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So I was reading since a long time that there was actually no way to build a real swashbuckler, the kind with a daring attitude, impressive moves, a big mouth, sword-and-pistol dancing, and before everything else... a full BAB allowing him to prove it's (a bit overestimated) worth to the world.
On the other hand, I saw people asking for a melee class using the grit mechanisms to do impressive things with melee weapons, instead of only cumulating bonuses to hit here and here like a fighter. I decided to mix the two, as I know a friend who will probably just love it.
Please behold, ladies and gentlemen, the epithome of sword-and-pistol fighting... the Swashbuckler !
Most gunslingers take pride in becoming the best triggers of their country. Shooting at a reasonable distance of danger is also for them the best way to stay alive long enough for bards to tell their legend. Some gunslingers, on the other hand, believe that legends don't write themselves by hiding behind an attitude, and become dashing tornadoes wielding pistols and swords to go toe to toe against their foes. These gunslingers are called swashbucklers. While they lack the flexibility and security of their pairs, their skill at shooting at close range is feared by all, and their swordplay is only second to their brashness when it comes to seduce ladies and fluster enemies.
Weapon Proficiency
A swashbuckler only gains proficiency with one-handed firearms, rapiers, sword canes and whips. She must take Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearm) to gain proficiency with two-handed firearms and firearm siege engines.
Gunsmith
A swashbuckler must take a pistol when she chooses a battered firearm at 1st level.
Grit (Ex)
A swashbuckler is a force to be reckoned with. Instead of using her Wisdom to determine the number of grit points she gains at the start of each day, she uses Charisma. This ability works in all other ways like the Gunslinger’s grit class feature.
Furthermore, when the swashbuckler rolls a 20 or lands a killing blow with any melee weapon she is proficient with, she regains grit as if using a firearm.
Deeds :
A swashbuckler swaps or changes several deeds for the following.
Couldn't-Care-Less (Ex)
At 1st level, the swashbuckler is already adept at using one-handed firearms in melee against every odds. Once per combat as a swift action, the swashbuckler can choose one target within sight against which she will not provoke attacks of opportunity when shooting or reloading a firearm. This effect remains until the target is dead or the fight is over. If needed, she can spend 1 grit point to choose another target against which she will not provoke when shooting or reloading a firearm during one round.
Furthermore, she doesn't suffer any penalty to attack or damage for using a broken firearm ; the misfire range still increases as normal and the weapon can explode. This deed works as long as the swashbuckler has at least one grit point left.
This deed replaces the deadeye deed.
Please Don't Interrupt Me (Ex)
At 1st level, the swashbuckler is able to avoid attacks with an uncanny luck and to retaliate against those who offended him. When an attack is made against the gunslinger, she can spend 1 grit point as an immediate action to gain a +1 luck bonus to AC against the triggering attack and perform an attack of opportunity against the enemy once the triggering attack is resolved. This riposte is made at their best BAB with a -5 penalty to attack. The gunslinger can only perform this deed while wearing light or no armor, and while carrying no more than a light load.
This deed replaces the gunslinger's dodge deed.
Come Closer (Ex)
At 7th level, the gunslinger can dare an enemy using ranged weapons to come and fight. As long as the gunslinger is wielding a melee weapon, she can spend 1 grit point when she would normally be hit with an attack from a ranged weapon to deflect it so that she takes no damage from it. The gunslinger must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Attempting to deflect a ranged attack doesn't count as an action. Unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts) and ranged attacks generated by natural attacks or spell effects can't be deflected. The cost of using this deed cannot be reduced with the Signature Deed feat, the true grit class feature, or any similar effect.
This deed replaces the startling shot deed.
Blazzing Assault (Ex)
At 11th level, the gunslinger can quickly close distance with a foe by drowning it under a hail of bullets, before finishing it with a mortal blow. The gunslinger can spend 1 grit point to shoot with her firearm during a charge and finish with a melee attack. She must have a melee weapon in hand when she begins the charge, or be able to draw the weapon as a free action to use this deed. During a blazzing assault, the gunslinger can shoot her firearm each time she moves as least 10' in a straight line, up to a maximum of attacks equal to her firearm capacity or her normal full-attack limit with her main weapon, whichever comes first. Thus, a gunslinger moving 20' could for example shoot two times, once with a pistol which she drops when she reaches 10', and a second time with another pistol drawed as a free action with the Quick Draw feat when reaching 20'. This charge and these attacks provoke as normal. The final melee attack is made as an off-hand attack, at full BAB. While charging this way, instead of the normal bonuses and penalties of a charge, the gunslinger takes a -4 penalty to all firearm attacks, in top of the normal two-weapon fighting penalties and any applicable maluses like Rapid Shot, cover, firing two barrels at once, etc. Charging gives the gunslinger a -2 penalty to AC. Because of the shock, anyone hit by a firearm attack made with this deed suffers a cumulative -1 penalty to AC against the gunslinger's melee attack and on attacks of opportunity made against the gunslinger until the end of her round.
This deed replaces the startling shot deed.
Sword and Pistol Training (Ex)
Starting at 5th level, a swashbuckler increases her skill with one-handed firearms and melee weapons. She gains a +1 bonus to melee attacks when holding a one-handed firearm. She also gets a bonus on one-handed firearm damage rolls equal to her Dexterity modifier. Every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th), the bonus on attack and damage rolls increases by +1. At level 13, she can use the full critical range of her melee weapons for regaining grit, and the misfire penalty of one-handed firearms increases by 2 instead of 4.
Open to all suggestions, words of love and hate ! :)
(Suggested feats : Opening Volley, Weapon Finesse, Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Snap Shot tree.)
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I'm glad you like it ! Outside of flavor and the ability to not having to wait a lot of levels to start doing cool things, balance is a big concern for me too, and I prefer an archetype to be a bit less powerful/versatile than more in comparison to the original.
Here, shooting from far away and being able to avoid bullets is traded for a more hot-blooded way of dealing with a situation : shooting first and asking questions later. Note that you will need to spend a lot of grit if you want to safely do most of the deeds, like Please Don't Interrupt Me that you technically can do only once per round, and during which you still provoke if you don't spend additional points to be safe against specific enemies if you attempt the opportunity with your pistol.
Same for Come Closer, which allows you to avoid/deflect projectiles for 1 grit point each... except at level 7, most archers will attack 3 times a round, 4 times when hasted (manyshot arrows are both deflected at the same time and thus count as one attack here), and you probably don't have a truck full of grit points behind you.
I was wondering if one or two free feats couldn't be more than welcomed since this archetype is way more feat-heavy than the original gunslinger... and THIS pretty much resumes everything.
Maybe as a deed needing ad least one grit point in place of Quick Clear ; or the attack bonuses from Gun training.
I forgot about the skills :
Remove Heal (Wis) and Survival (Wis) from class skills ; add Appraise (Int) and Diplomacy (Cha). Swashbucklers don't heal themselves with anything more than booze and women, and sure know a shining beauty when they see one.
And add to suggested feats :
Two-weapon Fighting chain. (Maybe I'l make this free as a first level deed so it doesn't hurt too much to multiclass in Pirate for those aspiring buccaneers out there. You're not gonna kick asses like a greataxe barbarian, but you're not gonna suck so much it isn't fun, and you'll be awesome.)
Super Genius Games really beat you to the punch in Ultimate Options: Grit and Gunslingers. they have a swashbuckling alternate Gunslinger called the Fusilier. It feels like the 3 Musketeers.
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Super Genius Games really beat you to the punch in Ultimate Options: Grit and Gunslingers. they have a swashbuckling alternate Gunslinger called the Fusilier. It feels like the 3 Musketeers.
I don't know if I'm being compared to SGG as more than a fly-against-Godzilla metaphor, but I'm glad you found a swashbuckling option which suits you. I didn't know about this supplement ! Even if I never intend to write something crappy from the beginning, I think you'll always be best served by buying additional rules from professional designers - especially SGG, from what I heard. :)
My attempt was more inclined to give a free alternative to people who would like it, or to get suggestions so they would actually want to play it.
Dotting for future reference. Like what I see, though. Very fun.
...Catch Phrase
-Chris