Firearms are a relatively new invention to the magical worlds’ inhabitants, but are very well known to more technological societies.  They are powerful, dangerous, and highly combustible weapons wielded by the most daring adventurers.  These weapons can be used in certain settings to replace traditional bows and arrows, or can be used to provide a dash of swashbuckling and highway robbery to a campaign.  Firearms use the same rules as ranged weapons, but have additional properties that dictate how they can be used.

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Two Weapon Fighting with Firearms

A character with proficiency in firearms can engage in two-weapon fighting with two light firearms.  When they do, they do not include their ability score modifier to the damage rolls of the bonus action attack.

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Proficiency

Some species, classes and subclasses may offer a character the ability to gain proficiency in firearms, allowing you to add your proficiency bonus to attacks made with firearms.

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Firearm Types

Every modern-age firearm has a special tag that identifies what type of firearm it is.  There are four types of modern-era firearms; Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, and Mounted.  Most types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect firearms of certain types in different ways.

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Mounted firearm types must be affixed to a Weapon Mount (see Armor and Equipment) or a creature needs a Strength score of 15 or higher to wield it.

Firearm Properties

All firearms use ammunition, and can only use ammunition from the matching age.  Early-age firearms have the loading property (as explained in the Basic Rules) while all modern-age firearms and some advanced-age firearms have the reload property.  Some advanced-age weapons will contain a set number of charges that reset during a short or long rest. Firearms are considered martial ranged weapons for any class feature or other effect that requires a martial ranged weapon.

Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of ammunition. Ammunition expended from a firearm is destroyed and cannot be recovered.  Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). 

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Arc. When this weapon strikes a creature it causes an arc of energy to strike a random creature within 5 feet of the target, dealing the additional damage listed in the weapon’s description, of the same damage type.

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Attachment. This weapon is capable of receiving attachments from the Attachments section below. A list of available attachments, what firearm types they can be equipped to, and their effects can be found at the end of the modern-age firearms section.

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Choke.  Chokes can either increase or alter their spray property of a firearm.  They can be attached to Shotgun firearm types.
 

Magazine.  Magazines typically increase the number of rounds a firearm can shoot before needing to reload, but can also provide other benefits.  These can be attached to Rifle and Pistol firearm types.
 

Optic.  Optics can help increase the range or accuracy of a firearm.  They can be attached to any firearm type that is wielded.
 

Barrel.  Barrels can be used to either reduce the noise or recoil of a weapon, potentially affecting its range. These can be attached to Rifle and Mounted firearm types.

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Automatic. When you take the Attack action and make a ranged weapon attack with this firearm, you may instead make two weapon attacks at disadvantage. This disadvantage cannot be negated by any means.
 

Charges. This weapon does not use ammunition, but instead has a set number of charges that it regains during a short or long rest.
 

Concealed. This weapon can be wielded while not in view, or without suspicion of other creatures. A creature must succeed a DC 15 Perception check or have a passive perception of 15 or higher to notice your weapon.
 

Light.  A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.
 
Misfire.  When you roll a 1 on a d20 for an attack roll with this weapon, that weapon cannot be used again to make a ranged weapon attack until you use an action to fix the issue.
 

Heavy Fire. A weapon with this property can make a normal single-target attack, or it can cover a 10-foot-cube area, or 20 foot horizontal line within its normal range, with a hail of bullets.  Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take the weapon’s normal damage. This action uses 10 pieces of ammunition.  After using a firearm’s heavy fire property, that creature must succeed a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be deafened until the start of their next turn.
 

Reload. If a weapon with this property does not have any more ammunition to fire, a creature must reload it using their choice of an action or a bonus action.  
 

Spray. A weapon with this property can either make a normal single-target attack or it can spray its ammunition in a 15-foot cone from the wielder. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take the weapon’s normal damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.  This expends all ammunition loaded into an early-age firearm, or 10 pieces of ammunition in a modern-age firearm.
 

Two-Handed.  This weapon requires two hands.  If a two-handed firearm is wielded while prone, the wielder does not suffer disadvantage on their ranged attack rolls with that weapon.