In the Really Wild West setting hack for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, flame guns have been the most common form of energy-weapon for decades, and have a history going back centuries in the Quin Dynasty of China. While the great stability of government and vast, settled agrarian economy of the Qing and previous Ming Dynasty could have led to a great divide between the advanced of science and technology between China and European and American nations, the greater number of theosophic traditions in China (which, truthfully, significantly predate and are the origin of later western theosophy) and number of spiritual threats, from oni to dragons to kaiju, ensured that even with fewer conflict and greater stability, the constant need for innovation kept China on pace during the 1700s and 1800s. Further, victory over European powers in the Opium War, coupled with a strong global demand for Chinese silks and other goods and the looming threat of a Sino-Japanese War has kept the Qing government strongly invested in military technology, and placed their agents, allied merchants, and envoys in most major cities around the world—many carrying advanced flame weapons for self-defense.

The first flame-projecting weapons were double-piston pump naphtha flamethrowers used in 919 AD in China, known as pen huo qi or “spray fire devices.” There were generally large and slow-operating, deployed on wheeled carts, but their benefit against enemies lacking energy weaponry is not to be dismissed, and while some supernatural threats are immune to fire, those that are not are often more easily burned than stabbed or shot by projectiles. The pen hou qi were replaced by smaller and smaller units, until the modern single-person portable flamethrower was developed by famed statesman, general, and Confucian scholar Zeng Guofan in the mid-1800s. Flame pistols and flame rifles drew the attention of numerous other world militaries, but were generally seen as oddities too volatile for field use until the War of the Worlds, when flamethrowers proved to be among the cheapest and most reliable mass-produced energy weapons. Germany has done the best job creating their own designs for modern flame weapons, but their models remain behind the Chinese dragon guns.

In North American, numerous forms of flamethrowers were rushed into production to equip military units in the War of the Worlds… and were then suddenly no longer in significant demand when the Martians died unexpectedly on their own. These surplus guns, mostly local reproductions of German designs, can generally be bought on civilian markets in larger cities. Even more often, flame weapons are often found in the hands of communities with large Chinese immigrant populations, often in camps of near-slave labor imported for building and expanding railroads (which remain a major priority for most North American governments fearing a second Martian invasion and unable to move troops and vehicles quickly across their sprawling continent) and in major cities with trade ties, especially on the West Coast. Many small Chinese weaponworks shops have popped up to supply their superior designs of flame weapons, sometimes only to those of Chinese decent, but in other cases to anyone with the credits to pay for one in advance.

Table Small arms
One-Handed Weapons
Level   Price        Damage        Range    Critical             Capacity          Usage    Bulk  Special

Flame

Flammenpistole
1          90             1d3 F            30 ft.      Burn 1d6        20 petrol        5             L        —

Haoxian dragon pistol
2          450           1d4 F            20 ft.      Burn 1d4        20 petrol        4             L        Line, unwieldy

Flammenschwert
3          1,100*     1d6 F            30 ft.      Burn 1d6        20 petrol        5             L        —

Chaofeng dragon pistol
4          1,850*     1d6 F            20 ft.      Burn 1d6        20 petrol        4             L        Line, unwieldy

Suanmi dragon pistol
5          2,700*     2d4 F            20 ft.      Burn 2d4        20 petrol        4             L        Line, unwieldy

Yu dragon pistol
6          4,000*     2d4 F            30 ft.      Burn 2d4        40 petrol        4             L        Line, unwieldy

Zhayu dragon pistol
8          9,000*     2d6 F            20 ft.      Burn 2d4        40 petrol        4             L        Line, unwieldy

Yazhai dragon pistol
9          13,000*   2d6 F            30 ft.      Burn 2d6        40 petrol        4             L        Line, unwieldy

Zhurong god pistol
10        17,500*   2d8 F            30 ft.      Burn 2d6        40 petrol        4             L        Line, unwieldy

*Only 1,000 of this price can be covered in credits. The rest of the price must be covered using renown, as covered in the rules for Renown and Gear.

Table Longarms
Two-Handed Weapons
Level   Price        Damage        Range    Critical             Capacity          Usage    Bulk     Special

Flame

Flammengewehr
1          110           1d3 F            50 ft.      Burn 1d6        20 petrol        4             1        —

Haoxian dragon rifle
2          750           1d4 F            40 ft.      Burn 1d4        20 petrol        5             1        Line, unwieldy

Flammenlanze
3          1,300*     1d6 F            50 ft.      Burn 1d6        20 petrol        4             1        —

Chaofeng dragon rifle
4          1,900*     1d6 F            40 ft.      Burn 1d6        20 petrol        5             1        Line, unwieldy

Suanmi dragon rifle
5          2,800*     2d4 F            40 ft.      Burn 2d4        20 petrol        5             1        Line, unwieldy

Yu dragon rifle
6          4,100*     2d4 F            50 ft.      Burn 2d4        40 petrol        5             1        Line, unwieldy

Zhayu dragon rifle
8          9,100*     2d6 F            40 ft.      Burn 2d4        40 petrol        5             1        Line, unwieldy

Yazhai dragon rifle
9          13,150*   2d6 F            50 ft.      Burn 2d6        40 petrol        5             1        Line, unwieldy

Zhurong god rifle
10               17,800*     2d8 F          50 ft.           Burn 2d6   40 petrol   5                  1                  Line, unwieldy

Table Heavy Weapons
Two-Handed Weapons
Level   Price        Damage        Range    Critical             Capacity     Usage         Bulk            Special

Flame

Flammenkanone
1          110           1d3 F            15 ft.      Burn 1d6        20 petrol        5             2        Line

Haoxian dragon canon
2          750           1d4 F            20 ft.      Burn 1d4        20 petrol        10          2        Blast, unwieldy

Flammewaffe
3          1,300*     1d6 F            20 ft.      Burn 1d6        30 petrol        5             2        Line

Chaofeng dragon canon
4          1,900*     1d6 F            20 ft.      Burn 1d6        30 petrol        10          2        Blast, unwieldy

Suanmi dragon canon
5          2,800*     2d4 F            20 ft.      Burn 2d4        40 petrol        10          2        Blast, unwieldy

Yu dragon canon
6          4,100*     2d4 F            30 ft.      Burn 2d4        50 petrol        10          2        Blast, unwieldy

Zhayu dragon canon
8          9,100*     2d6 F            30 ft.      Burn 2d4        60 petrol        10          2        Blast, unwieldy

Yazhai dragon canon
9          13,150*   2d6 F            40 ft.      Burn 2d6        60 petrol        10          2        Blast, unwieldy

Zhurong god canon
10               17,800*     2d8 F          30 ft.           Burn 2d6   60 petrol   5                  10               2                  Blast, unwieldy

Also on Patreon!
Since my patrons make things like this possible, I like to post any extra thoughts I have outside of the core of an article over on my Patreon page, for their enjoyment. That material may get made public eventually, but it starts as patron-exclusive. In this case, I talked a little bit about what lead me to make the worldbuilding choices I did for flame weapons in Really Wild West, totally aside from any game mechanical considerations. I you want to support my blog writing and get some exclusive access to my notions, go check it out!