In being a GM and a player in Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader, I have found that there is a special class of weapons that pose absolutely no threat to the players: black powder weapons.

Muskets and flintlock pistols, as written in Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader are jokes to the average player. In Dark Heresy, one player decided he would keep around a Good-Quality flintlock pistol because it was an heirloom of his family; thirty minutes later it was thrown at a sewer mutant as the party ran away, where it caused the mutant one hit point of damage- the most damage the pistol ever did.

In Rogue Trader I had two characters ambushed by a gang of scum dual-wielding double-barreled flintlock pistols (Deuce Pistols, Inquisitor's Handbook , pg. 93). Even with five people with two semi-automatic bursts each, I barely scratched the two characters who had wisely taken cover. The largest problem they had with the scum was dealing with the amount of smoke the weapons had caused.

But even with this, I still have a soft spot for black powder weapons and their long reload times. Thus, I create this thread with the intention of developing fun ways for GMs to use gunpowder (either as an explosive or bullet propellant) against their players. I'll start:

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Warp Gunslinger

I admit I completely stole this idea from the Deadlands RPG. In essence, it's a foe that uses sorcery or psychic powers to increase the efficacy of his flintlock pistol or musket. I was thinking of using the Renegade profile ( Rogue Trader Core , pg. 373), but his black powder weapon lose the primitive quality and gain +3 to penetration (as if he's using man-stopper rounds). His reload times can remain the same, but he could carry more than one pistol...

If you're feeling mean, you could give him the From Beyond and Demonic traits, making him a spirit of vengeance from a primitive world to challenge the players.

I once had my DH party run into a warp-dabbling crone armed with an old flintlock pistol. The most heavily armoured PC (who is rarely hurt by modern weapons, and is usually completely immune to Primitive weapons) fearlessly squared off against her- and found that she had previously consecrated her ammunition to the Dark Gods, giving them the Warp Weapon quality when fired. The PC was a little taken aback when the hag's first shot passed right through his armour, leaving a flickering spot of witch-fire marking it's entry and exit points...

Also, although it's not specifically covered by the rules, it's entirely possible that if Haywire grenades go off, or there's a planet with a mysterious techsprite destroying field (permanent EMP storm) then you might be forced in to using black powder weapons. Plus as Adeptus-B pointed out, 40K has always held as a general rule that the more "basic" a weapon is, the easier it is to turn it into a Warp (or Faith) weapon, so it makes sense to me.

Also just because something is worthless doesn't make it a family heirloom. Black Powder Weapons could be millennia old, or have some sort of probably-made-up-but-still-impressive legend attached to it. However yes, Rogue Traders will eventually be acquiring Plasma Pistol Wielding, Force Field Bearing, Power Armoured troops by the thousands, so you need to have your enemies have some amount of reasonable nature.

I have a vague outline of a campaign I might run in the future for characters around Rank 4 or so sometime, one of the enemies I have in mind are hulking beetle-like xenos who carry huge black powder guns. The idea is that their guns would be more like a swivel gun from a sailing ship in terms of caliber.

I figure the weapons would have a damage profile of something like 2d10+5 Primitive, and that the creatures themselves would only have a BS of about 20. The combat concept being that they'd arrive in hordes, discharge their weapons en-mass and then holster them and charge into melee where they would use their claws and mandibles which would be Improved Natural Weapons with multiple limbs.

So you figure the vast majority of the shots would miss, and then half the ones that hit would get dodged and of the ones that aren't about half of those would do nothing since your average RT Rank 4 character is going to negate at least sixteen damage from a primitive weapon. Have twenty of these things fire in a volley and maybe one or two guys will take about 6-8 damage. Then it turns into a scrum and maybe gets a tiny bit dangerous.

To be fair, flinklocks aren't much of a threat NOW, let alone 40000 years in the future. While yeah, against some guy on the street you can ruin his day (IF you hit him), I'd be surprised if a period flintlock could punch through modern body armor with any reliability.

To be fair, flinklocks aren't much of a threat NOW, let alone 40000 years in the future. While yeah, against some guy on the street you can ruin his day (IF you hit him), I'd be surprised if a period flintlock could punch through modern body armor with any reliability.

True, but there's something so charming about gunpowder... I mean, what would you do if mutinous crew members decided to take a page from Guy Fawkes and tried taking the ship hostage by threatening to explode several hundred barrels of black powder? You know it's weaker than most explosives... but do you really want to take the chance?

To be fair, flinklocks aren't much of a threat NOW, let alone 40000 years in the future. While yeah, against some guy on the street you can ruin his day (IF you hit him), I'd be surprised if a period flintlock could punch through modern body armor with any reliability.

Ahh yes, but getting hit with a cannon ball will ruin anyone's day.

Ahh yes, but getting hit with a cannon ball will ruin anyone's day.

Created a psychic power under the telekenesis tree called "Projectile Enhancement." It essentially allowed a psyker to enhance the properties/effectiveness of primitive ranged weapons (including musket-type weapons). Depending on the psy rating and whether they pushed at all, a flintlock pistol in the hands of that psyker was pretty **** effective.

But yeah, other than that, they're relics of the past. Look great, that's about all.

I can sort of see keeping a set for duels. Say you subscribe to the theory that killing other Rogue Traders is bad, most of the time. Still, that bastard just insulted you, your Dynasty, your ship, and possibly your mother, who you might actually see as an Imperial Saint. It might be convenient to have a weapon that isn't likely to kill, but can still be used to settle your honor. Otherwise, when my Aedan Qel-Drake goes to a big party, and starts hitting on every woman in the place, while belittling at least half the men, anyone who challenges him, be it the man whose honor he just besmirched, or the lady who shouldn't be talked to like some serving wench, will find that his "regular" kit out of weapons is a named inferno pistol and a best-quality Eldar power sword. He might not be THE greatest warrior in space, but armor isn't so likely at these get togethers, and either of those weapons won't need too many hits to win it (Dragon's Ire might not care if they WERE wearing armor; that's sort of what inferno pistols are for). Not to just again brag about my silly creations (I'm good for that, though ), but your average RT is in a good position to have ridiculously good gear, AND to piss a few people here and there off.

Clearly the solution is Las-Flintlocks.

Clearly the solution is Las-Flintlocks.

They already have those; they're called Laslocks and do not require gunpowder.

The Inquisitor's Handbook , pg. 172

Laslocks

Class: Basic (Las)

Sometimes known as “blaze guns” or “las-muskets”, no two of these cobbled together and ill-made weapons are ever quite the same. Often found in the hands of desperate and poorly equipped insurgents or renegades, las-locks are usually scratch built or modifications of antique or damaged las rifles brought back into service by scav-workshops and heretek forges. Laslocks’s jury-rigged capacitors are temperamental things at best, but still potent, firing a more powerful discharge than that of a standard lasgun.

Laslock Basic 70m S/–/– 1d10+4 E Pen 0 Clip: 1 Reload Full Unreliable 4kg Cost: 40 Plentiful

Laslocks are still kind of rifles, which most duels wouldn't use. The idea is sound, perhaps, but the image falls short.

Touch é , CaptainStabby. Touch é.

You could have more advanced black powder weapons, remember that black powder was the primary propellent of most firearms until the 1880s and 1890s (I think the Maxim gun initially used black powder based cartridges) so you could have people armed to an almost world war 1 standard while keeping black powder. Something like the Mitrailleuse would be devastating if used properly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitrailleuse

If you want to keep to Napoleonic or earlier style black powder weapons then something like a puckle gun or other Volley gun or even just a normal cannon with grape shot or canister could be the answer. Also if the enemy used hit and run tactics, i.e. suddenly appearing letting out a volley and then running like hell, they could cause some damage at least, if only to the RT's mooks. They would probably still take disproportionate casualties but would at least be causing some damage.