The Ammonomicon

All you need to know about firearms for a World War One setting (or similar)! This document contains guns, additional rules for guns and melee alike to keep the latter competitive, optional rules for distributing equipment in case you don't want to use money in your game, fighting styles, feats and much more! The contents are aimed to be balanced as much as possible. This is not an official 5th edition document! It is homebrew content and should be treated as such. It was inspired by the Arcane Artillery document which has its own, very similar list of firearms and rules but while it grants nice options for players in that department, including even additional classes, it leaves melee in the dust altogether and pushes it into obscurity. Considering the general overuse of Dexterity-based characters even in vanilla 5th edition, this does not help Strength-based characters, nor classes, like the Barbarian, staying relevant. This document attempts to fix that, as well as to expand certain ideas while abandoning others present in the Arcane Artillery.

Additionally, it also draws ideas from the Darker Dungeons document which should be read by all Dungeon Masters at least once for adopting quite interesting rules and systems that enhances the game, especially for a gritty realistic setting.

Disclaimer: ToC below is not set up properly yet.

General Rules

Melee Changes

If you make a ranged attack, you provoke an opportunity attack from any enemies currently holding melee weapons who are threatening you. The opportunity attacks happen simultaneously with your attack. If any such opportunity attack hits, you can't perform any more attacks or opportunity attacks until the beginning of your next turn, even if you have the extra attack feature.

Finesse Weapons

A weapon that has the finesse property can use either Dexterity or Strength for its attack and damage ability.

Two-Weapon Fighting

Any combination of one-handed light weapons can be used, even ranged ones. Only one of them gains a damage bonus and the user can specify which one.

Firearm Properties

The following properties might be featured on firearms and may vary from gun to gun.

Reload. Some ranged weapons can be fired a number of times before they must be reloaded. Ranged weapons with the reload property take an action to reload its ammunition. Until then, they cannot be fired again.

If you wield two light ranged weapons with the reload property, you can reload them both at once as an action during your turn.

Swift. Drawing or holstering weapons with this property takes no action. Some melee weapons also possess this property.

STR. Unless noted otherwise, failing to meet a Strength requirement results in the gun having disadvantage on all attack rolls. This requirement usually represents excessive recoil or a bulky weapon.

In case the weapon has its own Strength requirement penalties listed further below in the Special Firearm Rules section, it incurs only those. It does not receive the disadvantage mentioned here, unless it specifically states that.

Scatter. Firearms with the scatter property have two distinct damage rolls, a regular damage roll and a scatter damage roll. When you attack a creature with a firearm that has the scatter property, your target and creatures within 5 feet of the target take scatter damage regardless if the attack would hit them or not. This damage is blocked by total cover only.

If you fire into melee range, the scatter damage applies only to your primary target. Features, abilities or spells that boost your damage do not boost scatter damage unless specifically noted otherwise.

A spell cast using a firearm with the scatter property only triggers once, and only on the original target of the attack.

CQC. Firearms designed for close quarters combat do not suffer from disadvantage when firing into melee and the opportunity attack you provoke with doing so is carried out only at the end of your turn or when you move, whichever


happens first (and provided the enemy in question is still alive). Taking the disengage action does not cancel the opportunity attack you provoked this way, even if it triggers when you move.

AoE. This implies the weapon has an area-of-effect. This can be a radius, in which case it shows the additional range of spread from the tile the attack's effect originates from. In case of a 10-foot radius, for example, the total diameter of the affected area is two times ten, plus the five which is the tile the effect starts out from.

In case of a line, this implies the weapon attacks in a 5-foot wide line. The line's range is the weapon's range.

Flaming. Firearms with this property deal area-of-effect damage. Every tile and creature affected by this weapon is set on fire for three turns. Burning creatures, as well as creatures entering and ending their turns in the fire take fire damage equal to one die of the weapon's damage die. For exemple, this is 1d6 damage in case of the flamethrower, since that weapon deals 2d6 damage and thus its damage die is a d6.

Creatures who were directly set on fire by such a weapon take this damage at the end of their turn and can take an action to roll on the ground to put the fire out. This will leave them prone, but they can stand up right after. Creatures who enter burning terrain or end their turn in such are not set on fire this way and stop taking damage after they leave the dangerous terrain.

Shatter. When rolling an attack roll for a weapon with this property and the die rolls 10 or higher, the target's cover is destroyed as part of the attack. The cover is destroyed before the attack lands, thus the target won't enjoy the benefits for this attack either.

Additionally, firearms with the shatter property ignore damage reductions and resistances of vehicles.

Rapid. When you take the attack action using a rapid firearm, you can roll attack and damage twice for every attack you can make. These all count as separate attacks for purposes of features and spells like Hunter's Mark and you add your ability bonuses and other bonuses to damage to every one of them, as usual. As expected, each such attack uses up a round of ammunition.

The Sharpshooter feat's bonus damage is the only exception. It activates only on one attack out of the two you can make for every ordinary attack. The attack roll penalty is similarly only present on that one attack which receives the damage bonus. Please note that the Sharpshooter feat is actually banned in this document further below; in any case, if a Dungeon Master really wants to give that powerful feat to their players, this note is for them.

In addition, you can perform the special auto-fire attack. As an action you expand up to half your magazine to roll attack and damage for each round of ammunition you use up this way. These attack rolls are all made at a disadvantage and you can only attack the same target with every shot you fire using this special action. The effects of the Sharpshooter feat applies only to the first attack and damage rolls of the auto-fire attack.

Slam-fire. Firearms with this property can perform the special slam-fire attack. As an action and bonus action together, you expand up to your entire magazine to roll attack and damage for each round of ammunition you use up this

way. If the weapon has the scatter property, each round does the scatter damage. These attack rolls are all made at a disadvantage and you can only attack the same target with every shot you fire using this special action.

Simple Weapons

Simple Melee Weapons
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties
Club 5 lp 1d4 bludgeoning 2 lb. Light, swift
Dagger 7 lp 1d4 piercing 1 lb. Finesse, light, swift, thrown (range 20/60)
Handaxe 9 lp 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Light, swift, thrown (range 20/60)
Javelin 8 lp 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Swift, thrown (range 30/120)
Light Hammer 6 lp 1d4 bludgeoning 2 lb. Light, swift, thrown (range 20/60)
Mace 8 lp 1d6 bludgeoning 4 lb.
Quarterstaff 9 lp 1d6 bludgeoning 4 lb. Versatile (1d8)
Sickle 5 lp 1d4 slashing 2 lb. Light, swift
Spear 9 lp 1d6 piercing 3 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)
Unarmed Strike 1 bludgeoning

Sidearms and Grenades
Name Cost/Ammo Damage Weight Properties
Fragmentation Grenade 12/— lp 8d4 slashing 1 lb. Special, light, swift, thrown (range 60/90), AoE (10 ft radius)
Heavy Pistol 13/5 lp 1d8 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 90/180), reload 8, versatile (1d10)
Incendiary Grenade 12/— lp 4d6 piercing 1 lb. Special, light, swift, thrown (range 60/90), AoE (10 ft radius), flaming
Pistol 10/3 lp 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 90/150), reload 8, light, swift
Short Trench Gun 15/6 lp 2d4 piercing 4 lb. Ammunition (range 60/90), reload 6, STR 13, finesse, versatile (2d6), CQC, scatter (1d4)

Martial Weapons

This category represents arms that require more training to use effectively than simple weapons. Longarms belong to this category and any source that grants proficiency with martial weapons also does so for longarms.

Some classes and racial features specifically grant proficiency with archaic ranged weapons, like bows and crossbows. It is entirely fair to either let these characters use archaic weapons (listed further down) or allow them to switch the proficiencies for firearms. Shortbow and light crossbow proficiency can be switched to pistol and heavy pistol proficiency, while longbow and heavy/hand crossbow proficiency can be switched to carbine and rifle proficiency, respectively.

Weapon Redundancy

Some melee weapons were removed from the list below. There can be three reasons for such: either the weapon had identical attributes to other weapons and thus players can simply rename the other variant to achieve weapon diversity, they were made completely obsolete by other original weapon choices, or some newly changed weapons pushed them into obscurity.

In any case, creating your own custom weapon is as easy as reading the Custom Martial Melee Weapon Guide on this page. This way you can recreate your weapon of choice, which might even end up being better than the original!

Changelog
  • Battleaxe removed; it was a heavier longsword.
  • Flail removed; it was a warhammer without the versatile property.
  • Glaive removed; it was identical to the halberd, which is a more typical weapon for games like this.
  • Halbert buffed to also have piercing damage as a choice when attacking with it. Hsitorically, halberts were designed to allow the wielder to use them both as spears and axes. In fact, most halberts also had a blunt pike-like part allowing them to inflict bludgeoning damage, but I didn't want to give it all three physical damage types.
  • Morningstar removed; the new trident makes it redundant.
  • Pike removed; the new halbert makes it redundant.
  • Scimitar removed; it was a more expensive and heavier shortsword.
  • Trident buffed to 1d8 damage die; otherwise it was just a heavier spear. A martial weapon being worse than its simple weapon counterpart is just sad and whoever thought this is okay should likely be moved from the WotC balance department.
  • War pick removed; the new trident makes it redundant.
  • Warhammer buffed to also have piercing damage as a choice when attacking with it. Most medieval warhammer designs, as well as the one in the PHB, suggest it has a pike on the other end of the weapon's head.


Custom Martial Melee Weapon Guide

Start with 1d8 damage die, any one of the three physical damage types, a weight of 3 lb and a 10 lp cost.

  • Two-handed increases the damage die to 1d12 or 2d6, automatically grants the weapon the heavy property, doubles its weight and increases lp cost by 4. You can't add versatile, thrown, light and finesse to such weapons.
  • Versatile grants the weapon 1d10 damage die when wielded two-handed and increases lp cost by 1. You can't add two-handed, reach, light and finesse to such weapons.
  • Light downgrades the weapon's damage die to a d6, automatically grants the weapon the swift property, decreases its weight by 1 lb and decreases its lp cost by 1. You can't add two-handed, versatile and reach to such weapons.
  • Finesse increases the weapon's lp cost by 1. The weapon must have slashing or piercing damage type. You can't add two-handed, versatile and thrown to such weapons.
  • Thrown grants a range of 20/60 to the weapon and increases its lp cost by 1. You can't add two-handed, reach and finesse to such weapons.
  • Reach allows the wielder to attack and threaten creatures 10 feet away. It decreases the weapon's damage die to 1d6 if one-handed, 1d4 if it also has finesse, or 1d10 if two-handed, and increase lp cost by 1. You can't add versatile, thrown and light to such weapons.
  • Additional damage types can be added to weapons. For every additional damage type added, increase lp cost by 1. Finesse weapons can not have additional damage types and only two-handed weapons can have all three.
  • Polearms are defined by the following: must have the reach, two-handed and heavy properties.
  • You can increase base weight of a custom weapon as you see fit but you can't decrease it.
Martial Melee Weapons
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties
Bayonet 10 lp 1d6 piercing 3 lb. Special, versatile (1d8)
Greataxe 14 lp 1d12 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Greatsword 14 lp 2d6 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Halberd 16 lp 1d10 slashing or piercing 6 lb. Heavy, reach, two-handed
Lance 15 lp 1d12 piercing 6 lb. Special, reach
Longsword 11 lp 1d8 slashing 3 lb. Versatile (1d10)
Maul 14 lp 2d6 bludgeoning 6 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Rapier 11 lp 1d8 piercing 3 lb. Finesse
Shortsword 10 lp 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Finesse, light, swift
Trident 12 lp 1d8 piercing 3 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d10)
War Hammer 12 lp 1d8 bludgeoning or piercing 3 lb. Versatile (1d10)
Whip 12 lp 1d4 slashing 3 lb. Finesse, reach

Longarms
Name Cost/Ammo Damage Weight Properties
Anti-Tank Rifle 27/3 lp 3d10 piercing 18 lb. Ammunition (range 150/240), heavy, loading, two-handed, STR 13, shatter
Carbine 18/7 lp 1d10 piercing 6 lb. Ammunition (range 120/240), reload 10, two-handed
Flamethrower 30/15 lp 2d6 fire 25 lb. Special, ammunition (range 60/60), reload 6, heavy, two-handed, STR 15, AoE (line), CQC, flaming
Heavy Machine Gun 30/21 lp 1d8 piercing 22 lb. Ammunition (range 120/180), reload 14, heavy, two-handed, STR 13, rapid
Rifle 22/5 lp 1d12 piercing 10 lb. Ammunition (range 150/300), reload 5, two-handed
Shoulder Cannon 35/5 lp 4d10 piercing 35 lb. Special, ammunition (range 90/150), heavy, loading, two-handed, STR 18, scatter (1d10), shatter
Trench Gun 20/6 lp 2d6 piercing 7 lb. Ammunition (range 60/90), reload 6, finesse, two-handed, CQC, scatter (1d6)

Special Firearm Rules

Some firearms behave in radically different ways than your standard guns. Here are all the special rules such weapons use.

Grenades

These thrown bombs don't require attack rolls; the enemies are forced to roll a saving throw for half damage instead. In both cases, the DC is 8 + your Strength modifier + your Proficiency modifier. If thrown from their long range, the DC is decreased by 5. Only total cover blocks their reach!

Fragmentation. These grenades force a Dexterity save. Their main purpose is to counter fortified positions.

Incendiary. These grenades force a Constitution save. Their main purpose is area-denial and psychological warfare.

Anti-Tank Rifle

This high-caliber rifle was designed to destroy armored vehicles and military-grade equipment from range. While effective for its intended purpose, it is also quite capable of dealing with infantry.

If the Strength requirement of 13 is not met, decrease its range and long range by 60 feet and its shatter property requires a roll of 13 or higher.

Heavy Machine Gun

This beast is exceptional at keeping targets at bay, having unmatched rate of fire and potential in the right hands.

Failing to meet its 13 Strength requirement means its range and long range are decreased by 60 feet and the operator cannot move after taking the attack action.

Flamethrower

This special weapon was designed to hurl flammable fuel and set it on fire simultaneously at great range. It attacks in a 5-foot line and hits anything in its path. Used mostly to counter entrenched troops, only total cover protects from its reach!

It doesn't require an attack roll, instead it forces a Constitution save for half damage. The DC is 8 + your Strength modifier + your Proficiency modifier.

If the operator does not meet its 15 Strength requirement, halve its range to 30 feet and decrease the DC by 5.

Shoulder Cannon

This is an enormous cannon used by the select few infantrymen either strong or stupid enough to think they can handle its recoil. If the operator has less than 18 Strength, the weapon's range and long range are both reduced by 60 feet. In addition, if fired by such an operator, the weapon knocks them prone and they suffer 1d10 damage as if they were hit by the weapon's scatter damage.

The Cannon's scatter damage is present even when fired into melee and will damage the operator as well.

The Cannon's special shatter effect destroys cover regardless of what the d20 rolled. This weapon is a true bunker-buster.

Archaic Ranged Weapons

Archaic Ranged Weapons
Name Cost/Ammo Damage Weight Properties
Compound Bow 22/1 lp 1d10 piercing 6 lb. Ammunition (range 150/300), swift, two-handed

Armor
Name AC Weight Point Cost Properties
Shield +2 6 lbs. 15

Melee Weapon Modifications

Customizing your melee weapons can be done in a variety of ways. These modifications are semi-permanent, taking 8 hours to apply, switch or remove one. Thus it is always better to think twice before you choose!

All melee weapons have one slot for contact, surface, material, core and handle, with the exception of the whip, which lacks surface, material and core slots. Additionally, weapons with multiple damage types apply contact modifications to each of the damage types separately; for example, applying a serrated blade to a halberd would also need clarification regarding which damage type this applies to. If it is applied to slashing, its effects apply only when the weapon is used to inflict slashing damage. Weapons with multiple physical damage types have a matching number of contact slots to allow for a fully upgraded weapon.

Melee Weapon Modifications
Name Cost Slot Requirements Weight Properties
Serrated Blade 10 lp Contact Slashing or piercing damage, metal weapons Whenever you roll 15 or higher on the d20, you inflict bleeding that causes the target's first attack to be made at disadvantage until the end of its next turn. Creatures without vital body fluids are immune to this effect.
Prongs 10 lp Contact Bludgeoning damage, metal weapons Whenever you roll 15 or higher on the d20, you damage your target's shield/armor/natural armor and decrease its AC by 1. This effect stacks but it can't decrease a creature's base AC below 10. Treat this damage similar to notches.
Silver Coating 5 lp Surface Non-silver metal weapons The weapon ignores resistances of certain monsters weak to silver.
Dotted 5 lp Surface Oils applied to this weapon last twice as long.
Metal Tip 2 lp Special Wooden weapons +1 lb. Applies a metal tip to a weapon. This modification allows wooden weapons to receive other modifications that require metal weapons with the exception of any core modifications.
Silver 15 lp Material Metal weapons +4 lb. Upgrades the weapon's damage dice. The weapon ignores resistances of certain monsters weak to silver. It is also immune to rust and similar effects.
Mithral 25 lp Material Metal weapons Halves the total weight of the weapon after all modifications. If the weapon has a Strength requirement, decrease it by 5. If this is a heavy weapon, it no longer grants disadvantage to attacks when used by small creatures. The weapon automatically gains a pure temper and cannot have a lower temper level under any circumstances. It is also immune to rust, acid and similar effects.
Adamantine 50 lp Material Metal weapons +4 lb. Upgrades the weapon's damage dice. The weapon ignores resistances of certain monsters weak to adamantine. This weapon automatically inflicts critical hits agains objects and a critical strike with this weapon inflicts two notches or similar properties to enemy armor and equipment, unless they are made of adamantine. The weapon automatically gains a royal temper and cannot have a lower temper level under any circumstances. It is also immune to rust, acid and similar effects.
Hollow Core 3 lp Core -1 lb. If the weapon has a Strength requirement, decrease it by 2. If the weapon also has the light handle modification, it gains the finesse property.
Lead Core 7 lp Core +2 lb. Upgrades the weapon's damage dice. The weapon gains a Strength requirement of 13; if it already had one, increase it by 3.
Balanced Grip 7 lp Handle You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls using this weapon. This bonus does not apply to fixed bayonets.
Light Handle 3 lp Handle -1 lb. If the weapon has a Strength requirement, decrease it by 2. If the weapon also has the hollow core modification, it gains the finesse property.
Heavy Handle 7 lp Handle +2 lb. Upgrades the weapon's damage dice. The weapon gains a Strength requirement of 13; if it already had one, increase it by 3.

Firearm Attachments

All firearms have one slot for top, barrel and bottom attachments. Longarms have two slots for side attachments, while sidearms have only one. Special cases, like magical weapons, may be exceptions to this rule.

A firearm cannot have two of the same attachments at any time and the effects of the same attachments do not stack, even if the sources are two different weapons. For example, if two players mark the same creature with the Beam Marker, it is no different than if only one did so; the only benefit is if one of the markers get distracted or lose line-of-sight, the other is still providing the benefits.

Most weapon attachments can be swapped on the field using an action. It might be possible to find weapon attachments during an operation; perhaps they were used or carried by fallen allies or enemies, or you found a weapon cache. Such looted attachments don't count against your loadout point limit and you can keep them forever.

Firearm Attachments
Name Slot Requirements Weight Cost Properties
Telescopic Sight Top Dexterity weapons +2 lb. 3 lp +30 feet to range but not long range.
Improved Iron Sight Top +1 lb. 3 lp +1 to damage rolls for ranged attacks against creatures within 60 feet.
Foregrip Bottom +2 lb. 3 lp The grip provides its benefits only if the weapon is wielded with both hands. It grants advantage on resisting disarm attempts. If you already have advantage, it grants disadvantage to the disarmer instead. If the weapon has a Strength requirement, it is decreased by 2.
Integrated Mount Bottom Shoulder cannon, wearing half plate or plate +5 lb. 3 lp Grants the Swift property to the weapon and makes it impossible to disarm you while wielding this weapon. The weapon is effectively part of your armor. It is possible to dismantle the mount and affix it to another set of armor; such an action takes 2 hours of downtime.
Bipod Bottom Heavy weapons +3 lb. 5 lp +1 to attack rolls when prone or in cover.
Grenade Launcher Bottom Longarms +4 lb. 4 lp As a bonus action, you can load the grenade launcher. It can only hold one grenade at a time. You can use the loaded grenade launcher to perform an attack similar to throwing a grenade, but your range and long range are both increased by 60 feet. The grenade launcher is not affected by other attachments or modifications.
Bayonet Bottom +3 lb. 10 lp Adds the bayonet's melee attack to the firearm. A firearm with a bayonet functions as both a ranged and a melee weapon. If you are proficient with simple weapons or shortswords, you are also proficient with bayonets.
Suppressor Barrel Dexterity weapons, non-heavy weapons +1 lb. 3 lp When you perform a ranged attack with this firearm while hidden, each creature in a 30 foot radius must make a Wisdom (Perception) check. The DC of this check is 8 + your Dexterity (Stealth) modifier. You are still considered hidden to any creature that fails the check, even if other creatures succeed. You can't have a grenade launcher or a bayonet attached to a suppressed weapon at the same time.
Glowtorch Side +1 lb. 2 lp Adds a magic torch that can be turned on and off as a bonus action. It sheds bright light in a 60 foot cone and dim light in an additional 30 foot cone.
Beam Marker Side +2 lb. 7 lp As a bonus action, you can mark one creature. All attacks against this creature gain a +1 bonus damage until the beginning of your next turn, until you attack another target, or until you lose line-of-sight of the target; whichever happens sooner.
Shoulder Strap Side Longarms, non-heavy weapons +1 lb. 1 lp Grants the firearm the Swift property.

Firearm Modifications

These are custom parts or modifications that could drastically change how a firearm operates. Unlike attachments, modifications are semi-permanent, taking 8 hours to install one or replace an existing one. Time tends to be a luxury on the frontlines, so choose wisely!

All firearms have one slot for stock, receiver and magazine modifications. Similar to attachments, the same modifications do not stack their effects in any case.

Fierarm Modifications
Name Slot Requirements Weight Cost Properties
Lightweight Stock Stock -3 lb. 5 lp The weapon's minimum weight is 1 lbs. If the weapon has a Strength requirement, decrease it by 2.
Heavy Stock Stock +3 lb. -4 lp The weapon gains a Strength requirement of 12 or a +2 to this property if it already had one. Failing to meet this results in all attacks having disadvantage.
Short Stock Stock Both kind of pistols and carbines -2 lb. 5 lp The weapon's minimum weight is 1 lbs. The weapon gains a Strength requirement of 13 or a +3 to this property if it already had one. Failing to meet this results in all attacks having disadvantage. The weapon becomes a finesse weapon if it wasn't already one and it can be operated with one hand. If the weapon was a longarm, treat it as a sidearm. The finesse and sidearm category changes granted by this custom part do not affect prerequisites or slot count for attachments and weapon modifications.
Powerful Receiver Receiver +1 lb. 6 lp Increases the firearm's damage dice by one category.
Automatic Receiver Receiver Heavy pistols and carbines +2 lb. 7 lp Grants the firearm the Rapid property, decreases its damage die category by one and decreases its Reload property by two.
Slam-fire Receiver Receiver Trench guns +0 lb. 7 lp Grants the weapon the Slam-fire property.
Expanded Magazine Magazine Reload +1 lb. 3 lp Increases the weapon's Reload property by 2. Increases point cost of ammo by 1.
Tactical Magazine Magazine Reload -1 lb. 5 lp Decreases the weapon's Reload property by 2 and allows the operator to use a bonus action to reload instead of an action. Decreases point cost of ammo by 1.
Convenient Loading Mechanism Magazine Loading +2 lb. 7 lp Allows the operator to use their bonus action to reload the weapon, potentially allowing them to fire twice per turn if they have the extra attack feature and the weapon was loaded at the beginning of their turn. Increases point cost of ammo by 1.

Accessory and Modification Reskins

For those people who really, really want to use a bow or other archaic weapons. For simplicity, these archaic weapons have the same accessory and modification slots as the firearms they were based on.

Compound Bow

The compound bow is a modified and reskinned rifle. It is naturally silent and already possesses the Swift property due to its bowstring being an improvised shoulder strap. It pays for these bonuses with a decreased damage die.

Compound bows don't have a reload property but also don't have the loading one. They can be fired as long as you can make an attack and have enough arrows. Because of this they don't benefit from any magazine modifications and thus don't have such a modification slot.

After combat, you can recover up to half your spent arrows, rounded up. For every one minute you spend searching on the battlefield, you recover three arrows. This is great when you have some time to scavenge, but don't take the luxury of extra time for granted! Enemies likely don't use such archaic weapons any more so you can't loot ammunition for your bow otherwise.

Compound Bow Attachments
Name Properties
Improved Sight Same as Telescopic Sight
Streamlined Arrow Rest Same as Improved Iron Sight
Ergonomic Grip Same as Foregrip
Serrated Limb Blade Same as Bayonet
Glowtorch Same as the original
Beam Marker Same as the original
Compound Bow Modifications
Name Properties
Lightweight Frame Same as Lightweight Stock
Heavy Frame Same as Heavy Stock
Powerful String Same as Powerful Receiver

Expanded Fighting Styles

You can't take the same fighting style more than once, even if you get to choose more than one total. The other official fighting styles are permitted, unless they are replaced by one of the new ones listed below.

Ambidexterity

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, regardless if you're using two melee weapons, one melee and one ranged weapon, or two ranged weapons, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. In addition, all light weapons have the Swift property for you.
This fighting style replaces Two-Weapon Fighting.

Breacher

When you perform a ranged attack at a creature within 30 feet of you, your damage is increased by 1. This bonus damage also applies to the weapon's scatter property, if it has one. You also ignore half cover and treat 3/4 cover as half cover while you're within 30 feet of your target.

Deadeye

You get a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons that use only dexterity for their attack rolls.
This fighting style replaces Archery.

Dueling

When wielding a one-handed weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you get a +2 bonus to your damage rolls with these weapons.
This fighting style replaces the original Dueling.

Ironclad

While wearing metal armor you gain +1 AC and two-handed melee attacks' damage dice are increased by one category.
This fighting style replaces Defense and Great Weapon Fighter.

Damage Die Category Progression
Damage Die Upgrades Into
1 1d4
Xd4 Xd6
Xd6 Xd8
Xd8 Xd10
Xd10 Xd12
Xd12 (X+1)d8

Sniper

You gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls if you attack a creature further than 60 feet away from you with a ranged weapon or a firearm that uses only dexterity for its attack roll.

Feats

You can pick a feat only once, unless specifically noted otherwise. Some feats have been merged or changed; you cannot gain the old ones and these new versions as well. Other feats are removed; you can't gain them in any way.

List of Unavailable Feats
  • All feats from the original Arcane Artillery
  • Charger
  • Defensive Duelist
  • Dual Wielder
  • Martial Adept
  • Mounted Combat
  • Sharpshooter
  • Shield Master

Akimbo Master

This feat merges the original Akimbo Master, Buccaneer, Defensive Duelist and Dual Wielder.
You master the art of wielding two ranged weapons at once. You gain the following benefits:

  • All one-handed weapons have the Swift property for you.
  • If you are wielding one or two one-handed ranged weapons with the loading property, you can ignore the loading property for those weapons, and do not need a free hand to reload them.
  • You can wield two one-handed weapons at once, even if they do not have the light property.
  • You gain +1 AC when you have separate weapons in both your hands.
  • When you are wielding a one-handed melee weapon in one of your hands that you are proficient with, and a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.

Bayoneteer

Prerequisite: Proficiency with shortwords
This feat merges the original Bayoneteer and Charger.
You have mastered the art of fighting with weapons attached to the barrel of your gun. You gain the following benefits:

  • You can fix your bayonet to your firearm without using any action, even if it has another attachment placed there and you have to swap them.
  • You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with bayonets.
  • Firearms with bayonets attached gain a reach of 10 feet.
  • When you take the attack action with a firearm that has a bayonet attached to it, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the bayonet at a creature within your reach.
  • When an enemy in your reach makes a ranged attack, you make your opportunity attack with advantage.
  • When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to perform a bayonet charge by making one melee weapon attack or shoving a creature. If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack's damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

Close Quarters Specialist

You have trained yourself in the delicate art of using ranged weapons in close quarters combat. You gain the following benefits:

  • Making an attack with a ranged weapon while within 5 feet of a hostile creature does not impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
  • You cannot make a ranged attack roll with disadvantage at any target within 60 feet of you. However, if you would normally have disadvantage when making an attack roll within this range, such as a magical effect or obscured vision, you cannot get advantage on the attack roll either.
  • You can make opportunity attacks with ranged weapons. The reach for these attacks is 30 feet.

Field Tactician

This feat merges Martial Adept and Tricky.
You have martial training and extensive knowledge of ranged tactics that allows you to perform special combat maneuvers and tricks. You gain the following benefits:

  • You learn a total number of maneuvers and tricks equal to 1 + half your proficiency bonus, rounded up, of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master and the Virtuoso archetypes in the Fighter and Gunslinger classes, respectively, as well as those available to the Scholar class. If a maneuver or trick you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength, Dexterity or Intelligence modifier (your choice). If the total number of maneuvers and tricks you know is less than what the above equation suggests after you level up, you gain an additional one of your choice.
  • You gain two superiority dice, both being a d6. These dice are used to fuel your maneuvers and tricks. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.
  • If you already have superiority dice from another source, you can use the maneuvers and tricks you gained from this feat with those dice. If you already know maneuvers or tricks, you can use those with the dice you gained from this feat. If a feature you possess increases the sides of your superiority dice, it also affects the dice you gain from this feat.
  • Once per long rest, you can use one of your maneuvers or tricks without spending a superiority die. Proceed with the maneuver or trick as if you had a superiority die.
  • If the effect of a maneuver or trick includes a modifier that equals to your Fighter, Gunslinger or Scholar level, you instead treat that modifier as equal to your character level. This effect also works if you already have Fighter, Gunslinger or Scholar levels.

Heavy Weapons Specialist

Prerequisite: Strength 15
You have strengthened yourself to be able to use large and unwieldy firearms more effectively. You gain the following benefits:

  • Once per round, your first attack with a heavy weapon that has the loading property also reloads your weapon. This extra feature doesn't use any actions.
  • The heavy machine gun's auto-fire attack doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls and you can select new targets within a cone centered on your first one. The starting point of this cone is you and its range is your weapon's long range. If you attack a target that is witing long range but not in range, you attack with disadvantage, as usual.
  • If someone fails the Constitution save rolled against your flamethrower by 5 or more, they suffer double damage in addition to the effects a failed save would incur. The flaming property of your flamethrower also deals double damage.

Mounted Warfare

This feat merges Mounted Combat and Mounted Shooting.
Drive us closer, I want to hit them with my sword! You mastered the art of mounted warfare, both vehicluar and animal-based. When you ride an animal or vehicle, you gain the following benefits:

  • You have advantage on all attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount. This also works if you're a passenger or you're riding or operating vehicles like trucks or tanks. This benefit works for ranged attacks only as long as the target is withing your range; long range attacks don't benefit from this.
  • Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature when making a ranged attack while mounted does not impose disadvantage on the attack roll as long as the creature's size is smaller than your mount.
  • When making a ranged attack while mounted, you do not provoke opportunity attacks from melee combatants threatening you as long as the combatants' size is smaller than your mount.
  • You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
  • Once per round, you can force an attack targeted at you to target your mount instead.
  • If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
  • While operating a vehicle, you can use your bonus action to make one attack with a one-handed weapon, provided the target isn't obstructed by your vehicle or total cover.

Superior Marksman

This feat creates a balanced amalgam of Sharpshooter and the original Superior Marksman.
You have perfected the art of the slow, steady kill. You gain the following benefits when wielding a dexterity-based non-rapid ranged weapon with at least 120 foot range:

  • You can use a bonus action to steady your aim. You can then make one attack roll this round that can have neither advantage nor disadvantage. On a hit, you add an additional damage die to your damage roll.
    For example, the anti-tank rifle would deal 4d10 damage on such a hit instead of the regular 3d10.
  • You gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls with these weapons as long as you are prone.
  • While you're in 3/4 cover, you can ignore half cover.

Suppressive Fire

When you have a firearm with the rapid property drawn, you can use an action to suppress enemies in a cone. This cone's starting point is you and its range equals your firearm's range but not its long range. The cone's center point is a tile of your choice; it doesn't have to be on the same horizontal level as you but you mush have line of sight of it. Using this action expends half the maximum ammunition in your weapon's magazine and you can't activate this ability if you have any less loaded in your firearm. You also can't use your reaction until the beginning of your next turn.

Your enemies in this cone gain the following penalties until the beginning of your next turn:

  • They have disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws.
  • They can only move at half speed and they cannot dash. This effect stacks with difficult terrain; in that case, every 1 foot of movement costs an additional foot of move speed. This effect also stacks with the movement penalty incurred when crawling.
  • If they aren't in cover at the beginning of their turns, you can immediately make a ranged attack against them. If they move or take an action for the first time within the area, you can immediately make a ranged attack against them. These ranged attacks don't consume ammunition but you can only make a total number of such ranged attacks equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up), or one quarter of your firearm's reload property (rounded up), whichever is higher. In any case, the maximum possible number of such attacks equals to half your firearm's reload property.

Tactical Shield Master

This feat creates a balanced amalgam of Shield Master, Six-Gun Ace and Sidearm Master.
You have mastered the art of wielding one-handed weapons along with a shield. You gain the following benefits:

  • If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to try to shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield.
  • If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.
  • If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.
  • If you take the dodge action, you can use your bonus action to make an attack with a one-handed weapon.
  • If you're using a light one-handed weapon along with a shield, you gain +1 to your attacks you make with that weapon and you can add your shield's AC bonus to your damage rolls for these attacks.
  • Donning your shield uses your free once-per-round Use Item action instead of an action. If you're surprised in combat and don't have your shield equipped, you can choose to immediately don it before anyone can act during the surprise round.

Crafting

Sometimes you happen to have both time, skill and materials at hand for producing your own equipment. Some items might require rare materials, othersmight require blueprints. The time required to create them can differ greatly, as well as the costs.

Tools of the trade

Many tools can be used to create a variety of items. While the exact connections depend on the Dungeon Master, here are some that make sense and are likely to stay the same, while probably being relevant in the game, one way or another.

Crafting Tools
Tool Items
Alchemist's Supplies Acid, alchemist's fire, various potions, powders, bombs and oils
Brewer's Supplies Ale, purified water, various alcohols and juices
Glassblower's Tools Glass vials, bottles, glass baubles, mirrors, large glass panes
Herbalism Kit Healing potions, medicine, natural remedies and incense
Leatherworker's Tools Leather armor, leather items like a backpack or a waterskin
Poisoner's Kit Poisons, antidotes, various oils
Smith's Tools Metal non-firearm weapons, metal armor, metal items like a lock or a crowbar
Tinker's Tools Firearms, items with precise mechanisms like clockwork or machinery
Woodcarver's Tools Wooden weapons, arrows, simple wooden items like a staff or a wooden bowl

There are many possibilities for overlaps regarding capabilities. That is fine, items don't have to be exclusive to certain tools. It also evens the field for tools that might not be as useful on first glance.

Additionally, certain skills can be associated with several abilities. A smith, for example, relies on raw Strength to strike true, Wisdom to perceive when the metal is heated to the right temperature, as well as Intelligence in the form of technical know-how. The same could be said for many other tools with a variety of abilities; tools are certainly not locked behind Intelligence only, but it is true that Intelligence can be utilized by all of them in one way or another.

The time and the cost

It is quite simple to understand how time and cost works. Time required to craft an item always equals its loadout point cost, in downtime hours. You can roll for up to eight hours of work at once. In any case, you need to be able to commit at least one hour of downtime to attempt crafting. If you do not finish the item, your progress is saved for that item and you can continue crafting later.



Crafting Roll
Effect DC
You made progress as usual. 10
You finished work in just half the time. 15
You finished work in just a third of the time. 20

The general cost of production is also relatively straightforward; it is half the value of the item you wish to create.

Ingredients

Some items need special materials that could be tricky to acquire. While some could be produced with some other tools, often these ingredients serve as bottlenecks in order to ensure relative scarcity.

Such materials could be explosives, various powders, rare herbs and other products including primers for ammunition, for example. Other times, it isn't ingredients but infrastructure that is required for the production of certain items. Examples for such could be ammo casings, for example; those require specialized tools that might not be available on the field. In any case, such scarcities depend entirely on the setting and the Dungeon Master. Sometimes ingredients are completely abstracted, reduced to simple production costs a character has to pay before beginning the work.

Damaged Equipment

Items often suffer damage over time, one way or another. Damaged equipment is usually less effective, sometimes outright useless. Such damage is measured with notches; the more notches an item has, the more damaged it is.

Items gain notches through direct damage, as well as critical failures. They can be repaired with the appropriate tools and meterials.

Armor

Armor gains a notch when you are critically hit by an attack. Every notch decreases the armor's AC by one. Shields absorb all such notches first, until they are completely destroyed; but you can choose to have your armor absorb it instead. Natural armor can also gain notches; these are all healed after a long rest.

If you don't have armor at all, a random item in your inventory gains a notch instead.

Weapons

Weapons gain a notch when you critically fail an attack with them. Every notch degrades the weapon's damage dice by one category. Nevertheless, a weapon's damage cannot fall below one. Natural weapons can also gain notches; these are all healed after a long rest.

If you critically fail an unarmed attack, treat it as gaining a notch to your armor instead.

Damage Die Category Degression
Damage Die Degrades Into
Xd4 (X-1)d4 + 1
Xd6 (X-1)d6 + 1d4
Xd8 (X-1)d8 + 1d6
Xd10 (X-1)d10 + 1d8
Xd12 (X-1)d12 + 1d10

Spells

If you critically fail while casting a spell or cantrip, the magical energy lashes out and a random item in your inventory gains a notch. Having a spellcasting focus in your possession mitigates this effect; the focus attracts the energies and gains a notch. Each such notch decreases your spellcasting ability (spell attack rolls and DC) by one when you use this spellcasting focus. Only foci useable by you are eligible for gaining a notch this way; a Cleric can't use an arcane focus for this purpose, for example.

If you have multiple foci in your possession, the one you are holding takes priority for this effect. If you aren't holding any, a random focus in your inventory gains a notch.

Equipment Durability

Depending on material, craftsmanship and function, certain items can take more punishment before they are reduced to useless debris. Once items have acquired enough notches, they are rendered unusable and beyond any repair. While the resulting scrap might be useful for crafting purposes, such destroyed equipment isn't good for much else.


Item Durability
Durablility Description Maximum Notches
Fragile Thin glass, ceramics, tiny machinery 1
Standard Wood, cast iron, thick glass, simple goods 5
Sturdy Steel, reinforced wood, well-made goods 10
Indestructible Thick stone, strong metals

Pushing it to the limit

Sometimes the difference between success and failure can be just that one or two points of AC or damage you lost due to damaged equipment. It such cases, you can strain your gear and get immediate gains; but also suffer near-immediate consequences.

If your damaged weapon did poor on the damage roll, you can add as many bonus damage to the roll as your weapon has notches, as long as those notches actually decreased the weapon's damage. You can choose to do this after the damage roll. Doing so grants your weapon an additional notch after your attack.

Likewise, if you could've evaded an attack if your damaged shield or armor was at their original AC, you can take that original AC for this attack and not suffer the effects. You can do so only if this makes you avoid the attack. Doing so grants your armor an additional notch after this attack.

If your item breaks due to you pushing it to the limit, it becomes irrecoverable; not even Mending can save it now.

Preventing Equipment Damage

It is possible to lessen the effects of acquiring notches. This is called tempering and it reduces the number of notches your equipment takes from critical failures.

Temper Qualities
Quality Rarity Critical Failure
Common Gains 1 notch
Pure Uncommon Gains 1/2 notch
Royal Rare Gains 1/4 notch
Astral Mythic Gains 1/8 notch

While it is common to have professionals handle the craftswork, sometimes you happen to be that professional. With the proper tools, materials and training, you can temper your own equipment.

Different items require different tools; different tempers require different levels of expertise. You can attempt to temper already tempered equipment but you must take the new result, even if it is worse than what you started with. Regardless of the result, the materials you sacrificed for the attempt will be used up, irrecoverable; even if the attempt was a failure or a downgrade.


Tempered items might also have other favorable benefits, like tempered arrows which can all be recovered after combat, instead of only half of them like usual.

Tempering Roll
Quality DC Cost
Pure 15 Half the item's value
Royal 20 The item's value
Mythic 25 Double the item's value

You pay the cost before you roll; the amount you pay determines the best temper you can get, even if you roll higher. Tempering an item takes two hours of downtime.

Tempering costs double the listed amount if you hire a NPC to do it for you. While doing it yourself saves money, sometimes time and skill is a luxury you don't have.

Repairing Items

Much like tempering, it is also possible to repair damaged equipment. Notches represent minor flaws and thus can't be fixed with the Mending cantrip. On the other hand, Mending can be used to salvage broken equipment resulting from acquiring too many notches. In such case, the cantrip restores the item to a functional state but with maximum notch count. Items that break due to being pushed to the limit are beyond the capabilities of Mending and are rendered irrecoverable.

Repair Roll
Effect DC
You have successfully repaired a notch. 10
You finished in just one hour. 15

Repairing an item takes two hours of downtime. It generally takes less skill to succeed with repairs than what it takes to temper an item.

The repair cost depends on the nature of the item. Simple items take less materials to fix than complex ones.

Repair Costs
Item Category Cost
Simple weapons, most items 1 lp
Martial weapons, armor, complex items 2 lp
Vehicles, delicate machinery 3 lp

Similar to tempering, repairs cost double the listed amount if you hire a NPC to do it for you. While doing it yourself saves money, sometimes time and skill is a luxury you don't have.