HERALDS CAMPAIGN
Pact Weaponry and Firearms
Pacts present in a wide variety of styles; some are ad-hoc weapons, created from old schematics or rusted ancient components; some are complete pieces, preserved in hidden reliquaries throughout Noth, or studied by Antiquitists in research teams. Even more rarely, some are the Legendary weapons of Heralds themselves, a fusion of religious and technological design unparalleled.
Compact Trajectiles, or 'Pacts' are the firearms of Noth; most invented and perfected in dealing death during the Atheist Wars some 200 years ago. After the Declension and the rise of Scions, commonly manufactured Pacts proved to be ineffective against this new threat. Coupled with the destruction of technology during Script Obsoli, and the rise of the authoritarian Tributionary Body, Pact factories were shut down, and weapons were mandated to be handed in for destruction.
Pacts are otherwise considered 'extinct' in design and implementation in modern Enaeth; most commonly found in collections or museums. With the onset of the Herald Crisis in Enaeth, and an increase of wayfarers traveling from lawless Arath, Pacts have slowly begun to reappear in trader caravans, Anitiquitist recoveries, and Modular Factoriums, each shortsighted in their acquisition of such devices, but all naive to the impact of these weapons' return to civilization.
Pacts are the ranged firearms of Noth, replacing rules for firearms in D&D 2025. They all require an action to use in combat, and consume ammunition in the form of charges. Once a Pact has run out of charges, it can not be used until reloaded. Each Pact has at least one property, a unique ability to the weapon that defines its role, in, and sometimes out of combat.
They are divided into three categories Light, Heavy and Special.
Light Pacts have a Dexterity requirement, generally have more ammunition, but have less range and deal less damage overall.
Heavy Pacts have a Strength requirement, longer range and greater damage, but only one or two uses.
Special Pacts have a Intelligence requirement, and generally more unique properties than their counterparts.
Below is a list of properties a Pact may have:
A weapon that has the burst fire property can make a normal single-target attack, or it can spray pactfire in an x-foot-cube area within normal range. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC x Dexterity saving throw or take the weapon’s normal damage. This action uses all charges of the weapon.
When you hit with this weapon, you deal additional damage equal to 20 minus the target’s AC or 3, whichever is higher (i.e. a target's AC of 14 will deal an additional 6 points of damage).
When you hit with this weapon, other creatures within 5 ft. of the target make a DC x Constitution saving throw, taking half weapon damage on failed save, and nothing on success.
This trajectile is fired in a straight line x ft. long and 5 ft. wide. Creatures in this line must make a DC x Dexterity saving throw, taking xdx damage on a failed save.
A weapon with this property fires grenades and bombs as ammunition, used from the wielder's inventory. Projectiles fired by this weapon have double the distance. Creatures affected by projectiles shot by this weapon make saving throws equal to the wielder's dexterity and their proficiency bonus.
Does not require proficiency in firearms.
A weapon that has the Recoilless Propelled Explosive property can make a normal single target attack, or it can launch x propelled explosives across the battlefield in x 10 ft. spheres within normal range. Each creature in these areas must make a DC x Strength saving throw or take normal weapon damage, and half as much on a success. This action uses all charges of the Pact.
When you hit with this weapon:
- If you are 5 ft away, deal the double the damage of the weapon, and the target is knocked prone on a failed DC x Strength saving throw.
- If you are 10 ft away, deal the weapon damage plus half.
You give yourself advantage on your next ranged attack roll on the current turn. You can use this bonus action only if you haven’t moved during this turn, and after you use the bonus action, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn.
This weapon fires a rope x ft. long with a hook on the end. Creatures hit by this weapon must make a DC x Strength saving throw or become Restrained. As an action, the rope can be retracted, pulling a Restrained target towards the weapon, or the wielder towards a target or object on a DC 13 Acrobatics check.
The rope has an AC of 20 and 20 HP, and it can be destroyed by a DC 20 Strength check.
Does not require proficiency in firearms.
When you hit with this weapon, all creatures within a 10 ft. cube centered on the target make a DC x Intelligence saving throw, becoming deafened and silenced on a failed save.
After you hit a creature with this weapon, your next attack with this weapon against the same target deals an accumlative x weapon damage.
While carrying a weapon with this property, you always have the telekinesis spell prepared, and you can cast it without expending a spell slot, consuming a charge of the weapon instead.
Ammunition in Pacts is tracked by charges, which are replenished by a reload action. If a Pact has no charges, it cannot be used.
Most Pacts have between 1 - 6 charges, requiring specific ammunition. Ammunition in Noth is extremely rare; with no form of mass production, most is reversed engineered from existing ammunition. Typically ammunition will need to be crafted, each Pact having an ammunition requirement in addition to its other requirements. Below are the most common forms of ammunition and their crafting requirements:
Condensed Capsule - Uncommon Technical/Mineral Material Cost = 1 Capsule
Condensed Capsules are usually used in single fire Pacts, designed to detonate and puncture through multiple targets and heavy armor. A Pact that uses this ammunition will typically have the Linear Supersonic Round or Recoilless Propelled Explosive properties.
Elemental Canister - Rare Technical/Mineral Material Cost = 1 Canister
Elemental Canisters are much rarer than their ammunition counterparts, requiring a range of materials to manufacture. A Pact that has the Elemental Cone property will always use this ammunition.
Filament Cartridge - Uncommon Mineral Material Cost = 2 Cartridges
Filament Cartridges are blocks of alloy fed into the Pact, which is then shaved off by the weapon's internals and fired fragmented at targets, peppering them with bone-like shards at high speeds. A Pact that has the Burst Fire property will always use this ammunition.
Monolithic Round - Common Mineral Material Cost = 1 Round
Monolithic rounds are a dense single metal round, designed to pierce through a single target at high velocity, and were the most diverse and commonly produced ammunition during the Atheist War. Many Pacts uses this ammunition by default.
Some Pacts will require unique ammunition, crafted ad hoc by player and DM.
Because of their rarity and unique nature, an inexperienced wielder using a Pact is considered a highly dangerous affair.
To use a Pact safely, a wielder requires the following:
- Proficiency in Firearms
- An Dexterity of 16 to use Light Pacts, and one hand available.
- An Strength of 16 to use Heavy Pacts, two hands available or a second wielder.
- An Intelligence of 16 to use Special Pacts, and one or two hands available.
Any character can use a Pact without meeting the requirements; however, this comes at increased risk to the wielder. Any action to fire or reload the Pact by a wielder who lacks proficiency, must make a saving throw of 16 with the weapon's required attribute. On a failure, they roll on the following misfire table:
D20 | Misfire |
1 - 5 | The Pact Jams. It can't be fired again until you take one action to unjam it. |
6 - 10 | Misfire. Your attack misses. |
11 - 15 | Loss of Control. The Pact fires repeatedly with a single pull of the trigger. It fires 1d4 times and consumes that many charges, or however many charges remain at x random targets within range. |
16 - 19 | Critical Malfunction. The Pact breaks, through misfire, jam or other damage, and must be repaired outside of combat. |
20 | Catastrophic failure. The Pact explodes and is destroyed. Creatures within 10 ft. of the Pact make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking the weapon's damage on a fail or half that on a success. |