The idea for a gunslinger class is great, of course! Long days and pleasant nights to Paizo for this. I like the grit/deeds mechanic, and am intrigued by what amounts to something like a moderate fort save progression (with brave and tough - by the way, Ref bonuses are off for level 19 and 20 unless the class is meant to have a different table)
But I can't help but feel that this class has forgotten the face of its father. Okay, that may be a bit harsh, but with the beams at stake, we can't have half-measures.
I hear the complaints about firearms doing too little damage, but I'm not quite sure. The gunslinger doesn't kill with his gun. He kills with his heart!
So let's put their hearts to killing!
First of all, the cost for shooting is quite high. 11gp until you get to high enough levels to blow some of your feats to offset this with two feats - Secret Stash followed by Signature Deed (if that even works).
By the way, you might want to specify whether everything that costs grit is considered a deed, especially for stuff like Signature Deed.
My idea would be that gunslingers learn early (maybe as early as level 1) to use gunpowder more effectively, making a dose last 10 shots instead of 1, meaning they get to shoot for 2 gil per shot instead of 11. I think that's only fair. After all, this class is focussed completely on firearms, and should not have to pay lots of money to use their stuff. It's a bit like all spells having expensive material components.
Then there's the part about shooting. Without Rapid Reload, no gunslinger can shoot more often than once every other round, since it's at least a standard action to reload those things. I'd say that makes a musket useless as a main weapon (I know those things aren't part of the playtest, but I still think it might be better to have pistols reloadable as move and then free, muskets as full and then move.)
I'd grant every gunslinger Rapid Reload for free, for all kinds of firearms. Maybe turn it into a class ability together with the decreased gunpowder usage so they get the deluxe package for firearms at level 1.
Then, as others have said, something like an alchemists bomb bonus damage might be in order. Of course, it's still possible to use Vital Strike with the class. Maybe grant those as bonus feats, too, since gunslingers will spend a lot of their time doing single shots.
And then I have a question: Does the fact that they get gun training more often than they could use on the firearms you presented in the PDF mean there will be more firearms? Might there be some to mitigate a lot of these problems, like revolvers you can shoot more often?
I am a little concerned with the low damage potential of the class. I will be playtesting it in an online game as a GMPC but already I am wondering how much he will really contribute. A single d12 damage with no bonuses except Deadly Aim? And always only a single shot per two rounds? Sure the x4 crit is nasty, but there's not a lot of damage going into that crit. When they introduce their multi-barreled guns things will get better, but for now... it's pretty paltry. On average he will do 8 points of damage... 4 per round at the 3rd level I am testing.
Of course part of the problem at that point is that... well guns are also useless for any other class. I would like to see the damages changed to 2d4 and 2d6, making it even more attractive for Vital Strike.
... A single d12 damage with no bonuses except Deadly Aim?Actually, you don't even get the deadly aim damage if you shoot something within the first range increment, since its a touch attack. You do take the negative to hit if you use it, but no bonus damage
Nice catch there, I totally forgot. Wow, that just makes for even more suck.
... A single d12 damage with no bonuses except Deadly Aim?Actually, you don't even get the deadly aim damage if you shoot something within the first range increment, since its a touch attack. You do take the negative to hit if you use it, but no bonus damage
Is it actually considered a touch attack? It says it resolves against the touch AC... doesn't specifically say it is a touch attack. I know it is semantics, but I don't know if they worded it that way so things like Deadly Aim still work
--- EDIT----
I missed where the Dev weighed in on this issue sorry
I noticed the 3.5 rules for fire arms and I thought the class would get an exception since I did not see them as viable at the time.
Sure, at level 5 you can add your Dex modifier to damage with *one* type of firearm, but still...
I still want firearms shooting once per round, but that must be one badass shot. In my games firearms are common, sort of (Iron Kingdoms). I houseruled that all guns have a standard action reload time (Rapid Reload to move), and I let the players get the Steam&Sorcery feat Reload on the Run (move + reload as move action). The Iron Kingdom's firearms high damage dice make them great with the Vital Strike chain.
For a specialized class like the Gunslinger, I would give him Rapid Reload, Reload on the Run and the Vital Strike chain for free... and of course, take out all the touch attack thing.
Its not a touch attack
When firing upon a target within a firearm’s first range increment, the attack resolves against the target’s touch AC
It just uses the touch AC so deadly aim should work
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Its not a touch attack
When firing upon a target within a firearm’s first range increment, the attack resolves against the target’s touch AC
It just uses the touch AC so deadly aim should work
Except this: Dev Response