The Planeslinger - A Gunslinger / Summoner Hybrid Class


Homebrew and House Rules


For lack of a better name, I humbly present to you all...

Planeslinger
There is no deity of firearms, yet. Several variations of the same prophecy foretell a being who will “unite the planes in the chambers of their weapon and blow forth their power through a great barrel of steel”. All planeslingers posses the mysterious talent of conjuring tiny pieces from the various planes and forming the particles into powerful ammunition for their guns. Most know of the prophecy, but their varied interpretations of it cause fierce debates. Some believe that all planeslingers who meet must duel to the death until only one (the “true” gun god) remains. Some believe that the gun god is only a figurative personification of the class as a whole. Whatever the case, planeslingers are a cosmic enigma both on a collective and individual level, each one seeking out their own purpose in the multiverse.

Role: Supernatural Ranged Attacker.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

BAB: Good

Fort Save: poor

Reflex and Will Saves: good

Alternate Classes: Gunslinger and Summoner

Starting Wealth: 4d6 x 10 gp (average gp) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less, and the planeslinger begins with her starting firearm.

Class Skills
The planeslinger’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis),Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex),Sleight of Hand (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features
The following are class features of the planeslinger.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: planeslingers are proficient with all simple and with all firearms. They are proficient with all light armor.

Gunsmith
At 1st level, a planeslinger gains one of the following firearms of her choice: blunderbuss, musket, or pistol. Her starting weapon is battered, and only she knows how to use it properly. All other creatures treat her gun as if it had the broken condition. If the weapon already has the broken condition, it does not work at all for anyone else trying to use it. This starting weapon can only be sold for scrap (it’s worth 4d10 gp when sold). The planeslinger also gains Gunsmithing as a bonus feat.

Conjure Planar Grit (Su)
Starting at 1st level, the planeslinger call forth the components she needs to create ammunition inside her firearm. These components are referred to as "planar grit". As a free action she can cause the round to appear and form just before firing it. She can do this the same number of times per round as she has attacks. Regardless of the type of firearm, the damage is 1d6 plus an additional 1d6 for every four levels thereafter (though you still use the firearm's crit multiplier). At first level, she can create normal ammunition and counts as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 4th level, she can draw from different planes and change the round's damage type to an element (fire, cold, acid, or electricity). At 8th level, she may choose axiomatic, anarchic, holy, or unholy energy, as long as it fits her alignment. Regardless of alignment, only two can be chosen. At 12th level, she can compose planar grit to form merciful or bane ammunition, both dealing an additional 1d6 or 2d6 respectively. At 16th level she may compose rounds of pure positive or negative energy. Creatures damaged or healed by this energy receive no save to halve damage. At 20th level, the planeslinger can compose planar grit energy that fits no description, and bypasses any and all damage reduction and resistances. The planeslinger can conjure planar grit a number of times per day equal to 3 + their Cha bonus. If a round of planar grit is not fired in the same round it was conjured, it disappears and the use is wasted.

Banishing Bullets (Su)
At first level, the planeslinger can infuse a round of firearm ammunition with some of her power. If the round does damage to an outsider, the round banishes a small piece of that outsider back to its home plane. This violent planar separation deals the outsider damage equal to the planeslinger's Cha bonus. This damage is multiplied on a critical hit.

Nimble (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, a planeslinger gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC while wearing light or no armor. Anything that causes the planeslinger to lose her Dexterity bonus to AC also causes the planeslinger to lose this dodge bonus. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 2nd level (to a maximum of +5 at 20th level).

Doorways (Su)
Starting at 2nd level, the planeslinger gains a queer affinity for doors and portals that even she can't fully comprehend. She may cast open/close at will as a spell-like ability. At 6th level, she can cast dimension door once per day using any manufactured doorway. At 9th level, she can cast teleport once per day, but it must be through two manufactured portals. At 12th level, she can use greater teleport in place of teleport. At 20th level, she can cast gate once per week by opening a door and shooting a bullet through the doorway, effectively tearing a rift to the Great Beyond. The planeslinger uses her planeslinger level as her caster level for these spells. These spell-like abilities are Charisma-based.

Life Link (Su)
Starting at 1st level, a planeslinger forms a close bond with firearms. Whenever a firearm she is wielding takes enough damage to gain the broken condition, the planeslinger can sacrifice any number of hit points. Each hit point sacrificed in this way prevents 1 point of damage done to the firearm. This can prevent the firearm from being broken or destroyed.

Bond Senses (Su)
Starting at 2nd level, a summoner can, as a standard action, sense her surroundings through a firearm she is wielding, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything the firearm does as if it were a living thing. He can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to his planeslinger level. The planeslinger can end this effect as a free action.

Shield Wielder (Ex)
At 4th level, whenever a planeslinger fires a round of planar grit ammunition, the planeslinger receives a +2 shield bonus to his Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus on her saving throws until the start of her next turn. This bonus does not apply if the planeslinger is grappled, helpless,paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious.

Wielder’s Call (Su)
At 6th level, as a standard action, a summoner can call an unattended firearm to his side. This functions as dimension door, using the planeslinger’s level as her caster level. When used, the firearm appears in the planeslinger's hand (or on her person if both her hands are full). If the firearm is out of range, the ability is wasted. The planeslinger can use this ability once per day at 6th level, plus one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 6th.

Transpose Firearm (Su)
At 8th level, a summoner can use his maker’s call ability to switch out a firearm on his person and a firearm he is wielding as a shift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Aspect of the Gun (Su)
At 10th level, a planeslinger expend 2 uses of planar grit to merge her trigger hand with her firearm. In this state she cannot be disarmed of her firearm, damage dealt by the firearm's ammunition deal additional damage equal to the planeslinger's Dex bonus, and the firearm cannot misfire. This last for 24 hrs, or until the planeslinger gets 8 hrs of rest.

Greater Shield Wielder (Su)
At 12th level, whenever the planeslinger is adjacent to an ally, the ally receives a +2 shield bonus to its Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus on its saving throws whenever the wielder fires a round of planar grit ammunition. If the planeslinger stands alone with no adjacent allies, these bonuses increase to +4 for her. This bonus does not apply if the planeslinger is grappled, helpless, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious.

Life Bond (Su)
At 14th level, a planeslinger’s life becomes linked to the firearm she wields. As long as the firearm has 1 or more hit points, the planeslinger is protected from harm. Damage in excess of that which would reduce the planeslinger to fewer than 0 hit points is instead transferred to the firearm. This damage is transferred 1 point at a time, meaning that as soon as the firearm is reduced to zero hit points, all excess damage remains with the planeslinger.
If the firearm ceases to function, so does this ability.

Merge Forms (Su)
At 16th level, as a full-round action, a planeslinger can touch his firearm and the two can merge forms, becoming a Cannon Golem (see Bestiary 3 page 135). This transformation includes all of the planeslinger’s gear. While merged in this way, the planeslinger retains his feats and Intelligence score, but otherwise trades all her class skills and abilities for that of the golem.
The planeslinger can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to his planeslinger level. He can end this effect at any time as a swift action.

Greater Aspect of the Gun (Su)
At 18th level, when using aspect of the gun a planeslinger can expend 2 additional uses of her planar grit ability to increase the damage dice of her merged firearm by one die step.

Twin of the Gun (Su)
Upon reaching 20th level, the planeslinger absorbs the qualities of firearms, partially becoming a construct-like being (although her type does not change). She gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against disease, mind-affecting effects, poison, and effects that cause either exhaustion or fatigue. She no longer needs to breathe, eat, or sleep unless she desires to.


The two most banned classes I know combined into one. I like it. I see some potential problems with Life Bond, such as Planeslingers decking themselves out with guns for ablative hitpoints. I think there should be some binding process that only makes this applicable to one firearm at a time.

Other than that, I really like it, very unique and interesting flavor it creates.


Threeshades wrote:

The two most banned classes I know combined into one. I like it. I see some potential problems with Life Bond, such as Planeslingers decking themselves out with guns for ablative hitpoints. I think there should be some binding process that only makes this applicable to one firearm at a time.

Other than that, I really like it, very unique and interesting flavor it creates.

Life Bond (Su)

At 14th level, a planeslinger’s life becomes linked to the firearm she wields. As long as the firearm has 1 or more hit points, the planeslinger is protected from harm. Damage in excess of that which would reduce the planeslinger to fewer than 0 hit points is instead transferred to the firearm. This damage is transferred 1 point at a time, meaning that as soon as the firearm is reduced to zero hit points, all excess damage remains with the planeslinger.
If the firearm ceases to function, so does this ability. The planeslinger can use this ability with only one firearm per day.

Thanks for the feedback, Threeshades. Is this better ^^^ ?

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16

The abilities are disorganized. You should list the abilities based on what level the planeslinger gets them.
A few abilities, like Transpose Firearm and Weilder's Call refer to the class as "summoner."

Planar Grit: The flavor of this ability seems rather cool, but the mechanics just feel sloppy. The scaling isn't that great, and you just keep piling on extra damage dice and effects that it's difficult to figure out exactly what the bullets do.

Doorways: She shouldn't be able to cast dimension door at 6th level and teleport at 9th, and greater teleport at 12th. No class should be getting these abilities before the wizard does.

Bond Senses: Exactly what does this do? I don't see the point of it.

Wielder's Call: So, wait, he can use this on ANY unattended firearm in long range? A planeslinger can essentially steal from gun merchants without any risk to himself and without anyone noticing? Or steal a bad guy's firearm before a fight has started?

Life Bond: You need to use Damaging Objects rules when you write this ability. A firearm "ceasing to function" is very vague. It's a neat ability, but the gunslinger should be able to choose if they want to do this or not. At this level, some players would prefer their character get killed and then raised rather than have their weapon become destroyed. Also, what happens if the weapon had misfired?

Merge Forms: Merging yourself and your gun into some kind of powerful being is rather cool, but this ability feels out of line. Pathfinder very specifically changed all polymorph spells to eliminate the mechanical mess they made in 3.5e. This ability throws that endeavor out the window.

You have a cool premise, but I'm honestly a little disappointed. I was expecting a lot more fun planar abilities triggered by shooting things. Like, the planeslinger shoots the ground and conjures a monster where he fired.
-Or an ability where he fired at a distant wall and instantly teleported adjacent to it.
-Or maybe he fires on someone and it creates a rift around them with altered gravity.
-Or maybe he could fires on someone and makes them teleport a short distance away.
-Or maybe he could have a capstone ability where he banishes someone to the astral plane.
-Or have the ability to grant his bullets the phase locking property.
-Or maybe he could cause a bullet to phase through a single solid object to hit something on the other side.
-Or shooting a wall creates an extradimensional pit or a temporary hole in a wall.

Overall, many of the mechanics feel ill-inspired and sloppy. And aside from the abilities that are out of line, the class feels fairly weak overall.


Cyrad, this is all excellent feedback. I appreciate your brutal honesty and your ideas. I personally was not satisfied with this homebrew, but put it out for the heck of it. I am grateful for your input.

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