I had a great idea for a gun, and by great idea, I mean ripped off from a TV show.
I've also been reading Iron Kingdom's Gun Mage, as well, which only made things worse, and I have recently purchased Master of the Fallen Fortress module :p.
Long story short, the "Caster Gun" is a gun that allows "scrolls" to be used viva loading it into the gun. So long as your proficient with guns "or crossbows" you can use it just fine.
Question 1. Money. Since it is allowing a character to use a Use Magical Device Check without having the class skill "but I'm thinking of allowing some synergy if you do have it." This might be a very expensive item in terms of balance.
Question 2. I was thinking of considering it an minor artifact, maybe not?
Question 3. Should the gun need specially made ammunition. Such as, you need to craft bullets with the scroll you want the bullet to use.
Question 4. I was thinking of allowing players to use scrolls, wands, or potions as ammunition for the gun, is that a wise idea? Each item actually has a different slot, and can be changed with a switch as a swift action to use the item. Changing it from "scroll mode" to "potion mode".
Question 5: Should it just be a standard action? I was thinking of allowing the players to use this gun once per round as part of an attack. The gun could never be used more then once, and the actual activation depend on the spells casting time. For example, if you use summon monster, you would need to focus that arm that gun is being used with for 1 round. Raise Dead? Hold that gun for 1 minute...
Question 6: What level should players even have access to it? I'm thinking level 7 is pretty good. :p Since scrolls would be expensive.
What I have so far is.
Caster Gun
Price :Pending
CL :Pending
Description
There has been a few rare guns seen as of late. Rumor has it that these guns where created as a sort of balance to the arms race between magic and technology, by using both but allowing the use to be universal.
You are allowed to load a potion, scroll, or wand into this gun. This gun has three settings, each setting, potions, scrolls, and wand. (redundant!) and can be changed with a swift action. Reloading the gun with a new scroll or potion is a move action. Rapid Reload can reduce this to a swift action.
When firing this gun, the gun fires as if the item was successfully activated or used as well as the charges are spent. With the exception that any melee touch attacks now count as a range touch attack ray of up to 30 feet. The spell dissolves after 30 feet and has no effect if no target is hit. If any ally is targeted you must also beat their touch AC. They may forgo "Moving out the way" if they are aware you are shooting them and any additional Dex or Dodge bonuses with it. Make sure to inform allies of your intent before hand. A base 10 and Deflection Bonuses must always be met as you still must aim at them as if aiming a gun. Using the gun is a standard action.
Any Feat that can by applied to a ranged weapon, such as rapid reload or precise shot maybe added to the gun regardless of the gun it was intended for. If the gun the feat was used for was a gun being used in both hands, such as a rifle, you must use it as a rifle. Addition attack bonuses maybe allowed, but damage may not be allowed unless it could be added to the spell normally. For example, point blank shot, allows for an additional +1 to attack but not damage. Sneak attack maybe added if it could be added to the spell normally, such as rays. You may make on additional attack with another range weapon if you are currently wielding or have quick draw if you have use of feats such as rapid shot, haste, or two weapon fighting. You are only allowed one additional attack under any means. Meaning you are allowed to "cast a spell" and then make one attack with another weapon, Regardless of your base attack or multiple feats. Doing this is consider a full-round action.
Attack rolls of 1 will cause a "Scroll Mishaps" a roll of 2 will simply have the scroll miss fire, but the item is not wasted, and the gun is consider "jammed" and a move action is required to clear it. Grit abilities such as Quick Clear, can be used to speed this up as a swift action.
Scrolls of spell level 5th or above that are not abjuration spells increase the "Scroll Mishaps" roll for ever one over 4. At a Maximum of +5 at level 9. Meaning that an attack roll of 6 will cause a mishap with a 9th level scroll, and a miss fire on a roll of 7. Caster level of the item does not effect this roll. Should this happen on anything but a 1 You may substitute this with a Use Magical Device check.
You may Counterspells as if a caster of that spell where to be casting it. For example, A gunslinger ready dispel magic with the caster gun against a wizard using magic missile. He would use the scrolls caster level and bonuses in-place. The caster gun can also counter spell with any spell that share the same school of that spell that is being cast of the same level or greater level. This does not allow the wielder to know what spell the caster is casting.
Any spell that have a range of personal, such as the shield spell, may only effect the wielder who activated the spell. For example, if a gunslinger used the shield spell on himself, and then was disarmed by an enemy monk. The monk may choose the equipped the Caster Gun but would gain no benefit. If on the next turn the gunslinger manged to retrieve his gun, the effect would resume minus the duration that the gun was away from his hand.
If you are no proficient with firearms, using this weapon requires the use of both hands to function.
TL:DR
Its a wondrous item that allows you to make UMD with out having the skills for it with Scrolls and wands. You Need to be good at guns to really get the best out of it. It takes up one hand to use, or both hands depending on how you use guns, or lack there of.
Nada?
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Sounds like Gene Starwind's gun from Outlaw Star.
I don't think it would be an artifact, just a magic item.
It should have several limitations:
1. The "ammo" used should only be for offensive type spells directed at an enemy or an area - no buffs or utility spells. I would probably just stick with scrolls - expensive but closer to the inspiring source material (I think).
2. All spells should require attack rolls, even area effects spells.
3. For consistency, I would use the firearm misfire rules in UC and treat those as scroll errors.
3. I would increase loading time and add a -4 attack penalty if nonproficient.
4. Applying firearm/combat feats is probably fine, as long as the loading times prevent full attacks. Being able to get offensive spells off as iterative attacks could be pretty devastating.
5. I think attack should be standard action, but reload should be a full round action, subject to being reduced by rapid reload feats.
I love Outlaw Star, so I think the idea is a good one to borrow.
Do the scrolls have the word 'BANG!' inscribed on them?
They push out like a Wile Coyote gun, before the flag burns and the lightning bolt fires.
Sounds like Gene Starwind's gun from Outlaw Star.
I don't think it would be an artifact, just a magic item.
It should have several limitations:1. The "ammo" used should only be for offensive type spells directed at an enemy or an area - no buffs or utility spells. I would probably just stick with scrolls - expensive but closer to the inspiring source material (I think).
2. All spells should require attack rolls, even area effects spells.
3. For consistency, I would use the firearm misfire rules in UC and treat those as scroll errors.
3. I would increase loading time and add a -4 attack penalty if nonproficient.
4. Applying firearm/combat feats is probably fine, as long as the loading times prevent full attacks. Being able to get offensive spells off as iterative attacks could be pretty devastating.
5. I think attack should be standard action, but reload should be a full round action, subject to being reduced by rapid reload feats.
I love Outlaw Star, so I think the idea is a good one to borrow.
You would not be wrong to make such assumptions. :p
I thought about using only attack spells, but I remember in the show, he did use it to "dispel" some people, and there is no reason why it shouldn't be able to shoot smoke, "Obscuring mist", .
However, that is a good point. Perhaps limiting the schools. Maybe only those that are abjuration, conjuration, Evocation, Necromancy. I'm on the fence for Illusion school.
I remember it made a mini black hole once. :p So I don't think its a stretch to see it summon a group of elementals, but transmutation and enchantments I can see as being someone problematic. "I fire my gun, and I now can Detect Thoughts." Yeah that seems a bit odd. As far a magical guns go anyway. :p
I think I might have the gun always has Detect magic going off, with a little screen that tells you the information.
Potions and wands maybe a bit much. As for area of effects, yeah, I think it would be far that the user has to be an AC of 10 to shoot in an empty spot, but what would be the range increments? I was just going to go by the spell in question's range. Maybe a range of 30 feet?
I guess it is a bit much to have the gun explode every so often. So I think the mis-fire rules are fine. The gun itself can not ever break by mis-fires, being magical and all, but it can still have the "broken Condition" till you clear it.
I don't think making the reload time longer is a good idea, simply because, with the firearms, I've seen players completely avoid any gun that required a full-round or standard action. I also like the idea of moving around while poping a shell out and loading another one right before you fire like he did in the show constantly. :p
Also, scrolls are indeed expensive. Not to mention that scrolls are generally far less effective then if an actual caster casted the spell. If you use the gun, it is a standard action, unless the casting time on the spell is longer. I don't think I have to worry about any spells that are less then a standard action in the schools I allowed. If the spell only takes a standard action, then as a movement, you are allowed one, and only one attack with another ranged weapon if you have a feat like two weapon fighting, haste, rapid shot ect... I'm very keened on this idea of getting an extra attack with another weapon. Just seems more badass. However, I would make sure to limit it to only one attack ever.
I think I will also let the user use pearls of power as ammunition, so long as they use the spell within 24 hours of the caster storing the spell.
By all means, use this idea. :) tell me how it turns out.
and yes, by requirement, all scrolls used in this gun must have the word BANG on them. :p
Self-castable spells would not be an issue.
It would just require using the weapon as like an evoker.
Complete with misfire chances.
Do you feel lucky?
Wants should require a full on musket 'adaptor' - plug in wand, it's the ammo.
Wants should require a full on musket 'adaptor' - plug in wand, it's the ammo.
I was thinking about the wand direction as well. Have the gun draw its power from the inserted wand. However, this can be really powerful if you allow it to be fired multiple times in one round... so perhaps make it a standard action to activate, or make iterative attacks draw increasing number of charges from the wand.
1st attack: full bab, 1 (1*1) charge
2nd attack: bab-5, 2 (2*2) charges
3rd attack: bab-10, 9 (3*3) charges?
4th attack: bab-15, 16 (4*4) charges?
Wants should require a full on musket 'adaptor' - plug in wand, it's the ammo.I was thinking about the wand direction as well. Have the gun draw its power from the inserted wand. However, this can be really powerful if you allow it to be fired multiple times in one round... so perhaps make it a standard action to activate, or make iterative attacks draw increasing number of charges from the wand.
1st attack: full bab, 1 (1*1) charge
2nd attack: bab-5, 2 (2*2) charges
3rd attack: bab-10, 9 (3*3) charges?
4th attack: bab-15, 16 (4*4) charges?
Iterative attacks, instead of exponential charges, should use cumulative incrementing charges. That, or total charge use should be additive above purely sequential numerics -Attack 1 is one charge, 2 is 3, 4 is 7, 5 is 12 charges total from the wand, and so forth for normal repeated fire.
I would use your equating method for addressing the 'dead shot' ability.
How much do you think an item an item like this would cost?
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How much do you think an item an item like this would cost?
Well... it's somewhat unprecedented, but if you examine what's needed...
You need a DC20 Use Magic Device check to activate a wand. If the gun can make this check automatically by using a wand as ammunition, it can almost be guessed that the weapon grants itself a skill bonus of 20.
Skill bonus (competence) --> Bonus squared x 100 gp
20*20*100=40000gp
Of course, the gun isn't granting that bonus to the player, it's only granting it to itself, so I'd value that at 50% of the regular price.
You could then determine that there could be different power levels of the gun, allowing it to only activate wands of up to a certain spell level.
0 only: 1,000
0 - 1: 2,500
0 - 2: 5,000
0 - 3: 10,000
0 - 4: 20,000
That's just an idea...
Another would be to make the gun an Intelligent Item as well as grant it the competence bonus to Use Magic Device. As an intelligent item can have 5 ranks in a skill for 2500, or 10 ranks for 10000. Let's say you chose the 10 ranks for 10k. Add in a Skill Bonus of +10 for 5,000 (again, halving the bonus cost since the player isn't receiving it) and you've brought the cost to 15k. Of course, the weapon would now have a +2 ego modifier and there would be other Intelligent Item rules that would apply, but that would certainly add a ton of flavor.
Looking at those rules..... I could easily make this, and it would be completely legal with little to no fudging.... Nice...
Also, I could probably make one as a player... In other games. :) What are the rules for making custom items? Are players actually allowed to make intelligent items? Do crafting rules apply, such as, you make it for 1/2 the price?
In the cast for this campaign. I don't think I actually want the caster gun to be alive or talk. It simply is just a gun. Although I am not against the idea at all since that does sound pretty fun. :)
I'm thinking this gun is going to cost somewhere around 20,000 to 30,000 then. When you place restrictions, like the gun can't cast from certain schools. The gun requiring that the spell functions like a weapon attack roll. So if, for example, fireball is used, it doesn't automatically hit, it still needs to make a touch AC roll against the target, or an AC roll for the square it starts in. What about bonuses, like how I am itching to get make allow a move action to be used for a single range attack with another weapon, ONLY IF you have a certain feat? It also makes touch attack spells have a range of 30, but no more then 30, as the spell fizzles if it goes further.
I did enjoy beating Persona 3, but I hated the evoker. That was the dumbest design you could have made when creating a device that allows you so summon your stand, err, Persona. The game even makes fun of it self, with characters refusing to use it because IT LOOKS LIKE A GUN AND THEY HAVE TO SHOOT THEMSELVES IN THE HEAD WITH IT! Seriously, I could have made the device far more pleasing to use. What about a hat? It obviously doesn't need to be that big. :p
Yes, I suppose one could shoot themselves in the head with enlarge person and then grow larger. Seems legit :p
Shooting oneself to enjoy beneficial spells reminds me very much of Persona III.
This sounds very much like an idea I was considering for my homebrew- basically normal wands were the poor cousins of the long-lost fabled gnomish wands, which were indeed guns that could shoot/cast a specific spell. I don't think I had the idea of using scrolls as bullets though- that's just awesome.