Firearms, otherwise known as smokepowder weapons,[2]gunpowder weapons,[3]gonnes,[4] or gunnes (a corruption of Gond),[5] were an advanced and exotic form of ranged piercing weaponry[1] that were great at piercing through most armors.[6]
Firearms all utilized the same basic method of operation,[1] requiring a high degree of hand-eye coordination to use them effectively.[7] They fired front-loaded projectiles[8] known as bullets.[9][10][11]
The bullets of firearms were, much like sling bullets, small ball-shaped projectiles typically made of bronze, iron, lead, or steel.[1][9][11] Several magical types were known to exist, but they were quite rare.[11]
Firearms required an explosive powder charge to propel their bullets,[8][12] typically 1 oz (28 g).[13][14][15] Depending upon the world, this was typically either smoke powder or gunpowder.[12] Without these powders they were useless and the more common these powders were, the more prevalent firearms were.[16][17] This uselessness could be circumvented by incorporating melee weapons in a firearm's design, such as axes, short swords, hammers,[1][18]daggers, or maces.[18]
When the projectiles of these weapons were shot out they created a loud noise and cloud of thick smoke.[1]
The noise produced was loud regardless of substance, though smokepowder tended to produce a lower pitch, sounding more like a loud thump instead of a sharp "crack".[19]
Typically firearms could only be fired once before needing to be reloaded, unless they had multiple barrels.[8][13] Loading could be a cumbersome process, requiring a fair amount of concentration.[8]
Malfunction[]
Firearms had the potential to "misfire"[1][6][20] every time they were shot,[21] especially in worlds where the weapons were in their infancy.[20] At its most severe this resulted in an explosion that could destroy the weapon and thus injure their operator.[1][20][21] Otherwise, a firing mechanism might break or have something preventing it from firing.[20]
Moisture or the wrong amount of the chosen powder could also prevent a firearm from firing, requiring it to be reloaded.[20] The former was due to the fact that gunpowder[15] and smokepowder were both rendered unusable after exposure to water.[14]
Otherwise known as hand cannons, were relatively primitive firearms manufactured by cultures just starting to develop firearms.[3] They were one of the first firearms in the Realms, which many others developed from.[23]
The largest of the smokepowder weapons.[23] Rare in wildspace due to often being impractical compared to ballistas or catapults. They shot either large, round stones or cast iron "cannonballs".[24] They could also be found be very rarely found used on ships on Toril.[23] On both Toril and across the Known Spheres these weapons were considered to be quite rare, expensive, and dangerous to use.[25][26]
An incredibly rare type of firearms that came in the form of either a rifle or a pistol. Unlike other firearms, these weapons required neither bullets nor powder, being powered by something called an energy cell.[10][note 1]
A type of battlefield artillery consisting of a series of small gun barrels.
Availability[]
Firearms could be found in Realmspace, both on Toril proper[23][27] and on the Rock of Bral,[28] but they only used smokepowder.[27] One particular establishment on Toril where one could purchase firearms was The Brigadier's Broadside in Skullport.[1]
Cerilia had firearms to a limited degree, as for much of its history gunpowder and smokepowder were nonexistent.[5] This world primarily used its own unique magical substance, known as hellpowder, and even had bombards that utilized it.[29]
Earth had an abundant amount of firearms,[10] many of which notably could fire multiple shots before needing to be reloaded.[31]
Mystara had firearms in the Savage Coast, a region in the far western portion of the planet.[20]
Oerth was largely absent of firearms, due to local physics and magic rendering inert the substances gunpowder[5] and smokepowder.[5][32] Firearms on this world were only found in use by the clerics of the Oerthian god of science, Murlynd, as their divine magic allowed them to make smokepowder function.[32]
Krynn had some primitive firearms, which were the work of tinker gnomes. Though no one on that world ever dared to enchant them, with tinker gnomes themselves regarding such a thing as "cheating."[20]
Beyond the planets themselves, all manner of firearms could be be found in the wildspace of many crystal spheres,[20] many of them being made or sold by dwarves from the Smiths' Coster trading company.[33]
Beyond the Prime Material plane, firearms could be found in the Domains of Dread. There their commonality varied depending upon the domain, making them not exactly a common sight, but wherever they went firearms were seen as the height of technical warfare.[7]
History[]
Firearms were spread across the Known Spheres over time by mass migrations of tinker gnomes, by spacefaring humans,[20] and by the Smiths' Coster.[20][34] In many cases these spacefaring people were responsible for bringing firearms to worlds,[20] such as the Smiths' Coster, a mercantile company that commonly traded with groundling nations.[34]
During the Second Unhuman War, humanoid armies and scro-led spelljammer navies sometimes carried firearms, though these were usually used only by elite or command units. When they were defeated in the war and forced to scatter, so too did their weaponry become scattered throughout wildspace.[20]
In the wake of that war, the Smiths' Coster redoubled their efforts in spreading the use of firearms, leading them to make contact with the Lantanna, Waterdhavians, and other areas of Toril.[20]
History on Toril[]
On Toril, firearms had never been extensively (or even adequately) researched and developed prior to the 14th century DR, save for a few eccentric wizards. None of the major nations or organizations on the planet invested the time or money into producing firearms on a large scale.[35] Not even the ancient Netherese empire had the most basic of firearms, the arquebus.[36]
In 1246 DR, the first recorded use of bombards by the island nation of Lantan occurred.[37][38] These bombards utilized gunpowder, as the deity Gond had yet to render the substance inert[39] out of concern for his worshipers' safety.[40]
Everything changed during the Time of Troubles, when Gond in his mortal avatar form washed up on the shore of Lantan. In return for the people there sheltering him, in 1358 DR[41] he revealed to the Lantanna how to make reasonably safe and accurate firearms that utilized smokepowder, such as the arquebus and its variations.[23] From that year onwards, the Lantanna priests of Gond (mainly the specialty priests, known as Gondsmen) would work to spread the use of firearms, shipping them to Western ports.[23][41]
In the first three years that followed, arquebuses were introduced to the wider Realms. During these years they were viewed primarily as curios. Some tried to produce their own firearms, but they were inferior to those made by the Lantanna.[23] The Realms also experienced a slow influx of arquebuses overtime from spelljamming sources.[42]
From the third to fifth year of their existence, arquebuses and their variants became more common. Well-stocked weapon shops began to carry them, those who wielded them were no longer looked at strangely, and their price dropped significantly. From the fifth year onwards it was possible to find firearms in large stores.[23]
Felogyr Sonshal slowly became a major reseller for Lantan, distributing their firearms across the Sword Coast. But he carefully controlled his stock, ensuring that merchant families and thieves' guilds could not amass large amounts.[43]
By 1372 DR, firearms were available throughout Faerûn.[27] Around that time many of Gond's clerics supported themselves financially by selling ammunition for smokepowder weapons.[44] Many rulers at this time viewed the Church of Gond with ire for having introduced firearms to the continent, seeing the weapons as a threat to their authority.[45]
Around this time, following the Lantanna pirate Gimlet Watersprecht's creation of a portal between Lantan and the Pirate Isles, there was a frightening rise in the number of smokepower and smokepowder weapons among pirates in the Inner Sea. This posed a great concern to the kingdom of Cormyr's then-princess and regent, Alusair Obarskyr.[46]
In the late-15th century DR, following the Second Sundering returning it from the parallel-world of Abeir, the island nation of Lantan became more secretive. From the occasional glimpses that outsiders got of the Lantanna, they got the impression that their technology had become more advanced in the time since their absence. This in turn lead some to speculate about what developments the Lantanna may have made in regards to smokepowder weapons.[47]
Adelphus Krunz, a legendary gunsmith on the Rock of Bral that made and sold bombards at his shop.[49]
Morweg, a weaponsmith on the Rock of Bral that was specialized in gunsmithing. He offered a wide range of firearms at his shop.[50]
Races & Sentient Creatures[]
Spacefaring humans were frequently known to use firearms and for improving upon their design,[20]
Rock gnomes played a large part in the development of firearms in Faerûn and were acknowledged by many as being masters in their use. They were also known to be outstanding gunsmiths,[51] the finest in all of Faerûn.[52]
Approximately a quarter of any scro fighting force were likely to be armed with arquebuses,[53] while wealthy scro often owned and fought with starwheels.[54]
Firearms were quite prevalent on the island nation of Lantan.[27] Any Lantanna that left their home nation were likely to carry a pistol and powderhorn with them.[55]
Terminology[]
Those who specialized in the use of firearms were often referred to as marksmen,[56] sharpshooters,[56][57] or pistoleers.[7]
Gunsmithing was the term used for those who manufactured and repaired firearms.[58] Such people were skilled in the same disciplines as armorers and blacksmiths,[59] as well as some expertise in alchemy.[13][27]
Appendix[]
Background[]
In 2017, Ed Greenwood stated in a tweet that originally executives at TSR, Inc. didn't want firearms in the Forgotten Realms setting, thus gunpowder was rendered inert. He also stated that Jeff Grubb later conceived of smokepowder, specifically for use with the giff.[60]
Notes[]
↑Laser weaponry is documented here because of its appearance in a crashed nautiloid in the adventure Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. It is unknown where laser weaponry originates from or how common they are in wildspace in the 15th century DR. So taking the previously established prevalence of smokepowder into consideration, these weapons have been classified as "incredibly rare."
