5ₑ D＆D Firearms Mechanics＋Homebrew House-Rules Options:
- CALLED-SHOT-ACTION: If proficient with any weapon (or perhaps some spell-attacks, at the DM’s discretion), can use an action to attempt to strike out or shoot at a particular point on an opponent’s body. Choose a target-area, then make an attack-roll with disadvantage (which many DMs might prefer to rule cannot be canceled out to a normal d20 roll by sources of advantage, as would usually be the case); on a hit, the target suffers one of the following effects… depending on where it was hit with the called-shot. The save DC is 8 + attacker’s proficiency-bonus + Ability-modifier (whichever was used for the attack). Not all creatures (especially huge or some non-humanoid monsters or creatures wearing special sorts of natural or artificial armor) are susceptible to every type of called-shot effect on this table… however, the DM may choose to allow an Intelligence: Nature or History or Religion (depending on the target) check to potentially determine whether a particular sort of called-shot could be effective or not on a particular target before a PC attempts a called-shot attack if its efficacy might be in question, or PCs who have fought some types of opponents before may simply automatically know without a roll whether any particular called-shot has any chance of success. Also, if dropping to zero hit-points or failing a death-save by more than 5, PCs or important NPCs may have to roll on the “Lingering-Injuries” table: DMGpage272 (some results of which share some effects with some called-shots) — and these effects will generally stack with any currently ongoing called-shot effects already suffered (DM’s call how to resolve).
- HEAD: creature hit is temporarily deafened until the end of your next turn — and must roll a Constitution-saving-throw or make its next attack with disadvantage — with a double-20 (i.e. critical-hit despite disadvantage), the deafness inflicted is permanent unless magically ameliorated plus if the target’s Constitution-saving-throw fails then it’s also blinded well beyond the end of the encounter or perhaps even permanently (by blood from the head-wound, bruised and closed eye-socket(s), etc. from such a heavy strike to the head even if both eyes and ears weren’t all directly damaged/scarred) + “Horrible-Scar” and/or “Lose an Eye” consequences (DMGpage272)
- TORSO: creature hit (if no more than one size-category larger than the attacker) is pushed back 5feet — and must succeed on a Strength-saving-throw or spend its next turn temporarily Incapacitated to catch its breath — with a double-20 (i.e. critical-hit despite disadvantage), the creature hit is pushed back 10feet as well as knocked prone (and must succeed on a DC10 Constitution-saving-throw each subsequent turn before taking any action or reaction due to such a severely bruising or “broken-ribs” body-blow if the target’s initial Strength-saving-throw is failed). Any additional results from pushback (including possibly falling) may vary depending on terrain or obstacles.
- ARM: creature hit (if Large size-category or smaller) deals ½ damage on its next mêlée-attack using the arm hit with the called-shot — and must succeed on a Constitution-saving-throw or drop whatever it’s holding in the arm targeted and deal ½ damage on any subsequent mêlée-attacks using that arm for the rest of the encounter unless magically healed, which removes the effect — with a double-20 (i.e. critical-hit despite disadvantage), the arm is useless well beyond the end of the encounter or perhaps even permanently (and may be entirely severed or just severely and multiply fractured, depending on damage-type and DM’s call) unless/until somehow healed or regenerated (see DMGpage272 for additional “lose an arm or hand” effects).
- LEG: creature hit (if Large size-category or smaller) can only move ½ its Speed for its next move-action — and must succeed on a Constitution-saving-throw or be knocked-prone and subsequently reduced by 5 Speed for the rest of the encounter unless magically healed, which removes the effect, or unless it has another Speed not using legs such as a flying Speed — with a double-20 (i.e. critical-hit despite disadvantage), the leg is useless well beyond the end of the encounter or perhaps even permanently (and may be entirely severed or just severely multiply fractured, depending on damage-type and DM’s call, and Speed is reduced by ½) unless/until somehow healed or regenerated (see DMGpage272 for additional “lose foot or leg” effects)
- WINGS: creature hit (if Large size-category or smaller) immediately plummets 20feet — and must succeed on a Strength-saving-throw or spend next move-action flying toward the ground at their movement Speed, but fall the rest of the way if unable to land on that turn and can’t fly for the rest of the encounter unless magically-healed — with a double-20 (i.e. critical-hit despite disadvantage), one or more wings are useless well beyond the end of the encounter or perhaps even permanently (and may be severed, depending on damage-type and DM’s call) unless/until healed or regenerated (see DMGpage272).
- TAIL: creature hit (if Large size-category or smaller) has disadvantage on its next Acrobatics or Athletics check — and must succeed on a Strength-saving-throw or suffer disadvantage on any Dexterity-saving-throws for the rest of the encounter unless magically healed, which removes the effect — with a double-20 (i.e. critical-hit despite disadvantage), the tail is severed or crippled, resulting in permanent disadvantage on Acrobatics, Athletics, and Dexterity-saving-throws unless/until healed or regenerated.
- GENITALS/bowels/guts: creature hit (if Large size-category or smaller) has disadvantage on its next action or attack — and must roll a Constitution-saving-throw or grant advantage to any attacks targeting it for 1d4 rounds unless magically healed, which removes the effect — with a double-20 (i.e. critical-hit despite disadvantage), the creature may be rendered sterile or suffer some permanent illness unless/until healed or regenerated: and, if the target’s initial Constitution-saving-throw is failed: must succeed on a DC15 Constitution-saving-throw each turn before taking any action or reaction, plus suffer “Festering-Wound” condition (DMGpage272).
- OTHER: called-shots on body-parts not listed on this table are up to DM fiat to decide what happens if the body-part in question is hit on any creature susceptible to called-shots. However, the called-shot should typically have two effects: an immediate but weaker effect and a lingering effect that can be saved against. Targeting smaller body-parts may also be more difficult to hit, usually imposing penalties even beyond disadvantage.
- DISARM (DMGpage271): A creature can use a weapon-attack to knock a weapon or another item from a target’s grasp. The attacker makes an attack-roll contested by the target’s Strength(Athletics) check or Dexterity(Acrobatics) check. If the attacker wins the contest, the attack causes no damage or other ill effect, but the defender drops the item. The attacker has disadvantage on its attack-roll if the target is holding the item with two or more hands. The target has advantage on its ability-check if it’s larger than the attacking creature, or disadvantage if it’s smaller.
- P.S. — There’re other expanded combat options on 5ₑ DMG pages 271＆272 which the DM is willing to consider allowing if players want to try them (or may consider experimenting with utilizing them for NPC adversaries).
additional firearms mechanics options:
- AKIMBO: If you’re proficient with firearms or ranged weapons and are wielding two light firearms or one-handed ranged-weapons, after you fire with one, you can use a bonus-action to attack with another light firearm you are also holding. However, you don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus-attack unless that modifier is negative.
- AKIMBO-RELOADING: While wielding two light firearms, can reload them both at once or one per turn… Reloading both at once uses one action — while reloading one at a time takes one bonus-action per gun. If wielding a light firearm or one-handed ranged weapon with the reload property in one hand and a shield or mêlée weapon in the other hand (or otherwise have one hand occupied with anything other than another light firearm with the reload property), the gun’s reload property changes to long-load and requires a full action to reload.
- MISFIRE mechanic: If you make an attack-roll and the d20 roll (before any modifiers) matches or is lower than a firearm’s misfire number (such as 2, for example), the gun jams and the attack fails. A subsequent attack cannot be made with that gun again until someone spends an action to clear the chamber, at which point the firearm’s misfire number goes up by one. Subsequently to a jam, a character can spend at least one-minute and make a DC 10 + the gun’s misfire-number Dexterity: Repair or Intelligence: Engineering (Tinker’s Tools) check to reduce the gun’s misfire number by one — to a minimum of the original misfire number for that weapon-type (this check is made with disadvantage if done quickly (one-minute), but normally if attempted during a short or longer rest). The default misfire-number for most firearms is 1 (unless specified otherwise), such that guns jam on critical-failure. A failed repair check increases the misfire number by one. An Intelligence(Engineering)-check can then be made to know the repairs failed, in which case the character would know to make subsequent repair attempts.
- RELOAD and LONG-LOAD properties: Most firearms have a certain number of rounds that can be fired on subsequent actions before they must be reloaded. Reload takes one bonus-action or an action to accomplish (player’s choice). Long-load takes one action to accomplish.
- SHELL-LOADING: firearms with this property require reloading the gun by inserting each piece of ammunition at a time. As a bonus-action, a character can reload one piece of ammunition into such a weapon — or, as an action, a character can reload every piece of ammunition that fits into such a gun at once (assuming it has the capacity to hold multiple shells that can be fired before reloading).
- BOLT-ACTION: firearms with this property have a firing mechanism that chambers new bullets after every shot (using object interaction to ready another round while sufficient ammo remains loaded), but requires time to use and resteady aim as part of an attack action — as a result, firearms with this property can only be used once per turn, but tend to be fairly powerful.
- BURST-FIRE: release a relatively controlled salvo of bullets per pull of the trigger in order to fire at up to six creatures within a 30foot radius (6”grid-diameter) large-burst circle entirely within the gun’s maximum range, as long as you have line-of-sight on all targets and they’re not obscured by anything greater than ½cover. Make an attack-roll on up to your proficiency-bonus number of creatures within the targeted-zone (maximum-six); however, every attack-roll after the first two has disadvantage. You can also shoot multiple rounds at the same creature. Roll 1d6 damage for each creature hit, then add any extra d6 rolls for each target hit which had multiple bullets directed at it (plus 6 extra damage [not rolled] for any target hit with a critical-hit), plus ability-modifier. No mater how many targets hit or damage die you roll, this attack always expends six rounds of ammunition. In addition to jamming the gun, a critical-miss with this weapon may hit one or more allies or innocent/neutral bystanders or even enemies you didn’t explicitly target and aim at (randomly determined, if any are within the targeted-zone) with however many shots were targeted at the missed target. However, the unstable nature and kick of these firearms means you can only attack with them once per turn (i.e. any extra actions or attacks a character might have would not be able to use this type of weapon twice in the same turn). Precise shooters with these weapons often target only two creatures to lessen the possibility of hitting anyone in the zone they don’t want to accidentally hit due to critical-misses on attacks beyond the first two targets which are always made at disadvantage. Any sources of advantage that could apply to shots with this weapon can only apply to attacking one of the first two targets, and any attacks beyond two (by a 5th level or higher character) with a burst-fire weapon must always be made at disadvantage.
- AUTOMATIC (includes multishot heavy-vehicle weapons): release an indiscriminate salvo of at least 30 bullets attacking every creature within a 30foot radius (6”grid-diameter) large-burst circle or a 45foot by 15foot cone (9”x3”grid-squares cone) strafing swath of fire entirely within the gun’s maximum range, as long as you have line-of-sight on all targets; creatures within the AOE must make Dexterity-saving-throws unless behind at least ¾ cover; the DC of the save is 8+proficiency-bonus+Dexterity-modifier; creatures take full-damage on a failed-save, and ½ damage on a successful one; to target the AOE, make a ranged-attack-roll, with the DC starting at 10 but adjusted by the DM depending on terrain, lighting, relative motion (if any), and other factors; if the attack misses, use the AOE miss rules: if you miss the target (whether aiming at a creature or a grid intersection), roll 1d12. This determines the misdirection of the throw, like a clock-face, with 6 being straight back at you and other directions counting clockwise around the grid intersection or target creature. Then, count a number of squares in the indicated direction equal to the range increment of the throw plus 1d12squares (player’s choice before rolling to roll a separate-die or use the same d12 roll for both direction and distance). So, if you miss on a throw out to two range increments and roll a 6 to determine the misdirection of the throw and a 12 on the d12 for missing, the splash weapon lands on the intersection that is 14 squares away from the target in the direction toward you. Firearms with the “automatic” property can only be used once per turn, but tend to be fairly powerful.
- SCATTER: release a stream of multiple pellets with every attack, potentially hitting all targets within a 45foot by 15foot cone (9”x3”grid-squares cone) and then a 15foot (3”grid-squares) wide line up to the firearm’s maximum range in the direction the cone is pointed beyond the cone. Creatures within the cone or line must make Dexterity-saving-throws unless behind at least ¾ cover or 5feet behind another creature of equivalent or greater size in the direction of the line/cone; the DC of the save is 8+proficiency-bonus+Dexterity-modifier (and a creature can roll the save with advantage if in the line rather than the cone); creatures take full scatter damage on a failed save, and ½ damage on a successful one — or, if within the line rather than the cone, they take ½ damage on a failed save and no damage on a successful one. The somewhat unstable nature of scatter firearms means that each barrel can only attack with them once per round and triggering more than one barrel (if the gun has more than one) consumes both action and bonus-action.
- BULKY: firearms with this property must be made stable and steadied in order to be fired effectively due to their weight and the damage they can pull-off with a single shot. A character cannot ever attack more than once per turn while wielding a “bulky” firearm.
- CLOSE-QUARTERS: firearms with this property do not impose disadvantage when making an attack-roll while a hostile creature is within five feet (mêlée range)
additional feat options:
- Superior-Shooter (requires 13 Dexterity) — an alternative version of the “Sharpshooter” feat flavored toward firearms (PHBpage170): You’ve mastered the careful aiming of powerful but relatively precise firearms... When you wield a firearm that does not have the light, scatter, burst-fire, or automatic properties and that you’re proficient with: if you use a bonus-action to steady your aim with this firearm, you can choose to make a called-shot attack-roll with a -5 penalty rather than disadvantage. If you succeed, the creature you hit suffers a -2 penalty to its save to attempt to resist the effect of a called-shot. If you chose to do this with a normal attack-roll instead of a called-shot, you get +10 extra damage if you hit and can reroll any 1s on a damage-roll for that attack. Your ranged-weapon attacks with these specific types of firearms also ignore half-cover and three-quarters cover. Long-range attacks are still made at disadvantage as usual.
- Pistol-Whipper (requires 12 Strength) — combination of “Crossbow Expert” and “Dual Wielder” plus some mêlée firearm capabilities (PHBpage165): You’re skilled using guns as either mêlée or ranged weapons and at point-blank range whether or not they’ve run out of bullets. Being within 5feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged-attack-rolls, and you’re considered proficient using firearms as mêlée weapons — in which case: light firearms do 1d6 bludgeoning-damage and are considered finesse weapons for you, two-handed firearms deal 1d8 bludgeoning-damage, and heavy firearms deal 1d10 bludgeoning-damage. You can draw or stow two one-handed pistol firearms that do not have burst-fire or automatic properties or other one-handed mêlée or ranged weapons when you would normally only be able to draw or stow one using your object-interaction — and you can use two-weapon fighting with mêlée or ranged one-handed weapons using your bonus-action even when such swords or pistols are not light.
- Sidearm-Master (requires 13 Dexterity) — a dual-wielding gunslinger feat that still offers some ASI to Dexterity: Wielding sidearms with delicate precision, you’re an expert gunslinger and blazingly fast on the draw: increase your Dexterity score by one, to a maximum of 20. Gain +1 bonus to attack-rolls made with one-handed pistol sidearms that do not have any scatter or burst-fire or automatic properties. You can make opportunity-attacks with sidearms/pistols. You can draw or stow two one-handed pistol firearms that do not have any scatter or burst-fire or automatic properties or other one-handed mêlée or ranged weapons when you would normally only be able to draw or stow one using your object-interaction.
- Akimbo-Master (requires 13 Dexterity) — a dual-wielding gunslinger feat that frees up your bonus-action: You can draw or stow two one-handed pistol firearms that do not have any scatter or burst-fire or automatic properties or other one-handed mêlée or ranged weapons when you would normally only be able to draw or stow one using your object-interaction — and can use two-weapon fighting with such weapons even when such pistols are not light. You also gain proficiency in such simple or martial pistols if you don’t already have it. You can make opportunity-attacks with sidearms/pistols. Once per round: in place of normal two-weapon-fighting mechanics, while wielding two such pistols, you can optionally fire both firearms if holding one in each hand as your attack-action at the same or separate targets. Make an attack-roll with a -5 penalty (as well as disadvantage if any target is long-range); if your attack hits, roll two damage-rolls and add +5 to each damage-roll; you cannot normally use a bonus-action to attack with an offhand gun if you use this sort of special attack-roll (unless you also have the Pistol-Whipper feat, in which case an offhand mêlée-attack might be possible as a bonus-action, or if you had a kensai monk feature that would allow such pistols to be “monk” weapons that could be combined with bonus-action unarmed-strikes). Action-Surge, Haste, etc. would allow an additional normal ranged-weapon attack in the same round, but never more than one use of this feature in one round.
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