Pistol
At a Glance
- Weapon: Pistol
- Campaign status: Rare specialist sidearm
- 5.5e / 2024: 1d10 Piercing; 30/90 ft.; Loading; Vex
- 5e / 2014: 1d10 Piercing; 30/90 ft.; Loading
- Pathfinder 1e: Early one-handed firearm; 1d8 Medium damage
- D&D 3.5e: Renaissance exotic firearm; 1d10 Medium damage
The pistol is a compact single-shot black-powder firearm intended to deliver a powerful close-range shot from one hand. It remains rare enough in most places to attract attention and is most plausible around arsenals, ports, mercenary companies and specialist gunsmiths.
Use only the tab for the rules system being played. Mechanics are not shared automatically between editions.
Pistol Rules by Edition
Pistol — D&D 5.5e / 2024
| Category | Cost | Damage | Range | Weight | Properties | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martial Ranged Weapon | 250 GP | 1d10 Piercing | 30/90 ft. | 3 lb. | Ammunition (Bullet), Loading | Vex |
Vex mastery. After a damaging hit, the wielder has Advantage on the next attack roll against that creature before the end of the wielder’s next turn.
Pistol — D&D 5e / 2014
| Category | Cost | Damage | Range | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renaissance Martial Ranged Weapon | 250 gp | 1d10 Piercing | 30/90 ft. | 3 lb. | Ammunition, Loading |
The 2014 DMG presents the pistol as optional Renaissance technology. It has no Weapon Mastery property.
Pistol — Pathfinder 1e
| Cost | Dmg (S) | Dmg (M) | Critical | Range | Misfire | Capacity | Weight | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | ×4 | 20 ft. | 1 (5 ft.) | 1 | 4 lbs. | B and P |
The single-shot pistol uses one bullet and one dose of black powder or one suitable alchemical cartridge. It follows the PF1e early-firearm touch-AC, loading and misfire rules.
Pistol — D&D 3.5e
| Category | Cost | Dmg (S) | Dmg (M) | Critical | Range Increment | Weight | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exotic Firearm | 250 gp | 1d8 | 1d10 | ×3 | 50 ft. | 3 lb. | Piercing |
The pistol holds one shot and requires a standard action to reload. Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) removes the normal non-proficiency penalty.
What Changes Between Editions?
- 2024: adds Vex mastery.
- 2014: uses the same Renaissance firearm concept without mastery.
- PF1e: adds misfires, touch-AC penetration and black-powder loading rules.
- 3.5e: uses a 50-foot range increment, ×3 critical and standard-action reload.
Related Equipment
Further Viewing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG80MyPt3_4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLneNO5D2e8
Sources and Licensing
D&D 5.5e / 2024 and D&D 5e / 2014 firearm baselines use the corresponding D&D firearm rules where an exact weapon exists. D&D 3.5e uses the Dungeon Master’s Guide Renaissance or modern firearm baselines. Pathfinder firearm statistics and rules derive from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat, © 2011 Paizo Publishing, LLC; authors Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens and Russ Taylor. Edition tabs explicitly identify campaign conversions when the exact weapon is not a core entry.
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