Firearms quick reference
Firearms rules are optional: the Referee decides whether they are used in the campaign. The matchlock is the default gun; wheellocks, flintlocks and rifling are modifications of it.
Weapons
| Firearm | Damage | Range | Mêlée | Two-handed | Encumbrance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol | 1d8 | 25' / 50' / 100' | 1d4 | No | 1 item; a brace of two is also 1 item | Never uses the matchlock |
| Arquebus | 1d8 | 50' / 100' / 600' | 1d6 | Yes | 1 item | Does not need a fork rest |
| Musket | 1d8 | 50' / 100' / 600' | 1d6 | Yes | Oversized | Needs a fork rest, –2 to hit without it |
General rules
- Reload: 10 rounds (8 for Fighters) + the character's Encumbrance value – Dexterity modifier. Rounds spent moving or defending (using the regular Armor Class when attacked) do not count. Simpler option: one shot per combat.
- Range penalties are doubled: –4 at Medium, –8 at Long. Dexterity to-hit modifiers do not apply at Medium or Long range.
- Misfire: the powder flashes, but the bullet does not fire; clearing it takes 3 rounds. Wet cord or powder can't be used until it dries. Tip: the target's player rolls the misfire die along with the attack roll.
- Armor piercing: ignores 5 points of armor at Short range (at all ranges for muskets). Only external protection counts as armor; Dexterity bonuses to AC are not affected.
- Morale: a shot forces an immediate Morale check for all enemies with Morale 7 or less.
Firing mechanisms and rifling
| Modification | Cost | Reload | Range penalties | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matchlock | ×1 | Base | –4 / –8 | Lit match burns 10 cm per turn from each end; its light and smell make stealth impossible |
| Wheellock | ×7 | Base | –4 / –8 | 1 in 4 to break the mechanism if used as a club |
| Flintlock | ×2; ×1.5 after 1630; ×1 after 1660 | ×½ (Fighters round down, others round up) | –4 / –8 | – |
| Rifled barrel | ×2 | ×1.5 | –2 / –4 | Combines with any mechanism |
Misfire by conditions
Damp conditions (most dungeons) double the chance, wet conditions (rain) quadruple it; the wheellock is not affected.
| Mechanism | Dry | Damp | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matchlock | 2 in 10 | 4 in 10 | 8 in 10 |
| Wheellock | 2 in 10 | 2 in 10 | 2 in 10 |
| Flintlock | 1 in 10 | 2 in 10 | 4 in 10 |
Armor
Campaigns using firearms raise the cost of all basic armor and shields by 50%.
In app
Artillery is intentionally not included in the app.
- Turn on the Firearms campaign switch in the equipment list to add firearms, gear and armor to the inventory; the basic armor and shields then cost 50% more. With the switch off, the Firearms tab stays available for reference.
- Choose the firing mechanism, year and rifling on the Firearms tab of the equipment list; the cost coefficient is applied to the listed prices.
- Pistols are hidden when the matchlock is selected.
- The same gun with a different mechanism, rifling or cost is a separate inventory entry.
Calculation examples
- Cost: multipliers are cumulative. A rifled wheellock musket costs 40 sp × 7 × 2 = 560 sp (example from the rulebook). A flintlock pistol in 1640: 25 sp × 1.5 = 37.5 sp.
- Reload: a Fighter with 2 Encumbrance points and Dex +1 reloads a matchlock in 8 + 2 – 1 = 9 rounds, a flintlock in 9 ÷ 2 = 4.5 → 4 rounds (Fighters round down). A Specialist with 1 point and Dex 0: matchlock 10 + 1 = 11 rounds, flintlock 5.5 → 6 rounds.
Apply all cost multipliers without intermediate rounding. Round the final price to the nearest whole copper piece, with half a copper piece rounded up; there are no smaller coin denominations.
For rifling, this app uses ordinary rounding after the ×1.5 reload modifier: round to the nearest whole round, with halves rounded up. This is an app convention; the firearms rules do not specify rounding for rifling. The explicit flintlock rule still applies when halving reload time: Fighters round down, everyone else rounds up. The Referee decides the order of reload modifiers.