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Title is self-explaining.
Obvious title is obvious.
Hope you'll like it !
Gunmage
Adepts of both blackpowder and explosive magic, gunmages blend the marksmanship of gunslingers with the magus's mastery of magic.
Weapon Proficiency
A gunmage only gains proficiency with one-handed firearms.
Gunsmith
At 1st level, a gunmage gains the Gunsmithing feat as a bonus feat. He also gains a battered weapon identical to the one gained by the Gunslinger ; and must choose a pistol.
This ability replaces cantrips, but the pistomage gains the detect magic and read magic cantrips and places them in his spellbook. He can cast either of these as 1st-level spells.
Ranged Spell Combat (Ex)
At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield his firearm at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a pistol in the other hand. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his ranged weapon at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively, he can decide to take an additional penalty on his attack rolls, up to his Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on his concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.
This ability replaces spell combat.
Bullet Bond
At 1st level, a gunmage chooses wether he wishes to later bond with the battered firearm he gains at first level or not. If he decides to do so, he follows the rules of the bladebound magus, using his firearm instead of a one-handed melee weapon as his black blade ; if he doesn't choose to do so, he doesn't suffer any drawbacks nor benefits of the bladebound archetype.
Ranged Spellstrike (Su)
At 2nd level, a gunmage can use spellstrike to cast a single-target touch attack ranged spell and deliver it through a ranged firearm attack. Even if the spell can normally affect multiple targets, only a single missile, ray, or effect accompanies the attack. At 9th level, a gunmage using a multiple-target spell with this ability may deliver one ray or line of effect with each attack when using a full-attack action, up to the maximum allowed by the spell (in the case of ray effects). Any effects not used in the round the spell is cast are lost.
This ability replaces spellstrike and the magus arcana gained at 9th level.
Reach Spells (Ex)
At 4th level, a gunmage can deliver spells that feature a melee touch attack as if they required a ranged touch attack. These spells can be used with the ranged spellstrike class feature.
This ability replaces spell recall.
Pistol Training (Ex)
At 7th level, the gunmage gains a bonus on one-handed firearms damage rolls equal to his Dexterity modifier, and when he misfires with a one-handed firearm, the misfire value increases by 2 instead of 4. At 13th level, a gunmage never misfires with a one-handed firearm.
This ability replaces medium armor and heavy armor.
Magus Arcana: The following magus arcana complement the gunmage archetype: accurate strike, arcane edge, lingering pain, lucky strike, precise prowess, spell shield.
I do not think that many of their spells should have a free metamagic feat applied to them. I would limit Reach Spell some.
How does reloading during Spell Combat work?
Are there gun-related spells the Magus doesn't already get? What about Reloading Hands? Is that intended to be the first spell you cast of around, with spell combat?
Should they be able to use up a spell to stop a misfire?
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Well, their spellcasting is somewhat a bit more limited than another magus with the loss of cantrips, and the reduced spell recall ; also they don't get the high save DCs to their spells a gunmage can count on.
More than any other magus, they rely heavily on their weapon, and there already exists a magus arcana working like an all-day Reach Spell, but the opposite way : Close Range. I could see how a limitation/day would be reasonable though.
I'm not sure what the first part was referring to.
But Close Range is vastly different from Reach Spell ability. A ranged touch that's suddenly just a touch is fine. A little weak, even, but it means it works with spellcombat / strike.
A touch spell that is suddenly ranged touch isn't balanced anymore, since a lot of the nasty touch spells are somewhat balanced by the fact that you have to be next to the baddy. High risk, high rewards, I suppose.
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How does reloading during Spell Combat work?
If you may reload a pistol as a free action, you can do it at any time when needed. Otherwise, it's one shot and one spell, or simply a spellstrike ; then it works as normal, and you must take the time to reload. I don't really get the question, should there be an exception ?
Are there gun-related spells the Magus doesn't already get?
Mmh... There, indeed, are. I curse my lack of attention, especially for something as evident than "can my casting class using pistols cast all spells affecting pistols, you stupid ?".
*Note to myself : never post something again while looking at a hundred srd pages and speaking with a fellow player via Skype.*
What about Reloading Hands? Is that intended to be the first spell you cast of around, with spell combat?
Well, why not ? At the same level, the gunmage is already casting nastier things. Making reloading easier isn't too much IMHO.
Should they be able to use up a spell to stop a misfire?
They have a first level spell to deal with broken weapons and some firearm-oriented magic goodies to deal with any potential misfire from low-to-mid level, so I don't know if they really should.
But Close Range is vastly different from Reach Spell ability. A ranged touch that's suddenly just a touch is fine. A little weak, even, but it means it works with spellcombat / strike.
A touch spell that is suddenly ranged touch isn't balanced anymore, since a lot of the nasty touch spells are somewhat balanced by the fact that you have to be next to the baddy. High risk, high rewards, I suppose.
A valid point again. Guess I'll just give the Reach Spell metamagic feat for free, and allow to apply it without augmenting the effective level of the spell by spending arcane points ("equal to the level of the spell intended to be augmented", maybe... so, 2 arcane points to Reach an Intensified Shocking Grasp...).
I was mostly wondering if you had considered the at-most-without-alchemical-cartridges-a-move-action aspect of reloading.
Most of my questions were just seeing if you had considered something. Wasn't really passing judgement on anything.
The change to Reach Spell ability sounds good.
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I was mostly wondering if you had considered the at-most-without-alchemical-cartridges-a-move-action aspect of reloading.
Most of my questions were just seeing if you had considered something. Wasn't really passing judgement on anything.
The change to Reach Spell ability sounds good.
Well, doing spellstrikes with a weapon hitting touch AC is good enough that I may see a magus spending his move action to reload his weapon if he didn't invest money or spells in it ; but you raised some more-than-obvious-and-valuable points here that I either forgot about, or overshadowed while building the archetype.
I'll see this later, that's rookie-level mistakes in this writting and I should have seen them before posting.|
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Revised archetype following.
The gunmage should be way more playable now.
Hope you'll like it !
Gunmage
Adepts of both blackpowder and explosive magic, some maguses aren't content with the patience and risks involved in becoming spellslingers. Such maguses favoring versatility with guns and martial prowesses over arcane knowledge are called gunmages, pistol wielders blending the marksmanship of gunslingers with the magus's mastery of magic.
Weapon Proficiency
A gunmage only gains proficiency with one-handed firearms.
Gunsmith
At 1st level, a gunmage gains the Gunsmithing feat as a bonus feat.
He also gains a battered weapon identical to the one gained by the Gunslinger ; this weapon must be a pistol.
This ability replaces cantrips, but the pistomage gains the detect magic and read magic cantrips and places them in his spellbook. He can cast either of these as 1st-level spells.
Firearm Caster
A gunmage adds the following list of spells to his class spell list. He must still select or discover them as normal before adding them to his spellbook :
1st-Level Spells
Peacebond
Abundant Ammunition
Air Bubble
Weaken Powder
2nd-Level Spells
Bullet Shield
Magic Siege Engine
Ricochet Shot
Destabilize Powder
Recoil Fire
Stabilize Powder
Thunder Fire
3rd-Level Spells
Flash Fire
Touch Injection
4th-Level Spells
Named Bullet
Hostile Juxtaposition
5th-Level Spells
Greater Magic Siege Engine
6th-Level Spells
Greater Named Bullet
Greater Hostile Juxtaposition
Ranged Spell Combat (Ex)
At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield his firearm at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the light off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a pistol in the other hand. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his ranged weapon at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively, he can decide to take an additional penalty on his attack rolls, up to his Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on his concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.
This ability replaces spell combat.
Bullet Bond
At 1st level, a gunmage chooses wether he wishes to later bond with the battered firearm he gains at first level or not. If he decides to do so, he follows the rules of the bladebound magus, using his firearm instead of a one-handed melee weapon as his black blade ; if he doesn't choose to do so, he doesn't suffer any drawbacks nor benefits of the bladebound archetype.
Ranged Spellstrike (Su)
At 2nd level, a gunmage can use spellstrike to cast a single-target touch attack ranged spell and deliver it through a ranged firearm attack. Even if the spell can normally affect multiple targets, only a single missile, ray, or effect accompanies the attack. At 9th level, a gunmage using a multiple-target spell with this ability may deliver one ray or line of effect with each attack when using a full-attack action, up to the maximum allowed by the spell (in the case of ray effects). Any effects not used in the round the spell is cast are lost.
This ability replaces spellstrike and the magus arcana gained at 9th level.
Reach Spells (Ex)
At 4th level, a gunmage gains the Reach Spell metamagic feat.
In addition, he may apply this feat to any spell he prepares in the morning without increasing the level of the spell, by spending an amount of arcane points equal to the level of the spell (after application of any effect increasing the level of the spell, if necessary).
This ability replaces spell recall.
Pistol Training (Ex)
At 7th level, the gunmage gains a bonus on one-handed firearms damage rolls equal to his Dexterity modifier, and when he misfires with a one-handed firearm, the misfire value increases by 2 instead of 4. At 13th level, a gunmage never misfires with a one-handed firearm.
This ability replaces medium armor and heavy armor.
Magus Arcana: The following magus arcana complement the gunmage archetype: accurate strike, arcane edge, lingering pain, lucky strike, precise prowess, spell shield.
Like the oldschools, they get one free spell at each level, that can only be used on guns. Mending, magic weapon, make whole, ect. Class weapons are guns.
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Like the oldschools, they get one free spell at each level, that can only be used on guns. Mending, magic weapon, make whole, ect. Class weapons are guns.
Is that a Haiku ? :D
The class already gets the equivalent of mending/make whole and magic weapon : Gunsmithing to craft and repair, Jury-Rig and Stabilize Powder or immunity to misfires at later levels, Arcane Pool... and even a pistol black-blade if needed, at the cost of a reduced arcane pool + your 3rd level arcana, and at the same time a reduced access to arcanas since you only get the Magus Arcana class feature at level 6. Before this, you couldn't select the Extra Arcana feat.