Guns & Rune Cannons

"With weapons like these, even the common man can have the power of trained runic mages!"

Minister Alabaster Mael, upon seeing a demonstration of a war musket for the first time

Guns themselves are not a new idea. Long ago, before the Great Magic War, guns were the weapon of choice for countless warriors and defenders. The Great Magic War however caused a reset. Those who knew guns best were lost and since their use in the underground survival shelters were incredibly dangerous, the skill to keep up and use a gun faded with time. 

That all changed during an expedition into one of the ancient first era city ruins in the heart of the Kingdom of Chaladonia. Charged by the House of Lords to find anything that could give the kingdom an edge, adventurer Joachim Farun found an old stash of old war muskets sealed away in a safe, and much to his surprise they still functioned. Soon after, with the assistance of the kingdom's best artificers, Joachim finally produced the first new gun, a blunderbuss, based on the basic principles he saw in the recovered guns. From there other gun types were made, and thanks to dweller spies the information soon leaked to Auphera where they began producing their own variants. Save for minor details, they are all basically the same weapons with the same concepts and power. The gun has been revived, just as tensions on the continent have gotten worse - or perhaps because of it. 

The Scarcity of the Gun

Due to how recently guns have become available, ready made guns cannot be purchased just anywhere. Only the larger cities - typically the principal cities of each nation's political regions - supply them. Furthermore, guns cannot as of yet be found in any shops in the Kingdom of Miden, or outside of the borders of Auphera or Chaladonia. That does not however mean guns cannot be made outside of these places. Talented artificers may find the means to craft them practically anywhere, but the availability of purchasing ready-made guns is still rare. All ready made guns are made using a steel barrel and oak stock. 

How Guns Work

Guns are not your typical sword or even your bow and arrow. They are rediscovered weaponry that relies on black powder to fire out a projectile at high speeds. The damage from a gun comes not from the wielder, but from the gun and the bullet itself, and more importantly, the black powder. Guns are incredibly powerful weapons, but require more time and attention to use correctly. 

• Firing takes the Attack action and the Support action. No Offensive Power, and the Critical trait doesn’t apply.
• Before firing, the shooter makes a Focus check. The difficulty comes from the lock and the range.
  • Pass: the shot fires, and the target defends normally.
  • Fail: the shot goes wide, and the powder and ball are spent.
  • Natural 1: misfire. Clearing the gun costs a Defense action.
  • Natural 20: a gun critical doubling the base gun damage rolls, the Gunner profession improves upon this.
• Reloading takes the Defense action. Until the shooter’s next turn, every attack against them becomes a React check instead of a normal defense. The difficulty of the React check depends on the speed of the attack. A normal attack is an Easy React Check while a fast attack is a Normal React Check. The Evade Modifier acts as either a penalty or a bonus to the React Check. 
• No minimum distance. Guns work point-blank, unlike bows. However a long barrel cannot share the same space as the target to shoot the target. 
• Every shot burns black powder, using the existing Black Powder item.                  

Pistols

Pistols are smaller, hand held guns. They are not as powerful as the long gun, nor do they have the same range. They are however easier to conceal. 

Pistol Enhancements

These are the enhancements that you can apply to your pistol. For further enhancement and modification you will need to craft your own pistol.

Long Guns

Long Guns are your muskets and blunderbusses. These are the first type of gun made, and the most studied. They have great power and range, however, they cannot be concealed and require both hands to use. Their stock can act as a secondary weapon, allowing you to stock-bash a target next to you for a modest attack value. 

Long Gun Enhancements

These are the enhancements that you can apply to your long gun. For further enhancement and modification you will need to craft your own long gun.

Ammunition

Ammunition is what your gun fires. Be it ball or shell, it is what ultimately deals the damage to your target. Like arrows, gun ammunition (gun ammo) has its own attack value that is separate from the gun. When fired, the gun's attack value is added to the gun ammo's attack value to get the total attack value of the attack. 

Rune Cannons

Rune Cannons are weapons that channel ylem and elemental energy as their source of power rather than physical force alone. They draw upon the wielder's Soul to fire, making them extensions of the user's magical self as much as they are physical tools. These are ready made rune cannons, lacking some of the power and personality of crafted rune cannons. 

About Soul Cost

All runic weapons draw from the wielder's Soul to fire unless a Rune Stone Battery enhancement has been installed. The Soul cost per shot for rune cannons is determined by the weapon's core. This cost is paid when the weapon is fired as part of the attack action. A wielder who cannot pay the Soul cost cannot fire the weapon.

With the Elemental Creations ability, all runic weapons you create are increased by your Runic Power. With the Runic Item Empowerment ability, their effects are further increased by your Arcana.

Rune Cannon Enhancements

These are the enhancements that you can apply to your rune cannon. For further enhancement and modification you will need to craft your own rune cannon.