In addition, you can spend 30 mins (which can be done during a short or long rest) instructing a number of creatures equal to 1 + your intelligence modifier (minimum 2) on how to rapidly ready your weapons. A creature must have a minimum intelligence of 6 to gain any benefit. Until the end of their next long rest, these creatures only need one free hand to ready an artillery weapon and can use a Bonus Action to attempt to do so. For their Bonus Action they may attempt a DC 10 Intelligence check to Set the weapon, a DC 10 Strength check to Load the weapon, or a DC 10 Dexterity check to Aim the weapon. Creatures proficient in artillery weapons can add their proficiency bonus to these skill check. On a failure, nothing happens. If a creature receives this benefit 3 times in a week, the benefit lasts for 1 month.

By the 10th level, your experience with artillery weapons has taught you how to prepare them quickly. You can now Set, Load, or Aim an artillery weapon as a bonus action and you only need 1 free hand to do so.

At the 15th level, your experiments with artillery weapons allows you to safely push them past their limits. When you use an Action to load an artillery weapon, you can overload it by placing 2 pieces of ammunition instead of one. When this weapon is fired, it makes two ranged weapon attacks at the same target, each attack at disadvantage.

At the 18th level you are a master of commanding artillery strikes. Once per Short or Long Rest, when you use your Quick Gunner ability you can cause any number of loaded crossbows and artillery weapons within 30ft of you to fire at once. You can also allow any number of creatures within 30ft to make a single ranged weapon attack. All of these attacks must be against the same target.

Artillery Weapons

An artillery weapon is any martial ranged weapon that requires being mounted on a vehicle or fixed to a solid surface in order to use. There are examples of these in the Dungeon Master Guide (DMG) on page 255. They are mainly used by NPCs as most players can find something better to do with their turn than loading a cannon. However with enough planning and teamwork, they can effectively make used to make combat more interesting for the players.

The DMG describes each artillery weapon and its stats with a paragraph of text. The following properties were invented as a way to express this information in a simplified way.

Loading (0,1,2,3,etc…) Because of the complexity of this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use your Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you normally make. Weapons with the property Loading (1), Loading (2), etc… require the indicated number of separate actions to Load the weapon before it is Ready to fire. Weapons with the two-handed property require two hands to Load.

Recoil Because of the recoil of this weapon, it must be set into the ground or otherwise fixed to a vehicle or solid surface before it can be used properly. A separate action is required to Set the weapon into the ground before it is Ready to fire. The weapon is able to freely rotate, but each time it is moved it must be Set into the ground again before it is Ready to fire. Weapons with the two-handed property require two hands to Set it into the ground.

Aim (1,2,3,etc…) The immobility of this weapon means that it needs to be Aimed before it is Ready to fire. Weapons with the property Aim (1), Aim (2), etc… require the indicated number of separate actions to Aim before the weapon is Ready to fire. Weapons with the two-handed property require two hands to Aim.

Cumbersome Any weapon with the Cumbersome property usually has wheels attached. When traveling long distances it is impossible to maintain a fast past or to stay stealthy while towing this weapon along. It is intended to be disassembled and reassembled on site. Both tasks take 10 mins.

Stationary Cannot be moved without being disassembled and reassembled.

Range A weapon that can be used to make a ranged Attack has a range in parentheses after the Ammunition or thrown property. The range lists two numbers. The first is the weapon’s normal range in feet, and the second indicates the weapon’s long range. When attacking a target beyond normal range, you have disadvantage on the Attack roll. You can’t Attack a target beyond the weapon’s long range. If 3 numbers are listed, the first number is the weapons minimum range, the second indicates the weapons normal range, and the third is the weapons long range. No attacks can be made against targets closer than the minimum range.

Siege Weapons with the siege property deal double damage to buildings.