Gunslinger Feat and Flanking?


Rules Questions

Liberty's Edge

If a character has a revolver and is flanking with a fighter, and the guy with the revolver has the Gunslinger feat, does it still count as flanking? Like does the guy with the revolver get the bonus to attack and sneak attack damage if he has it?

Thanks ^_^


This is from the PRD:
"When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner."

You aren't making a melee attack with the revolver, and you don't threaten squares with it either. So, technically the foe isn't really flanked.

Edit: unless you are making a melee attack with the revolver, in which case the answer would appear to be yes.
Edit 2: In my opinion, a DM should rule this situation as he sees appropriate. The text of the flanking rules hasn't changed since 3.5, and I personally allowed ranged attacks to flank, if the target was flanked by two melee attackers. I know I am not the only DM to allow ranged flanking, but I'm fairly sure it has never been official rules.

Liberty's Edge

Dilvish the Danged wrote:

This is from the PRD:

"When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner."

You aren't making a melee attack with the revolver, and you don't threaten squares with it either. So, technically the foe isn't really flanked.

Edit: unless you are making a melee attack with the revolver, in which case the answer would appear to be yes.
Edit 2: In my opinion, a DM should rule this situation as he sees appropriate. The text of the flanking rules hasn't changed since 3.5, and I personally allowed ranged attacks to flank, if the target was flanked by two melee attackers. I know I am not the only DM to allow ranged flanking, but I'm fairly sure it has never been official rules.

Thanks. As a matter of fact I'm the DM for this one and plan to see this situation come up tomorrow at the game table. I've already done a few house rules already (for one ditching the rolling to see what happens to your gun if you miss on a 1 or a 2. The weapons are already weaker than a repeating crossbow which does the same stuff just with more range, damage, and critical as well as not auto missing on a 2 as well, I don't see why I need to add MORE crap to that thing >_>. Seriously, why would anyone over there learn how to make a gun if they can just pick up crossbows?)


I've had a copy of the campaign setting for months now, and I've never really read the firearms descriptions until now. I agree, the rules are wacky and gimp the usefulness of the weapons.

Liberty's Edge

Dilvish the Danged wrote:
I've had a copy of the campaign setting for months now, and I've never really read the firearms descriptions until now. I agree, the rules are wacky and gimp the usefulness of the weapons.

... all I can think is if some elves with bows show up, that nation is doomed.


Which book is that feat in? It sounds interesting.


Misery wrote:

If a character has a revolver and is flanking with a fighter, and the guy with the revolver has the Gunslinger feat, does it still count as flanking? Like does the guy with the revolver get the bonus to attack and sneak attack damage if he has it?

Thanks ^_^

Here's my 2cp.

If the gunslinger is in a flanking position he doesn't actually need to make a melee attack in order to be flanking, he only needs to threaten the opponent (with an unarmed attack or with his pistol butt, whitch would be an improvised weapon i guess).
He wouldn't get the +2 on attacks (applies only to melee attacks), but the opponent should lose his DEX bonus to ac since he is effectively flanked and the gunslinger would get his Sneak attacks.

In short; no to attack bonus, but yes to sneak attacks :)

Ps. The feat is in the Campaign guide.


As a DM I tend to apply the +2 att bonus for flanking, in circumstances that the rules don't actually allow (which I referred to as 'ranged flanking' in my first post). While I am much more conservative with allowing sneak attack damage to be applied - I actually try to stick to RAW for that.

The Op's scenario is an odd situation because a revolver is a projectile weapon, but while whacking someone with a bow doesn't seem threatening, and I can't see a bow armed character threatening a square, whacking somene with a pistol butt makes sense, and I can easily see the gunslinger as threatening a square.

I think that Montana 77 got it right - except for the part about losing Dex bonus (which is wrong, flanked opponents don't lose their dex bonus but can be sneak attacked anyhow because it's in the sneak attack description)- and that the most correct interpretation of the rules is that the Gunslinger should probably do sneak attack, but not get the +2 bonus.

@QOShea- the Gunslinger feat and the firearm rules are in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting, the feat is in the write up for Alkenstar.


@Dilvish the Danged
You're absolutely correct, a temporary slip of the mind on my part.
You don't lose DEX bonus when flanked, don't know what i was thinking.

As for whacking someone with a bow; The elvencraft bow from "Races of the wild" lets you threaten an ajacent foe since it lets you change between ranged and melee in the same round (RotW page 166).
It's not Pathfinder but since Pathfinder is backwards compatible i would probably allow it.


I probably shouldn't have pounced on you for typing that like I did, but your post seemed like such a great analysis of the situation, except for that one little bit.

Sovereign Court

Sweet! check this out:

"The silver bullets are surprisingly hard, and even after impacting solid surfaces, there's very little deformation. I'm glad we got these sized properly prior to shooting them, because they're harder than we'd hoped. The ideal hunting round flattens on impact, forming a mushroom shape that limits penetration depth and increases the diameter of the wound. Unless we really slow them down or find some way to address the issue, these are going to create a .44 caliber hole right through the target. It's not what we'd hoped for, but it's something that the itenerate werewolf-hunter should be aware of."

http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/silver/silverbullet14.shtml

...and:

"I decided to drill the hole the same but use my Dremel to grind out a ring in the base and several small grooves in the hole wall. I poured five more and went back to the range again with more homemade gelatine. These did much better as far as keeping their shape for longer and averaged between 4-5 inches of penetration before separation. These cycled well and I did not have any cycle issues with any of the bullets that were filled in with silver. Unfortunately I do not have any ballistic data as I did not have access to a speed trap at the time. However my goal was to make a semi auto round that was still reliable and used silver as a component. These rounds met that goal and and if a werewolf ever comes to visit I can sleep better at night knowing I wont be left wanting."

http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/silver/hollowpoint.shtml

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Gunslinger Feat and Flanking? All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.