TEXT: 01August 2014 Version 2 
   
  Cannons and Gunnes- 
  An entirely unofficial amendment for Warhammer 2nd Edition 
  by Hectorius 
   
   
   
  History 
  The first Cannon in the Empire were imported directly from the Dwarfs about 500 years ago 
  (c 2000). 
  They were quickly imitated, although, (as usual), Human metalworking was greatly inferior 
  to Dwarven, and much more prone to explosion. 
  The Dwarf cannon tend to be of cast Iron and of at least Good, and frequently of Best quality. 
  (Any Ironworker whose gun burst would usually be so disgraced as to become a Slayer.) 
  They also use Rune magic to strengthen them. This allows them to use less metal (saving 
  money) but also made their guns remarkably lightweight. They also experimented with exotic 
  alloys, complex reloading technology, and breech loading, but quickly settled on fairly 
  conservative designs that they preferred. Medium sized carronade guns were often used 
  underground, where they could clear a tunnel of Grobi with one volley of caseshot. 
  
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  Oddly enough, Dwarf gunpowder in the early days was usually rather poor, often being 
  mixed up as needed on the day. Humans were more adventurous with their alchemy, and 
  were the first to crack the techniques of making corned powder which travelled better, 
  without the ingredients settling, and had more tolerance for damp.  
  Human cannon were (up until fairly recently) of very variable quality. Any blacksmith, 
  foundryman, cooper or bell caster would have a go at making one, with sometimes terrifying 
  results. Wood, leather, brass and wrought iron were all used with varying levels of disaster. 
  In the Empire, the Nuln School are now capable of casting very good weapons, but 
  sometimes the pressure to produce large numbers result in some uninspiring and rather 
  cumbersome designs. Most Imperial weapons are still made in bronze, but more cast iron is 
  coming into service. Many old, worn out cannon may still be found on various Noble Estates, 
  or rusting quietly on the walls of backwater towns. 
  Estalia and Tilea lack Dwarf or Imperial ironworking science, and continue with bronze 
  weapons. They tend towards small, mobile pieces, often for ships or their small mercenary 
  forces. Marienburg-made weapons are similar, but they have a reputation- It is said that they 
  are like Marienburg port ladies-“When they are good, they are very, very good- When they 
  are bad they’ll rip your face off.” 
  Kislevite weapons are also influenced by Dwarf craft, but tend to be very large, and very 
  ponderous bronze weapons. Since they are often mounted as defensive pieces on citadels, 
  they are capable of flattening even the largest Chaotic monsters. Kislevite powder is also 
  famously good, resistant to cold and damp, allowing them to load prodigious charges with 
  less risk of misfire. 
  Brettonian guns are frankly dreadful, and at least two centuries out of date. Their powder is 
  worse. The knights have grudgingly recognised their value in ending boring sieges quickly, 
  but they despise the commoner engineers and gunners who operate them. They usually hire 
  Tilean or Imperial mercenaries to handle their ancient and primitive pieces, and do not mourn 
  if (or more often, when) they blow up.  
  (The infamous Brettonian gunner Pierre Vauban was burned for witchcraft with his own 
  powder after achieving the impossible rate of fire of three shots in a day that all hit the same 
  wall. Such unholy accuracy was clearly impossible without the aid of the Black Arts…) 
  Some large, well made exotic bronze guns from Cathay have found their way into Kislev 
  where they are treated with some respect-No one is quite sure of the meaning of the cryptic 
  inscriptions they bear, and they are either works of art, or bound about with alien magic. 
  The Arabyans are known for their absurdly large bronze siege pieces, often cast to soothe the 
  ego of the various petty kings without thought of how to deploy the things. One notorious 
  piece required nearly two hundred slaves just to move it. The various mercantile city states 
  and corsairs have different preferences, and prefer smaller, very accurate ‘long’ weapons for 
  their ships. 
   
  
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  Powder: 
  Powder is the crucial thing that makes a gun more than a large lump of metal. 
  The Dwarfs stumbled upon the secret of gunpowder about -420 of the Imperial calendar- It 
  took some time to move beyond its obvious mining and demolition uses to become the basis 
  for weaponry.  
  The simplest sort of powder (Meal powder) is mixed by the gunner (or an alchemist) on site.  
  (Failure by 5 levels causes a massive explosion, killing the alchemist, unless he has a Fate 
  point to spare. Failure by 2-4 levels means a bad batch- The powder won’t work properly, 
  and Firing tests are at -20%.) Each maker has slightly different recipes, but the powder is 
  vulnerable to damp and settling.   
  It is COMMON quality. 
  The Kislevites were the first to make caked powder, which can then be ground up. (Corned 
  powder.) It is more stable, and the most commonly used. It is usually of GOOD quality, but 
  even when old or decayed to Common it can still be used. 
  Priming Powder is BEST quality-The gunner usually keeps a small horn of it on his person 
  due to its cost and value. 
  The Dwarfs are now some of the best makers of powder, but use the Human recipes. 
  Metal: 
  Most modern guns are cast bronze, although cast iron is becoming more popular due to its 
  lower cost.  Guns corrode very quickly, and need to be cleaned and polished constantly. Iron 
  guns and ammunition in particular suffer from this. Guns also ‘honeycomb’ with use, 
  weakening over time. Split or broken bronze guns can be melted down and recast, but iron 
  guns are usually only good for scrap. Iron guns cost a quarter as much as bronze, but the 
  metal cannot be reused. 
  ‘Wrought’ weapons are cheap for a good reason- they are rubbish. Built by amateurs out of 
  whatever they can find, the most common form is lumps of wrought iron bolted or hammered 
  together. Wooden barrels reinforced with iron bands are sometimes only good for one shot, if 
  that. 
  When is a gunne not a gunne?1 
  Most people can recognise cannon- a big weapon on a carriage. At the lowest end of the 
  scale, there can be confusion with other firearms. 
  The ‘Esmerelda’ (the smallest class of true cannon) overlaps in some respects with the 
  ‘Swivel Gun’, which some Humans consider a large firearm. These are often used aboard 
  ship or on some stagecoaches, bolted to a complex and cumbersome swivel mount. 
                                                             
  1 Based on Apocrypha Now WFRP 1st Ed. 
  
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  The Swivel gun can use the Esmerelda 1/2lb solid ball, but is more commonly loaded with 6 
  standard musket balls. The Esmerelda, being of heavier construction, uses grape or case shot, 
  which might go up to a couple of dozen musket or pistol balls. 
  The ‘Volley Gun’ was originally a cluster of Arquebus-calibre barrels (usually between 6 and 
  10) on a wheeled cart, and fired by one trigger. Although this looks like a bit like a cannon, it 
  isn’t, because each barrel is below the size of the Esmerelda.   
  However, since this was obviously (?) such a good idea, there have been numerous attempts 
  to make experimental cannons on the same principle (See the ‘Experimental’ class below). 
  Name 
  of Gun 
  Weight 
  of ball 
  (pounds) 
  Crew2 
  Base 
  Cost GC 
  Base 
  Enc/ 
   
   
  Range in yards 
  Base 
  Reload3 
  Base 
  Qualities4 
  Availabilty 
  Wounds 
  Group 
  Damage 
  Point- 
  blank 
  Maxi-
  mum 
   
   
  Swivel 
  1/2lb or 6 
  musket 
  balls 
  2 
  200 
  150 
  Ordinary 
  3 
  3 
  1000 
  4-6 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Volley 
  n/a 
  2 
  300+25% 
  per barrel 
  over 6 
  400 
  Ordinary 
  3 
  3 
  50 
  2 per 
  barrel 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
   
  When a Swivel is fired at a group of targets, roll D6 to determine how many balls MAY 
  attack-then roll BS for each ball. 
  For Volley guns, roll BS for each barrel, then re-roll each miss. If it hits, roll 1D6 and use the 
  table below: 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
                                                             
  2 Minimum number needed to work in combat. Excludes drivers, porters, pioneers, etc. Multiply by three when 
  moving.  
  3 For a trained crew. For each man missing, add 10% to load time (Minimum 2 rounds). For Untrained crews, 
  Treble the load time. 
  4 May be EITHER Shrapnel OR Armour piercing, but not both. 
  Roll 
   
   
   
   
  Target 
  1-2 
   
   
   
  1 creature to the left of target 
  2-3 
   
   
   
  1 creature to the right of target 
  3-4 
   
   
   
  1 creature behind target 
  
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  Carronades, Mortars/Bombards (Pot de feur) 
  Carronades are short, thick barrelled, stubby weapons only really effective at Point Blank 
  range, but making up for it with a much heavier ball. 
  Mortars or bombards are usually siege pieces, not very mobile and angled at up at about 45 
  degrees on a fixed baseplate without wheels, and are used to lob shot or shell over walls. Due 
  to their weight, and awkward shape they are usually only transported on carts and installed in 
  fixed wooden frames when needed. 
  Carronades and mortars all have very short range, but gain weight of shot. As rule of thumb, 
  maximum range is divided by 4, but weight of shot is x4, as is damage.  
  So, the metal for a 24lb Grosse Culverin could be converted to a (24x4=96) 96lb mortar or 
  carronade with a damage of (25x4=100) 100 (or 20x FIREBALL if using Shell), but with a 
  maximum range of only 1600 yards. 
  ‘Long’ guns 
  Some cannon are deliberately made for increased accuracy. These are longer barrelled, and 
  carefully finished at twice the cost, and 10% more Enc, but gain the ‘Precise’ Quality. 
  Carronades and Mortars obviously cannot be ‘Long’. 
  Carriages 
  In the early days of gunnery, the gun was simply loaded on to, or bolted to the floor of, a 
  convenient haywagon. This also allowed the powder and shot to be carried in the same 
  vehicle. 
  Given the normal roads, this was a dreadfully slow means of moving. Although still used for 
  cumbersome siege mortars, field pieces usually now come mounted on two or four wheeled 
  mounts that can be pulled by a team of horses (or Dwarfs), and keep up with a marching 
  army. Ammunition and shot for a limited engagement often come in a small separate cart, 
  called a limber.  
  Ornamentation 
  Due to the cost and prestige of these weapons, it is usual for weapons to bear individual 
  names, and ornate decoration. (Every Dwarf gun is an individual item. There’s no 
  craftsmanship in mass production.)  This is usually built into the basic cost.  Some are also 
  inscribed with religious iconography, and in some rare cases sorcery or Rune magic.  In the 
  Empire most Nuln-cast guns carry Sigmarite or Myrmidian slogans, and there is a tradition of 
  mixing the cremated remains of heroes with new guns, some of which then bear the name of 
  the deceased.  
  Although this is often dismissed by accountants, the fact remains that Gunners love their 
  beautiful weapons, and each 10% of Base cost added for ornamentation will give a 10% 
  bonus to any WP tests the crew have to make. 
  
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  Experimental 
  Despite the best efforts of the Dwarfs, Humans will constantly fiddle with designs, often 
  compromising the build quality. Most famous is the Hellblaster Volley Gun, a contraption 
  with an undeserved reputation for working. Unlike, say, the Dragon’s Foot Volley gun, a 
  scaled up version of the Ducksfoot handgun, which has an entirely deserved reputation for 
  not working. 
  Most of these ‘Newf Angled’ (from the Dawi-Idiot idea) concepts simply make the weapon 
  more dangerous to the crew. Some have caught on, but there are dozens of rejected designs 
  littering scrapyards across the Empire, just awaiting some fool in need of a cheap gun. 
  The most common experiments are the addition of more barrels, rotating barrels, and more 
  complex reloading devices to reduce the time between shots. What they actually do is 
  increase the amount of powder in the area that can explode, while making the weapon bigger, 
  clumsier and more prone to failure.  
  ‘Experimental’ guns are between 50-100% Enc larger than normal, CANNOT be of 
  Best quality, and cost between 50%-100% more.  
   The ‘Gatlinggson’ or Organ Gun may have up to 10 barrels, (+10% Enc per 
  barrel) and a rotational crank, (usually operated by at least two crew, or one 
  Ogre mercenary) with a rate of fire of 1 every 2 rounds, until all barrels are 
  exhausted, when each barrel of the gun needs to be individually reloaded.  
   ‘Volley guns’ are usually designed to fire all their barrels at once, across a 
  ‘Cone’ template. Use the main weight of the gun, but divided into as many 
  barrels as is desired:  For instance a 24lb Volley gun may consist of two 12lb, or 
  three 8lb guns, or one 10lb plus two 7lb, or any desired combination, which all 
  fire in the same round.  
   Alternatively, the ‘MacSimm’ automatic reloading mechanism, which is never of 
  better than Common quality, allows reloading at two rounds faster than normal. 
  (i.e. an Esmerelda with a 6 round reload time can be fired in 4. A Saker with an 
  18 round reload time can be fired in 16.) 
   Rotational devices can also be fitted to volley guns.  The Hellblaster consists of 
  three Volley gun batteries of 6-10 barrels each, plus a rotator. It can fire 6 shots 
  in one round, then two rounds later another 6 shots, then two rounds later 
  another 6 shots. Then it needs to be reloaded.  
  Dwarfcraft5 
  Dwarf weapons have been developed to meet their particular needs. Swivel guns and Volley 
  guns (in both large and small calibre) are popular, but there are some other types unique to 
  the Dwarfs. 
                                                             
  5 Based on Stone and Steel (WFRP 1st Ed)  
  
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  As previously stated, all Dwarf weapons are of at least Good, and frequently Best 
  Quality. This means that they are always 10% lighter in Enc and the Best Quality 
  weapons are at +5% BS to hit. A ‘Long’ Dwarf weapon would be of listed Enc,  +5% BS 
  to hit, and with the Precise quality +1 on any Critical rolls).  
  Dwarf Bombard: 
  A Light Carronade weapon of the Falcon weight, but normally without a carriage. It is carried 
  and can be set up on a special rack in three rounds by a two Dwarf crew, and operated, if 
  necessary, by one. (Ammunition and powder must be carried separately.) It is very useful for 
  underground combat in enclosed spaces, and blowing away obstacles, doors or skaven. 
  Dwarf Mortar: 
  Unkindly known in the Empire as the ‘Knee Mortar’ (Because of its height to a man). 
  This is a two-Dwarf weapon, again based on the Falcon. It can fire a ball of up to 16lb over 
  short distances. 
  (Note- There is a legend that the Dwarfs aim these weapons by actually bracing their knees 
  against them. This is entirely false, and anyone stupid enough to try it is going to get their 
  kneecap broken by the recoil.) 
  Field Cannon 
  The standard Dwarf weapon. Usually of Saker or Grosse Saker calibre. 
  Tempest Cannon-  
  A slightly heavier (Culverin) weapon used on some of the Dwarf warships of Barak Varr. 
  Built into ships, they often have a complex reloading system that reduces the time to reload. 
  Thunder Cannon- 
  The pinnacle of the Gunsmiths art, these are enormous weapons used to defend Dwarfholds. 
  They are too big to go into the field with an army. These are of at least Grosse Culverin and 
  sometimes Imperial Culverin calibre, and will always have automatic reloaders, The   
  complex Hydraulic mounting and steam powered turrets means that the Master Gunner needs 
  to make an additional Average Int Test when aiming to operate it correctly. 
  Sorcery 
  Some forges look to the mystic arts to improve their weapons.  
  At the most basic, a priest is asked to bless the weapon, or a Runesmith may put a temporary 
  rune on it. Such charms will add 10% to the cost so far, but will generally act as a Fortune 
  point to allow a failed shot to be re-rolled once a day.  
  The most expensive, (and most suspect) require a Runemaster, Bright or Gold Wizard to 
  apply their skills in the crafting or forging. These will double the cost of the weapon so far, 
  
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  and they can be very disturbing things-The weapon is saturated with magic, which will make 
  anyone nearby feel uneasy, and the exact spell is very much at the whim of the wizard- and 
  they can be very strange indeed. Each magically enhanced gun has a ’Quirk’ at the Referee’s 
  discretion.  
  For instance, the culverin Dracotodt has an unerring ability to hit dragons. Which is very 
  useful, if only there were any dragons near Nuln.- Or the rather irritating Saker Sturmlieder 
  with its’ habit of playing loud martial music in the middle of the battle “to encourage the 
  troops”, as its maker said.  
  Runecraft6 
  Most Dwarf made guns have at least one permanent Rune inscribed on them, but no more 
  than three. (Although guns made for export to the Humans probably would not.) The 
  drawback is that if the same rune is on another item with 100 yards, they cancel each other 
  out. Only Level 1 Runes will work for non Dwarfs. 
  These are usually Engineering runes7. (Dwarfs see cannons more as noble achievements and 
  artworks than simply as weapons)  
  Level 1 Runes 
  Accuracy 
   +10BS 
  Forging  
  1x reroll of a Failed firing roll.  
  Burning  
  For 1d3 Hours all ammunition does an additional 1d8 burning damage. 
  Penetrating Increases strength of weapon for 1d3 hours, allowing larger powder charges. 
  +1 to Critical hits 
  Level 2 Runes 
  Fortune  
  For 1d6 Hours, any Level 5 failures may be re-rolled once. 
  Stalwart 
  +10% WP tests for the crew 
  Valiant 
  For 2 hours after first attack, +20% on WP and Leadership tests. 
  Level 3 Runes 
  Disguise  
  Weapon is invisible until it first fires, after which it is visible. 
  Immolation Weapon can be ordered to self-destruct as if a Level 5 Failure had occurred. 
  Reloading 
  Reloading time is either halved, OR 1 crewman can do the work of three. 
                                                             
  6 Realms of Sorcery WFRP 2nd Ed 
  7 Dwarfs Stone and Steel WFRP 1st Ed 
  
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  Seeking 
  For 1d6 hours the weapon will automatically hit its target, so long as within 
  maximum range. 
   
  Ammunition 
  Originally bolts from existing siege engines were used, or simply large rocks. These were 
  inaccurate to say the least.  
  Modern ammunition includes stone shot, (a favourite of the Dwarfs for its cheapness and 
  easy availability), and which can shatter on impact to form deadly shrapnel), cast iron or 
  brass Solid Shot (which can also be heated in a brazier to start fires), Grape / Case (a leather 
  bag full of musket balls, nails or scrap metal used for close range anti-personnel work), Chain 
  (two solid shot linked by chain to rip down the rigging of ships) Bar Shot (two shot linked by 
  an iron bar to rip away masts) and the terrifying Shell. These are hollow balls of cast iron full 
  of gunpowder, nails and musket balls. If they arrive on target, they are capable of destroying 
  entire troops of men. They are lit with a separate fuse before the cannon is fired. Getting the 
  timing sequence wrong can be …. spectacular. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A constant headache for the quartermaster is the lack of standard sized ammunition. Most 
  guns are rated for weight of shot, rather than size of bore. Thus, a pair of guns both of 9 
  pound calibre might be bored out to slightly different sizes. Stone shot is less dense than 
  metal, so requires a larger bore.  Obviously, the smaller sized shot can be used in both, but 
  sometimes it is necessary to make custom ammunition for odd calibre guns. Stone shot costs 
  1GC/lb, but tends to shatter on impact. (Treat as normal for arrows-50% of shot is not 
  reusable).  Brass or iron solid shot costs 3GC/lb, but metal Solid shot can be recovered and 
  reused. Shell costs 4GC/lb, and cannot be reused. 
  Obviously, it is possible to load smaller calibre ammunition into larger calibre guns, but for 
  each gun class lower, the gunners’ task in Firing the gun (stage 12 below) goes up in 
  difficulty one level. (The ball bounces around inside the barrel, and tends to veer off course.) 
  The ball will still do only as much damage as if fired from the correct piece. If a 6lb ball 
  is fired from an 18lb, it will still only do the damage of a 6lb, not an 18lb. 
  OOPS…. 
  Shells are Unreliable in their own right. Treat each explosion as a multiplier to the 
  damage of a Fireball spell of 1 per 5 lb of normal shot damage. (Rounded down) (i.e. 
  a 1lb shell from an Esmerelda will do 1 standard Fireball, whereas an 18lb Culverin 
  will do Fireball damage x3.) 
   
  
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  Breech loaders 
  To speed up reloading, some smaller guns are breech loaded. A pre-loaded breech block is 
  slotted into the back of the barrel. This halves the normal reload time, by replacing steps 6-8 
  below. This works well, up to a point. Firstly, the gun is more expensive by 50% per 
  additional breech block. Secondly, the seal is unreliable. All breech loaders are Unreliable, 
  whatever their other build Quality, and are prone to exploding. Only Falcons and below are 
  regularly made as breech loaders. After all the blocks have been used, they have to be 
  reloaded individually at normal speed. Mortars cannot be Breech loaded. 
  Double Shotting 
  Although very dangerous, it is possible to put two or even three balls into the cannon at once. 
  Each additional ball adds a level of Difficulty to the loading process. It is usually done before 
  the battle, when the crew have time. If it goes off safely it can do two normal attacks. Chain 
  and Bar shot is automatically Double shot. 
  Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition… 
  Although many foundries put their own marks on their cast solid shot, a few have taken to 
  having religious symbols inscribed, and blessings applied- (at a x10 Cost multiplier) Such 
  shot has normal effect on mundane enemies, but can also be terribly effective against either 
  the spawn of chaos or the Undead (but rarely both). (Apply as if the shot is a magic missile 
  against such magical creatures.)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Spiking the guns. 
  It is easy to disable a gun- simply hammer a nail into the vent. This will make it 
  impossible to fire. 
  Destroying a gun is quite difficult- Consider each weapon to have Total Hits 
  equivalent to its Enc- 
  However, there are break points: At 25% of Hits, the carriage is damaged-The gun can 
  continue to fire, but each stage of the Drill Difficulty goes up one level, as the gun is 
  harder to aim and load. 
  At 50% of damage, the carriage collapses- The gun may be fired , but each stage of the 
  Drill is  Two levels of Difficulty harder. It cannot be moved from its current position 
  At 75% damage, the gun is cracked and highly dangerous-It fires at 3 levels of Difficulty 
  harder. 
   
  
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  Rate of fire 
   An elite gun crew can usually fire and reload in about 2 minutes.   
   A more regular rate of fire is one round every 5 to 8 minutes. 
   
  In WFRPG game terms, it takes an elite crew about 12 combat rounds to fire and reload. 
  A regular crew normally takes between 30 and 50 rounds. 
  An amateur crew might be lucky to get reloaded in 150 rounds.  
  All guns need a minimum crew of 2, one being the gunner. (The Artillerist career is 
  described in the Warhammer Companion Ch XI) 
  Working guns is physically hard work. 
  After 10 shots, make an Average Toughness test, or take a Wound. 
  Each five shots after, make another Average Toughness test., or take a wound. 
  For each man under the listed crew, add another round to the reload time, but also after 
  the first 10 rounds, the Toughness tests becomes Challenging.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Process 
  There is a very strict drill to load and fire cannon in relative safety. Each step takes a 
  minimum of one turn. 
  Anything above a ‘normal’ failure at any stage will have to be repeated. Deliberately taking 
  two turns at each stage lowers the Task difficulty one step. Taking three turns reduces 
  the Task by two steps.-However, if Shell is used, because it is individually fused, any 
  failure by more than two levels will mean that the problem is not resolved before the 
  shell explodes, taking the gun with it. 
  Failure of more than 3 levels at any stage signifies a serious fault-Either a jammed shot, a 
  broken tool, which will require replacement, a ‘Blind’, where the main charge has failed to 
  ignite, and the weapon will need to be carefully unloaded in reverse order, but with every test 
  1 level higher. If Shell is used, the gun cannot be unloaded in time, and explodes. 
  OOPS…. 
  Guns sometimes blow up. Usually, bronze guns split, and will attack each crewman with a 
  WS of 60%, an attack value of 1 per 5lb, and a number of attacks of 1 per 5 lb 
  calibre.(Round down) . Cast iron or Wrought guns shatter, and also get the Shrapnel 
  quality.  If Shell is used, add the value of the Shell to the value of the bursting gun. 
  Example- A Bronze 24lber explodes. All crew members take 4 attacks at 60% with a 
  value of 4. 
  If it were an Iron or Wrought gun, with the Shrapnel Quality it would automatically 
  hit the crew with all four attacks, unless a Routine agility roll is made FOR EACH 
  ATTACK. 
  If the same 24lb was firing Shell when it explodes, then add 4x Fireball attacks. 
  
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  At 5 levels of failure at any stage, there is a catastrophic failure, where the gun itself bursts, 
  the charge ignites prematurely, or its’ mounting collapses. 
  With Shell, failure of more than 3 levels at Stage 8a means that the fuse was incorrect, and 
  the shot explodes harmlessly in the wrong place, or simply fails to explode at all. Failure by 
  5 levels means the shell detonates inside the cannon, totally destroying it, and killing or 
  maiming the crew. If the gunshot fails, then the shell automatically fails as well, even IF it 
  had already passed the first test. This represents the fact that the shell failed to leave the gun 
  before the shell detonates.-again, taking the gun with it. 
  The Firing Drill 
  1. Clean the vent Crewman removes burned powder from the firing vent. Task-SWG-
  Gunpowder WS Routine. 
  2. ‘Stop’ the vent. Gunner places a thumb over the vent hole. Task-SWG-Gunpowder 
  WS Routine. 
  3. ‘Worm’ the bore Crewman uses worming tool to scour out barrel. Task-Agility 
  Routine 
  4. Wet sponge the bore. Crewman uses a wet sponge on a long rod to remove any 
  burning debris from barrel Task-Agility Routine  
  5. Dry sponge the bore. Crewman uses a dry sponge on long rod to remove water from 
  barrel. Task-Agility Routine  
  6. Load powder. Crewman places powder bag in barrel, and pushes it down to rear of 
  barrel using a long rammer. Task-Agility Routine 
  7. Load ammunition. Crewman loads ammunition, and wadding and rams down on top 
  of powder charge. Task-Strength Routine  
  8. NOTE: IF SHELL IS USED, THEN THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL STAGE:  
  8a GUNNER LIGHTS SHELL FUSE: Task SWG-Gunpowder-Average.  
  9. Pick the charge-Gunner uses a long piece of wire to punch a hole in powder bag. 
  Task- SWG-Gunpowder WS Routine. Normal Failure will add a -20% to Stage 12 
  10. Prime the vent. Gunner uses fine ‘Priming’ gunpowder to fill the vent. Task- SWG-
  Gunpowder WS Routine. Normal Failure will add a -20% to stage 12. 
  11. Lay and Run out the gun. Crewmen push cannon to correct firing position. Task-
  Strength- Average, PLUS SWG Gunpowder Weapon- Routine. If either fail, the step 
  has to be repeated. If Shell is used, the gunner may fire off the weapon at random, to 
  avoid a detonation in the gun. It will be a Very Hard SWG Test to hit the original 
  target. 
  12. Fire. Gunner uses a piece of burning matchcord to ignite the priming, which ignites 
  the main charge. Task- SWG-Gunpowder WS Routine, with modifications for 
  weapon quality and reliability. If this stage fails and shell is used, the gun fails to 
  fire, but the shell will detonate anyway, destroying the gun.  
  NOTE: This is the point where the gun itself will fail, if it is going to. 
   
   
   
  
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  13. Avoid the recoil. The Gun will recoil as if the Gun is attacking all the crew with 
  WS 20%, SB 1 per 5lb of shot rounded up, and the potential to do 1d10 Wounds 
  to anyone failing an Agility Task-Average /or Dodge. Ulric’s Fury is also 
  applicable- It is quite possible to be killed outright by a recoiling gun. (For 
  example, an 18lber would ‘attack’ everyone at 20%, with a SB of 18/5=3.6, 
  rounded to 4) 
  14. Roll to Hit: Gunner SWG- Gunpowder Weapon + modifications for weapon quality 
  and long/short barrels. {Not actually part of the Loading Cycle, but probably the 
  most important bit as far as players are concerned.} 
   
  15. Repeat Loading procedure. 
  Hitting the target: 
  Laying the gun (aiming) on target is the job of the Gunner/Artillerist, or anyone with 
  Specialist Weapon Group-Gunpowder . Use the Gunner’s BS, modified for range and weapon 
  quality.  
  The shot is basically linear, attacking anything along the line up to the effective range of the 
  gun. Case shot uses the Cone template out to minimum range.   
  Ricochet: 
  The solid shot does not have to strike directly-If falling short, it will bounce along the ground, 
  in a generally straight line, losing some energy, but still capable of destroying entire ranks of 
  troops. The sheer force of the shot passing can stun or kill even without physical contact. 
  (Unless a Fate Point is used.) 
   
   
   
   
  OOPS- Gun failure. The Firing roll must fail by 5 levels or more for an explosion. 
  Modifications to SWG-Gunpowder weapons. 
  Best Quality -20% 
  Good Quality -10% 
  Common Quality -0% 
  Poor Quality +10% 
   
   
   
   
  
  01August 2014 Version 2 
   
  Common Imperial Gun sizes 
  Name of 
  Gun 
  Weight 
  of ball 
  (pounds) 
  Crew8 
  Base 
  Cost 
  GC 
  Base 
  Enc/9 
   
   
  Range in 
  yards10 
  Base 
  Reload11 
  Base 
  Qualities12 
  Availabilty 
  Wounds 
  Group 
  Damage13 Point- 
  blank 
  Maxi-
  mum 
   
   
  Esmerelda14 
  1/2 
  2 
  100 
  100 
  Ordinary 
  3 
  200 
  750 
  6 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Falconette 
  1 to 2 
  2 
  500 
  200 
  Ordinary 
  5 
  300 
  1000 
  6 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Falcon 
  3 to 4 
  2 
  600 
  400 
  Ordinary 
  5 
  400 
  2,500 
  6 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Saker 
  5 to 7 
  4 
  750 
  600 
  Ordinary 
  10 
  400 
  3,750 
  18 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Grosse 
  Saker 
  7 to 10 
  4 
  900 
  900 
  Ordinary 
  15 
  600 
  4500 
  30 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Culverin 
  10 to 18 
  6 
  1500 
  1200 
  Ordinary 
  20 
  800 
  5,000 
  150 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Grosse 
  Culverin 
  24 
  6 
  2000 
  2000 
  Ordinary 
  25 
  1,700 
  6,600 
  150 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Konig 
  Culverin 
  24 to 40 
  6 
  2500 
  2500 
  Ordinary 
  30 
  650 
  3700 
  200 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
  Imperial 
  Culverin 
  40 and 
  up 
  8 
  3500+ 
  3000 
  Ordinary 
  35 
  800 
  2500 
  300 
  Unreliable,  
  Very Rare 
                                                             
  8 Minimum number needed to work in combat. Excludes drivers, porters, pioneers, etc. Multiply by three when 
  moving.  
  9 Gun only-x2 for field carriage, x 8 for wagon mounted.  
  10 Solid Shot and shell only. Shrapnel (grapeshot) loses effectiveness beyond Point blank, but uses cone 
  template. 
  11 For a trained crew. For each man missing, add 10% to load time (Minimum 2 rounds). For Untrained crews, 
  Treble the load time. 
  12 May be EITHER Shrapnel OR Armour piercing, but not both. 
  13 Solid Shot. For shell, treat each explosion as a Fireball spell with a Damage multiplier of 1 per 5 points of 
  normal shot damage, rounded down.  
  14 Named by the Halflings- about the only people who use what is basically a reinforced blunderbuss. 
  Sometimes fired to announce the start of pie eating contests.  
  
  01August 2014 Version 2 
   
  Battles: 
  These rules are not for WFB games, but are very abstract. 
  In open field combat, the referee should determine just how many rounds the battle will last, 
  and how many rounds the crew can possibly get off before their position is over run, or the 
  battle ends. 
  The referee should also determine what sort of enemy will attack the gun crew- it is possible 
  that they will receive attacks from  
   Infantry 
   Cavalry 
   Missiles 
   Artillery 
   Monsters 
  Infantry are blocks of slow moving foot soldiers- They have relatively poor mobility, so the 
  gun crew should, in most cases,  be able to move themselves and/or their weapon out of their 
  path. 
  Cavalry are the biggest threat to cannon, as they are fast enough to over-run the guns- They 
  are, however, very vulnerable to grape or shell as the mounts fall quite easily. Aiming is one 
  level harder, but damage is x2 if using grape/case, or shell. 
  Missiles- Archers or firearms can shoot effectively at the gun crew, if they can get within 
  range, but are often dispersed to make them hard to hit in return. Referee decides how many 
  attacks will focus on the crew. 
  Artillery- Artillery and siege engines often fire at each other. It is possible the characters may 
  be on the receiving end of cannon fire. 
  Monsters- Often large, but can be treated as individuals. Normal rules apply, but Aiming is 
  one difficulty level higher- Even a Troll or Giant is more nimble on its feet than 100 
  infantrymen packed into line. 
  Any Enemy Unit can be considered to have values like a single character, aggregated from 
  the Wounds of its members, although it may be made up of many individual members. A 
  giant (1 member) may have an equivalent combat value of a thousand goblins aggregated 
  together. 
  Treat each enemy unit as a character, but there is one additional factor- the units WS and BS 
  will decline in roughly 20% increments in line with damage. It will be drawn up in between 
  1-10 ranks. (Referee’s decision)  
  Solid shot damage will be applied along the line of fire, with each rank attacked 
  separately.  
  
  01August 2014 Version 2 
   
  Shell affects all ranks with the same attack roll. 
  Case/Grape can be fired only at Point blank range, and affects only the front rank, but 
  at x4 value. If the front rank is eliminated, it will overspill into the rank behind. 
   Ignore armour bonuses. (It doesn’t matter how tough you are or how much armour you have-
  a high velocity cannon ball hurts.)  
  Big blocks of troops are hard to move around. Big mobs aren’t very clever either. Unit 
  Movement, Agility and Int is calculated by dividing the individual soldiers statistic by the 
  number of ranks to a Minimum of 1. (So the Orcs would have a Move of 4/5=0.8, rounded to 
  1). 
  However,  Strength, Toughness, WP and Fel is Increased by multiplying the individual 
  soldiers’ statistic by the number of ranks-Note that this can result in very powerful units- 
  These are aggregates, so if any member of the unit gets into close combat with the players, 
  they will meet Individual members of the horde. 
  Example: 
  A company of 100 Orcs, each with (on average) 11W+4 TB=15 Wounds are besieging a 
  town. They are drawn up in (roughly) 5 lines of 20 orcs. 
  Main Profile 
  WS 
  BS 
  S 
  T 
  Ag 
  Int 
  WP 
  Fel 
  40 
  30 
  40x5=200 
  40x5=200 
  40/5=1 
  20/5=4 
  30x5=150 
  30x5=150 
  Secondary Profile 
  A 
  W 
  SB 
  TB 
  M 
  MAG 
  IP 
  FP 
  1 
  15x100=1500 20 
  20 
  1 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  This unit would have morale break points at 20% increments of total Wounds. ie. 300, 600, 
  900, 1200 and 1500. At 20% casualties the Unit must make an Average Fear Test. At 40% a 
  Challenging Fear Test, and so on……………. 
  A cannon crew with an 18lb wall mounted Culverin (doing Damage 20) fire on them with 
  solid shot, hitting 3 ranks. 
  Rank 1 1D10 (Roll 5) +20= 25. Orc Wounds reduced to 1475. 
  Rank 2 1D10 (roll 3) +20= 23 Orc Wounds reduced to 1452 
  Rank 3 1D10 (roll 10-roll to hit again –success Ulrics Fury Roll 8) +20= 38 damage. Orc 
  Wounds reduced to 1414. 
  Total damage for the shot is 25+23+38=86 
   Total damage is less than 20%, so the Orcs laugh it off. (Probably enough to kill 5 Orcs 
  outright)  
  Annoyed, the Master Gunner loads Shell.  
  
  01August 2014 Version 2 
   
  This goes off correctly and lands in the middle of the orcs, hitting all 5 ranks. 
  The shell detonates using the Blast template, for a Fireball multiplier value of 4 (1 per 5lb of 
  normal shot damage) x Normal Fireball damage .  (roll 5 on dice +3=8) 8x4 =32 per Rank. 
  5 ranks x32 damage each = 160 (Probably 10 Orcs killed outright) 
  The Orcs now have taken 246 hits, leaving 1254. This is still less than required for a Fear 
  test. 
  The third attack, using case/grape, hits only the front rank 
  1 rank (roll 5 +10) =15 damage x4  (Total 60), or about 4 Orcs,  which is now enough for a 
  Fear test.  If they fail, the unit breaks, and is useless until it rallies- Effectively, it is out of the 
  game for 1d10 x10 Rounds, as everyone takes cover.  
  Building a Gun 
  1) Select a size. 
  2) Select manufacturer (Dwarf, Imperial, Other Nations, Brettonian ) 
  3) Decide build quality (Dwarf Guns are either Best or Good. Imperial guns range 
  from Poor to Best. ‘Other nations’ guns range from Poor to Good. No Wrought 
  gun can be better than Common. NO BRETTONIAN GUN CAN BE BETTER 
  THAN COMMON) 
  Quality 
  Cost multiplier 
  Best 
  X10 
  Good  
  X3 
  Common 
  X1 
  Poor 
  X50% 
  4) Select metal (Basic cost for bronze, X0.25 cost for cast iron, x0.10 cost if 
  ‘Wrought’- wrought iron or other materials) 
  5) Decide if ‘Long’(x2 cost, +10% Enc) or Carronade /Mortar (Max range x 0.25, 
  weight of ball X4, damage x4) 
  6) Decide if Breech loaded (+50% Cost per extra breech block-
  automatically Unreliable) 
  7) Decide carriage (Normal cost for Limber. Enc the same as the gun. 0.5 cost for 
  cart, but x4 Enc) 
  8) Decide if ‘Experimental’ 
  9) Decide Ornamentation multiplier  
  10) Decide if Sorcery is used in manufacturing (See table ) 
  Spell  
  Effect 
  Cost 
  multiplier 
  Note 
  Runes 
  See description 
  +10% per 1st 
  level, 
  +20% 
  per 2nd level, 
  +50% per 3rd 
  level. 
  Dwarf 
  made 
  weapons only 
  
  01August 2014 Version 2 
   
  Basic charm 
  Weapon 
  has 
  1xFortune point per 
  combat 
  +10% 
  Usually 
  of 
  only one faith. 
  Bright Wizard15 
  Weapon 
  is 
  unusually militant. 
  +1 dice Damage  
  X100% 
  Has at least 
  one ‘quirk’  
  Gold Wizard16 
  Weapon metal is 
  unusually pure and 
  strong. +10% range 
  due to ability to 
  withstand 
  larger 
  powder 
  charges, 
  and 
  +10% 
  to 
  gunner’s BS due to 
  fine manufacturing 
  of sights. 
  X100% 
  Has at least 
  one ‘quirk’  
   
  11) Total cost and name weapon 
  Design Template 
   
  Basic Cost 
  Basic Enc 
  Notes 
  Name of weapon 
   
   
   
  Size 
   
   
   
  Metal (Iron, Bronze, 
  Wrought) 
   
   
   
  Long/Carronade/Mortar  
   
   
  Breech Loader (Falcon 
  or smaller) 
   
   
   
  Carriage (Limber or 
  cart) 
   
   
   
  Build quality multiplier 
   
   
   
  Experimental multiplier  
   
   
  Experimental type 
   
   
   
  Ornamentation 
  multiplier 
   
   
   
  Sorcery multiplier 
   
   
  Quirk: 
  Final Cost 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
                                                             
  15 These functions are replicated in Nuln-made guns by a naming ceremony- weapons will be either militant or 
  hard –hitting. 
  16 These functions are replicated in Nuln-made guns by a naming ceremony- weapons will be either militant or 
  hard –hitting. 
  
  01August 2014 Version 2 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Copyright © Games Workshop Limited 2006. Games Workshop, the Games Workshop logo, Black Industries 
  and their respective logos, Warhammer and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and 
  race insignia / devices / logos / symbols, locations, weapons, units, characters, products, illustrations and 
  images from Warhammer are either ®, TM and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2006, variably registered in 
  the UK and other countries around the world. All Rights Reserved. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/Fantasy Roleplay/4e (C7)/Cato Contribution/Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay/2nd Edition/Homebrew & Fan Material/Kalevala/Cannons and Gunnes WFRPG 2nd Ed v2.pdf