Has anyone had experience running or playing in a campaign that had the commonplace firearms option?
If so
- how did it work out?
- did you do anything for gunslingers and/or firearm based archetypes to balance the fact they have exotic weapon proficiency in weapons that are now considered martial?
- did any advanced firearms show up?
Thinking about a homebrew setting with a 17th century swashbuckling theme and looking to represent early firearms being pretty common (but no advanced firearms)
I've run several campaigns with guns or gunslingers, but it was always Golarion based with "emerging guns" rather than commonplace. Guns aren't really a problem. I'd suggest leaving them as "emerging" to keep the game balance and cost meaning it's not easy to find guns on every corner.
Why use "commonplace" with no advanced firearms though? I've allowed advanced weapons, It's no big deal. It does reduce the misfire penalties and makes reloading easier, but nothing game breaking.
Commonplace Guns: While still expensive and tricky to wield, early firearms are readily available. Instead of requiring the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, all firearms are martial weapons. Early firearms and their ammunition cost 25% of the amounts listed in this book, but advanced firearms and their ammunition are still rare and cost the full price to purchase or craft.
At very low levels, I don't think you'd see a big difference, because of the cost of firearms. But the benefit of armor would quickly be diminished, encouraging most martials to go dexterity based and not caring much for strength.
|
Commonplace Guns: While still expensive and tricky to wield, early firearms are readily available. Instead of requiring the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, all firearms are martial weapons. Early firearms and their ammunition cost 25% of the amounts listed in this book, but advanced firearms and their ammunition are still rare and cost the full price to purchase or craft.At very low levels, I don't think you'd see a big difference, because of the cost of firearms. But the benefit of armor would quickly be diminished, encouraging most martials to go dexterity based and not caring much for strength.
Firearms probably still won't be very popular: Without the 'dex to damage' bonus from Gunslinger (or 'Trenchfighter' fighter, if you allow it), they are still fairly expensive, slow firing weapons with fairly short range increments and weak damage. The accuracy is nice in the first range increment, but getting strength added to damage with a melee weapon, thrown weapon, or a composite bow is probably going to work out better for most characters.
Longbows should have never been martial weapons. That thing is well within the realms of being exotic.
Why use "commonplace" with no advanced firearms though? I've allowed advanced weapons, It's no big deal. It does reduce the misfire penalties and makes reloading easier, but nothing game breaking.
I'm after a specific era of technology - 17th Century, in the style of The Three Musketeers, Solomon Kane and / or numerous pirate adventures.
Flintlock / wheel-lock / match lock single shot pistols and muskets are commonplace weapons - regiments of musketeers and cannon are common in most armies, any gentleman or highwayman might be expected to own a pair of pistols, even the average farmer might have a musket for hunting.
However revolvers and rifles just haven't been invented yet.
|
|
Why use "commonplace" with no advanced firearms though? I've allowed advanced weapons, It's no big deal. It does reduce the misfire penalties and makes reloading easier, but nothing game breaking.
I'm after a specific era of technology - 17th Century, in the style of The Three Musketeers, Solomon Kane and / or numerous pirate adventures.
Flintlock / wheel-lock / match lock single shot pistols and muskets are commonplace weapons - regiments of musketeers and cannon are common in most armies, any gentleman or highwayman might be expected to own a pair of pistols, even the average farmer might have a musket for hunting.
However revolvers and rifles just haven't been invented yet.
You are probably going to have a hard time achieving this: Early firearms were deliberately designed to not be a great option without the appropriate class features (they didn't want everyone using guns): Making them cheaper and more available doesn't really change this significantly (more characters will be proficient, but that's about it).
You are probably going to have a hard time achieving this: Early firearms were deliberately designed to not be a great option without the appropriate class features (they didn't want everyone using guns): Making them cheaper and more available doesn't really change this significantly (more characters will be proficient, but that's about it).
I'd concur; this is by far my biggest gripe with the Pathfinder firearm rules. You're either absolutely specialized in them, or you really shouldn't bother. Commonplace Guns is better in this regard, since it's at least possible for someone to carry one around as a sidearm without paying an arm and a leg in gold and feats, but it's still going to be inferior to a bow for most characters.
With that said, beware of advanced firearms. They're extraordinarily powerful and can very easily dominate your game if you allow them.