So, halfway through setting up my ACKS campaign, I lost a month being caught up in actual paying work and then on vacation. Now I'm back at it, but my gamer ADD has kicked in and wants me to write a post-apocalyptic-wasteland-exploration-and-conquest science-fantasy campaign instead. Somebody slap me!
If you'll indulge me, I'm going to post the house rule ideas that are plaguing me here (instead of just on my computer like I normally would) in the hopes that somebody might be able to make use of them even if I abandon this and go back to my original idea. Criticism is welcome, of course.
First up, guns.
The following rules apply to all firearms:
Proficiency - Firearms may be used by classes with Unrestricted weapon selection, classes with Broad weapon selection and the "all missile weapons" broad weapon group, and classes with Narrow weapon selection and the new "firearms" narrow weapon group.
Ammunition - To preserve my own sanity, there are only three types of firearm ammunition: pistol cartridges, rifle cartridges, and shotgun shells. Firearm ammunition is common merchandise. A load of firearm ammunition (regardless of type) is a crate that weighs 10 stone and which has a base price of 500 gp. This crate contains 10 1 stone boxes of ammunition. Each 1 stone box of ammunition costs 50gp
and contains either 100 shotgun shells, 200 rifle cartridges, or 300 pistol cartridges. Adventurers on a budget can buy a pouch of 10 shotgun shells, 20 rifle cartridges, or 30 pistol cartridges for 5 gp.
Cleave - Guns do not suffer the cleave limitation that normally applies to ranged weapons. They can be used to cleave until the user runs out of available cleave attacks or the weapon runs out of ammunition.
Magazine - A firearm's cost depends on the size of its magazine (the number of shots it can fire before it must be reloaded. Magazine sizes are as follows:
Single Shot (SS): 1 shot magazine.
Double Barrel (DB): 2 shot magazine.
Repeater (R): 6 shot magazine. Repeater pistols are usually revolvers; repeater rifles and shotguns are usually operated with a bolt, lever, or slide pump.
Automatic (A): 30 shot box magazine. Automatic weapons are capable of automatic fire (see below), but can also be fired one round at a time. Reloading an automatic weapon assumes you are replacing an empty box magazine with one that is fully loaded. Actually reloading an empty box magazine takes several minutes. An empty spare box magazine costs 5 gp.
Reloading - You may reload a firearm instead of attacking during a combat round.
Shotguns & Automatic Fire - Shotguns and automatic weapons both cast a cluster of projectiles at the target almost simultaneously. Making such an attack consumes one shotgun shell or 5 pistol or rifle cartridges. The attacker makes 3 separate attack rolls, each with a -1 penalty on the attack throw. Each attack that hit inflicts damage based on the weapon used: 1d2 for a short shotgun or automatic pistol
wielded in one hand, 1d3 for a short shotgun or automatic pistol wielded in two hands, or 1d4 for a long shotgun or automatic rifle. If the target is slain before all 3 attacks are resolved, the remaining attacks can target another opponent adjacent to or behind the first. Each target you fell with a shotgun or automatic fire attack triggers a cleave attack, which may be another shotgun or automatic fire attack. A fighter's damage bonus does not apply to shotgun or automatic fire attacks; nor does the attacker's DEX bonus if you are playing with a house rule that allows your DEX bonus to apply to ranged attack damage rolls. Damage from a weapon's magical or technological enhancement bonus does apply (I recommend not introducing shotguns or automatic weapons with more than a +1 bonus).
Firearm stats -
Pistol: 1 or 2 hands, 1d6/1d8 damage, range 50(-0)/100(-2)/150(-5), price SS 50gp/DB 100 gp/R 200 gp/A 400 gp
Rifle: 2 hands, 1d10 damage, -1 initiative, range 250(-0)/500(-2)/750(-5), price SS 75gp/DB 150 gp/R 300 gp/A 600 gp
Short Shotgun: 1 or 2 hands, 1d2/1d3 x3, range 50(-0)/100(-2)/150(-5), price SS 50gp/DB 100 gp/R 200 gp
Long Shotgun: 2 hands, 1d4 x3, -1 initiative, range 50(-0)/100(-2)/150(-5), price SS 50gp/DB 100 gp/R 200 gp