Well, it lets you draw your weapon when you roll for initiative. Instead of as a free action during the beginning of your turn. Right now this is the exact same thing, but maybe they are adding some sort of Showdown mechanic or feat where you can make an attack action during the initiative check? (Man, that would be clunky for standard fights)
Its the only thing I can think of which might make it beneficial to draw your weapon during the initiative check. Since like you said, at the moment it is essentially identical to drawing your weapon at the beginning of your round.
Well, it lets you draw your weapon when you roll for initiative. Instead of as a free action during the beginning of your turn. Right now this is the exact same thing, but maybe they are adding some sort of Showdown mechanic or feat where you can make an attack action during the initiative check? (Man, that would be clunky for standard fights)
When I think of quick draw, I also think of samurai and iaijutsu, the samurai ability to quickly draw a katana into a deadly strike. Oriental Adventures 3e had an iaijutsu master prestige class(and I apologize if I'm butchering the spelling). I wonder if they'll be going along something of the same line, a gunslinger who can quickly draw his weapon and deliver a shot that does more damage? As far as showdowns, my players want to try this class in a one shot, so I'm thinking of something along the lines of a sleight of hand vs. perception check to get an extra initiative bonus vs. something like quick draw.
I have to say that a free attack as part of the initiative check is actually a really cool idea in my eyes, and would really make the gunslinger initiative deed worth it.
-The Beast
Ok, correct me if I'm wrong, but the one scenario that comes to mind that would make it useful is if somehow the gunslinger's opponents win initiative and one of them provokes an attack of opportunity. The gunslinger would already have his gun drawn and could attack vs. waiting until his turn and drawing his gun as a free action. Still, I don't see this coming up a lot.
Ok, correct me if I'm wrong, but the one scenario that comes to mind that would make it useful is if somehow the gunslinger's opponents win initiative and one of them provokes an attack of opportunity. The gunslinger would already have his gun drawn and could attack vs. waiting until his turn and drawing his gun as a free action. Still, I don't see this coming up a lot.
But you only threaten where you can make a melee attack, since the firearm is a ranged weapon your only option would be to pistol whip. That doesn't look usable during an AoO since it is a standard action, not an attack action.
I would love to see something akin to this:
Gunslinger Initiative (Ex) At 3rd level, as long as the gunslinger has at least 1 grit point, she gains the following benefits. First, she gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks. Furthermore, if she has the Quick Draw feat, her hands are free and unrestrained, and the firearm is not hidden, she can draw a single firearm as part of the initiative check and fire it at a -4 penalty to any target within the first range increment of the weapon as long as the firearm is already loaded. You cannot apply precision based damage to this attack
Something like what this guy does. (Warning: long video)
The penalties and increment limitation is a good simulation of how it would be difficult to aim in a fraction of a second.
Ok, correct me if I'm wrong, but the one scenario that comes to mind that would make it useful is if somehow the gunslinger's opponents win initiative and one of them provokes an attack of opportunity. The gunslinger would already have his gun drawn and could attack vs. waiting until his turn and drawing his gun as a free action. Still, I don't see this coming up a lot.But you only threaten where you can make a melee attack, since the firearm is a ranged weapon your only option would be to pistol whip. That doesn't look usable during an AoO since it is a standard action, not an attack action.
Yep, you're right. Realistically speaking you wouldn't have a problem shooting someone pointblank with a pistol unlike a bow or crossbow that you had to use two-handed, but that isn't covered in the rules. Like, if a spellcaster was provoking the AoO because they didn't cast defensively, or whatever, you should realistically be able to shoot him even though it isn't considered a "melee" attack.