Blunderbuss

[Asinjin]

   Firearm, Muzzle load Blunderbuss: This variation on the most common type of firearm unleashes a cloud of ‘shot’ instead of a single ball or bullet.  Designed early on, and mastered by the Rockshot family, these weapons are designed for close range and multiple targets.  Unless noted below, the rules for its creation are the same as the standard muzzle-loading firearm.
   A blunderbuss hits all targets in its area, which is a cone.  The cone starts at the user square and expands out in a standard cone pattern.  The standard cone has a range of 20 feet and deals 4d4 damage.  That damage is reduced by one die for every five feet the target is away from the weapon.  These weapons do not require an attack roll.  They affect all targets within the area of the cone.  They cannot critically hit.  All blunderbusses are two-handed weapons.
   Energy Required: Firearms do not use a power source that produces Minembolts.
   Modifications: For every five foot range increment increase, the DC goes up 1.  The maximum range is 50 feet.  Increases to the damage of the blunderbuss are done by increasing the number of dice rolled, or by the die type.  To increase the number of dice rolled, the DC is 4 higher per die, to a maximum of 10 dice.  To increase the type of die, the DC is 4 higher to go from d4 to d6; an additional either higher to go from d6 to d8; and an additional 12 higher to go from d8 to d10.  That is the maximum die for this type of weapon.
   Muzzle loaded blunderbusses cannot be made Tiny or Diminutive.  They can be made large with a DC increase of 4.  They can be made huge with a DC increase of 16.  These increases do not stack.  Range and damage are not increased by size of the blunderbuss.  However, the width of the cone is increased to ten feet for a large blunderbuss and 15 feet for a huge blunderbuss at the base of the cone.
   Design Type: Firearms
   Cost: varies

Thoughts?

[Hero]

To compare, looks like d20 modern shotgun rules subtract 1 POINT of damage per range increment, typ increments are 30 ft:
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/modern/smack/weapons.html

Is the 20 ft a maximum range (not an increment)? For the basic blunderbuss, anything beyond 20 ft won't take any damage at -1 die/5 ft.

Slightly off topic, I think we should use the crossbow rules for loading and firing firearms & epbuls:

• 2 hands to load
• longarms like rifles and shotguns require 2 hands to fire without penalty, -4 to fire in one hand, TWF penalties as if using a one-handed weapon (similar to a heavy crossbow)
• pistols and handguns are treated like hand crossbows, fire without penalty with one hand, TWF penalties as if using a light weapon

[Asinjin]

It was my intention with writing that to make the max effective range for the basic one 20 feet.

[Windblade]

I still think auto hit for a shotgun is way too powerful especially if you can make a shotgun with more damage die, increased range etc.  Who care if real world physics makes it very very unlikely to miss with a shotgun since when are we worried about real world physics in d&d.  Maybe just use touch AC instead.  Nothing in regular D&d has automatic success as soon as you allow for this the you open yourself up to something being way overpowered.

[Malchia]

To increase the number of dice rolled, the DC is 4 higher per die, to a maximum of 10 dice.  To increase the type of die, the DC is 4 higher to go from d4 to d6; an additional either higher to go from d6 to d8; and an additional 12 higher to go from d8 to d10.  That is the maximum die for this type of weapon.

I highlighted the typo.  What DC number should this be?  Also, do these numbers stack?  Is it +4 to go to d6, then an additional amount to go to d8, then an additional 12 to go to d10 or can the creator simply add 12 to go straight from d4 to d10?

[Malchia]

I still think auto hit for a shotgun is way too powerful especially if you can make a shotgun with more damage die, increased range etc.  Who care if real world physics makes it very very unlikely to miss with a shotgun since when are we worried about real world physics in d&d.  Maybe just use touch AC instead.  Nothing in regular D&d has automatic success as soon as you allow for this the you open yourself up to something being way overpowered.

Think about the game mechanics and it'll make a bit more sense.  First of all, it's extremely costly to create something really powerful.  You'd have to be really high level with a ton of skill enhancing feats to even consider making a 50 foot range, 10d10 shotgun.  And even if someone was to pull off this masterwork piece of ballistic art, it would only be fully effective within 5 feet of your opponent.  If someone moves further away, it diminishes the effectiveness.  Second, it requires additional feats to be really proficient with it, as well as taking up both hands to use.  It's basically a last resort item capable of only one blast.  Since you can't hit critically, it negates the potential for blowing through opponents with a rolling critical and leaves you vulnerable to follow-up attacks or spells unless you drop the blunderbuss or use it as a makeshift melee weapon.  Also, opponents can still avoid being fully exposed to the damage by taking cover.  It's essentially a close range fireball, with the exception of being able to manipulate or enhance it with metamagic feats. 

On a side note; if this gets approved by the DM and all involved, Gnevil and Marston have some work to do.  I need one of these. 

[Windblade]

My problem is you can make it into a short range fireball with no save.   Cost and creation better be extremely high when you can do this.

[Asinjin]

I highlighted the typo.  What DC number should this be?  Also, do these numbers stack?  Is it +4 to go to d6, then an additional amount to go to d8, then an additional 12 to go to d10 or can the creator simply add 12 to go straight from d4 to d10?

the either should have been eight, and I should have made it an 8.

They do stack.

I did not right this in, but I believe we have two rules from the past that need to be noted.  Malchia mentioned one of them.  Damage is reduced by cover (either by percentage if the cover can't be destroyed by the shot or by amount if the shot can be destroyed).  Second, if you have evasion you get a reflex save for half, improved evasion a reflex save for none.

[Asinjin]

Assuming you have a design, the DC to craft a 10d10, 50 foot blunderbuss is 59.  By the above rules.  And keep in mind this is the muzzle loading firearm version.  Which takes a while to re-load and fails on 1 and 2 (you have to make a tinkering check to use).

We also have to take into consideration that the cost of shells would go up as the dice goes up.  A shell big enough to cover the above area with that much material would be far more expensive than the 4d4 20 foot shell.  If the 4d4 shell is 2 silver, then the 10d10 would cost say 56 silver.  Five and a half gold per shot is a significant cost.

[Windblade]

Cost is a good way to offset this. 

[Asinjin]

We are adding an attack roll against AC 5 as per grenades to the rules of the weapon.

[whitesword]

I agree with Windblade that auto hit and no save is a bit much. I'd give a reflex save for half damage.

Blunderbusses were very primitive, prone to failure, and primarily used for bird hunting.  On the other hand they could be rapidly loaded and you could shoot anything you wanted out of it. Rock was commonly used when metal shot was unavailable.

[Asinjin]

   Firearm, Muzzle load Scattershot: This variation on the most common type of firearm unleashes a cloud of ‘shot’ instead of a single ball or bullet.  Designed early on, and mastered by the Rockshot family, these weapons are designed for close range and multiple targets.  Unless noted below, the rules for its creation are the same as the standard muzzle-loading firearm.
   A scattershot hits all targets in its area, which is a cone.  The cone starts at the user square and expands out in a standard cone pattern.  The standard cone has a range of 20 feet and deals 4d4 damage.  That damage is reduced by one die for every five feet the target is away from the weapon.  These weapon require an attack roll against the targets square, which is considered to have an AC of 5.  They affect all targets within the area of the cone.  They cannot critically hit.  All blunderbusses are two-handed weapons.  Any creature with Evasion may make a Reflex save equal to the attack roll to avoid the damage.  A creature with Improved Evasion makes the save for half or no damage.  If a creature has cover against the attack, he takes half damage and gets a +2 bonus to a reflex save if he gets one.
   Energy Required: Firearms do not use a power source that produces Minembolts.
   Modifications: For every five foot range increment increase, the DC goes up 1.  The maximum range is 50 feet.  Increases to the damage of the blunderbuss are done by increasing the number of dice rolled, or by the die type.  To increase the number of dice rolled, the DC is 4 higher per die, to a maximum of 10 dice.  To increase the type of die, the DC is 4 higher to go from d4 to d6; an additional either higher to go from d6 to d8; and an additional 12 higher to go from d8 to d10.  That is the maximum die for this type of weapon.
   Muzzle loaded blunderbusses cannot be made Tiny or Diminutive.  They can be made large with a DC increase of 4.  They can be made huge with a DC increase of 16.  These increases do not stack.  Range and damage are not increased by size of the blunderbuss.  However, the width of the cone is increased to ten feet for a large blunderbuss and 15 feet for a huge blunderbuss at the base of the cone.
   Design Type: Firearms
   Cost: varies

In addition, the cost of one shot would be 2 silver for the basic version.  For every die added to the damage (4 to 5 for example) the cost would go up 2 silver per shot.  For every die type increase, from d4 to d6, the cost would be multiplies by the number of steps the die increased.