Glimmermark Firearm Rules: Damage, Reloading and Dungeon Risks

Glimmermark’s firearms trade repeated attacks for a forceful opening shot. Their armor penetration and damage can make a gun matter when it fires, but a slow reload leaves its wielder waiting through several combat rounds before shooting again. That balance gives firearms a clear place in sieges and defense while making them a less dependable choice for adventuring, especially in confined spaces where every turn may bring a new threat.

What the weapons cost and deal

The listed options are the pistol, hand gun and arquebus. A pistol deals 1d6 damage and costs 350dr; the hand gun deals 2d4 damage for 200dr; and the arquebus deals 1d10 damage for 400dr. The table makes the arquebus the most expensive choice, with the highest listed damage die. The hand gun costs less than either of the other weapons and deals 2d4, while the pistol sits between them in price and uses a single d6.

Those damage expressions give the weapons different profiles, but the source doesn’t provide further distinctions in handling, range or availability. The figures alone therefore don’t settle which gun is the better pick in every situation. A player weighing the options has to consider the price and damage alongside the shared costs of carrying ammunition, keeping a match ready and spending time reloading.

Lead bullets are sold in groups of ten for 10dr, with damage listed as “acc. To wpn.” That notation ties a bullet’s effect to the weapon using it rather than assigning the ammunition its own damage value. A powder horn also costs 10dr. The listing gives no additional quantity or usage rate for powder, so the stated price is the clearest point of comparison. Together, these supplies make ammunition and powder part of the equipment decision, rather than an afterthought to buying the firearm.

Armor penetration is the main edge

Firearms ignore two points of AC. The rule’s example says an AC of 0/+10 is treated as 2/+8 against a firearm. In play, that makes a gun’s attack more effective against armor than its damage dice alone might suggest. The benefit applies at the moment of the attack; it doesn’t make the weapon faster to reload or remove the risks of using it.

That distinction matters when comparing a firearm with another weapon. A gun can punch through some of an opponent’s protection, but its user has to make the shot count because another one won’t be ready immediately. The rule supports a deliberate choice: bring a firearm for the moment when a penetrating hit is especially valuable, and accept that it may not provide a steady stream of attacks afterward.

Reloading sets the pace

Combat rounds last 10 seconds, and even a skilled arquebusier can shoot only once every three rounds. That timing assumes the long match is already burning. The intervening rounds are spent reloading, so the weapon’s practical rhythm is one shot followed by a substantial pause before the next shot.

For an adventurer, that interval changes how the gun fits into a fight. The first shot can deliver the firearm’s damage and armor penetration, but the wielder then has to manage the reload while the encounter continues. The source gives no special rule for shortening that process, so the stated pace is the useful expectation for planning a turn. A player considering an arquebus should think about what they’ll do during those rounds, rather than treating each shot as though it were immediately repeatable.

The rules specify the arquebusier’s firing pace. They don’t state whether the pistol and hand gun reload at the same rate, so that detail remains open in this excerpt. The distinction is worth settling at the table before a firearm is chosen on the assumption that a smaller gun is quicker to ready. What the rules do establish is the overall tradeoff: these weapons can hit hard, but reloading limits how often that force can be brought to bear.

The match and misfires bring real costs

The long match needs time to start. It can then be carried while burning for a while, with the duration described by comparison to a torch. That gives the wielder a practical choice before a fight: prepare the match and accept its drawback, or face the delay of getting it started when a shot is needed. A burning match also produces a distinct smell, imposing a -1 penalty on surprise.

That penalty makes readiness a question of approach as well as timing. Carrying a lit match may make a firearm available sooner, but the smell can work against a group trying to catch an enemy unaware. The source doesn’t specify how long the match burns, so its exact window of use depends on the table’s interpretation. The torch comparison communicates the intent: it can stay alight for a period, but it isn’t an indefinite resource.

A natural 1 on a firearm attack causes a gunpowder explosion. The wielder must save vs. death or take 1d4 damage. That consequence adds a sharp risk to the firearm’s other limitations: the shot can fail in a way that harms its user, not merely miss its target. The excerpt doesn’t provide further outcomes for a misfire, so the stated result is the one to plan around.

A weapon for chosen moments

These rules keep firearms present in Glimmermark without making them an easy default for every expedition. Their strongest case is a situation where a penetrating, high-damage shot is worth the wait and the preparation. Their weaker case is a drawn-out encounter that demands frequent attacks, quiet movement or readiness without warning.

For players, the practical choice is to weigh the firearm’s opening shot against its reload, ammunition, match and misfire costs. For a game master, those same rules make firearms feel distinct through the decisions they create, without needing to make them common or constantly available. Their place in the setting remains narrow for a reason: the guns have a punch, but using one asks the wielder to plan around everything that follows the shot.