only shoot one barrel at a time. You must remove the buckler to reload the gun. Each barrel of a buckler gun uses a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. Because of its awkward construction, a buckler gun is always considered an off-handed weapon.
Culverin (Hand Bombard): The culverin, also known as a hand bombard, consists of a simple smoothbore tube, sealed at one end except for a small hole used to ignite a gunpowder charge. A wooden stock partially encases the barrel, allowing the wielder to hold it under his arm with relative ease when carrying it. Firing a culverin without support (such as a wall, a window, or a stand) imparts a –4 penalty on the attack rolls, and the wielder is knocked prone. A culverin uses 4 doses of black powder and grapeshot. Note that these statistics simulate only the original, hand-held culverins—their larger descendants are considered cannons and are dealt with in the section on siege weapons.
Double Hackbut: This double-length rifle uses a pair of trunnions to mount its barrel into a swiveling mechanism fastened to a lightweight, two-wheeled carriage. It takes a full-round action to set up the carriage. The carriage has a hind leg, allowing the wielder to wheel the device about and immediately prop it for stability during combat. Unlike other two-handed firearms, you must fire the double hackbut while it is mounted, or else firing it imparts a –4 penalty on attack rolls and the recoil knocks the wielder prone. A Large or larger creature can fire a double hackbut one size smaller than it is without its mounting as a normal two-handed weapon and without the danger of being knocked prone, but takes the normal penalty for firing an inappropriately sized weapon.
Fire Lance: This primitive firearm is nothing more than a long tube that, when ignited, propels a short gout of flame and a javelin. Unlike other firearms, the fire lance is wildly imprecise, and targets AC rather than touch AC. A fire lance is always treated as having the broken condition for the purpose of determining the effects of a misfire. A fire lances uses a javelin and 2 doses of black powder as ammunition.
Musket: This long-barreled firearm has a much greater range than a pistol. A musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as its ammunition.
Musket, Axe: This musket features an axe blade at the end of its barrel. It can be used as both a musket and a battleaxe. It is considered a double weapon for purposes of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. If this firearm gains the broken condition, both the firearm component and the axe are considered broken. An axe musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Musket, Double-Barreled: This musket has two parallel barrels; each barrel can be shot independently as a separate action, or both can be fired at once as the same attack. If both barrels are fired at once, they must both target the same creature or object, and the gun becomes wildly inaccurate, taking a –4 penalty on each shot. Each barrel of a doublebarreled musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Musket, Warhammer: This musket has a warhammer head at the end of its barrel, which allows it to be used as both a musket and a warhammer. It is considered a double weapon for purposes of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. If this firearm gains the broken condition, both the firearm component and the warhammer are considered broken. A warhammer musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pepperbox: This pistol has six barrels instead of one. The entire barrel housing can be quickly rotated by hand between shots (a free action requiring one free hand), allowing all six bullets to be fired before the weapon must be reloaded. Each barrel of a pepperbox uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pistol: The single-shot pistol is one of the most common firearms, although in most campaigns it is still rare enough to be an object of envy or curiosity to most. A pistol uses either a bullet and a singe dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pistol, Coat: Less powerful than other firearms, this pistol is small enough to be easily concealed in a jacket or coat. You get a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a coat pistol on your body. A coat pistol uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pistol, Dagger: A combination of a coat pistol and a blade, the dagger pistol can be used as both weapons. The awkwardness of the configuration means you do not gain the bonus on Sleight of Hand checks that either of those stand-alone weapons grants. The dagger pistol is considered a double weapon for the purpose of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. If this firearm gains the broken condition, both the firearm component and the dagger component are considered broken. A dagger pistol uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pistol, Double-Barreled: This pistol has two parallel barrels; each barrel can be fired independently as a separate action, or both can be shot at once with the same action. If both barrels are shot at once, they must both target the same creature or object, and the pistol becomes wildly inaccurate, imparting a –4 penalty on each shot.
Pistol, Dragon: Like a miniature blunderbuss, the dragon pistol fires pellets or a bullet from its flared barrel. The dragon pistol fires in a 15-foot cone when firing pellets, and has a 10-foot range increment when firing a bullet. For ammunition, a dragon pistol uses a bullet or group of pellets and a single dose of black powder, or else a single alchemical cartridge (with either bullets or pellets) as ammunition.
Pistol, Sword Cane: A combination weapon, this gun mixes a coat pistol with a sword cane (Advanced Player’s Guide 179). The sword cane pistol is considered a double weapon for the purpose of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. The pistol attachment makes the nature of the weapon a little more difficult to hide. An observer must make a DC 15 Perception check to realize that an undrawn sword cane pistol is a weapon rather than a walking stick; the DC decreases to 5 if the observer is able to handle the weapon. A sword cane pistol uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition. The sword part of the weapon must be drawn in order to load the pistol part of the weapon.
Firearms are divided into one-handed, twohanded, and siege firearms. As the category’s name implies, one-handed firearms need only one hand to wield and shoot. Two-handed firearms work best when you use twohands while shooting them. Two-handed firearms can be shot with one hand at a –4 penalty on the attack roll.
Scatter Weapon Quality: A weapon with the scatter weapon quality can shoot two different types of ammunition. It can fire normal bullets that target one creature, or it can make a scattering shot, attacking all creatures within a cone. Cannons with the scatter weapon quality only fire grapeshot, unless their descriptions state otherwise. When a scatter weapon attacks all creatures within a cone, it makes a separate attack roll against each creature within the cone. Each attack roll takes a –2 penalty, and its attack damage cannot be modified by precision damage or damage-increasing feats such as Vital Strike. Effects that grant concealment, such as fog or smoke, or the blur, invisibility, or mirror image spells, do not foil a scatter attack. If any of the attack rolls threaten a critical, confirm the critical for that attack roll alone. A firearm that makes a scatter shot misfires only if all of the attack rolls made misfire. If a scatter weapon explodes on a misfire, it deals triple its damage to all creatures within the misfire radius.
Firearms are typically matchlock, wheellock, or flintlock weapons, and require more finesse and care to use than advanced firearms. Early firearms are muzzle-loaded, requiring a bullet and powder (or other special alchemical substances) to be shoved down the barrel before the weapon is fired. Early firearm ammunition can be loaded from a cartridge, but that cartridge is made of soft material (like paper or cloth) that is torn open so that the contents may be shoved down the barrel.
Blunderbuss: This weapon fires pellets or a bullet from its trumpet-shaped barrel, making it an effective fowling weapon or close-fighting personal defense weapon. The blunderbuss fires in a 15-foot cone when firing pellets, and has a 10-foot range increment when firing a bullet. A blunderbuss uses a bullet or pellets and a single dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Buckler Gun: The front of this buckler is fitted with a small, double-barreled gun that can be shot while wearing the buckler. Unlike with a double-barreled pistol, you can only shoot one barrel at a time. You must remove the buckler to reload the gun. Each barrel of a buckler gun uses a bullet and 1 dose of black powder or single alchemical cartridge as ammunition. Because of its awkward construction, a buckler gun is always considered an off-handed weapon.
Culverin (Hand Bombard): The culverin, also known as a hand bombard, consists of a simple smoothbore tube, sealed at one end except for a small hole used to ignite a gunpowder charge. A wooden stock partially encases the barrel, allowing the wielder to hold it under his arm with relative ease when carrying it. Firing a culverin without support (such as a wall, a window, or a stand) imparts a –4 penalty on the attack rolls, and the wielder is knocked prone. A culverin uses 4 doses of black powder and grapeshot. Note that these statistics simulate only the original, hand-held culverins—their larger descendants are considered cannons and are dealt with in the section on siege weapons.
Double Hackbut: This double-length rifle uses a pair of trunnions to mount its barrel into a swiveling mechanism fastened to a lightweight, two-wheeled carriage. It takes a full-round action to set up the carriage. The carriage has a hind leg, allowing the wielder to wheel the device about and immediately prop it for stability during combat. Unlike other two-handed firearms, you must fire the double hackbut while it is mounted, or else firing it imparts a –4 penalty on attack rolls and the recoil knocks the wielder prone. A Large or larger creature can fire a double hackbut one size smaller than it is without its mounting as a normal two-handed weapon and without the danger of being knocked prone, but takes the normal penalty for firing an inappropriately sized weapon.
Fire Lance: This primitive firearm is nothing more than a long tube that, when ignited, propels a short gout of flame and a javelin. Unlike other firearms, the fire lance is wildly imprecise, and targets AC rather than touch AC. A fire lance is always treated as having the broken condition for the purpose of determining the effects of a misfire. A fire lances uses a javelin and 2 doses of black powder as ammunition.
Musket: This long-barreled firearm has a much greater range than a pistol. A musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as its ammunition.
Musket, Axe: This musket features an axe blade at the end of its barrel. It can be used as both a musket and a battleaxe. It is considered a double weapon for purposes of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. If this firearm gains the broken condition, both the firearm component and the axe are considered broken. An axe musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Musket, Double-Barreled: This musket has two parallel barrels; each barrel can be shot independently as a separate action, or both can be fired at once as the same attack. If both barrels are fired at once, they must both target the same creature or object, and the gun becomes wildly inaccurate, taking a –4 penalty on each shot. Each barrel of a doublebarreled musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Musket, Warhammer: This musket has a warhammer head at the end of its barrel, which allows it to be used as both a musket and a warhammer. It is considered a double weapon for purposes of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. If this firearm gains the broken condition, both the firearm component and the warhammer are considered broken. A warhammer musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pepperbox: This pistol has six barrels instead of one. The entire barrel housing can be quickly rotated by hand between shots (a free action requiring one free hand), allowing all six bullets to be fired before the weapon must be reloaded. Each barrel of a pepperbox uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or a single alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pistol: The single-shot pistol is one of the most common firearms, although in most campaigns it is still rare enough to be an object of envy or curiosity to most. A pistol uses either a bullet and a singe dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pistol, Coat: Less powerful than other firearms, this pistol is small enough to be easily concealed in a jacket or coat. You get a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a coat pistol on your body. A coat pistol uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pistol, Dagger: A combination of a coat pistol and a blade, the dagger pistol can be used as both weapons. The awkwardness of the configuration means you do not gain the bonus on Sleight of Hand checks that either of those stand-alone weapons grants. The dagger pistol is considered a double weapon for the purpose of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. If this firearm gains the broken condition, both the firearm component and the dagger component are considered broken. A dagger pistol uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition.
Pistol, Double-Barreled: This pistol has two parallel barrels; each barrel can be fired independently as a separate action, or both can be shot at once with the same action. If both barrels are shot at once, they must both target the same creature or object, and the pistol becomes wildly inaccurate, imparting a –4 penalty on each shot.
Pistol, Dragon: Like a miniature blunderbuss, the dragon pistol fires pellets or a bullet from its flared barrel. The dragon pistol fires in a 15-foot cone when firing pellets, and has a 10-foot range increment when firing a bullet. For ammunition, a dragon pistol uses a bullet or group of pellets and a single dose of black powder, or else a single alchemical cartridge (with either bullets or pellets) as ammunition.
Pistol, Sword Cane: A combination weapon, this gun mixes a coat pistol with a sword cane (Advanced Player’s Guide 179). The sword cane pistol is considered a double weapon for the purpose of creating masterwork or magical versions of this weapon. The pistol attachment makes the nature of the weapon a little more difficult to hide. An observer must make a DC 15 Perception check to realize that an undrawn sword cane pistol is a weapon rather than a walking stick; the DC decreases to 5 if the observer is able to handle the weapon. A sword cane pistol uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition. The sword part of the weapon must be drawn in order to load the pistol part of the weapon.
Firearm Ammunition and Adventuring Gear
Those who wield guns have a number of options when it comes to loading their weapons, and often need gunsmith’s kits to provide proper care and upkeep for their firearms.
Alchemical Cartridges: An alchemical cartridge is a prepared bundle of black powder with a bullet or pellets, sometimes with more exotic material added, which is then wrapped in paper or cloth and sealed with beeswax, lard, or tallow. There are many types of alchemical cartridges, the simplest being the paper cartridge—a simple mix of black powder and either pellets or a bullet. Alchemical cartridges make loading a firearm easier, reducing the time to load a firearm by one step (a full-round action becomes a standard action, a standard action becomes a move action, and a move action becomes a free action), but they tend to be unstable. The misfire value of a weapon firing an alchemical cartridge increases as listed in each entry.
Dragon’s Breath Cartridge: This cartridge contains alchemical compounds that, when fired, produce a cone of fire instead of the normal attack of a one-handed or two-handed firearm with the scatter weapon quality. The nonmagical flame deals 2d6 points of fire damage to all targets within the cone of the scatter firearm (DC 15 Reflex save for half ). These cartridges cannot be used in firearms that don’t have the scatter weapon quality. Because this ammunition forces a saving throw instead of making an attack roll, the misfire rules are slightly different. If you roll a 1 with either of the damage dice, the firearm misfires.
Entangling Shot Cartridge: This mix of black powder and an alchemically treated resin strong enough to survive the shot can only be loaded into a blunderbuss, a dragon pistol, or other scatter weapon. It deals half damage to those hit by a cone attack made with this weapon, but any creature hit by the shot must succeed at a DC 15 Reflex saving throw or become entangled for 2d4 rounds. An entangling shot cartridge increases the firearm’s misfire value by 2.
Flare Cartridge: When a flare cartridge hits its target, it only deals half damage, but the creature struck is blinded for 1 round (Fort DC 15 reduces this to dazzled), and creatures within a 20-foot burst are dazzled for 1 round (Fort DC 15 negates the effect). Flare cartridges are also useful for sending up signal flares. Firing a flare cartridge increases the firearm’s misfire value by 2 unless it is fired from a blunderbuss or a dragon pistol, in which case doing so only increases the firearm’s misfire value by 1. Flares can only be used to attack single creatures; they do not work as a shot for a cone scatter attack.
Paper Cartridge: This simple mix of black powder and either pellets or a bullet increases the misfire value by 1. Salt Shot Cartridge: This mix of black powder and rock salt can only be loaded into a blunderbuss, a dragon pistol, or other scatter weapon. It deals nonlethal instead of lethal damage, and increases the misfire value by 1. You can only use it with a scatter weapon’s cone attack.
Black Powder: Black powder is the key explosive component within a firearm that enables it to function, but in larger amounts this alchemical material can be quite destructive on its own as well. A single dose of black powder is enough to power a single shot from most one-handed and two-handed firearms, while 10 doses are required to fire a cannon. Black powder is often stored and transported in kegs (which hold 100 doses), but in this quantity the powder itself becomes dangerous. Exposure to fire, electricity, or a misfire explosion causes black powder to explode—a single keg that explodes in this manner deals 5d6 points of fire damage to anyone within a 20-foot burst (DC 15 Reflex half ). Storing black powder in a powder horn protects the powder from explosion.
Bullet: The ammunition of most one-handed and twohanded firearms, firearm bullets typically take the form of small balls of lead or some other metal.
Bullet, Adamantine: These expensive bullets are crafted from adamantine. They ignore hardness 20 or less when attacking objects.
Bullet, Pitted: This ammunition is pitted with a pattern of small pocks into which specially formulated poison compounds can be applied. A poison compound is a derivative of a standard toxin that is alchemically reduced to a solid form. These can be made from any standard injury or contact poison with a Craft (poison) check equal to the poison’s DC + 4. The cost of purchasing an already prepared poison compound for the purpose of treating pitted bullets is equal to the poison’s base cost + 20 gp. Once crafted, the compound can be pasted into the ammunition’s pitted design and allowed to harden. Upon completion, the bullet can be fired from an appropriate firearm, releasing the poison compound into its target upon impact, but the poison’s DC is reduced by 2. A pitted bullet cannot be used with an alchemical cartridge.
Bullet, Silver: This ammunition is specifically crafted from silver, and though nonmagical, it is particularly detrimental to lycanthropes, automatically confirming any critical threats against such creatures. A firearm that is shooting a silver bullet takes a –1 penalty on damage rolls (with a minimum of 1 point of damage).
Gunsmith’s Kit: This small kit has all the tools a person needs to create, repair, and restore firearms, except for the necessary raw materials. Without such a kit, you cannot properly construct or provide upkeep for firearms.
Pellets: A handful of pellets, along with a dose of black powder, is commonly used as ammunition for one-handed and two-handed firearms with the scatter weapon quality, though rocks or other small bits of hard material can be used in the pellets’ place. Using anything other than pellets or alchemical cartridges when firing off a cone attack with a scatter weapon increases the weapon’s misfire range by 1 (though this increase can be removed by switching back to standard ammunition).
Powder Horn: Typically crafted from animal horn, but increasingly crafted from metal in a wide variety of shapes, a powder horn can hold up to 10 doses of black powder. A powder horn protects black powder stored within in it from exposure to fire, electricity, firearm misfires, and water.
Alchemical Cartridges: An alchemical cartridge is a prepared bundle of black powder with a bullet or pellets, sometimes with more exotic material added, which is then wrapped in paper or cloth and sealed with beeswax, lard, or tallow. There are many types of alchemical cartridges, the simplest being the paper cartridge—a simple mix of black powder and either pellets or a bullet. Alchemical cartridges make loading a firearm easier, reducing the time to load a firearm by one step (a full-round action becomes a standard action, a standard action becomes a move action, and a move action becomes a free action), but they tend to be unstable. The misfire value of a weapon firing an alchemical cartridge increases as listed in each entry.
Dragon’s Breath Cartridge: This cartridge contains alchemical compounds that, when fired, produce a cone of fire instead of the normal attack of a one-handed or two-handed firearm with the scatter weapon quality. The nonmagical flame deals 2d6 points of fire damage to all targets within the cone of the scatter firearm (DC 15 Reflex save for half ). These cartridges cannot be used in firearms that don’t have the scatter weapon quality. Because this ammunition forces a saving throw instead of making an attack roll, the misfire rules are slightly different. If you roll a 1 with either of the damage dice, the firearm misfires.
Entangling Shot Cartridge: This mix of black powder and an alchemically treated resin strong enough to survive the shot can only be loaded into a blunderbuss, a dragon pistol, or other scatter weapon. It deals half damage to those hit by a cone attack made with this weapon, but any creature hit by the shot must succeed at a DC 15 Reflex saving throw or become entangled for 2d4 rounds. An entangling shot cartridge increases the firearm’s misfire value by 2.
Flare Cartridge: When a flare cartridge hits its target, it only deals half damage, but the creature struck is blinded for 1 round (Fort DC 15 reduces this to dazzled), and creatures within a 20-foot burst are dazzled for 1 round (Fort DC 15 negates the effect). Flare cartridges are also useful for sending up signal flares. Firing a flare cartridge increases the firearm’s misfire value by 2 unless it is fired from a blunderbuss or a dragon pistol, in which case doing so only increases the firearm’s misfire value by 1. Flares can only be used to attack single creatures; they do not work as a shot for a cone scatter attack.
Paper Cartridge: This simple mix of black powder and either pellets or a bullet increases the misfire value by 1. Salt Shot Cartridge: This mix of black powder and rock salt can only be loaded into a blunderbuss, a dragon pistol, or other scatter weapon. It deals nonlethal instead of lethal damage, and increases the misfire value by 1. You can only use it with a scatter weapon’s cone attack.
Black Powder: Black powder is the key explosive component within a firearm that enables it to function, but in larger amounts this alchemical material can be quite destructive on its own as well. A single dose of black powder is enough to power a single shot from most one-handed and two-handed firearms, while 10 doses are required to fire a cannon. Black powder is often stored and transported in kegs (which hold 100 doses), but in this quantity the powder itself becomes dangerous. Exposure to fire, electricity, or a misfire explosion causes black powder to explode—a single keg that explodes in this manner deals 5d6 points of fire damage to anyone within a 20-foot burst (DC 15 Reflex half ). Storing black powder in a powder horn protects the powder from explosion.
Bullet: The ammunition of most one-handed and twohanded firearms, firearm bullets typically take the form of small balls of lead or some other metal.
Bullet, Adamantine: These expensive bullets are crafted from adamantine. They ignore hardness 20 or less when attacking objects.
Bullet, Pitted: This ammunition is pitted with a pattern of small pocks into which specially formulated poison compounds can be applied. A poison compound is a derivative of a standard toxin that is alchemically reduced to a solid form. These can be made from any standard injury or contact poison with a Craft (poison) check equal to the poison’s DC + 4. The cost of purchasing an already prepared poison compound for the purpose of treating pitted bullets is equal to the poison’s base cost + 20 gp. Once crafted, the compound can be pasted into the ammunition’s pitted design and allowed to harden. Upon completion, the bullet can be fired from an appropriate firearm, releasing the poison compound into its target upon impact, but the poison’s DC is reduced by 2. A pitted bullet cannot be used with an alchemical cartridge.
Bullet, Silver: This ammunition is specifically crafted from silver, and though nonmagical, it is particularly detrimental to lycanthropes, automatically confirming any critical threats against such creatures. A firearm that is shooting a silver bullet takes a –1 penalty on damage rolls (with a minimum of 1 point of damage).
Gunsmith’s Kit: This small kit has all the tools a person needs to create, repair, and restore firearms, except for the necessary raw materials. Without such a kit, you cannot properly construct or provide upkeep for firearms.
Pellets: A handful of pellets, along with a dose of black powder, is commonly used as ammunition for one-handed and two-handed firearms with the scatter weapon quality, though rocks or other small bits of hard material can be used in the pellets’ place. Using anything other than pellets or alchemical cartridges when firing off a cone attack with a scatter weapon increases the weapon’s misfire range by 1 (though this increase can be removed by switching back to standard ammunition).
Powder Horn: Typically crafted from animal horn, but increasingly crafted from metal in a wide variety of shapes, a powder horn can hold up to 10 doses of black powder. A powder horn protects black powder stored within in it from exposure to fire, electricity, firearm misfires, and water.