Gunslinger (Warlock alternate class, no magic)


Gunslinger Discussion: Round 1


This is my version of the gunslinger inspired by the Warlock from 3.5 Please tell me what you think, I can't improve without your feedback.
The Gunslinger
HD: d8
BAB: 3/4
Fort: Poor
Ref: Good
Wil: Poor
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge(Dungeoneering), Knowledge(Engineering), Perception, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Slight of Hand, Stealth, Survival, Swim.
Skill Points Per Level: 4+Int mod

level Special
1 Least Grit
2 Shoot From The Hip
3 Dead Aim +1d6
4 Bonus Feat
5 Dead Aim +2d6
6 Lesser Grit
7 Dead Aim +3d6
8 Bonus Feat
9 Dead Aim +4d6
10 Saw it Coming
11 Dead Aim +5d6
12 Greater Grit, Bonus Feat
13 Dead Aim +6d6
14
15 Dead Aim +7d6
16 Bonus Feat
17 Dead Aim +8d6
18 True Grit
19 Dead Aim +9d6
20 Bonus Feat
Level=Grit Known
1 =1
2 =2
3 =2
4 =3
5 =3
6 =4
7 =4
8 =5
9 =5
10 =6
11 =6
12 =7
13 =7
14 =8
15 =8
16 =9
17 =9
18 =10
19 =10
20 =11

Grit: You gain the indicated number of grits based on your level. These grits have an unlimited number of uses per day. Any save allowed by a grit uses the following DC: 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Wisdom modifier. You may only take a Grit once. You may choose least grits at first level, lesser grits at 6th level, Greater Grits at 12th level, and true Grits at 18 level.
Least Grit
Utility Shot: (As the Gunslinger class feature)
Leap for Cover: (As the Gunslinger class feature)
Quick Clear: (As the Gunslinger class feature)
Pistol Whip: (As the Gunslinger class feature)
I Ride Alone: (Ex): As a standard action, you may add your wisdom bonus to Fort, Ref, or Will for 24 hours or until he uses this ability again.
Horizon Shot: (Ex): As a swift action, you may double the range increment with a fire arm until the end of your turn.

Lesser Grit
Deadeye (Ex): As a swift action, your attack with a fire arm is a touch attack within the first 2 range increments until the end of your turn.
Deft Shootist (Ex): As a Swift action, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when shooting or reloading your firearm until the end of your turn.
Swift Reload (Ex): You may reload a firearm in you are wielding as a swift action.
Daring Act (Ex): As a swift action, you may add half your class level to your acrobatics, climb, or swim checks for 1 round.
[b]Startling shot (Ex):
As a swift action, until the end of your turn, any creature you hit with a ranged attack from a firearm must make a will save or be shaken for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Greater Grit
Improved Deadeye (Ex): As a swift action, your attack with a fire arm is a touch attack within the first 3 range increments. You must have Deadeye to select this ability.
Bleeding Shot (Ex): As a swift action, until the end of your turn, any creature you shoot with a firearm also takes 1d6 points of bleed damage.
Sickening shot (Ex): As a swift action, until the end of your turn, any creature you shoot with a firearm must make a Fort save or be sickened for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Bewildering shot (Ex): As a swift action, until the end of your turn, any creature you shoot with a firearm must make a Fort save or be confused for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Piercing Shot (Ex): As a swift action, until the end of your turn, if you shoot a creature with a firearm, the bullet passes through them and can potentially hit another creature behind them.

True Grit
Perfect Deadeye (Ex): As a swift action, your attack with a fire arm is a touch attack regardless of the range increment. You must have Improved Deadeye to select this ability.
Deadly Shot (Ex): Whenever you confirm a critical hit with a firearm, you may spend an immediate action to fore the target to make a Fort save or Die. This is a Death effect.
Take Aim (Ex): As a swift action, until the end of your turn, you gain a bonus on attack rolls with firearms equal to your Wisdom Modifier and if you shoot a creature with a firearm, You may initiate a free combat maneuver check to reposition, trip, or disarm them.
That one Hit (Ex): As a swift action, until the end of your turn, you may ignore cover, concealment, and range penalties for attacks with a firearm.

Shoot From The Hip: You Gain Quick Draw as a bonus feat at 2nd level.

Dead Aim: At 3rd level, when you shoot a firearm as a standard action, you may add 1d6 precision damage to it. For every 2 levels after 3rd, the damage increases by an additional 1d6.

Bonus Feat: At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a bonus combat feat.

Saw it Coming (Ex): Starting at 10th level, you add your wisdom modifier as an insight bonus to initiative.


Bumping for comments, onegai!


Kierato wrote:
Bumping for comments, onegai!

Hai!

I was quite curious how you were going to handle this, and I really like it a lot. Infact, I like it the most of the other attempts I've seen short of Ashiel's Gunslinger, but these are two rather different beasts.

Scaling the damage like EB works perfectly for the early levels, and what fear dead aim may create is removed due to it being a standard action, so 1 single shot. However this encourages a specific style of play, namely using only a musket. I feel both a pistol, a musket, or even dual pistols should each be effective, which as is, they don't seem to be, due to the focus on maximizing the damage of 1 shot.


Unless you have an ability to reload faster beyond rapid reload (such as swift reload) a musket can only fire every other round (rapid reload makes it a standard action), this class is actually better for a single pistol. Hmm, I suppose I could put in something (a grit perhaps) that would better allow it to use twin pistols (such as a grit that allows them to make an attack with 2 pistols as a standard action and divide the dead aim damage between the two shots, how does that sound?)


Kierato wrote:
Unless you have an ability to reload faster beyond rapid reload (such as swift reload) a musket can only fire every other round (rapid reload makes it a standard action), this class is actually better for a single pistol. Hmm, I suppose I could put in something (a grit perhaps) that would better allow it to use twin pistols (such as a grit that allows them to make an attack with 2 pistols as a standard action and divide the dead aim damage between the two shots, how does that sound?)

Well based on the current paizo gunslinger, at lvl 11 they signature lightning reload. Thus free action reloads and taking full advantage of their bab. As written right now there is no way for the class to take advantage of their bab or use two guns. The scaling dead aim fixes the issue of the gunslinger prior to lvl 11, but it limits it beyond.

As for your suggestion, that might work.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Looks pretty good. I'm just curious why you changed the rate invocations/grit are gained? 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20. That way, you get 3 grits per tier of grit. Of course, That will give you an empty level at 14 AND 18. Maybe give the class a tiny amount of oomph by putting bravery (or a bravery-like ability, like +1 to initiative at levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18) back in?


Overall I'm liking this. A LOT!

The d8 HD 3/4 BAB are fine only as long as firearms remain a touch attack for the first range increment. If that changes then the must bump up to d10 full BAB.

Arguments could be made about saves, but that is true for any class, what you have here is fine.

Skill selection works for me and I favor 4+Int as a minimum so that makes me smile.

Your grit mechanic looks good. Since it's at will all day nothing is underpowered for the cost. I could probably nit pick a couple if try, but in general this looks solid.

Dead Aim

This is the star of the show. Devs please take note, this makes the gunslinger's damage output relevant at higher levels despite the prohibitive firearms rules you have chosen to go with.

Shoot From the Hip and Saw it Coming are both nice abilities and level appropriate.

The bonus feats are going to be needed for a ranged character, but they come 2 levels later than a ranger's combat style feats. I understand that the pacing of them is based on when other abilities are gained minimizing the number of dead levels, but it is an honest critique.

My one big complaint is level 14 looks to be a dead level. You really need one more ability there to complete the class. Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions off the top of my head. If anything comes to mind I will post it here.

Additionally if using the firearms pricing presented in the playtest, you run into the problem of not being able to afford a gun at 1st level without including it for free. It's a poor and problematic fix, but outside of a pricing change I'm hard pressed for a better option.

Honestly I'm much more enthusiastic about your version of the gunslinger than the playtest version. I may have to keep this one for my notes.


Freesword wrote:
*lots of stuff*

Thank you. If you have suggestions for level 14, I'm all ears.


Kierato wrote:
*lots of stuff*

Kierato inspired me to take a crack at this myself. Looking at the value of the Warlock, it's not just in the utility of their spell-like abilities, or in the single-target damage of their eldritch blast, but also in the ability to both customize the class to be the kind of warlock you want to play with (darkness/Devilsight, or utility blast specialist, etc) and the ability to hit multiple opponents with customized blasts, in order to deal significant damage.

The Gunslinger trades significant defense in the realm of heavy armors, for a greater damage capacity. Even a bow-wielding fighter can wear full-plate by second or third level with no drawbacks at all. I looked in to see what I could do, and considered the value of higher damage output and the ability to spread those dice around for my own take on the 'Warlock Gunslinger'.

Have a look at my thread here and watch it for updates and analysis.


I like the scaling damage bonus. This is cool as you don't have worry about recharge mechanics.


Been thinking about that gap at 14th and the best I can come up with is shifting Gun Training for it's benefits regarding misfires if keeping the playtest rules for guns.

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