Cannons and Rockets - siege weapons for D&D5E

  The main types of cannons used in the Northern Empire and beyond

 

 

Cannon

Large object
Armor Class: 19
Hit Points: 75
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic

Nicknamed "wall-breaker", it has medium range but shoots a heavy projectile with great impact. Weights 3.3 tons; bore is 195mm; about 3.5 meters long; the ball weighs 18 kilos. Even under wheels, moving it requires a Strentgh check with DC 15. Before being fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it.

Cannon Ball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 (or the result of proficiency plus dexterity), range 900/4,500 ft. , one target. Hit: 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage.

 

Culverin

Large object
Armor Class: 19
Hit Points: 60
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic

The name means "snake", due to the long and slender barrel. This plus a lighter projectile makes it so this cannon has greater range and less impact. Weights 2.5 tons; bore is 145mm; about 4.7 meters long; the ball weighs 9 kilos. Even under wheels, moving it requires a Strentgh check with DC 15. Before being fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it.

 

Cannon Ball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 (or the result of proficiency plus dexterity), range 2,100/9000 ft. , one target. Hit: 33 (6d10) bludgeoning damage.

 

Swivel Gun

Large object
Armor Class: 19
Hit Points: 30
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic

A small antipersonnel cannon used in ships, fortresses and as air defense inside bartizans. Khejali troops mount similar weapons over elephants, camels and qapukulus. It usually stands over a swiveling stand or fork to allow for one person to move it in the desired direction. Weights 100 kilos; bore is 60mm; about 1 meter long; the ball weighs 0.6 kilos. Before being fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon and one action to aim and fire it.

Cannon Ball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 (or the result of proficiency plus dexterity), range 300/3000 ft. , one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) bludgeoning damage. 

These cannons are made of cast iron. bronze cannons weight about half and cost a lot more. Besides, if a critical failure happens, bronze barrels deform instead of exploding. An explosion causes the same damage of the attack in a 21 feet radius sphere, centered on the weapon. One must note that these measurements are averages. Actually casting a cannon is an arduous process, prone to errors that make a standardization difficult. And often, the gunner is trying to make something different or even unique. Besides, there are refurbished cannons, like damaged culverins whose barrel was shortened and then classified as a cannon, for example. There also are classifications such as demi-cannon (smaller than the cannon) and double-culverin (bigger and stronger but still having the same function). In real life, there were even double-barreled cannons and unique "superguns".

Beyond the lands of the empire, we have:

 

Rocket-Launcher

Large object
Armor Class: 15
Hit Points: 20
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic

The launcher loads up to a hundred rockets. There are versions installed in fortresses, ships, under wheels or even used as traps. Before being fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes two actions to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it.

 

Rocket salvo. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 (or the result of proficiency plus dexterity), range 300/3000 ft. Hit: 15 (3d10) piercing plus 10 (2d10) fire damage in a circle with a 49 feet radius.

 

Cannon, projectile and battery of compressed air.

Pneumatic Cannon

Large object
Armor Class: 19
Hit Points: 80
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic

A cannon of compressed air firing projectiles loaded with explosive gel. Common at the Ragnarok Wall and on the geisthane war locomotives, but rare and forbidden outside Scarnost in the same way as the many scarnostian items. The only ones seen on Sarba defend the dirigibles with which Technogestalt brings parts and engineers imported by the empire, as well as the fortified factory where they land. Weighs 500 kilos; bore is 64mm; about 4 meters long. The projectile weighs 2.2. kilos. Before being fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to change the pneumatic battery, one action to aim it, and one fourth action to fire it. Cannons in buildings, trenches, dirigibles and trains might have mechanized reloading and be connected to steam-driven air compressors. These need only one action to aim it and one action to fire it.

 

Shell. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 (or the result of proficiency plus dexterity), range 4,500/9000 ft. Hit: 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage plus 44 (8d10) fire damage in a 18 feet radius sphere.