Steampunk Weapons for D&D 5th Edition

Pirate Weapons | Steampunk Weapons | Steampunk Armor | Steampunk Equipment

If you like steampunk, check out Steampunk Adventurers for 5e, which is now available on DriveThruRPG from Tribality Publishing!

With STEAMPUNK ADVENTURERS you can provide your players with new player character options for 5th edition to create steampunk themed characters. These options can be used to play an entire campaign in a steampunk setting, or just to provide a player with more steampunk flavored options than provided by core 5th edition materials.

Allow your players to gear up with 14 pages of custom backgrounds, equipment and feats created just for their steampunk adventurers.

Product Information

This product will allow you to provide your Steampunk Adventurers with:

• 2 new steampunk themed backgrounds:
  • Fortune Teller
  • Guild Artisan: Apothecary
• A fully detailed list of over 80 steampunk weapons, armor, adventuring gear and tools
• 3 new steampunk flavored feats:
  • Firearms Expert
  • Nimble
  • Tinkerer

These materials were designed to be used with 5^th edition rules and can be played directly into your 5^th edition favorite campaign.

Visit DriveThruRPG now to get a copy today.

In a previous edition of the Campaign Trail I looked at Ideas for a Steampunk Campaign Setting. This week I’m providing Steampunk Weapons for D&D 5th Edition that I have been working on for my homebrew Vodari campaign and an upcoming one-shot. You can provide this list to your players to add a little steampunk tech into your fantasy world or as a weapons list for a full Steampunk themed campaign.

Steampunk is a genre of speculative fiction, usually set in an alternate/anachronistic Victorian setting with elements of science fiction, fantasy or horror themes. If you just want to let your players gear up with some new weapons options for your fantasy setting to get a Chrono Trigger or Three Musketeers (2011) feel, then this list will work for that too.

Notes on this Chart:

• Fantasy settings have magic, which can make technology unneeded or under-powered. This list provides “mundane” non-magical weapons and does not include magic items.
• The technology level of this list draws from a broad historical period, from the real world renaissance all the way into the mid 19th century. Tweak the list to best fit what technology level has been reached in your world.
• If you are looking to run your fantasy setting with the introduction of some steampunk inspired technology, then I would stay away from the more modern weapons and even raise the prices of everything on this list.
• The Victorian era of our world lasted from 1837 until 1901 and during that time we saw the move from muzzle loading muskets to breach loading single shot rifles with smaller bullets that traveled much faster and further when fired. If you want your world to feel like its the end of the 19th century as the world rushes into the modern era, pull out the older stuff such as muzzle loaded weapons and replace them with the pistols and rifles from the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
• In the future, I hoping to do another article that looks at high powered, magic-like weapons that use steam power to do anything from firing projectiles or to add some extra punch to a hammer.
• My goal for this equipment list is for any DM to be able to add firearms to a campaign as a replacement for the niche that crossbows hold in a more traditional D&D or Pathfinder game. I thought this would be a good way to make sure firearms don’t come in and overpower spells and traditional weapons that most of my players would favor such as swords and bows. You’ll notice that my homebrew firearms borrow from Pathfinder and the D&D 5th editions DMG materials, but have lower damage table guns match up with their equivalent crossbow. For example the Flintlock Pistol matches up nicely with the Light Crossbow, each doing 1d8 piercing damage, but the gun can be held in one hand and the crossbow has a longer range.
• You might want to extend proficiency with martial crossbows to proficiency with martial guns.

Steampunk Weapons for D&D 5th Edition

* The cutlass is a blade traditionally associated with pirates and its damage through the editions has ranged from 1d6 to 1d8. For this list I went with 1d6.

** Gunpowder can be reflavored to be a magical explosive created by wizards or you can even go with alchemical powered ammunition.

Special

• Blunderbuss: This weapon can be fired normally or loaded to make a scattering shot, attacking all creatures within a 15 foot cone. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 piercing damage. Using a scatter shot requires pellet ammunition.
• Bola: This weapon allows a large or smaller target that that is hit to be knocked prone and restrained on a successful contested Dexterity check. A restrained creature can use its action to make a DC10 strength check freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Dealing 5 slashing to the bola (AC 10) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the bola.
• Boomerang: This weapon will return to the thrower on attack rolls that are not natural 1s.
• Brass Knuckles: This weapon is used in combination with an unarmed strike to provide added damage.
  
• Cane Sword: This weapon is a cane with a sword that can be slid out and looks like an ordinary cane when inspected. A successful Intelligence (Investigation) DC 15 check will reveal the hidden weapon. The blade uses the statistics for shortsword. Those proficient with a shortsword are proficient with this weapon.
  
• Cane Pistol: This weapon is a pistol small enough to fit into a cane and looks like an ordinary cane when inspected. A successful Intelligence (Investigation) DC 15 check will reveal the hidden weapon. Attacking with the cane uses the statistics for cane.
  
• Chain Whip: This weapon allows a large or smaller target that is hit to be knocked prone on a successful contested Dexterity check.
• Chainsaw: This weapon was designed to be a tool to cut through wood. When used as a weapon it will jam on rolls of natural 1 and score a critical hit on rolls of natural 19 and natural 20.
• Dragon Pistol: This weapon can be fired normally or loaded to make a scattering shot, attacking all creatures within a 15 foot cone. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 piercing damage. Using a scatter shot requires pellet ammunition.
• Gun Blade: This weapon is a pistol with a blade attached under the barrel. The blade uses the statistics for shortsword.
• Gun Axe: This weapon is a pistol with an axe attached. The axe uses the statistics for handaxe.
• Hand Cannon: This weapon can be fired normally or loaded to make a scattering shot, attacking all creatures within a 15 foot cone. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 piercing damage. Using a scatter shot requires pellet ammunition.
• Lead Balls: This ammunition is destroyed when used. You do not get to find half of your expended ammunition.
• Lightning Balls: Each lightning ball is a lead ball that has been charged with electricity, providing an additional 1d4 lightning damage.
• Pellets: This ammunition is destroyed when used. You do not get to find half of your expended ammunition.
• Sawblades: This ammunition is used by the sawblade launcher and half of all fired sawblades can be recovered.
• Silvered Balls: This ammunition is destroyed when used and should be considered silvered.
• Whip: This weapon allows a large or smaller target that is hit to be knocked prone on a successful contested Dexterity check.

Please let me know in the comments below what you think of this steampunk weapons list.

Note: Image is from Amulet graphic novel series.