Industrial Artillery He Industrial Era Saw a Diversity of New Artillery Pieces As News Types of Ammunition Howitzer Were Developed

Industrial Artillery he industrial era saw a diversity of new artillery pieces as news types of ammunition Howitzer were developed. A greater understanding of (Early Industrial) metallurgy led to accurate and reliable guns. A howitzer is an artillery piece that falls between gun- Rifling increased their range. Many gun cannons and mortars in terms of barrel length and range. It carriages adpoted sliding mechanisms that uses a small amount of gunpowder to fire a projectile at an Tabsorbed recoil and allowed the weapon to elevated angle. easily return to its position, so smaller gun teams were A boat howitzer is designed to be mounted on the bow of a required. The explosive shell became the standard tool for boat or launch to provide supporting fire as it approaches the destroying wooden ships. waterline. It uses a heavier powder charge to increase its Given this, many warships continued to carry large range. The boat usually carries wheels so the weapon can be smoothbore cannons that were not significantly different converted into a field howitzer. from those of the previous era: during the rise of ironclad warships, a roundshot was better than a shell (which would Ammunition A howitzer can fire shells and spherical case ineffectively impact on an ironclad's hull). shot Indirect Fire A howitzer can make indirect fire.

Artillery Types Industrial-era artillery types are designated as "early Mortar industrial" and "late industrial". This has no game effect (Renaissance) except help DMs decide which weapons may be in their A mortar is a short-barrelled artillery piece that fires an campaign. In the real world, these categories represent the explosive shell at a very high angle. It requires a heavy bed to 18th and 19th century respectively. absorb its downwards recoil. Light mortars are short range anti-personnel weapons, used to attack troops in trenches. Siege mortars are used to bombard enemy fortifications. Carronade Seacoast mortars provide heavy, long-range defensive fire. (Early Industrial) Ammunition A mortar fires shells. A carronade is a smoothbore gun with a reduced barrel High Arc The mortar fires on a high arc, so it can target a length and powder charge. Their intended role is to defend point located behind cover. merchant ships, as their reduced recoil allows untrained Indirect Fire A mortar can only make indirect fire. sailors to easily operate them: after firing, the cannon slides Crew A seacost mortar requires three-quarters the normal back on its fixed mount allowing for quick realignment. crew; rate of fire is unaffected.

Ammunition A carronade can fire roundshot, grape shot or canister shot. It can also fire chainshot and double shot (see VCK: Artillery p. 14). Crew and Rate of Fire Carronades require two-thirds the normal crew, and two-thirds the normal time to prepare, load, aim, and fire.

Cannon (Renaissance) Smoothbore muzzle-loading cannons used in the industrial era differ little from their renaissance counterparts. Use the cannoSamplens from VCK Artillery. file

INDUSTRIAL ARTILLERY 2 Quick-Firing Gun Rifle (Late Industrial) (Late Industrial) A quick-firing gun ("QF") is a breech-loading steel-barreled Rifled guns have grooved tubes that add spin to a projectile, rifle that takes brass cartridges pre-loaded with powder (and improving its range. The projectiles are cylindrical, so a rifled sometimes the projectile) and mounted on a recoil-absorbing gun can fire heavier projectiles than a smoothbore with the mount. Their long barrels and large powder charges grant same bore diameter. them good accuracy and range. QF guns are used to defend ships against torpedo boats, as Ammunition Rifled guns can fire shells, solid shot (bolts), or anti-aircraft guns or to harrass the crew of enemy ships. As shrapnel shells. such, they are usually mounted on a pivot (VCK Artillery p.3). Indirect Fire A rifle of mass xi or lighter can make indirect fire. Mass xii or heavier rifles are so massive they can only Pedestal Mount All QF guns have a pedestal mount that fire on a gun trajectory. allows it to face other arcs as though it were on a pivot

(VCK Artillery p.3). Ammunition QF guns can fire solid shot (bolts), armor- piercing shells, shells, or shrapnel shells. Iron Rifles Iron rifles are accurate but prone to mechanical failure, Indirect Fire A QF gun can make indirect fire. either because of the brittleness of their cast iron rifling, or Crew and Rate of Fire QF guns require one-quarter the because they utilize early breechloading systems. normal time to prepare, load, aim, and fire (rounded down), and require half the normal crew. Unreliable Iron rifles use the unreliable special rule.

1-inch Quick-Firing Gun Steel rifles The 1-inch QF gun has four barrels, each with its own hopper Steel rifles are muzzle-loading guns with steel tube. They are that takes a stack of 12 rounds of ammunition. It uses these more reliable than iron rifles, can support a heavier powder special rules. charge, and can handle very heavy projectiles. Steel rifles can also fire armor-piercing shells. Ammunition The 1-inch QF only fires bolts. Crew and Rate of Fire The 1-inch QF can fire every turn Crew and Rate of Fire A steel rifle requires half the normal until it needs reloading. It must then be prepared, loaded crew and half the normal time to prepare, load, aim and and aimed as normal at the standard rate. fire. A half-crewed 1-inch QF takes twice as long to prepare, load and aim, but can still fire every turn until it needs reloading. Reload (48) When 48 pieces of ammunition have been expended, the 1-inch QF must be reloaded. Unreliable Artillery Rapid Fire When you use your action to attack with the 1- Some artillery pieces, such as iron rifles, are inch QF, you may use a bonus action to make another unreliable. They may be forged from brittle iron, or attack with it at the same target. use early breechloading mechanisms. Immediatly after an artillery component of unreliable weapons has fired, make a reliability check. This is a d6 roll. If you are using recharge notation (VCK Artillery p. 7), you can instead use the first recharge roll made after the weapons have fired as the reliability check. If the reliability check result is a 1, the artillery component recieves a mark. When the component reaches its limit of marks, one weapon in that component is disabled: either the rifling is fouled, or the breech has burst. The marks are then reset to 0. Number of weapons fired Mark limit 1 4 2-6 3 7-36 2 Sample37 or mo re file1

INDUSTRIAL ARTILLERY 3 Rotary Gun (Late Industrial) A rotary gun is a multi-barrelled weapon that fires continuously as the gunner turns a crank. It is fed cartridge ammunition from a hopper or magazine. The gunner can use their action to use the rotary gun with burst fire or continuous fire.

Burst Fire The rotary gun sprays shots into a 10-foot-cube area within range. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take the weapon's normal damage. This action uses ten pieces of ammunition.

Continuous Fire When you use the rotary gun to burst fire, on the same turn you can use a bonus action to continuously sprays shots into the same area. This effect lasts until the start of the your next turn. The effect ends early if you are incapacitated, you use your reaction to cease cranking, or you are moved such that the area falls beyond the range of the gun. A creature that starts its turn in the area or moves into it for the first time on its turn must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take the weapon's normal damage. Continuous fire uses an additional ten pieces of ammunition. Shell Guns Reload (100) When one hundred pieces of ammunition have (Early Industrial) been expended, the weapon must be reloaded. Naval shell guns are heavy muzzle-loading smoothbore guns, with a very thick barrel towards the breech. This allows the Crew and Rate of Fire A rotary gun can fire every turn until gun to withstand greater pressures, and thus heavier it needs reloading. It must then be prepared, loaded and ammunition. They are mounted on a sliding carriage which aimed as normal. simplifies the reloading process. A half-crewed rotary cannon takes twice as long to prepare, load and aim, but can still fire every turn until it needs Ammunition A shell gun can fire roundshot or shells. reloading. Crew and Rate of Fire Shell guns require one-half the normal crew. Rate of fire is unaffected. Indirect Fire A shell gun of mass xi or lighter can make indirect fire. Mass xii or heavier shell guns are so massive they can only fire on a gun trajectory.

Columbiad (Late Industrial) A columbiad is a long-barrelled shell gun that can be ratcheted to a higher elevation and uses a larger powder charge. Any columbiad can make indirect fire, regardless of its size.

Gun-Howitzer (Late Industrial) A gun-howitzer is a straight-muzzled bronze gun that, like a naval shell gun, can fire both shell and roundshot. However, they have smaller bores that make them useful as anti- personel field guns. The ability to fire spherical case shot and canister shot supports this role. SampleAmmunition A gun-howit zer canfile fire roundshot, shells, spherical case shot and canister shot. Indirect Fire A gun-howitzer can make indirect fire.

INDUSTRIAL ARTILLERY 4