I'm shocked we aren't seeing more rogues, or trap specialists
It will not be until Mack is level 4, but he will be able to find traps from a distance.
Trap Shot (Ex): At 3rd level, the commando can spend 1 point of grit and target a 5-foot square with her firearm. If she succeeds at an attack against an AC of 10, she triggers a single trap within that 5-foot square, even if she is unaware of the trap. If there are multiple traps within the same 5-foot square, the commando must declare which trap she is triggering; otherwise it is determined randomly. If a creature is occupying the same square as the triggered trap, the trap affects the creature as if it had triggered the trap.
Mack will be a cooper. Mending orison to help repair minor damage, as well as make sure barrels are airtight for gunpowder as well as empty salvaging barrels (as salvage diver is his main surce of income up to this point).
Also with the dip into gunslinger, he will want to ensure his ammo is properly stored in waterproof barrels.
His cure light wounds will come in handing for healing but that is a limited use; otherwise he is not really skilled in medicine (Besmara decides if she will heal who he tries to).
Hi ya, Cap'n. Aside retweaking Mack for the rolled ability scores above and the other adjustments needed (he was created for a Ruins of Azlant campaign) to fit the parameters ye have set, (see his profile for character background).
While playing dice with the first mate he deicdes to reroll the eight.
campaign trait: Eye for Plunder
regional trait: Shackles Seafarer
other trait: not decided yet
Would it be okay that part of the 50 gold pieces of mundane gear includes his (currently non-functioning) battered pistol? he will gain the benefits of at 2nd level (when he takes his first dip into gunslinger) and it becomes a functioning battered pistol for him.
A dwarven oracle (time mystery and deep one curse) with three level dip into gunslinger (2nd to 4th level) with the commando archetype (or commando and black powder vaulter archetypes if GM allows it) for the Ruins of Azlant AP.
The 'thematics' of why Besmara blessed him with the spells of his spell repertoire:
Part of the 'blessing' his parents (and Mack) believe Besmara granted Mack was his ability to detect 'sunken treasure' (Detect Magic orison).
His Mending orison is 'reversing time' on the object he casts mending on. (time mystery)
His Detect Poison orison 'is' Besmara's way of giving him the ability to know when poisonous sea creatures have already laid claim to sunken treasure (for Besmara).
His Create Water orison is so he (and his parents) can remain at sea for longer periods of time.
His Air Bubble spell is so he (and his parents) can dive deeper to salvage more ships to reclaim even more sunken treasure.
His Cure Light Wounds spell is to heal himself, his parents and hurt creatures of Besmara.
His future remaining orisons will be Purify Food & Drink ("Besmara granting him the ability to turn refuse into salvation") and Stabilize ("Keep fellow crew members from perishing").
One of his 2nd level spells will be Masterwork Transformation (with GM's okay, Besmara's version of the spell uses treasures/coins as the material component - a tithe to Besmara to transform 'make rusty blades anew' (and the like).
Aside from the above spells, other spells would be ones that would be healing/support spells (and most/all will not require material components/divine focus, so the 'tithe to Besmara' for Masterwork Transformation remains more significant of the spells Besmara has blessed Mack with).
As I am only going for 3 level dip in gunslinger for Mack, I did not catch that both archetypes I had selected both replace the same 11th level deed. The archetype that has class replacement options that fit Mack's concept the best is Commando => Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature) and Stealth as class skills; instead of Knowledge (engineering), Knowledge (local) and Sleight of Hand); and Favored Terrain (water) at 2nd level, and Trap Shot deed at 3rd level (to find 'buried' treasure).
Deeds:
He will be taking Extra Grit multiple times, starting at 3rd level. He will not be spending grit until 3rd character level so he can always make use of Quick Clear. Mack will always keep a minimum of 1 grit in his grit pool so quick clear is always an option for him.
Now, unlike most gunslingers, Mack does not use his gun in the traditional sense, but rather as a tool to better find 'buried treasure' via the Trap Shot deed he will gain at 4th character level (and if GM approves of having the Black Powder Vaulter archetype as well, Daring Vault deed becoming option at 3rd character level (when he has 'grit to spare'). edited: Can take Amateur Gunslinger at 1st level instead of Gunsmithing if GM prefers (which would be replaced with Extra Grit upon taking gunslinger at 2nd level; or if GM is okay with same concept of Gunsmithing feat taken at 1st level becomes Extra Grit upon taking levels in the gunslinger class).
If GM approves of Mack having both the Black Powder Vaulter archetype in addition to the Commando archetype (3 level dip only into gunlsinger, and only double-replacement between the two archetypes is one 11th deed they both replace) - will put Black Powder Vaulter deed in brackets beside baseline gunslinger deeds for the 1st and 3rd level deeds Mack will gain for his 3 level dip into gunslinger.
Gunslinger Initiative (Black Powder Vaulter --> Shot on the Run)
Pistol-Whip
Trap Shot (Ex) (replaces Utility Shot): At 3rd level, the commando can spend 1 point of grit and target a 5-foot square with her firearm. If she succeeds at an attack against an AC of 10, she triggers a single trap within that 5-foot square, even if she is unaware of the trap. If there are multiple traps within the same 5-foot square, the commando must declare which trap she is triggering; otherwise it is determined randomly. If a creature is occupying the same square as the triggered trap, the trap affects the creature as if it had triggered the trap.
Mackerel "Mack" Brinebeard was born on his parents ship while they were sailing the seas of Minata.
His father: Thresher Brinebeard was born in the Shackles. Being a pirate like his father before him was not a good fit for his outlook on life, so he set off with a goal to explore all the seas of Golarion. Along the way he met and fell in love with Mack's mother.
Mack was born...different. Some say he was blessed by Besmara. Some say he was curse by the Sea Witch. Whatever the case, Thresher's 'little shark" of a son improved the family's livelihood better as he grew up and he took to the ocean like a fish, er, shark, to water, making it easier for the family to salvage more treasures from the sunken ships near the coastlines of the islands more accessible thanks to their son Mack's innate ability to move in the sea as easily as he could on land.
Shortly after Mack started going through puberty, his romantic attractions to other dwarves were rebuffed due to his peculiar appearance. His parents decided to set sail for Iblydos. They spent the rest of Mack's puberty years sailing around the islands of Iblydos. Shortly after puberty Mack told his father he wanted to visit his father's homeland of the Shackles. Knowing their son would have a better time navigating the treacherous predators that lived shipside.
The three of them sailed the seas of the Shackles for a few years when word was spread about a recruitment drive for an expedition to the ruins of Azlant. His parents set sail for to apply. As they never returned Mack assumed they were accepted as part of the expedition. When word went out that there was another recruitment drive for a second expedition, Mack set off to apply. His parents must be there, for surely they would have returned to the Shackles if they were not part of the first expedition.
ability scores:
Point-Buy (19)
Str 13 (3), Dex (3), Con 12 (2), Int 13 (3), Wis 8 (-2), Cha 16 (10) = 19 points
Racial Adjustments: +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Str 13 (+1), Dex 13 (+1), Con 14 (+2), Int 13 (+1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 14 (+2)
Dwarven racial & alternate racial abilities:
Medium
Slow & Steady
Darkvision
Greed (modified by Saltbeard)
Saltbeard (replaces Defensive Training, Hatred, Stonecunning)
Healthy (replaces Hardy)
Mountaineer (replaces Stability)
Weapon Familiarity
Automatic Languages: Common (Taldane), Dwarven
Bonus Languages List: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, Undercommon, human ethnicity languages
Traits:
Campaign Trait: Expert Explorer chosen knowledge skill: Geography; bonus class skill: Survival
Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven
Int Bonus (+1): Tien
Linguistics rank: Azlanti
Class Leveling Plan:
1st level: oracle (Time mystery, Deep One curse)
2nd to 4th level: Gunslinger with the Black Powder Vaulter & Commando archetypes. The commando archetype replacement class features fits well with his character concept, though he is not a commando, nor has he ever been one. His mother was a commando during her younger days before she retired from that life to raise her son ship-side.
Mystery (Time): Fly, Knowledge (arcana), Perception, Use Magic Device
Expert Explorer trait: Survival
Shackles Seafarer: Swim
note: the bonus skill rank for his Int bonus at 1st level was used for Profession (sailor)
note: the favored class (oracle) option was used for an additional skill rank for 1st level (Appraise).
Background Skills
Appraise +2 (+4) (1 rank, +1 Int) (+2 racial bonus from Greed racial trait applies only to treasure found in or under the water, but applies to all such treasure regardless of whether or not it contains metal or gemstones.)
Profession (sailor) +4 (1 rank, +3 class, +0 Wis) (+2 bonus while at sea)
Adventuring Skills
Climb +2 (1 rank, +1 Str)
Perception + (1 rank, +3 class skill, +0 Wis)
Survival +5 (+7) (1 rank, +3 class, +0 Wis, +1 trait) (+2 while at sea)
Swim (15 foot swim speed) +6 (+14) (1 rank, +3 class, +1 Str, + 1 trait) A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its indicated speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line.
Knowledge (Nature) +0 (+1) (0 ranks, +0 Wis) (+1 trait bonus while on the ocean)
Feats:
1st level feat: Gunsmithing (question for GM: will he get a new feat at 2nd level when he gains this as a bonus feat for multiclassing into gunslinger?)
Spell Repertoire:
It was not just Mack's innate ability to swim more like a shark than a dwarf, but his innate magic that made finding useful salvage treasure that helped keep the family's coffers full as well as avoiding salvage ships that had poisonous creatures on or near them.
Orisons: Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Mending
1st level oracle spells: Air Bubble, Cure Light Wounds
Gear:
WIP
@GM: Can I spend the gold that he could get from selling the battered gun (pistol) he gets as part of the gunslinger's Gunsmith class feature to represent a gun he has salvaged and starts with at 1st level - but is still in the process of taking apart and casting mending on, until it starts to be a functional battered gun for him when he takes gunslinger at 2nd character level?
