Guns (Sea Dogs)

Basic Set p.407, "Malfunctions": TL4 = Malf 14
High-Tech p.86, "Reloading Your Gun,"Multi-Part Ammo"

• A self-measuring powder flask (see Powder and Shot, p. 163) subtracts five seconds from the final loose-ammunition loading time.
• A self-priming pan (see weapon description) subtracts 10 seconds, but this benefit isn’t cumulative with that of a self-measuring flask.
• Paper cartridges halve the basic time required (round up), and supersede both of the above measures.
• Loading a muzzleloading shoulder arm – not a pistol – while in any posture other than standing multiplies the basic time required by 1.5 (round up). Loading while mounted requires a roll against the lower of Guns-3 and Riding-3; loading on a moving vehicle requires a Guns-2 roll.
• House Rule: Wheellocks: Loading times for wheellocks will be increased to match matchlocks instead of flintlocks.
• House Rule: Hurried Loading: (From High-Tech (3e) p.34) At any time after half the normal loading time, the loader can try hurried loading. A roll against [Guns], minus the number of seconds remaining until full loading time, is required. A failure adds the number of seconds by which the roll was failed to normal loading time. A critical failure requires that loading be started over. A success loads the gun immediately. A critical success loads the gun and gives +1 to Accuracy for the shot with that load.

High-Tech p.86, "Careful Loading"
High-Tech p.86, "Black-Powder Fouling"
High-Tech p.163, "Multi-Part Ammunition"
High-Tech p.164, "Black-Powder Locks"
High-Tech p.165, "Extra-Powerful (+P) Ammunition"

House Rule: Blackpowder at Close Range: In close combat, burning powder and wadding particles from the barrel can accidentally ignite flammable objects nearby. This includes dry clothing, lace drapery, dry ship sails, loose papers, and especially nearby gunpowder. Roll 3d for each bullet that hits or is barely dodged (margin of success of 0) at a range of 1 yard or less. If the victim is wearing dry lacy clothing, such as a lace-fronted shirt, a lace shawl, etc. a roll of 16 or less sets part of your opponent’s clothes catching fire (p. B434). The victim’s hair or beard will be set fire on a 6 or less at close range, but only if the hair is dry. The victim’s dry linen or cotton clothing will only set fire on a critical success, and wet or damp clothing cannot be set fire. The same process applies to gunpowder on a person or anyone very near a discharged firearm.

Anyone hit at close range by a bullet, or closely missed by one, can have his gunpowder set off! Well-protected or covered powder, such as gunpowder in flasks, shooting bags, grenades in backpacks or satchels, powder barrels, etc. is only touched off on a critical failure. Powder that is vulnerable, such as a flask that is open – perhaps the victim is in the process of reloading, or has a paper cartridge in hand – is touched off on a 6 or less. This is also the case if the person is on fire, or part of their clothes are on fire! Gunpowder that is totally unprotected, such as a trail of powder, an open powder barrel, etc. is touched off on a 16 or less. One of the most decisive ways to destroy a ship in the Age of Sail was to ignite its powder stores.

House Rule: Smoke from Black Powder: Firing produces smoke that obscures the gun. As a rule of thumb, any good-size cannon produce smoke covering a 1 hex radius per 1" (25mm) of bore size centered on the gun’s muzzle. Any fire through the cloud (in or out) is at -1. Further shots increase the density of the smoke to a maximum of -5. The smoke lasts for 300 seconds/wind speed in mph (max. 300 seconds). A moving vehicle will sail or drive out of its guns’ smoke cloud, which can be good or bad. For shots with weapons having less than 1" bore, a number of shots whose accumulated total-bore equals or exceeds 1" are required before the smoke cloud reaches 1 hex, and begins accumulating additional penalties afterward; until then, the smoke will only obscure further "sighted" shooting at -1, or shots at the firer's face/firing-arm/&c. (For ease of use, assume this means 3×pistol or 2×longarm shots.)