I kind of struggled while reading through the Gunslinger class at first, because I approached it with all my preconceptions about how guns should work, etc.
Now that I've taken a step back and discarded my own personal notions to see what you guys are trying to do with the class, I think I can see how this works.
As a preface, I will state that I really, really, REALLY wished guns were handled differently in Golarion, advanced maybe a step or two forward in technological development, but I understand what's going on.
The "era" for the type of firearms system in place is more along the lines of swashbuckler, buccaneer, "loaded pistol in my belt with saber in hand and dagger in teeth" style of setting.
I was looking for Iron Kingdoms style of guns (alchemical cartridge style of loading, so revolvers, etc). This would have quite a dominating effect on the background of the setting though (see Iron Kingdoms!) so I can see why it's been toned back.
This doesn't mean I won't touch on firearms, but I'll try to keep it "in theme".
Anyways... on to the nitty "gritty" (ahahaha! aaahhhh.... ... I'm sorry).
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First, I'm going to list the main issues I ran into when checking out this class.
1. Guns are designed to NOT be competitive to the bow, for thematic reasons. This means they have a number of things built in to make their use "prohibitive".
Problem: The Gunslinger class is built around using this prohibitive weapon.
Resolution: Build into the class the ability to overcome these problems on a consistent basis.
5% chance per attack to self inflict what amounts to being disarmed is death to this class. Yes, you gave him the "quick clear" ability. It uses a limited resource, and still takes a round away from the Gunslinger to "quickly" fix this. For being the only thing this class is really about, this is still too punitive.
Reliable is an okay magical enhancement, for non Gunslingers (reduces to minimum 1). Steadfast is up against things like Brilliant Energy, or Dancing. A weapon of Speed is cheaper than "Steadfast". Honestly... it's too much for a class that needs reliability.
I can understand "everyone else" having a crappy time with guns. The Gunslinger should be allowed to be good with a gun (he's pretty much got nothing else!). Steadfast is a fine price for non-Gunslingers, I guess (no chance of failure on a weapon that can bypass armor in certain situations; for a non-Gunslinger that's good comparison to Brilliant Energy), so I would be okay with it if the Gunslinger didn't need it.
I can't drive this home enough. Misfires for normal gun use = okay. Misfires for a class who's only real point is using them = unacceptable. Use per day patches and halved penalties are insufficient.
Touch Attacks within 20' are not enough to warrant this. A Fighter archer build can hit reliably without touch attacks anyways, and do ridiculous attacks per round, add Strength damage, and have minimal hand-waivable costs involved with ammunition... with NO chance of his bowstring coming undone.
2. Guns are designed to be slow to reload. This is also a thematic choice, it seems.
Problem: The Gunslinger class is built around using a weapon that limits full attacks, reducing damage output.
Resolution: Let the Gunslinger have a built in method of a full attack with the weapon, or make a single shot per round be competitive in some way.
I like the latter option, since it keeps with the theme involved with these weapons. Maybe something like automatic access to the Vital Strike feat tree with firearms as he qualifies for them, or some similar effect.
Oh, and honestly... give the Gunslinger the Rapid Reload feat for all firearms. It's ridiculous to assume a Gunslinger is going to NOT want this feat for some reason... and since it's "pick a single type of weapon" style of feat, it's waaay too restrictive for a class that's supposed to be "all about guns".
I mean... I can't think of a single Gunslinger type that would be based around slow loading of the weapon.
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Next, I'm going to break down the class' individual features.
Name, Role, Alignment, HD/BAB: These are all good. Using the Fighter as a base is a good idea I think, as ultimately he's a straight up combatant. When I think of a "Gunslinger" I think of John Wayne or Clint Eastwood in one of their roles. Hardier than a rogue, and certainly not a guy mixing chemicals to make bangsticks.
I like the Role description, but I'm going to warn you now... I'm going to hold you to it!
Saves (and the Brave and Tough ability): I have to sneak the Brave and Tough ability in out of order because it directly ties to Saves.
First of all, there's a typo: 19th and 20th levels have +12 and +13 for Reflex saves respectively. I really doubt this was intentional, and likely somebody manually typed in the saves column and did what I tend to do too when doing that... start counting up each line, wups!
The other problem is that the "Tough" part of the ability isn't restricted to a "type" of Fortitude save, so it really has no business being there. It simply makes the "true" Fortitude save confusing to track: +0, +1, +2, +2, +2, +4, +4, +4, +5, +6, +6, +7, +7, +8, +9, +9, +9, +11, +11, +11. Honestly, it's almost a "high save" after 5th level anyways, so just give them the high Fortitude save, I guess.
Or, since I don't think Gunslingers need the Fortitude save that bad (or two high saves), perhaps limiting it to a short list like Bravery does to Will Saves. I think something like: Coup de Grace checks, checks for taking non lethal damage (such as from hot or cold environments), and to avoid effects that cause the exhausted and fatigued conditions.
Skills: Fairly good. I do think that not having Perception is a bad idea. Classes with core mechanics based on a stat, should have skills that use that stat. And "seeing" your target just screams Perception, especially if you want to fill the "masters of distant death, picking off enemies from afar with their strange and wondrous weapons" role (your words guys, not mine! I warned you!).
So add Perception, and that should be great!
Proficiencies: The weapons are fine, honestly. He's still a Fighter after all, so just because he's good at guns doesn't mean he shouldn't have a decent backup melee weapon when things go south.
Armor proficiencies are fine, however there's a problem I can see in the fairly near future: the best max Dex medium armor provides is 4. Due to getting a serious advantage for being really close (within a single move mostly), this guy is going to be at risk of melee a lot. A simple ability, let's call it "Light Armor Training" that gives better movement in medium armor, and a scaling higher Dex bonus to light and medium armor would keep the guy competitive (not everything can be based on Grit, seriously).
Firearm: I understand why this is here. I don't like it, as it smacks of being a patch for what is ultimately a problem with the way guns are implemented (too expensive for what you get). Guns can be exotic without being expensive: a GM can limit their existence without needing to have artificially inflated costs.
What I'd like to see here is something more like a "Signature Weapon" type of ability. You get the chosen weapon for free, yes, but also, the Gunslinger can use that particular weapon without risk of misfire, treated as having the Rapid Reload feat with that weapon, and gains a +2 bonus to CMB and CMD checks that involve the specific weapon. If the weapon is destroyed or abandoned, it takes X time to make another gun as a signature weapon (don't get another free one, but you can find a better gun later and make it your signature weapon). Add any caveats or whatever as necessary.
This gives the ability a reason for being there that isn't reeking of "PATCH", and has good Gunslinger flavor in my opinion.
I think ammo should be reduced in cost too, so it shouldn't have to be part of the ability.
Bonus Feats: No qualms here. Sounds fine, although I'd really like the Grit feats to be combat feats as well, since the Amateur Gunslinger feat is Combat and a standard Fighter could take it... that's more an issue towards the feats than the class though. This class entry doesn't need changing.
Gun Training: This is a neat idea, and opens up some damage for the Gunslinger. However, this is a great opportunity to "fix guns from the Gunslinger's side".
I'd start by giving the Gunslinger the Vital Strike feats automatically when he'd qualify for them, but only for the chosen firearms. This would up his damage and keep him "single shot per round" nicely. Sure, they can jump through the air and fire off two weapons if they are holding them in their hands.. or get some "5 barrel" guns and have a single round of furious shooting, and then spend the next minute reloading them. But ultimately, the bread and butter, every-day-use of gunfire should probably be Vital Strike damage.
I'd also eliminate the misfire chance completely for them as well, while we are at it. This gives Signature Weapon for a single weapon from 1st to 4th level that is reliable for the Gunslinger, and then 5th+ he starts getting whole types of guns that he can shoot reliably.
And now the big one:
Grit, and True Grit: My overall impression is that I like the feel it gives the class. This isn't a "Gun Specialist" class... it's a Gunslinger. Grit makes this class feel like you are supposed to be a pirate, or swashbuckler, or wanderer who just wants to be left alone, but keeps getting dragged into bad situations, etc. True Grit, in itself, seems fine... although I can see limiting access to certain Deeds.
Having said that.. there are some problems:
Gaining Grit: First of all, HD is a bad way to track "creature power". Some creatures (often animals, etc) can have very high HD for their CRs. A better mechanic would be to simply use CR directly, as it's a direct indication of how strong a creature is anyways. Examples of my point: A Cyclops is a CR 5 encounter, but at 10HD it's valid for up to 20th level Gunslingers.
The second problem is "Daring Act". The same daring act (say, swinging from a chandelier to grab a banister and vault up) is always an amazing act. Because a Gunslinger happens to put a few too many points into Acrobatics... he now loses the chance to get Grit from it? Did it suddenly become less amazing? No... but now it's not worth anything because he can do it a little too reliably?
I understand why it's being done (the Gunslinger has to risk something to get this), but please understand why this is bad: it rewards limiting your character and "gaming" the system and GM. The player finds a "sweet spot" of skill checks, and then never increases his ability so he can always get Grit back in this way.
The very fact that it's left mostly up to the GM makes it rife for player/GM conflict.
I think a better way to do this would be to make the Gunslinger take an opportunity cost to gain Grit back. Something like:
Flourish: Spend a longer time than necessary to make an attack (1 round action), or when making a Coup de Grace, etc, and you regain 1 grit point if it's a success.
Unflinching and Unhurried: Spend the first round of combat glaring at your enemies in smoldering anger, taking no action and only moving up to half your speed. If you are not hit by the 2nd round of combat, you regain 1 grit point.
... Stuff like this.
Deeds: For the most part, they are pretty good. A few comments:
- I think Quick Clear and Expert Loading should be tossed in favor of better, more reliable forms of eliminating the effects of misfires.
- Covering Shot and Startling Shot should probably be more clearly defined (is it mind affecting? I doubt a bullet is physically entangling the target... should mindless creatures be affected by it, or be startled?).
- Blast Lock seems like it's recreating the wheel, when it could be based on the rules already in place for damaging objects, etc.
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In the end, I like the feel of the class. It's about "tough luck". I feel every character that takes levels in gunslinger would morph into looking like this. Even the women. ;)
There are some major hurdles to overcome that I simply cannot see being ironed out when put to action... I know this is theorycraft, but I honestly believe the gun rules as they exist in Pathfinder require much more than what the Gunslinger gets to make the class anything other than an exercise in disappointment.
And I really want to be able to enjoy playing this class...
i agree with the way you looked atth is if not all of what you said but still if i may you to agree that firearms is a little flaky at best the best why i see fixing this problem is to allow the class to use crossbow as well as guns with there class abilities.how do you fill about this?
I guess a lot of the abilities could fit, thematically, with crossbows as much as guns. They work about the same.
However, since there's a decent crossbow that, with feats, can allow a full attack.. it would mean that the Gunslinger's best option becomes the crossbow.
Better to stick to their guns (geez the puns are easy this beta test).
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i agree with the way you looked atth is if not all of what you said but still if i may you to agree that firearms is a little flaky at best the best why i see fixing this problem is to allow the class to use crossbow as well as guns with there class abilities.how do you fill about this?
Allowing deeds to be chosen by theme also helps the class out. That way you can get a swashbuckler / pirate (rapier & pistol) or demon hunter (dual hand crossbows for gun hating DMs) out of the same class. Right now, the class feels pretty limited.