Gunlancer (5e Class)

Gunlancer

Gunlancers are those who use magic to propel projectiles out of lances, as well as cast spells with said lances.

A digital drawing of a Gunlancer, by Kanon

What are Gunlancers?

Gunlances are used by gunlancers. They are powerful combinations between blowguns, lances, and staffs. They have only been made in recent years, as a result, they can’t be found as loot or bought from normal means, however, some daring thug or adventurer may decide that they wish to use a gunlance, and as such, they do. They can be bought from merchants, but are only really found occasionally by specialty merchants.

Creating a gunlancer

Ask yourself the following questions: Why would my character use a gunlance? How do they know how to use it? Did they learn themselves, did somebody teach them about gunlances?

Quick Build

You can make a gunlancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, strength should be your highest ability score, followed by dexterity. Second, choose the soldier background. Third, choose a lance, ring armor and a shield, and smith’s tools for your equipment.

Class Features

As a Gunlancer you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Gunlancer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Gunlancer level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Heavy armor, shields
Weapons: Lances, blowguns, gunlances
Tools: Smith’s tools, Tinker’s tools
Saving Throws: Strength, intellegence
Skills: Pick two of the following: Athletics, arcana, perception, survival, intimidation

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) Lance or (b) Blowgun and 10 needles
• 20 lancebolts
• (a) Ring mail armor and a shield or (b) Chainmail armor
• (a) Tinker’s tools or (b) Smith’s tools or (c) Alchemist’s supplies
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 3d4x10 in funds.

Table: The Gunlancer

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
			1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	+2	Gunlance, Blowgunner	1	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Reflex Block	1	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Gunlance Upgrade: Handlance, Mounted Shield	2	2	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2	3	—	—	—
5th	+3	Aim and Fire	3	3	—	—	—
6th	+3	Gunlance Upgrade: Farshot Gunlance	3	3	—	—	—
7th	+3	Skewer	4	4	2	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	2	—	—
9th	+4	Gunlance Upgrade: Multiblast Gunlance	5	4	2	—	—
10th	+4	Sighted Accuracy	5	4	3	—	—
11th	+4	Compensational Strike	6	4	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Gunlance Upgrade: Steambelt Gunlance	6	4	3	—	—
13th	+5	Scoped Accuracy	7	4	3	2	—
14th	+5	Mystify Gunlance	7	4	3	2	—
15th	+5	Gunlance Upgrade: Boomlance	8	4	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8	4	3	3	—
17th	+6	Shrug Damage	9	4	3	3	—
18th	+6	Gunlance Upgrade: Rapid Gunlance	9	4	3	3	—
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	10	4	3	3	1
20th	+6	Gunlance Upgrade: Leadspitter	10	4	3	3	1

Blowgunner

Starting at 1st level, you become skilled in blowguns, and gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls with blowguns per gunlancer level.

Gunlance

Starting at 1st level, you can create lances that fire pellets of metal with explosions, air blasts, or other methods. Your gunlance can be modified/made in whatever way you chose and your DM approves, however, they have certain level requirements, and will require an amount of gp in the form of materials, as well as possible specialty items, here are the official gunlances and what they do. When you first create an official gunlance, it costs nothing, but if you lose the lance for some reason, you must remake it. Making a lance can only be done during downtime, a short rest, or a long rest, if it is a short rest, you will not receive the benefits, and if it is a long rest, you cannot stand watch. Making a lance requires smith’s tools. Unless a gunlance specifically states otherwise, it is identical to a regular lance in all ways except you can make a ranged attack. The ammo for most gunlances are lancebolts, which can be made out of steel or lead, with a value dependent on the material they are made from, 1 gp for steel, and 5 cp for lead, and can be crafted in increments of 20 per 2 hours with smiths tool’s or tinker’s tools for the price of one steel or lead ingot, both being at least 5 lbs, as well as bought, though because gunlances are a new technology, and they can only be bought reliably at specialty merchants, but can be bought on uncommon occasions at normal ammunition vendors. Gunlances can be reloaded as a free action, unless stated otherwise. Reloading will provoke an attack of opportunity.

Gunlance

Lv.1 100 gp

The most basic of all gunlances. It works by pumping air into a canister via a trigger like pump, when the pump is fully pulled, it releases a valve, which shoots 1 lancebolt out of the barrel with a blast of air. When used, pick a target within range (60/200) and roll percentile dice. If the roll is less than 25, the attack misses outright, and no damage is dealt, if the roll is 25 or higher, you may make the attack, i.e. you roll an attack roll, and if it is equal to or higher than the enemy AC, then roll for damage. The ranged attack for this weapon deals 2d4+1 piercing damage.

Handlance

Lv.3 60 gp

The handlance is a blowgun sized tube with a bellow on the back end and a blade on the front. This weapon is considered light and therefore can be used in two weapon fighting. It works by blasting air through the tube with said bellow using one hand to shoot 1 lancebolt. The melee attack for this weapon deals 2d4-1 piercing damage, and the ranged attack for this weapon deals 1d8 peircing damage. You need not make a percentile dice roll to see if the lancebolt hits. The normal range of the handlance is 25 feet, and the far range is 70 feet.

Farshot Gunlance

Lv.6 120 gp

This gunlance is made specifically to hit opponents far, far away. It’s practically identical the regular gunlance, however, the air canister is smaller, and the pump is longer, this allows for a more pressurized blast of air, meaning better range for the 1 lancebolt it shoots. This is identical to the regular gunlance, except the range is any target within sight, and you don’t need to make a percentile roll to see if it hits.

Multiblast Gunlance

Lv.9 180 gp

This gunlance fires 5 lancebolts with only one shot. However, for this to work, the end is turned into a funnel so that the lancebolts can be loaded. This means that the melee attack for the multiblast gunlance deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage, instead of the usual 1d12 piercing damage. To use, pick a target within range (20,45), and roll 1d6-1. The result is how many lancebolts hit the target. For every lancebolt that hits the target, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage, if they aren’t avoided by the targets AC, of course (this means that you have to make an attack roll for every lancebolt that hits to see if it’s avoided or not.)

Steambelt Gunlance

Lv.12 235 gp

This gunlance is special in fact that it uses steam to turn gears and belts to move lancebolts into place, where a valve is opened, which blasts said steam to shoot the lancebolts, 7 lancebolts, all connected to a belt, which in turn is rotated to prepare the lancebolts to be shot by the gunlance, as previously stated. To use, pick a target within range (35,100), and roll 1d8-1. The result is how many lancebolts hit the target, as is the case for the multiblast gunlance, each lancebolt that hits needs an attack roll to see if it’s avoided by the target’s AC, and if not, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage per lancebolt that is not avoided. Because this gunlance runs off of steam, it must be refilled every 13 hours with a gallon of water to shoot. Shooting speeds up this time by half an hour. For the first hour of that time period, the water is still liquid, and hasn’t evaporated, meaning all attacks with the steambelt gunlance during said time fail, unless the spell heat metal is cast, if so, than that one hour time period instantly ends. Other spells can be cast to achieve this effect, in some cases they don’t even have to be spells. As long as the DM approves of the method, be it spell or no spell, it can work. If you are in an especially cold environment, determined by the DM, the steam will condense and all attacks will the steam is condensed will fail. In extremely cold environments, it will freeze, and the gun will break, and must be rebuilt, these places are also determined by the DM.

Boomlance

Lv.15 350 gp

Boomlances aren’t really even lances anymore. They are wide metal pipes with a large, sword like bayonet. This changes the melee attack’s piercing damage into slashing damage. And they don’t shoot lancebolts either, they shoot things called boomshells, which are hollow balls made of terracotta filled with sludge composed of oil and sulphur. Each boomshell takes 10 gp of oil, clay, and sulphur, and 1 hour of time to make. They use a blast caused by smokepowder to propel the boomshell, this means that when you roll an attack roll and you get a 1, the boomshell shatters in the boomlance, destroying it. To use, pick a point within range (50,150), and roll percentile dice, if it is less than a 30, the boomshell lands someone else where no harm is done, if it is equal to or greater than 30, it hits, and all creatures and objects within 10 feet of the point chosen must make on dexterity saving through with a DC of 12, on a fail, they take 2d8 fire damage, on a success, they take half as much. If the point chosen is a creature or object, the targeted creature or object takes an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage before the fire damage, as well as 1d4 slashing damage, which is also before the fire damage is dealt. When a shot is fired, it uses 1 boomshell and a handful of smokepowder, which functions identically to a packet of smoke powder on the following webpage: https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LaQ-9bfLBNNBm-hoMee.

Rapid Gunlance

Lv.18 500 gp*

This gunlance is similar to the steambelt gunlance, except it doesn’t use steam, and shoots a lot more lancebolts. It works by pulling a ripcord like chain that sets a set of gears in motion, which turn a belt, which pulls in lancebolts, ready to be shot with a blast of air that blasts when a trigger is pulled, which in turn opens a valve, releasing the the pressurized air, which blasts the lancebolts previously stated, 20 at a time in fact. To use, pick a target within range (30,80), and roll a d20, the final shot releases all remaining air in the air canister, meaning the last lancebolt will always hit, this explains how the minimum shots that hit is 1. Make sure to make an attack roll for each lancebolt fired to see if it is avoided or not. Each lancebolt that hits and is not avoided because of the target’s AC deals 1d4 piercing damage. However, the rapid gunlance has one huge requirement, the chain ripcord needs to be made of adamantine so it doesn’t break when pulled, even then, every time the rapid gunlance is reloaded, the user must roll a d20, on a 1, the chain breaks, and must be repaired with a new pound of adamantine, requiring smith’s tools.

• 1 lb. of adamantine

Deathspitter

Lv.20 1000 gp*

The deathspitter is the most powerful gunlance ever made. It works by turning a crank which rotates a barrel as well as turn a belt, which, like many other gunlances, prepares the lancebolts to be shot. Unlike other barrels, the deathspitter cannot be made out of steel, as it relies on the magnetic energy of magnetite to shoot the lancebolts, which must be made out of steel be be shot by a deathspitter. When a lever is pulled, it sets the magnetite in place, meaning that when the crank is pulled, the lancebolts will be shot as they line up with the magnetite. It fires 100 lancebolts in six seconds, but because of how a lever is used, and the magnetite moves to propel the lancebolt instantaneously, the first shot will always miss, explaining the maximum of 99 lancebolts that can hit the target. To use, pick up to three target and roll percentile dice, subtract 1 from your result, and that is how many lancebolts hit the chosen targets. Because it would take forever to make an attack roll for every lancebolt, let’s just say that a percentage of the lancebolts fired, equal to the AC of the target, will be blocked/dodged, this is made even more necessary by the fact that you can pick multiple targets, meaning potentially multiple ACs. Each lancbolt that hit and was not blocked/dodged because of the target’s AC deals 1.5 piercing damage to the target. The player can decide how the shot lancebolts are divided amongst the maximum of three targets. Becasue the death spitter is so heavy and requires such a long time to reload, reloading is a full action instead of a free action, and shooting is a full action instead of a regular action. It takes an action to start cranking the deathspitter and an action to stop, you can only shoot while cranking. Because the deathspitter contains magnetite, if the user is wearing magnetic armor, if forces the deathspitter away like it was thrown, disarming the user. Additionally, this means that the gun repels the lancebolts that it shoots, meaning the user must make a DC 16 strength check to reload the deathspitter, on a fail, the belt of lancebolts flies out of their hand, a few feet away. If the user takes lightning damage, it supercharges the magnetite, giving them a +5 bonus to the percentile roll that they make, and upgrading their damage to 2 piercing damage per lancebolt, however, it also sticks a nearby random magnetic object to the deathspitter, giving it disadvantage on said percentile rolls. This effect ends after an amount of minutes equal to the amount of lightning damage they took. The magnetic item can be removed with a successful DC 16 strength check, if the user has a crowbar, the check is made with advantage, but if the crowbar is made of a magnetic material, it increases the DC of the strength check by 2. A critical fail (1 on a roll) will stick the crowbar to the deathspitter, if the user has a crowbar and it’s magnetic, of course.

• 500 gp of purified magnetite

Reflex Block

At level 2, you’ve learned to use your shield effectively on impulse. You can use a reaction to an enemy preparing to make an attack to gain +2 AC against that attack if it deals non magical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. This only works if you have a shield.

Mounted Shield

At level 3, you mount your shield onto your gunlance. This means that you can hold a shield even when your gunlance uses two hands.

Subclasses

At 3rd level, you chose a subclass. Choose between gunner, lancer, blocker, or battlemage, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 5th level and again at 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Aim and Fire

At 5th level, you’ve gained the ability to start aiming with your gunlance. You can now use a reaction to your turn starting to aim your aim your shot, giving you the ability to reroll a roll that regards how many lancebolts/boomshells hit your target(s), however, it is made with disadvantage, when the dice rolled, you can pick which roll you want to use, your original, or your secondary given to you by aiming. You can also now add your proficiency bonus to any rolls that regard how many lancebolts/boomshells hit your target(s).

Skewer

At level 7, you learn to skewer or hold your targets against your lance. Attacks against medium or smaller creatures that are mounted will knock them off their mount. Additionally, they will be incapacitated until the end of the player’s turn, where they fall prone. A certain amount of times per day, equal to the player’s proficiency bonus minus 1, you can do this on non-mounted creatures, or mounted creatures larger than medium, provide you succeed a strength check with a DC equal to the target’s CR.

Sighted Accuracy

At level 10, you apply a target-like metal piece on top of your gunlance, allowing you to aim better. Now, when aiming with Aim and Fire, you will no longer get disadvantage in your secondary accuracy roll.

Compensational Strike

At level 11, you’ve learned to quickly react to missing with a regular strike. As such, you can use a reaction to missing a ranged attack with a gunlance to use said gunlance’s melee attack. If the ranged attack has multiple projectiles being fired, only if less than 25% of projectiles hit the target will you be able to use this. At level 17, you can move before doing this attack.

Scoped Accuracy

At level 13, you apply a few lenses to your sights, magnifying your view when aiming. Now, when you aim when using Aim and Fire, you get double the normal range and triple the far range for your ranged attacks. Additionally, your secondary accuracy roll gets advantage, but only if the target‘s size is large or bigger.

Mystify Gunlance

At level 14, you get so used to casting spells through your lance that you learn to imbue said spells into your lance with ease. You now have proficiency in Intelligence (arcana) checks made used to enchant your gunlance. Additionally, you gain free spell charges for that enchantment on the gunlance equal to your proficiency modifier minus 1. Once per month, you can choose to automatically succeed Intelligence (arcana) checks made used to enchant your gunlance. However, until the month ends, you do not gain the free charges based off of your proficiency bonus, and attack rolls from spells cast by the enchantment are made with disadvantage, and enemies get advantage of saves that were made because of spell cast by the enchantment.

Shrug Damage

At level 17, you have grown so strong that you can simply shrug off any attack. As a reaction to taking damage, you can restore all hit points lost to the damage in the form of temporary hit points. You can only do this once per week and you must complete a long rest to do it again if you have already used it before.

Gunner

This subclass specializes in shooting lancebolts with the gunlance.

Gunsmith

At level 5, you start to experiment with different types of gunlances, and invent firearms, now, you get access to all firearms listed in the gunslinger subclass by Matt Mercer, and you gain proficiency with them. Bad News should been renamed to heavy rifle for lore reasons. You can draft and create new types of firearms.

Two Shot

At level 10, you can easily reload and fire. Now, you can use a bonus action to fire an additional shot with your gunlance. You can do this an amount of times per day equal to your proficiency modifier minus 1.

Headshots ‘n’ Bodyshots

At level 15, you become skilled with aiming at your targets. Whenever you make a ranged attack with your gunlance, you can choose to make a bodyshot, headshot, or just a regular shot. Headshots have disadvantage on attack rolls, but advantage on damage rolls. You can only do this if the target has a head or other similar weakpoint. Bodyshots have advantage on attack rolls, but disadvantage on damage rolls. You can only do this if the target has a body or other similar mass.

Red, Dead, and Filled with Lead

At level 20, you have become so good at shooting to kill you can do it in mere seconds. You can use a bonus action to pick a target, and roll percentile dice. You lose a percent of your weapon’s ammunition equal to your roll, and the target loses an amount of health equal to the roll as well. If the target’s CR is greater than 20, the roll is made with disadvantage, and if the target has legendary resistances, they can choose to reroll the percentile roll with one of said legendary resistances, and can pick between the original roll or the reroll(s), they can use multiple legendary resistances against this ability. You must do a long rest to regain this ability if it is used.

Lancer

This subclass specializes in stabbing and bashing and slashing with your lances.

Singlehanded

At level 5, you get used to holding certain weapons, that you can use them with one hand. Now, you can hold and use gunlances, lances, and blowguns with one hand.

Pierce Armor

At level 10, you get so good at attacking with your gunlance and/or lance, you can now take a bonus action to destroy one piece of armor that the target has, including shields. They still have the armor, but no longer gain AC from it. You cannot use this against natural armor. You can only use this an amount of times per day equal to your proficiency modifier, you can restore one use with a short rest, and restore all uses with a long rest.

Throw Lance

At level 15, you train hard enough to be able to throw your lance. Now, gunlances and lances gain the thrown property and have a normal range of 20 feet, and a long range of 60 feet.

Charge

At level 20, you become so enduring that you can charge at any enemy and stab them with your lance. You can use a full action to charge. When you charge, any targets of your choice that enter your melee range when you use a gunlance or lance are grappled by you, incapacitated, and take the damage that the melee attack with your gunlance or lance does, and they do not penalize your movement speed. You move at double your normal speed, and at the end of your turn, all effected creatures fall prone ten feet in front of you. You can only do this once a week, and must do a long rest to use it agin if you have already before.

Blocker

This subclass specializes in using shields and armor to defend yourself.

Shielded

At level 5, you learn to block in specialized ways. Now, you can gain +3 AC against the an attack if it is non magical and you have prepared for that type of damage. The types of damage you can prepare for are bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. You can prepare for an attack as a bonus action. You can do this at full strength 3 times per day, any more after that, and you only get a +1 bonus to AC.

Duck and Cover

At level 10, you have become an expert at ducking behind cover. Now, when you are behind cover, you get advantage on dexterity saving throws and enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls against you. When you are behind half cover, you get a +3 to AC and dexterity saving throws instead of the usual +2, and a +7 to AC and dexterity when you are behind three quarters cover instead of the usual +5. When you are behind full cover, you are take 3/4 the damage you would normally, and automatically succeed physical (str, con, and dex) saving throws.

Guard

At level 15, you grow powerful enough to stand your guard inevitably. You can now use a bonus action to guard, this will set your movement speed to 0, but you will bonus AC equal to your proficiency modifier. You can end this effect as a bonus action. At level 16, you cannot be knocked prone. At level 17, enemies will get disadvantage on attack rolls against at you. You can only guard for a total of 1 minute. The time that you can guard is reset every long rest, and restored by 6 seconds for every short rest, but you cannot exceed 1 minute prepared guard time with this.

Epic Defense

At level 20, you have learned the perfect technique to block against attacks. Now, arrows and other projectiles bounce of your armor, giving you immunity to non magical ranged attacks that deal piercing damage, and resistance against magical ranged attacks that deal piercing damage. Weapons barely make indents or incisions too giving you +3 AC against non magical melee attacks that deal slashing or bludgeoning damage, and +2 AC against magical melee attacks that deal slashing or bludgeoning damage. However, this puts a toll on your armor, and at the end of every battle where this feature comes into play, they must be repaired for free with a successful DC 8 smiths tools check, or repaired without tools for a cost of 5gp worth of materials, otherwise they will lose this feature.

Battlemage

This subclass specializes in using spells to a aid yourself in your endeavors of combat.

Conjure Gunlancer’s Resources

At level 5, you imbue your gunlance with conjuration magic that allows you to conjure a lancebolt as a cantrip, conjure a boomshell as a second level spell slot, conjure a handful of smokepowder as a second level spell slot, or conjure a gunlance as a third level spell slot. If you would like, you can conjure it in your gunlance preloaded. You can do this as a bonus action.

Mystical Gunlance

At level 10, the magic imbued within your gunlance makes it very powerful, now, melee attacks with your gunlance are considered magical. At 13th level, ranged attacks with your gunlance are considered magical.

Guide Missle

At level 15, your magical gunlance can channel it’s energy to have your projectiles hit their target. Now, as a bonus action, you can have all of the projectiles fired from your gunlance hit their target with a 100% chance. You can do this an amount of times per day equal to maximum spell level you can cast. For example, if you can cast third level spells, but not anything higher, you can use this three times a day, for second level spells, two times a day, first level is one time a day, fourth level for four times a day, and five times a day for fifth level spells. It does not expend a spell slot however.

Divine Favor

At level 20, you have gained the favor of Gond and Mystra, which aid you in your explosive weaponry. Gond has blessed you, as such, you automatically succeed alchemist’s supplies checks rolled to make smokepowder, additionally, it costs half as much a normal to make and half as much time as normal to make. Mystra has also blessed you, now, gunpowder when used in your hands will explode instead of burn, as Mystra will not absorb it’s energy.

Spell List

You know all of the spells on the basic gunlancer spell list.

Cantrips

Create bonfire

Fire bolt

Light

Guidance

Mage hand

Magic stone

Mending

Prestidigitation

Thunderclap

Booming blade

1st Level

Absorb elements

Catapult

Expeditious retreat

Faerie Fire

Identify

2nd Level

Continual flame

Heat metal

Magic weapon

Pyrotechnics

3rd Level

Elemental weapon

Flame arrows

Tiny servant

Fireball

4th Level

Elemental bane

Fabricate

Stoneskin

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the gunlancer class, you must meet these prerequisites: Proficiency in blowguns.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the gunlancer class, you gain the following proficiencies: Shields and lances.

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