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Hey everyone. I just figured I'd take this time to show you all a very unique build for the Gunslinger that I'm currently designing for my next campaign. Basically this thread will show you how to optimize the power of using a single-hand firearm with attacks of opportunity. Now, before I get started, for those of you who do not think that the feat known as Rapid Reload does not reduce the time to reload advanced firearms, I'd like to draw your attention to the following text...
Loading Firearm: You need at least one hand free to load one-handed and two-handed firearms. In the case of two-handed firearms, you hold the weapon in one hand and load it with the other—you only need to hold it in two hands to aim and shoot the firearm. Loading siege firearms requires both hands, and one hand usually manipulates a large ramrod (which can be wielded as a club in combat). The Rapid Reload feat reduces the time required to load one-handed and two-handed firearms, but this feat does not reduce the time it takes to load siege firearms.
And furthermore...
Advanced Firearms: Advanced firearms are chamber-loaded. It is a move action to load a one-handed or two-handed advanced firearm to its full capacity.
As I'm sure many will argue, by RAW, the rules do not allow Rapid Reload to reduce the loading time for Advanced firearms. However, I think we can all agree that the Rapid Reload feat WAS intended to reduce the time all the same. In addition, if we all decided to follow the RAW for our rulings, then I suppose many of you are going to tell me that the Pistolero gets to add their dex to damage TWICE: once from Gun Training, and again from Pistol Training...since it does not explicitly state that one training replaces the other.
Now then, as far as the Pistolero is concerned, it is my belief that rapid reload DOES work with advanced firearms and reduces them to a free action to reload, and it is also my opinion that Pistol Training DOES replace Gun training for the Pistolero. I hope that helps to clear everything up.
Anyways, seeing as how we've gotten all THAT out of the way, allow me to share with you all a very unique build for the Gunslinger that I personally feel holds a lot of flavor and a great deal of damage potential. Here's how we break it down
The Feats:
1. Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot
3. Rapid Reload
4. Rapid Shot
5. Precise Shot
7. Weapon Focus
8. Snap Shot
9. Improved Snap Shot
11. Signature Deed (Up Close and Deadly)
12. Combat Reflexes
13. Hammer the Gap
15. Clustered Shots
16. Deft Shootist Deed
17. Toughness
19. Improved Precise Shot
20. (Whatever you want)
Basically with this build, you will be able to dish out a good amount of damage, threaten up to 15 feet for attacks of opportunity, make every shot add precision damage to your weapon (due to Up Close and Deadly), and also fire your ranged weapon at melee combatants without provoking attacks of opportunity. Other feats such as Hammer the Gap, Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim, and Clustered Shots should allow you to stack on an absurd amount of damage (even against creatures with DR...especially when you consider the great combo of Hammer the Gap and Clustered Shots).
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Weapons/Armor:
Revolver - Craft this sucker as soon as possible. It will cost you 2,000 gp and 2 days worth of work (3 if you count ammunition) but the fact that it is an advanced firearm will more than make up for these drawbacks. In addition, it never hurts to have a back-up weapon, so you might as well make two.
Celestial Armor/Bracers of Armor: Either one of these options will do, as they are basically the only type of armor that can support your dex. However, a mithral chain shirt is rather cheap (1,100 gp), and can support up to 6 dex...which should be sufficient for early levels.
Magic Items
Handy Haversack - this is by far the cheapest and most efficient way to carry lots of items, and is never a bad investment.
Glove of Storing - a great way to conceal your gun, and it allows you to draw your weapon without provoking attacks of opportunity as a free action. Moreover, its just very stylish to snap your fingers and produce your revolver out of thin air, so I would definitely take it.
Belt of Ability Enhancements - yeah, you pretty much take this for Dex and Con, as there is almost no reason to improve your strength.
Headband of Ability Enhancements - you really only need this for your wisdom, but extra skill points and a little boost to your charisma based skills aren't bad either.
Boots of Speed - more attacks, more movement, more AC, and more accuracy...enough said.
Cloak of Resistance - failing saves is bad...so don't fail them.
Hat of Disguise - so much utility in one little item.
Eyes of the Eagle - a cheap way to make sure you never fail a perception check.
Ring of Sustenance - make it harder for your GM to catch you while you're sleeping.
Ring of Protection - deflection bonuses are always good.
Weapon Properities
Collision - trust me when I say this: a revolver with the collision property will dish out A LOT of extra damage.
Parrying - for 8,000 gp you get +1 insight bonus to your AC and ALL your saves...yes please!
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And that's about it! Again, I hope you all enjoyed this new take on the Gunslinger, and feel free to leave me any comments/suggestions you like. Take care :P
So why take this instead of simply using two double barreled pistols to take some 16 shots a round with the same bonus damage and no chance of misfiring?
So why take this instead of simply using two double barreled pistols to take some 16 shots a round with the same bonus damage and no chance of misfiring?
Because, unless I am missing something, there is no reliable way to reload such weapons every round like that (which means you won't get that many shots). Essentially, even with alchemic paper and Lightning reload, you can only load TWO barrels a round as a free action (and that is assuming that you would have a free hand...which, if you are dual wielding, you wouldn't have a free hand anyway).
Or you can simply use a glove of storing rapid reload and alchemical paper cartridges which all stacks by RAW and allows full reloading.
You are much too hung up on the lightning reload deed which was effectively dead on delivery because of rapid reload and alchemical paper cartridges.
The only 'hard' part is getting a free hand to reload with and I can show you no less than three methods to do that.
Or you can simply use a glove of storing rapid reload and alchemical paper cartridges which all stacks by RAW and allows full reloading.
You are much too hung up on the lightning reload deed which was effectively dead on delivery because of rapid reload and alchemical paper cartridges.
The only 'hard' part is getting a free hand to reload with and I can show you no less than three methods to do that.
I'm all ears, though again I would stress the advantages of using advanced firearms (seeing as how they allow to hit a touch AC up to five times their range increment where early firearms do not).
But, as always, I'm very much eager to get more advice.
Well where I see it is your only hope for the rapid reload is a RAI stance instead of a RAW stance -- puts you on shaky ground.
Now 3 different ways for a free hand to reload:
1. 2 levels of alchemist -- grab vestigial arm.
2. 1 level of witch for prehensile hair (or some levels in hexcrafter magus).
3. Glove of storing. You can choose the order of shooting so you fire off one gun completely (alchemical paper cartridges and rapid reload) then fire off the other gun while storing the first (or using a weapon cord to drop the first while firing the second and a swift action to recover after you restore the second gun).
Those are just the quick and easy ones of course. There are options:
Magical ammunition with lots of mundane guns that you fire and drop with quick draw. Not a cheap option, but still an option.
Finally have an unseen servant (or perhaps several unseen servants) load them for you as you fire off multiple guns.
Your third option seems like the best one if one wishes to stay a pure gunslinger. I suppose the only advantages my build has over this that IF the rules for reloading an advanced firearm hold from my perspective, you can basically make up the lack of damage by using attacks of opportunity. After all, threatening 15 feet is some serious business, especially when you have a high dex and combat reflexes.
However, I am grateful that you showed me how to potentially dual wield firearms if I wanted to. I suppose to supplement from my feat tree, one would basically take out the snap shot feats and combat reflexes and basically add in the TWF tree. Granted, the downside to sticking with early firearms is that you have to be relatively close to your enemies in order to benefit from the touch AC, but other then that, I really can't seem to find a flaw in it.
Well snap shot is available to anyone that spends the feats however there are other reasons to take your build:
1. You want to. As far as I'm concerned there isn't much of a 'right' argument against want.
2. Your GM doesn't allow double barrel pistols to function like they do (mathematically not needed but still understandable).
3. Your GM says no to the weapon juggling involved.
4. You want to have longer range and use touch attack to the fifth range increment.
5. You are playing in an age where only advanced firearms are available.