this class should have an option for a sidekick/companion.
Similar to a druid companion or familiar, weaker than leaderhship, kick it in around 4th level like the rangers companion and maybe give a no sidekick option like the ranger has.
Call the sidekick exactly that, and the alternative "lone wolf"
Things like lone rangers tanto (lone ranger is a high level gunslinger which is what made tanto so good) or Shane, remember that kid who ran around prentending to be him? "shane! come back shane!"
the flavor could even be like shane, where the sidekick isnt even wanted (PC choice) but is always finding him etc etc.
The idea is, who better to reload for the gunslinger in his pitched battles, or carry extra ammo, than the sidekick!
For character builds where this wouldn't fit, there is the lone wolf alternative. (maybe similar to challenge or limited judgement??)
The sidekick could be like a pally's war horse. (not a reloading companion, but certainly could carry ammo etc, like silver)
could be the pirates parrot, more like a familiar.
Or it could be an up and comming aspiring gunslinger (like a commoner or something)
In any event it wouldn't be a PC class.
Porter/bearer/reloader/fanboy (or girl) or maybe just a parrot that did cool things, or Silver.
All of them could fit the sidekick.
there could be a higher level deed that transforms the sidekick into more of a tanto (giving him a class, maybe even a lower level tanto) without collecting a mass band like leadership does.
Without the deed, it wouldn't really be a fighting companion, mostly admirer follower, but would give a reason for the extra person to carry more rifles, ammo, and reload....
anyone anyone? bueller?
Interesting as the concept is, this is no fix for a fundamentally broken issue. The only fix is to remove or completely rework said broken issue.
What you suggest is a band-aid to a giant gaping wound.
If the Gunslinger were allowed to be its own base class instead of an alternate class, a sidekick would be a great addition.
Gunslinger is a big departure from fighter, I would like to see it be a base class, and this is a big reason. Having a sidekick or a Lone Wolf option would be pretty awesome. Even if he isn't reloading my guns, he can cover me, help out if I get in melee combat, and be a great foil for roleplay. Honestly, half the reason I want to play a gunslinger is so I can kick back pretending to be smoking a cigar and talk like a rough tough cowboy. Having a sidekick could totally make that better.
Actually i agree the gunslinger is a huge departure from the fighter.
I was thinking after i posted my idea for sidekick, what about Ranger?
Although thematically, he's different, mechanically very similar (if you add in lonewolf/sidekick even more)
A gunslinger could pick things like favored targets (enemies) and situational bonuses (terrain) as well as sidekick/lonewolf (nature bond)
he'd still get full BAB and all martial weapons, which seems to be the only familiarity to fighter that the gunslinger has at all.
you can always give the gunslinger access to fighter feats to balance out he has no spells. and he can pick a gun fighting style like the ranger picks feats he might not even qualify for (two weapon fighting without the high dex),
mechanically it all sounds like a ranger to me.... even the rough gruff outdoorsy kinda traveler thing says ranger, and most of the mechanics are generally already there (although gunslingers need to be able to get humanoids instead of animals, but keep a few animals, i could see hawk/falcon, horse etc)