I apologize in advance for the enormous wall of text. There will be a brief TL;DR for firearms, as well as for the musketeer.
Foreword: One of the key ideas of this post involves a very different implementation of firearms, off of which everything is based. I ask that people take it at face value and consider what is being posted separately from how the gunslinger and firearms have been implemented in 1e. There are other threads discussing how firearms could be implemented elsewhere in the forums. Thanks :)
Early Firearms TL;DR: In order to make guns unique from other weapons, they could be designed to be used in a manner that is similar to focus spells rather than normal ranged weapons--essentially, longer reload and much higher damage could allow somebody to save their weapons for a pivotal moment in combat, or they could spend time to reload to prepare to deliver another devastating volley.
Musketeer TL;DR: Taking cues from the Gunslinger and Swashbuckler, the Musketeer would be a class that would allow a player to specialize in firearms and melee combat. Depending on the Musketeers' Creed, you could seek to perfect sharpshooting with powerful rifles, going into combat with pistol and sword, or balancing the two by using rifles as an opener before charging into combat and engaging the enemy in melee. They would be balanced around the incredible damage of firearms, turning the tide of combat with powerful attacks.
And now for the big post:
The reality of firearms-- the implementation of firearms into the game must not break the math or assumed balance of the game. Because of this, there will have to be elements on firearms that are added or taken away so that they feel unique but are not JUST an inherently better weapon (firearms are one of the areas where it is easiest to imagine feature/power creep). To bound the ability of firearms, let’s start with two ridiculous extremes: modern day firearms and the very first crudely developed gunpowder weapons. In a world with swords and magic, slinging an automatic weapon that is extremely precise and deadly would be silly, and would exist entirely out of line with the rest of the P2e experience. Similarly, it would not be enjoyable to have a firearm that is wildly inaccurate and takes over a minute to reload (or longer than 10 full rounds of combat, for in game terms). I am bounding the rest of this post within the scope of firearms that could exist in a world of swords and magic without breaking the game.
So, with these two bounds in mind, firearms would need to be balanced in this space. I do not know the math behind the expected damage targets for each class and combat style, but it is safe to assume that there is some sort of expected Damage per Round (DPR) range at a given level. This can be accomplished by having many smaller attacks or fewer large attacks hitting the target. Based on this principle, the faster you can *successfully* attack with a weapon, the less damage it can do for the purposes of game balance--this is an immutable fact, because deviating from this concept would make one weapon choice clearly superior and would negate many different weapon options. Different weapons will excel in different spaces (something that weapon traits with help a lot), but at the end of the day new weapons cannot be vastly superior in concept and execution.
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Assuming now that we implement firearms with high reload, we can map their damage to this expected DPR. For the purposes of balance, a quick firing firearm would need to do less damage, but a firearm with a long reload could be allowed to do greater damage. This balance can work in favor of firearms -- a unique implementation would trade-off a larger delay between successful hits for significantly higher damage on a hit. A non unique implementation would give firearms a short reload time, which would in turn bring them into the same DPR range as current martial and exotic ranged weapons with regards to DPR from *successful* hits-- this would wholly negate the unique space that a firearm could build into.
If we intend to map the performance of early firearms, they would likely require a few rounds to reload. Speaking purely from a design perspective, this means that they could be allowed to deliver high damage, which also plays into the notion that a firearm is a unique and different tool of destruction than other ranged weapons
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Now we see a weapon that shares some design analogues with Focus Spells, which are used infrequently in a given combat but have the ability to be used all day long. Without putting artificial limits on the use of firearms, they could be used as a powerful opener in a fight, or saved for a crucial moment to turn the tide of battle. A high reload leaves space for a specialist class to gain the ability to shorten the time between shots, carving out a unique space for a PC that wanted to feel like a lethal sniper or a daring duelist.
This design leaves several paths for improvement when designing a class, where the player can decide between preparing another deadly volley or pressing the gap and continuing the fight in melee while their foes are reeling. To speak in regards to focus spells, the developers have stated that the power of said spells would need to be reduced significantly if they were able to be used much more frequently. Having access to an excess of Focus Points would mean that they would have to be realigned with the expected DPR of a Players Character. It is for this reason that I see a clear analogue of successful implementation of Firearms. Excessive usage per round would force them to move in line with existing weapons.
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With everything discussed above, we can now move on to build an example weapon:
Flintlock Pistol: 1d6 piercing, range 20, Reload 4, Shortarm
Flintlock Rifle: 1d10 piercing, range 50, Reload 10, Longarm
Lead shot: Projectile 15
Steel shot: Puncturing Projectile 10
Lead Hollow shot: Shattering Projectile 20
[/b]Shortarm[/b]: This firearm deals additional damage equal to the loaded ammos Projectile value
Longarm: This firearm deals additional damage equal to twice the loaded ammos Projectile value
Projectile: Projectile always includes a value. If the firearms normal damage penetrates Resistances and Hardness, they take additional damage equal to ammos Projectile value. Projectile damage is always doubled on a Critical Hit.
Puncturing Projectile: As Projectile, but the ammunition deals its Projectile damage after accounting for Resistances and Hardness. (If the original projectile damage would be applied through Resistances or Hardness, these instances of Projectile damage stack and the projectile damage would be applied twice).
Shattering Projectile: As Projectile, but the ammos Projectile damage is also reduced by double the amount of any Resistances and Hardness.
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The values above are an example intended to show a possible pistol and ammo combination, and don’t fall in line with what the DPR might need to be in order to balance a weapon with such a reload time. Different types of ammo could be made available (through rarity), and these types of ammo could be used to modify the way the pistol interacts with the target. Hollow shot can be devastating to unprotected targets, while puncturing shot would be a way to guarantee damage to a heavily armored target.
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The Musketeer
Key Ability: Strength, Dexterity, or Charisma
Hit Points: 10 plus your Constitution modifier
Initial Proficiencies:
Perception: Expert in Perception
Trained in Fortitude
Expert in Reflex
Expert in Will
Trained in Athletics or Acrobatics, and 3 + INT other skills
Trained in Simple and Martial weapons
Trained in Advanced Firearms
Trained in Light & Medium Armor & Unarmored
Trained in Musketeer class DC
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Class Features:
Musketeers Creed: A Musketeer is guided by a code of conduct or set of principles. Your creed may guide you towards honorable acts in the name of a deity or ruler, or it may guide you towards justifying the requisition of others’ wealth and goods in the name of the greater good. The Musketeers creeds in this book are as follows:
Sharpshooter-- A single well placed shot can be deadly, and using a rifle in the heat of battle can lay low even the most powerful foes. A Sharpshooter is a musketeer that has dedicated themselves to perfecting powerful well-placed rifle shots to turn the tides of battle, falling back on the use of gunpowder pistols to defend themselves should they be attacked before reloading their rifle. When you pick this class path, you gain the Focused Reload ability, which allows you to reload a gunpowder weapon effectively while in the heat of battle. During your turn, you can choose to have any action without the manipulate trait to gain the manipulate trait and count towards an action of Reload as you ready a Firearm while performing other tasks.
Frantic Reload: by spending a focus point, you kneel down and put all of your focus into reloading your weapon. As long as you do not take any actions other than reload and do not receive damage, each action spent counts as Reload 2 until your weapon is reloaded or you interrupt your reload.
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Picaroon-- Powder and Steel reinforce a brazen attitude-- and when words fail a Picaroon confidently goes toe to toe with pistol and sword as they hurl insults and harry their enemies. When you pick this Musketeer creed, you gain the Finale Fatale ability, which allows you to use a pistol to attempt to finish off an enemy after throwing them off balance in combat. As an action after you critically succeed at a Disarm, Trip, Demoralize, or Grapple combat maneuver, you may draw and Strike with a pistol or one-handed agile weapon with no MAP.
Effortless Finale: by spending a focus point, you may instead perform the Finale Fatale ability when you succeed on a combat maneuver (as described above).
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Fusilier-- Some musketeers use their firearms as a powerful opener, before stowing their gunpowder weapons and pressing the attack on any foes sent reeling from their assault. When you choose the Fusilier creed, you gain the Opening Salvo ability, which allows you to charge into combat with devastating effect. (2 actions) You fire a readied gunpowder weapon, after which you Stride at least 10 feet up to your speed and make a melee Strike against the same creature. If your first Strike hits, your opponent is considered flat footed to you until the end of your turn. You may stow the firearm used to make the first attack while you move while drawing another weapon used to make the second attack, or you may use a Bayonet on a rifle to make the second attack.
Reeling Charge: [1 action] by spending a focus point, you may make a Trip or Disarm Combat Maneuver as part of the Strike. You do not increase your MAP for the Maneuver and Strike until after both have resolved. .
Advancement
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Panache & Bravado-- At level 1 you start off with 1 Focus point. While you have more than one focus point a Musketeer can enter various stances that give them a benefit called Panache. A Musketeer will remain in this stance until they use a Focus point to fully utilize their Panache, or until they end their turn while having no more focus points. Many instances of a Musketeers Panache have a Bravado, which provides additional benefits when the Musketeer performs an exceptional task.
Level 5: You become an Expert with Advanced Firearms, and reduce their Reload by 2
Level 13: You become a Master with Advanced Firearms and reduce their Reload by 4
Level 19: You become Legendary with Advanced Firearms, and reduce their Reload by 8
Musketeer Feats
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The following are just some examples of feats for the Musketeer:
En Garde:
[Musketeer] [Stance] [Panache] [1 Action]
Requirements: You are holding a 1H melee weapon
Panache: While you have one focus point, one melee weapon you are holding gains the parry trait, and any weapon with the parry trait receives an additional +1 circumstance bonus to parry. While you remain in this stance and retain a focus point you gain the following reaction at the cost of 1 focus point:
Dueling Riposte: After an attacking creature has rolled to Strike you but before you take damage, Make a disarm combat maneuver check against the attack results’ DC. The result of the disarm maneuver is instead replaced with the following: Critical success, you negate the attack and you may choose to Strike, Disarm, or Trip the foe, treating the result of the Strike, Disarm or Trip check as 1 degree of success higher. Success, you half the damage from the attack, and may perform a Strike action against the foe. Failure, you take half damage from the attack.
Bravado: If your counterattack kills the enemy, you regain one focus point.
Taunting Flourish:
[Musketeer] [Flourish] [Mental] [2 Actions]
You taunt an enemy before lunging. You may attempt to Demoralize one enemy in within your movement range. If you succeed at Demoralizing them, you may then move up to your speed and Strike them. If the enemy moves to a square you no longer threaten before the start of your next turn you may attempt to Demoralize them again as a free action and their frightened condition cannot be reduced until the start of your next turn.
Steadied Shot:
[Musketeer] [2 Actions]
Preparing to fire, you brace your weapon and control your breathing while aiming carefully. If the target is not concealed by cover they are considered flat footed for this Strike. If the target is benefiting from cover this Strike ignores the benefits of cover.
Duelists Dance:
[Musketeer] [Stance] [Panache]
While in this stance, you effortlessly maneuver through combat, allowing no escape.
Panache: While you have at least 1 focus point, you may designate a target in which to begin a deadly dance with. While in this stance, whenever the designated target performs the Step action you may Step with them as a free action. While you remain in this stance and retain a focus point you gain the following reaction at the cost of 1 focus point:
Press the Advantage: If the foe designated by Duelists Dance Strides within your reach, they are flat footed to you until the end of their turn and you make Strike as they attempt to leave the threatened area.
Level-headed Parlay:
[Musketeer] [Stance][Mental] [Panache] [1 Action]
Attempt a grapple on a foe as a part of this action. When you grapple a foe while wielding a pistol in one hand with the other hand free, you gain the following Panache: You gain a +2 morale bonus to your diplomacy and intimidate, and the grappled opponent receives this same penalty when trying to escape the grapple. You may spend 1 focus point to make either a diplomacy or intimidate check against all foes within 30 feet that are allied to the grappled foe. Any attempts to escape the grapple gain the following failure and critical failure conditions: Failure: The foe grappling you hits you with their pistol attack. Critical failure: the foe grappling you critically hits you with their pistol attack. During the start of your next turn and each turn after, if you continue to maintain the grapple you may make an attack against the creature AND treat it as one degree of success higher.
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I hope that this provides adequate structure to think about how the Firearms and Musketeer class could be shaped into a playable 2e class. Even if it was only used for 'Variant Firearms', it is the type of class/weapons combination that I think could be powerful, fun, and balanced. I look forward to hearing what others think.
