Dueling Pistol

Game Stats

• Maximum Range: 10 yds.
• Aimed Range: 1 yd.
• Shot Damage: 1d6 (impaling)
• Bolt Damage: 1d4 (impaling)
• Reload Time: 1 round
• Secondary: -5 Acumen when using shot
• Concealable:  yes
• Civilian Carry:  no

Description

The dueling pistol is a small black-powder hand gun that fires either a spherical lead shot or a small metal bolt.  It is primarily an affectation of the Harkanian upper class, although some assassins favor it as well.  Like all Harkanian black-powder weapons, dueling pistols are generally hand-made on an individual basis by expert gunsmiths, usually on commission from a wealthy patron.  Dueling pistols are thus typically ornate affairs, often decorated with ivory, gold, and silver.

Method of Operation

The dueling pistol is loaded and fired in exactly the same way as the arquebus, even down to the ramrod (which is, of course, smaller for pistols than for arquebuses).  Because a pistol is easier to manipulate than an arquebus, however, it has a slightly higher rate of fire.  An experienced pistoleer (sometimes referred to as a "pistolero" or "pistolera") can load and fire in about fifteen to twenty seconds.

One notable difference between the dueling pistol and other black powder weapons is that the dueling pistol may fire either a lead shot or a small sub-caliber metal bolt.  The barrel has four metal grooves to accommodate the fins of the bolt, which when slotted into the grooves suspend the shaft of the bolt in the center of the barrel.

Advantages

The dueling pistol's primary advantage is its low kill probability.  It was designed as a weapon to settle duels of honor in the new black powder age of Harkania, and thus deliberately incorporates many features undesirable in a weapon of war.

If the dueling pistol may be said to have an advantage as a weapon, it is its small size.  With barrel lengths as short as three inches, a dueling pistol is easily concealed, often even if the wielder is wearing relatively tight-fighting clothing.

Disadvantages

The dueling pistol's disadvantages as a weapon are numerous.  It is highly inaccurate, even for a black powder weapon.  This is due to the short barrel, which means that the projectile is accelerated for a short period of time and also that it is difficult to tell where the weapon is actually pointed.  Many dueling pistols mount their clockwork locks directly above the barrel, which makes the weapon slimmer (and thus easier to hide), but also makes true aiming essentially impossible.

The metal bolt was intended to compensate in part for these deficiencies, as the fins cause a bolt to fly truer than a spherical shot.  When weapon and ammunition are well-maintained, a dueling pistol firing bolts is no less accurate than an ordinary pistol.  However, if the powder charge detonates unevenly or if the firer has not maintained his weapon with scrupulous care, the fins are prone to drag on the barrel and send the bolt in an almost random direction.

In addition to these deficiencies, the dueling pistol almost never inflicts a serious enough wound to kill its target.  A well-placed shot can of course inflict a mortal wound, but the weapon's small size and the inherent inaccuracy of black powder weapons make a well-placed shot a matter of luck rather than skill.  Indeed, while dueling pistols have a nominal range of about 10 yards, they are unlikely to even hit a target more than 10 feet away.

Of course, non-lethality is essentially the point of a dueling pistol.  It affords aggrieved parties a way to satisfy the demands on honor by facing the threat of death without the likelihood - indeed, it is unlikely that a duel fought with dueling pistols will result even in injury.

Variants

Like arquebuses, dueling pistols can take advantage of alchemical powder and shot.  Occasionally dueling pistols are manufactured with double barrels, to allow the firer a second shot in the likely event that his first shot misses.

Party Associations

None.

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