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E.N. Arsenal - Pistols

E.N. Arsenal

Pistols

A Complete Weapon Sourcebook - Volume V

Written by

Peter M Ball

Additional Material & Editing

ByThe ENWorld Arsenal Team

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Pistols 2

History of the Pistol 2

Statistics 3

“Firearms & Fantasy” 3

Racial Preferences 4

Optional Rules 5

Chapter 2: Pistol Variants 6

Skills & Firearms 8

Craftmanship 9

Chapter 3: Tricks & Techniques 10

Tactics & Tricks 10

Feats 10

Chapter 4: Classes of the Pistol 13

Stalwart Gunman 13

Floating Marksman 14

Prescient Duellist 16

Chapter 5: Pistol Magic 19

Spells & Psionics 19

Weapon Enhancements 20

Speciic Magic Weapons 21

Deity of Pistols 22

Firearms Clerical Domain 22

OGL

Illustrations

Danilo Moretti, Juan Navaro, Matthew Cuenca

Cover and Layout

M Jason Parent

Art Director &Project Lead

Denise Robinson

The ENWorld Arsenal Team (May’05)

Peter M. Ball, Suburbanknght, JoeGKushner, Russell

Morrissey, Joe Mucchiello, Ryan Nock, M JasonParent,

Denise “dextra” Robinson, David Sanders, Adam Windsor

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E.N. Arsenal - Pistols

Pistols

Welcome to the fifth book of the E.N.Arsenal, a series of d20 ‘mini-

sourcebooks’ focusing on particular weapons and their roles in real-

world history and in classic d20 fantasy games. Each book concen-

trates on a single weapon, describing not only the weapon itself, but

those who use it, its history, and variations on the theme. Each book

in the series is quite rules-intensive and includes many optional rules

throughout the text, often in sidebars. Some of these rules work well

independently, but a majority work best when all the optional rules

are applied, as some detract from the usefulness or usability of the

weapon while others enhance the weapon.

arm. Heavy and unwieldy for a single user, it did

little to enthuse users and was only rarely used as a

weapon of war.

The pistol was not commonly used until well after

the development of more sophisticated rifles and

muskets. Craftsmen specialized in small, mov-

ing parts – such as locksmiths – constructed the

wheel lock and flintlock firing mechanisms, which

became common on primitive longarms in the 16 th

and 17 th centuries. Providing increased reliability

when compared with earlier matchlock weapons,

these mechanisms allowed pistols to enter common

use as small, concealable weapons that were easy

to use and could be kept loaded and ready to fire

without danger to the wielder.

Pistols and other firearms are only rarely encountered as part of a d20

fantasy setting, despite their prominence as weapons in real world

history and warfare. Unless the creator is trying to give the game a

different feel - capturing the tone of renaissance Europe or the tech-

nological ambiguity of genres like steampunk - firearms are usually

regarded as a weapon that has no place in fantasy gaming.

Pistols were traditionally less accurate and more

expansive than larger firearms like rifles, so few

cultures favoured them as a weapon of war. They

were seen as ideal for personal defence, however,

with their small size and easy concealment quickly

making them a boon to those who wish to appear

lightly armed or even unarmed in the eyes of their

foes. Although the weapon traditionally exhibited

a number of problems – the flint mechanisms were

often incorrectly placed in manufacture or knocked

loose with repeated use and damp powder was

notoriously difficult to light – the size of the pistol

meant that additional weapons could easily be car-

ried in case the first didn’t work.

Within these pages we hope to provide the basis for changing that,

providing rules and concepts that help fit the pistol into the standard

fantasy milieu as well as providing something for those who want

something slightly quirkier than the standard d20 fantasy approach.

The material is designed to fit into any medieval, renaissance or ste-

ampunk setting where the games master is thinking of incorporating

pistols and other firearms as a weapon.

History of the Pistol

There is evidence to suggest that firearms were being theorized as

early as the 14 th century, with books from the period containing

illustrations of primitive cannons designed to fire large arrows.

Although later firearms are more refined that the crude weapons

being illustrated in such texts, the principles behind the weapons

are the same– ignite a supply of gunpowder at one end of the barrel,

using it to propel a projectile out the other end and towards your

target. Once the idea caught on, it was only a matter of time before

craftsmen began to shrink the cannon for personal use and personal

firearms were born.

Our image of the renaissance pistol, the most com-

mon firearm to find its way into a fantasy milieu,

draws upon the weapons history as a side-arm and

defensive weapon. Its close association with social

groups that value the individual, such as pirates and

young nobles, make it more alluring than the rifles

that are more commonly associated with the rank

and file military. The pistol, with its less military

focus, becomes a heroes weapon – whether that hero

be a pirate with a brace of flintlocks or a nobleman

preparing for his dawn duel at thirty paces. While

firearms can be difficult to introduce into d20, the

pistol is part of a heroic mythology that separates it

from other firearms.

While the pistol has a lot in common with other firearms like the

musket and rifle, its development took longer than other gunpowder

weapons. The first true personal “hand gonne” wasn’t discovered

until the 15 th century, and even then it was little more than a resized

cannon with a wooden stock that could be braced under the users

E.N. Arsenal - Pistols

Statistics

Firearms & Fantasy

A typical pistol is roughly a foot long, most of its length consisting of a single metal

barrel and some form of firing mechanism used to ignite gunpowder and propel the

ammunition, often mounted on a wooden stock and firing grip. Historically pistols

used metal or lead balls as ammunition, and most were capable of firing only a single

shot before reloading was required.

Fantasy games often owe as much to

mythology as history, and for ease of

use the pistol presented in this rule-

book is based as much on the weap-

ons representation in adventure films

and fantasy fiction as it is historical

fact. Even with this in mind, the

notion of introducing firearms of any

kind to a fantasy setting is one that is

best considered carefully before it is

implemented.

Loading a firearm involves filling a small flash-pan at the base of the barrel with

gunpowder, then stamping a small lead pellet in on top of the powder. Igniting the

powder fires the weapon. While many rifles and early firearms made use of a slow-

burning fuse that was lit by hand and lowered onto the flash pan when the trigger was

pulled, this was too slow and unwieldy to make it viable when constructing a pistol.

Later developments in firing mechanisms, such as the flintlock and wheel lock, were

required before the pistol truly took off as a weapon.

Most d20 games are based on a medi-

eval approach to mythology, or on

cultures that have many aspects in

common with this mindset. If we

look at the stories that influence

this approach, from Beowulf to the

Knights of the Round Table, we see

a continuing trend in the prominent

heroes: they are men and women

who possess a certain nobility as

well as great skill at arms. In many

ways mythology links these two

traits together, creating a narrative

space where the quality of a man is

reflected in his skill with the sword

(or the axe, or the bow, etc). What

made the hero wasn’t just his bravery

and honour, but his ability to match

his opponents on the field of battle

and stand apart from the common

soldier. Becoming a master of sword-

play required time and training, and

these were more often assets of the

nobility or the uniquely chosen.

Both these mechanisms showered the priming pan with sparks when the trigger was

pulled, the flintlock by striking flint against steel near the pan and the wheel lock by

rotating a serrated wheel against a piece of flint or iron pyrite held in place against the

wheel by a pair of spring-loaded jaws. While the wheel lock was the more efficient of

the two mechanisms, its complexity and cost made flintlock firing mechanisms the

norm for most pistols when the weapon passed into popular use.

Pistols require an ounce of gunpowder to fire, and reloading one is a full-round action.

Both the flintlock and wheel lock firing mechanisms allow the weapon to be carried

around loaded and ready to fire. Although it must be exposed to the air in order for

the mechanism to operate, the flash pan can be protected from rain or damp by using

a hinted or pivoting metal cover. The weapon creates loud bang when fired, making it

difficult to use discretely.

Most pistols are worn at the waist, usually in a holster specifically made to house the

weapon or thrust through a belt or sash. Others will choose to hide the weapon, con-

cealing it beneath cloaks or strapped to the body, or carry multiple weapons strapped to

themselves in a bandolier in case of a malfunction when firing the first pistol. Storage

methods usually keep the grip of the weapon thrust upwards for easy access, and keep

the powder horn and ammunition within easy reach. A pound of gunpowder, kept

in a powder horn for ease of use, typically costs 25 gp. A bag containing 10 rounds of

ammunition, typically lead shot, costs 5 gp.

While using a pistol or other firearm is relatively easy, loading the weapon and caring

for it is complex. Unlike most projectile weapons you can shoot a pistol with one hand

at no penalty, though it still requires two hands to load. You can shoot a pistol with

Historically the introduction of fire-

arms disrupted this dynamic. The

medieval approach to battle often

meant that the most skilled man

won, and if luck had some part in the

battle there was little doubt that such

acts were “meant to be.” Firearms, on

the other hand, required relatively

little skill to use and allow anyone

who can point and fire the luxury of

taking down their enemy. In many

ways it opened up a new approach

to war – one that was less personal,

that made it easier to kill, and that

effectively eradicated the hero with

the simple squeeze of a trigger.

Table 1-1: Weapon Statistics by Size

Pistol

Cost

Damage

Crit

Range Weight

Type

Hard. / HP

Fine

25 gp

1d3

20/x3

40 ft.

4 lb

Piercing

10/1

Diminutive

50 gp

1d4

20/x3

40 ft.

2 lb

Piercing

10/1

Tiny

100 gp

1d6

20/x3

40 ft.

1 lb

Piercing

10/1

Small

200 gp

2d4

20/x3

40 ft.

2 lb

Piercing

10/3

Medium

200 gp

2d6

20/x3

40 ft.

4 lb

Piercing

10/5

Large

400 gp

3d6

20/x3

40 ft.

8 lb

Piercing

10/10

Huge

800 gp

4d6

20/x3

40 ft.

16 lb

Piercing

10/20

Gargantuan

1600 gp

5d6

20/x3

40 ft.

32 lb

Piercing

10/40

Colossal

3200 gp

6d6

20/x3

40 ft.

64 lb

Piercing

10/80

E.N. Arsenal - Pistols

each hand, but you take penalties on the attack roll for attacking with two light

weapons. Using a pistol requires the Firearms exotic weapon proficiency, which

also allows access to muskets and other forms of common firearms if they are

present in the campaign.

Even in cultures where the firearm was a

reality of life, the choice of the sword as

a hero’s weapon remains. It is no coinci-

dence, for example, that the heroic Jedi in

Star Wars have a sword as their signature

weapon or stories told about the Three

Musketeers focus more closely on their

friendship and swordsmanship than the

weapon they are named after. Culturally

the idea of a hero who uses a gun as his pri-

mary weapon didn’t become popular until

the introduction of the gunslinger in the

mythology of the Wild West.

Pistols cannot be used underwater, and are unable to be effectively reloaded in

wet weather conditions such as rain and hail. If the weapon is exposed to water

it requires at least an hour of drying before it can be used again. Pistol wielders

expecting wet conditions often carry umbrellas or search for cover after firing

their weapon.

Gunpowder exposed to wet conditions is immediately ruined.

Racial Preferences

The firearms presented in this book are

catered less towards realism and more

towards an ease of use within a heroic

fantasy setting. Our goal is to present a

weapon that retains some of the pistol’s

historical as well as presenting a weapon

that is balanced against the rules and heroic

ideals that inform d20 fantasy. By grouping

all firearms under single Exotic Weapon

Proficiency, a balance is struck between his-

tory and heroism. The gun has the illusion

of needing more skill to use than the sword,

not less. It transforms the firearm into the

gunslingers weapon, the weapon of heroes

and the military elite, not he weapon of the

common soldier.

The racial origin of the pistol varies from world to world. Typically its use is

popularised by humanity, although the principles of the weapon’s design suggest

it was originally crafted by a race with a strong grasp of alchemy, clockwork and

weaponsmithing. While humanity possesses the curiosity, the destructive drive

and the skill to produce the various elements necessary to construct firearms, they

are usually more skilled at putting the various elements together than discovering

them on their own.

Dwarves certainly possess the skill and meticulous attention to detail required

to create the firing mechanisms for such weapons, but rarely have the interest in

alchemy necessary to discover gunpowder or its substitute. Unless they happen

upon some natural substance in their caves that replicates the effects of gunpow-

der, dwarves are likely to be the first to truly seize upon the potential of gunpow-

der rather than its discoverers. In the twisting tunnels that make up their home

the pistols utility and power quickly outweigh its lack of range.

Many of the other rules presented in this

book are guided by the same decision mak-

ing process, and while they are not strictly

historically accurate, they feel accurate

enough within the abstract nature of the d20

combat system. For those running a heroic

game the firearms here can be used to give

mechanical flavour to back up the feel of

a renaissance or scientific culture in your

world without necessarily destroying the

fantastic feel inherent to your campaign.

With their love of intricate craftsmanship and alchemy, gnomes are naturally

intrigued by the nature of pistols and other firearms where these two attributes

are combined. Quick to seize upon the pistol and its methods of manufacture,

gnomes hay have developed a reputation as the finest craftsmen of pistols, as well

as the most likely race to make use of it as a weapon of war. Their natural talent

for alchemy and magic often means that gnomes are one of the few races to have

dedicated gunsmiths.

Elves are often repulsed by the weapon, its inaccuracy and slow firing time quick-

ly marking it as inferior to the bow in their eyes. The bulk of halflings are also

ambivalent towards the pistol, more at home with less complex ranged weapon

such as slings and thrown blades. As with all things, however, halfling adven-

turers remain the exception rather than the rule of their race and are as likely

to adapt to the use of the pistol as any human. Half-orcs and other humanoids

are often intrigued by the pistol, but find its workings too complex to master its

construction and often fall back on crude longarms and cannons.

If you wish to add more realistic firearms

to your game, either because you wish to

explore the issues that were raised by the

historical introduction of firearms in your

campaign or because you wish to experi-

ment with the level of historical balance

versus heroic adventure that suits your

style of play, the optional rules presented

here will change the tone of firearms to

meet your needs. Play with the optional

rules until you find the balance that meets

your needs.

The cost and complexity of the pistol will typically keep it from being found as

standard equipment for any race, although other forms of firearms may find their

way into special forces or even the standing army depending on how developed

their use has become in a campaign. Pistols are at their most common in the

hands of adventurers and the wealthy, people who can benefit from the refined

size of the weapon as well as its destructive power.

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