Cover Art: Vampire Sniper by Laurent Pierlot
The Visionary Gunsmith
A Visionary Gunsmith uses their creative mind to design their own shooters. To them, combat is a testing ground and an opportunity to show off their deadly toys. When they are not in battle, they can often be found tinkering at a workbench or polishing their crossbow. They can be ready for anything, given they have a little inspiration and a loaded gun.
Personalized Prototype
When you choose this Fighter archetype at 3rd level, you learn to create your very own prototype with enhancements and upgrades.
Prototype: You can customize any ranged weapon that doesn't have the Thrown property with enhancements and upgrades. You can only have one prototype at a time until 18th level, when you can have an unlimited amount. If customize another weapon, your last prototype breaks. You must spend 10 minutes performing maintenance on a prototype once every 24 hours for it to remain functional.
Enhancements: You can attach a maximum of two enhancements of your choice to your prototype, given you have the prerequisite materials, which attach to your prototype. These materials are reusable unless expended or destroyed. You can add one more enhancement at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. You can add, remove, and swap enhancements at the end of a long rest.
Upgrades: You can upgrade a maximum of one enhancement of your choice on your prototype. You can upgrade one more at 10th and 15th level. You can add, remove, and swap upgrades at the end of a long rest.
Ranged Artisan
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in your choice of Smith's tools or Tinker's tools.
Advanced Research
At 7th level, you have done research to adopt more peculiar ideas for your prototype designs and combat style. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice from Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion, and you also learn the Mending cantrip.
Curving Shot
At 7th level, you learn how to modify your errant projectiles to direct toward a new target. When you make an attack roll with a round of ammunition from your prototype and miss, you can use a bonus action to reroll the attack roll against a different target within 60 feet of the original target.
Gunsmith's Hands
Starting at 15th level, you can add, remove, and swap out enhancements and upgrades at the end of a short rest.
Enhancements & Upgrades
Bayonet
Prerequisite: Any light melee weapon
When you take the attack action with your prototype, you can use an attack or bonus action to make a melee weapon attack with your attached melee weapon.
Upgrade: Your attached melee weapon gains the Reach property.
Bipod
Prerequisite: 2 Pitons
You are not imposed disadvantage on ranged weapon attacks with your prototype for lying prone.
Upgrade: You have gain a +2 bonus to ranged weapon attacks with your prototype while lying prone.
Breach Tool
Prerequisite: Portable ram (prototype must be two-handed)
When you take the attack action with your prototype, you can forgo an attack to blast a hole with a diameter of 1d4 feet through 1 foot of any nonmagical wooden surface within range.
Upgrade: You can blast a hole with a diameter of 1d4 feet through 1 foot of any nonmagical stone surface within range.
Crane Mechanism
Prerequisite: Arcane Focus, Block and tackle, and proficiency in Arcana (prototype must be two-handed)
You can use your prototype to magically grasp an object not being worn or carried within 5 feet. It can lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object that weighs a number of pounds equal to four times the weight you can normally lift. You can use this object as cover.
The only attack action you can take when doing this is with the object you're grasping, which is treated as an improvised weapon.
Upgrade: When grappling a medium or smaller target within 5 feet, you can use your prototype's crane mechanism to hold them, allowing you to move at your normal speed.
Elemental Ammunition
Prerequisite: Holy symbol and proficiency in Religion
Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder, or your prototype's base damage type. When reloading your prototype, you can magically determine which type of damage your prototype deals.
The damage is magical and overcomes resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks.
Upgrade: You can add necrotic or radiant damage to the list of options.
Extended Barrel
Prerequisite: 10-foot Pole (length is reduced for attachment)
The range of your prototype is doubled.
Upgrade: The range of your prototype is increased further by 300 feet.
Art: Dwarven Crossbows by Bavakian Chronicles Wiki
Flare Cannon
Prerequisite: Up to 10 Oil flasks
You can use an action with your prototype to fire a flare up to a part of the sky that you can see, expending an oil flask. This produces a bright light that can be seen in clear skies by any creature up to 3 miles away for 30 seconds.
Additionally, you can make a ranged weapon attack with a flare using your prototype range and proficiency to deal 1d8 fire damage. A flammable object hit by a flare ignites if it isn't being worn or carried.
Upgrade: When you fire your flare up to a part of the sky that you can see, you can cause a symbol or up to ten words to form. The words appear to be made of fire and remain in place for 30 seconds. Additionally, your flare damage is increased to 1d10.
Grapnel Gun
Prerequisite: Climber's Kit, Grappling hook, and Rope, hempen or silk (50 feet)
You can use an action or reaction when falling while holding your prototype to fire a grappling hook with attached rope to any point within 50 feet.
Upgrade: When your grappling hook is attached to a point within 50 feet vertically above you and your prototype, you can use a bonus action to hoist up towards it or rappel down from it without spending any movement.
Illumination Device
Prerequisite: Any item that can cast light
You can use your attached item to cast light from your prototype.
Additionally, you can use an action to cause one creature within 10 feet of you to be blinded until the end of your turn.
Upgrade: The light from your illumination device allows you to see through both fog and darkness.
Additionally, when you take the attack action with your prototype, you can forgo an attack to cause one creature within 10 feet of you to be blinded until the end of your turn.
Illusory Muzzle
Prerequisite: Musical Instrument
When you make a ranged weapon attack with your prototype, it can magically produce a sound of your choice, replacing the sound your prototype normally makes. Its volume can range from a whisper to a gunshot.
Upgrade: Your prototype can create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect of your choice, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of smoke, or an odd odor.
Junk Launcher
Prerequisite: Any container (prototype must be two-handed)
Using your prototype, you can make a ranged weapon attack with an adventuring gear intended for ranged attacks, such as an acid vial or an oil flask, using your prototype range and proficiency.
Additionally, when you take the attack action with your prototype, you can forgo an attack to fire an adventuring gear that causes an area effect, such as a bag of caltrops or a stick of dynamite, at a point within your prototype's normal range.
Upgrade: Using your prototype, you can make a ranged weapon attack with any improvised weapon for 1d10 damage using your prototype range and proficiency.
Lasso Shot
Prerequisite: 5 Chains (10 feet) or 1 Rope, hempen or silk (50 feet) (prototype must be two-handed)
You can use an action to fire a lasso from your prototype at a target within 20 feet and attempt a grapple. You can only have one lasso fired at a time.
Upgrade: When a target is successfully grappled by your lasso, you can choose to have them restrained.
Medicine Mode
Prerequisite: Healer's Kit
When you take the attack action with your prototype, you can forgo an attack to stabilize a creature within your prototype's normal range, expending a use of your attached healer's kit.
Upgrade: Expending a use of your attached healer's kit causes the targeted creature to regain 1d8 hit points.
Rocket Pack
Prerequisite: Keg of Gunpowder and any light armor
Your rocket pack is attached to your light armor and links with your prototype.
When wearing your rocket pack, you can use a bonus action to ignite your rocket pack. Doing so allows you to fly up to 15 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
If you take 10 fire damage in one round while wearing your rocket pack, the gunpowder keg explodes and the rocket pack breaks.
Upgrade: When wearing your rocket pack, you have a flying speed of 30 feet. This benefit only works in small bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.
Shield Attachment
Prerequisite: Shield (prototype must be two-handed)
You gain a +1 bonus to AC while holding your prototype.
Upgrade: You gain a bonus to AC equal to the shield's full bonus while holding your prototype.
Spectacled Sights
Prerequisite: Spyglass
When you take the attack action with your prototype, you can forgo an attack to aim down the sights with your prototype at a target within range. You gain a +2 bonus on your next attack roll against the target.
Upgrade: You can use a bonus action to aim down the sights with your prototype.
Spy Design
Prerequisite: Any item of similar shape to your prototype
When not being used in combat, your prototype looks like another item, such as a mandolin or a fishing tackle.
Upgrade: You can deal an extra 2d6 damage to any creature that is unaware of your prototype's true nature.
Tactical Preparation
Prerequisite: Proficiency in History
You learn one maneuver of your choice from the Battle Master archetype, and you modify your prototype to perform it optimally. If the maneuver requires a saving throw, the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
While holding your prototype, you gain one superiority die (if you don't already have superiority dice, it is a d6). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. It is expended when you use it, and is regained only when you finish a short or long rest.
Your maneuvers and superiority dice are lost if you remove this enhancement or swap it out for another.
Upgrade: You learn one more maneuver and gain one more superiority die.
Underwater Adaptation
Prerequisite: Waterskin
Your prototype is fully functional underwater.
Upgrade: While holding your prototype, you gain a swimming speed of 30 feet.
Wind Powered Blast
Prerequisite: Druidic Focus and proficiency in Nature
You can use an action to make a ranged weapon attack against each creature in a 15-foot cone originating from your prototype. On a hit, you can magically pull them towards you or push them away by 5 feet.
The damage is magical and overcomes resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks.
Upgrade: On a hit, you can magically pull targets toward you or push them away by up to 15 feet.
Gunslinger's Arsenal (optional)
At 3rd level, instead of using the rules for crafting found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, you can spend 48 hours over a period of 6 days or fewer crafting your own gun from the Gunslinger's Arsenal. Doing so requires materials worth the cost listed on the Gunslinger's Arsenal table.
Gunslinger's Arsenal Properties
These firearms are volatile, and as such bring their own unique set of weapon properties. Some properties are followed by a number, and this number signifies an element of that property (outlined below). These properties replace the optional ones presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Reload. The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score before you must forgo an attack or spend an action to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm.
Misfire. When you make an attack roll with a gun from the arsenal and the d20 roll is equal to or lower than the weapon’s Misfire score, the weapon misfires. The attack misses, and the weapon cannot be used again until you spend an action to try and repair it. To repair your firearm, you must make a successful Smith's Tools or Tinker’s Tools check (DC equal to 8 + misfire score). If the check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended out of combat, which requires
a quarter of its cost in materials. Creatures that use a firearm without proficiency increase the weapon’s misfire score by 1.
Explosive. Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or suffer 1d8 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so.
Ammunition
Ammunition for guns from the arsenal may be near impossible to find or purchase. However, if materials are gathered, you can craft ammunition yourself using your Smith's Tools or Tinker’s Tools at half the cost. Each gun uses its own unique ammunition and can be crafted in batches listed next to the cost on the Gunslinger's Arsenal table.
Gunslinger's Arsenal
| Name | Cost | Ammo | Damage | Weight | Range | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Pistol | 50 gp | 2 gp (20) | 1d8 piercing | 1 lbs | (40/160) | Light, reload 1, misfire 1 |
| Pistol | 150 gp | 4 gp (20) | 1d10 piercing | 3 lbs | (60/240) | reload 4, misfire 1 |
| Musket | 300 gp | 5 gp (20) | 1d12 piercing | 10 lbs | (120/480) | Two-handed, reload 1, misfire 2 |
| Pepperbox | 250 gp | 4 gp (20) | 1d10 piercing | 5 lbs | (80/320) | reload 6, misfire 2 |
| Blunderbuss | 300 gp | 5 gp (5) | 2d8 piercing | 10 lbs | (15/60) | reload 1, misfire 2 |
| Bad News | 800 gp | 10 gp (5) | 2d12 piercing | 25 lbs | (200/800) | Two-handed, reload 1, misfire 3 |
| Hand Mortar | 800 gp | 10 gp (1) | 2d8 fire | 10 lbs | (30/60) | reload 1, misfire 3, explosive |
| Big Iron | 1600 gp | 100 gp (1) | 21d6 piercing | 100 lbs | (40/120) | reload 6, misfire 19 |
Art: Percy's Workshop by u/LucasFreyre
Quick Customization
There are more than 11.5 million possible prototypes you can build, but you can customize one quickly by following these suggestions. First, choose a weapon based on your campaign setting. Ask your DM about what is and isn't allowed. Second, roll on the Prototype Enhancements table a number of times equal to your maximum number of enhancements to determine which ones you add. Reroll if there is a repeat or if you don't have the prerequisite materials. Third, to determine which enhancement(s) you upgrade, refer to the ones you've added and roll based on your level:
Levels 3-6: Roll a d4, assigning each enhancement to a pair of numbers.
Levels 7-9: Roll a d6, assigning each enhancement to a pair numbers.
Levels 10-14: Roll a d8, and then a d6, assigning each enhancement to a pair of numbers for each roll.
Levels 15-20: Roll a d10, a d8, and then a d6, assigning each enhancement to a pair of numbers for each roll.
Prototype Enhancements
| d20 | Enhancement | Prerequisite Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayonet | Any light melee weapon |
| 2 | Bipod | 2 Pitons |
| 3 | Breach Tool | Portable ram (two-handed prototype) |
| 4 | Crane Mechanism | Arcane Focus, Block and tackle, and Arcana proficiency (two-handed prototype) |
| 5 | Elemental Ammunition | Holy symbol and Religion proficiency |
| 6 | Extended Barrel | 10-foot Pole (length is reduced for attachment) |
| 7 | Flare Cannon | Up to 10 Oil flasks |
| 8 | Grapnel Gun | Climber's Kit, Grappling hook, and Rope, hempen or silk (50 feet) |
| 9 | Illumination Device | Any item that can cast or shed light |
| 10 | Illusory Muzzle | Musical Instrument |
| 11 | Junk Launcher | Any container (two-handed prototype) |
| 12 | Lasso Shot | 5 Chains (10 feet) or 1 Rope, hempen or silk (50 feet) (two-handed prototype) |
| 13 | Medicine Mode | Healer's Kit |
| 14 | Rocket Pack | Keg of Gunpowder and any light armor |
| 15 | Shield Attachment | Shield (two-handed prototype) |
| 16 | Spectacled Sights | Spyglass |
| 17 | Spy Design | Any item of similar shape to your prototype |
| 18 | Tactical Preparation | History proficiency |
| 19 | Underwater Adaptation | Waterskin |
| 20 | Wind Powered Blast | Druidic Focus and Nature proficiency |
Credits
Art Credits Note
As a commitment of respect and virtue, I have included each artist's name and artwork title in distinguishable bold text on their respective page. This is done to recognize the artists’ hard work and encourage all interested viewers to look into them further. Any art without this credit is public domain (CC0). If you are an artist and wish to have your piece removed from this product, please contact cici.imagineer@gmail.com.
Legal Note
The Visionary Gunsmith is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Acknowledgements
My friends and significant other for their enthusiasm and support
The redditors who commented terrific feedback
The creators of Batman: Arkham City, Dredd, Fallout 3, Ghostbusters, Princess Mononoke, Rainbow Six Siege, and The Rocketeer for inspiring certain enhancements
Matthew Mercer for the Gunslinger's arsenal