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First, to justify the concept. The Gunslinger is fairly competitive in DPS but by no means the top dog, even when you account it targets touch AC. However, it's pretty infamous for having very little trouble actually hitting it's target at close range.

Mounted combat rules allow you to make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is running at at a -4 penalty (with mounted archery feat.) This normally wouldn't be terribly great, except the Gunslinger will hit fairly consistently even with a whopping penalty.

So the tactic to be employed is: In open ground, at least during midlevels, I can approach most enemies from far outside of immediate danger, come within point blank range, unload two pistols, and ride away to prepare for the next assault. I could also integrate a thrown net on the first charge before quickdrawing my second pistol and unloading.

Finally, you may think, "Well what about when you are in a dungeon crawl?" Well you see, I'm still a gunslinger with two pistols, which is hardly the worst thing I could be cough ROGUE cough.

However, what do you all think? What is the best way to fulfill this concept, what sorts of feats should I take, what race would be best? Should I start out with cavalier to horsemaster, then start out gunslingin'? Should I take nature soul than animal ally? Would I be better off just being a hunter or ranger with guns?

So let me lay out a hypothetical situation. Buffy the Cleric has a short term buff he wants to drop on the fighter at the beginning of the next combat.

Eres the Ninja heard a noise on the other side of the door. Buffy doesn't want to waste action economy by waiting until he is in the middle of combat to cast the spell, but he doesn't want to pre-buff the fighter if it turns out to just be a cat or a single goblin Meatstick McKills Goblins can handle without the buff.

So Buffy knows just what to do, he stands next to the door and casts the spell, but does not touch the fighter, he holds the charge.

Meatstick opens up the door and sees Craig the BBEG on the other side. Initiative happens, Buffy delays and Meatstick starts his turn.

Meatstick moves into the room, thereby provoking an AO from Buffy, who normally wouldn't take it as an ally, but he has this handy touch spell to deliver. Meatstick grows bigger muscles as he approaches poor Craig.

So, those of you who have the ACG will probably may have seen this handy feat, and raised one eyebrow, called Evolved Companion. In addition to being a handy new staple for all the pet classes, this feat opens up an interesting business model, which I present here for your discussion:

• Step one: have a companion as a class feature. Druid is a good choice.

• Step two: grab some evolved companion feats, give your ape some tentacles or other fun evolutions.

• Step three: insert tentacle ape into cage or other containment.

• Step four: awaken the ape (this is why druid was a good choice)

• Step five - ????: something, something, profit.

So any thoughts?

Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast has a longer casting time than 1 action, however, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it's even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell. This is the case even for a character who can't actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin. The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Is a wand an exception to the 'speak a single word' rule, or does it apply and was simply not mentioned under wands because it would be a redundancy? I always assumed anything smart enough to have ranks in UMD could just wave their magic stick around and make lightning come out, but I think the rules indicate you also need the ability to form words. What are the qualifications for speaking the word? Do you need to be humanoid, have a human-like mouth/vocal cords? Does it just need to be able to make noises?

I have a few ideas, but I haven't really played with a cohort before so I don't know how great they are, but here are just my thoughts on what might be good:

Combat effectiveness:

• Reach Cleric Buffer: Just stand behind some front-line man and aid-another him or buff around. Maybe use some control spells that aren't DC dependent, like obscuring mist or grease (to make difficult terrain, if they fall that's gravy but the save will probably be relatively low)

• Archer fighter/ranger/paladin/monk: Sit back and shoot arrows? Probably won't have competitive standalone DPS, but it's probably decent to potential inflict moderate damage each round at the expense of a feat.

• Gunslinger/Alchemist: Their 2 levels lower of to-hit probably won't hurt them too much.

• Witch: Fortune hex everybody at the start of the day, then hide in an animated object and cackle. Animated objects are pretty cheap and can give you burrrow, fly, and portable cover for cheap. The downside is they are pretty easy to break. Also the witch may be able to land a few hexes to drive down saves for party casters or attack/ac for party everything else. It might get PK-ed, considering it has to literally cackle maniacally every six seconds from first combat onwards.
  

General usefulness:

• Crafting Wizard/Cleric: Half price on many magic items, you can afford to actually give your cohort nice things too. The downside is it has to be at least mildly combat effective, as Cohorts have to follow you into the dungeon to level.

• Oracle/Paladin/Sorcerer: If your DM won't throw a book at you for building a pyramid of Leadership, this might be the way to get yourself a personal army or use some munchkiny trick to multiply money rapidly. Each two levels you get a new cohort and more followers, in addition to followers you get from the first cohort levelling. Any class of cohort would be fine as long as they could get a decent leadership score, but high CHA builds are probably best.
  

What ideas do you guys have? Have you used any of these ideas, and did they turn out well/ less well/ dead?