Privateer Press Presents
An Iron Kingdoms"! PDF:
Firearms Basics v1.0, Page 1 of 2
"!
Privateer Press is the publisher of The Witchfire Trilogy and other fine d20 products. To learn more
about us, please visit us at http://privateerpress.com .
Reloading a firearm of any kind always takes at least
New Skills & Feats
one standard action and a successful Craft (small arms or
In The Witchfire Trilogy Book I: The Longest Night,
cannoneer) roll. The action details and the DC of the roll
firearms were introduced to the Iron Kingdoms game set-
depend on the complexity of the weapon. Pistols and
ting, and several new Craft and Profession skills were list-
rifles usually require 1 or 2 standard actions to reload,
ed. Here is addressed in more detail the actual operation
but a more complex weapon such as a cannon could take
of firearms in combat. Note that Iron Kingdoms firearms
many full-round actions to service, perhaps even involv-
are quite different than their real-world historical coun-
ing more than one operator. The DC of the reload roll
terparts they are not intended to adhere exactly to
will usually be 10 or less for small arms, so  taking 10 to
Earth history. More importantly, they are not intended to
reload weapons before or after combat guarantees success.
replace bows and crossbows in the game.
If the Craft roll succeeds, the weapon will be reloaded
The ability to use pistols, rifles and cannon is depen-
after the necessary actions are spent. If the roll is failed,
dent on the character possessing the  Exotic Weapon
or if a multi-round reload in progress is disrupted, the
Proficiency feat.  Small Arms (meaning handguns and
reloading process must begin anew. If the roll is failed by
long guns only) should be added to the list of Exotic
5, the reload is fumbled and the ammunition is ruined.
Weapons found on PH 99.  Cannon should be added to
Lastly, all reload actions provoke attacks of opportunity.
the Exotic Weapons list as well, though a treatment of
these heavy weapons will have to wait.
Soldier with
Using a pistol or long gun in combat also requires a
military
new skill:  Craft (small arms), which is a class skill for
sidearm
Fighters, Paladins, Rogues and Warriors (DMG 39); it is
unavailable to Barbarians. Craft (small arms) allows a
character to reload a weapon, clear a misfire and clean a
weapon to keep it in working order. It does not allow
design or repair of small arms. Similarly, the reloading
and maintenance of heavy blasting-powder projectile
weapons requires Craft (cannoneer), which is an exclusive
skill available to Fighters, Paladins and Warriors. It is
considered a cross-class skill for Paladins.
Open Game Content
The game rules in this document are released by Privateer Press
as Open Game Content. This includes all new skill and feat
descriptions, as well as the sample firearm stats and the rules given
for reloading them. Artwork and the descriptions of how firearms
and ammunition operate are Privateer Press product identity, and
are not Open Game Content. In other words, use these rules for
guns if you like them, but leave the rest of the stuff to us.
The use of this D20 System game content requires the
Dungeons & Dragons® 3rd Edition Player s Handbook, published by
Wizards of the Coast®. Dungeons & Dragons and Wizards of the
Coast are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are
used with permission. The D20 System and the D20 System Logo
are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, and are used under
the terms of the D20 System Trademark License.
Copyright ©2001 Privateer Press LLC. All rights reserved.  Firearms Basics PDF v1.0, 6/12/01
Privateer Press Presents
An Iron Kingdoms"! PDF:
Firearms Basics v1.0, Page 2 of 2
"!
Privateer Press is the publisher of The Witchfire Trilogy of adventures and other fine D20 System
products. To learn more, please visit our web site at privateerpress.com.
During reloading, the operator has a few tasks to per- time. A detailed treatment of the process is outside the scope
form. First, the breech must be opened. Next, the powdery of this document, but let s just say it isn t trivial.
remnants of the old charge need to be cleaned out. The
Ammunition costs 6 10 gp for a pistol charge and 8 12
new ammunition needs to be seated firmly in the firing
gp for a rifle charge. A cannon charge costs 20 50 gp
chamber, and the breech needs to be closed. Lastly the
depending size. Costs for ammunition can vary dramatical-
spring-loaded firing mechanism must be wound or
ly depending on the location and demand; at times, ammu-
cocked. All of these steps are covered by one skill roll.
nition may be unavailable at any price, turning guns into
expensive, lavishly decorated clubs. Ammunition is fragile; it
Sample Firearms
is ruined if it gets wet or if it takes 1 point of physical dam-
Firearms all have at least 2 dice of damage and a crit
age. It is also flammable, and any exposure to flame will
rating of 19 20/x3 or better. The reload rating is shown
destroy it. Alchemical blasting powders burn fiercely, but like
as  2S/DC8, where 2S is the number of standard actions
modern gunpowder they will not explode unless they are con-
required and 8 is the DC of the Craft (small arms or can-
fined. Lastly, since ammunition magical, it can be rendered
noneer) skill roll. Weapons that require full-round actions
inert temporarily by dispel magic (PH 196). The ease with
to reload will display an  F instead of an  S.
which it can be suppressed depends on the level of the cre-
ator, but in general a dispel check of DC 18 will render
DMs can make up new weapons easily by varying these
blasting powders inert for 1d4 rounds.
stats. More powerful weapons should have longer and/or
more difficult reloads, as well as more expensive ammuni-
Most ammunition contains a simple lead ball, but there
tion. Repeating weapons should be very rare.
are other options available. Incendiary, poisoned or even
Small Pistol: This weapon s main virtue is that it is easy to conceal,
enchanted projectiles are available for the right price.
being only 9 in. long. 400 gp, 2d4 piercing, reload 1S/DC6, crit
Cannons fire a much larger projectile, and so there are some
19 20/x3, range 40 ft., 4 lb.
especially fiendish projectile options for the cannoneer to
Military Pistol: This is a larger, more powerful pistol typically issued
choose from. Of course, specialty projectiles increase the
to military officers. It is 1 ft. in length, with a fat barrel. 600 gp, 2d6
cost of ammunition dramatically, particularly if they are
piercing, reload 1S/DC8, crit 19 20/x3, range 80 ft., 5 lb.
magical. '
Military Rifle: A basic military rifle is usually between 3 and 4 ft. in
length. Rifle regiments are quite rare. 1200 gp, damage 2d8 piercing,
reload 2S/DC12, crit 19 20/x3, range 200 ft., 15 lb.
Small Cannon: These stats are typical for the smallest variety of can-
non, such as those placed on compact warships. 3000 gp, 2d12 pierc-
A Word on Feats and Skills
ing, reload 3F/DC12, crit 19 20/x3, range 150 ft., 200 lb.
 By the book, a PC needs to have a base attack bonus
of +1 to take the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat. That
means that there will be a lot of first-level characters
that can t pack a pistol, and that may not fit your gam-
ing group s style. If that s a problem, bend the rules! One
of the original IK PCs here at Privateer Press was a gog-
gle-wearing Sor1 toting a pair of pistols and if we did
A typical small pistol
it, you can do it too.
Ammunition
So please, bend or break class skill restrictions if you
Small arms ammunition consists of blasting powder and
have a good reason. For example, in the Iron Kingdoms
projectile wrapped together into a tight cylinder. To make
wizards get Decipher Script as a class skill and rogues
ammunition, a spellcaster must have the new feat  Craft
don t, because it always seemed to make more sense to us
Blasting Powder, which any arcane spellcaster of at least 5th
that way. Likewise, if a barbarian PC with a rifle fits your
level can gain. The process also requires the Alchemy skill,
campaign, bend the rules and let him in.
special reagents, expensive equipment and a great deal of
Copyright ©2001 Privateer Press LLC. All rights reserved.  Firearms Basics PDF v1.0, 6/12/01