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After having revisited the Titan Mauler, I wanted to give a try at revamping another official archetype that let more than one people disappointed :
The Gun Tank.
When I first read the name, I imaginated something awesome. It would be like fireballs everywhere. It's crazy awesomeness combined, explosions and big scary armors, showering lead on the battlefield, standing up against dragons while shouting all kinds of flowery dwarven insults between two shotgun hotshots.
But... well, we'll first do a little test.
Who, among you, has ever played, or even suggested to someone, to use the Gun Tank archetype ?
No one ? Well. (Dots are links to webpages.)
So, here is my take at doing the Gun Tank, something that wouldn't deliver a "meh" reaction when compared to a pistolero or musketeer.
I hope you'll like it.
Heck, I hope you'll love it. And have... a blast.
I hope your enemies will hate, and fear it. (They will. That's not a metaphor.)
And I hope you'll deliver a comment on how you just imploded from coolness overcharge ! 8)
Please behold, ladies and gentleman : towering under her heavy armor and shield, firing highly dangerous weapons point-blank, and even reloading her weapons like the go*ddamn Terminator, the...
Gun Tank
Those who once met a gunslinger, either by some hazard of life or because they wished to behold one's deeds, could swear that all people of their kind are fiery, blazing tornadoes, cold sharpshooters, wannabee legends, or a combination of these traits ; but even on the ranks of people having witnessed the deeds of a gunslinger, few had the chance to meet the most unusual, and the most frightening of these firearms users. Like living armors showering the battlefield with lead, thunder and smoke, gun tanks are the few who use and modify their armor to protect themselves from both traditional weapons and gunfire. These gunslingers trundle into battle with barrels blazing, dealing out punishment with their firearms while knowing few can penetrate their hard protective shells.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency
A gun tank is proficient with all armors and shields, including tower shields. Gun Tanks are proficient only with their shields as martial weapons, with firearms with the scatter special property, and firearm siege engines. She must take Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearm) to gain proficiency with all others one-handed and two-handed firearms.
Gunsmith
At 1st level, a gunslinger must choose a blunderbuss or dragon pistol. This ability is otherwise identic to the gunslinger's gunsmith first level ability.
Deeds
A gun tank swaps a pair of deeds for the following. The new deed descriptions include information on which deeds from the gunslinger class feature these new deeds replace.
Gun Tank’s Resolve (Ex)
At 1st level, the gun tank can shrug off the most serious of attacks. When the gun tank is wearing medium or heavy armor and is subject to a critical hit or sneak attack, she can spend 1 grit point as an immediate action to attempt to negate the critical hit or sneak attack damage. At 1st level, she has a 25% chance of doing so. At 10th level, the chance increases to 50%. At 15th level, the chance increases to 75%. While a gun tank’s resolve does not stack with the fortification armor special ability, it does work in concert with that armor special ability or similar effects, so a gun tank can use this ability even after the armor of fortification has failed to negate the critical hit or sneak attack damage.
This deed replaces the gunslinger’s Dodge deed.
Wall Of Lead (Ex)
At 1st level, the gun tank can use modified grape shot on her weapons with the scatter weapon quality to reach farther enemies. When doing a scattering shot, the gun tank may increase the scatter range of her firearm by 5 feet, suffering a -2 penalty to attack and increasing the misfire range of her firearm by 2. Performing this deed costs 1 grit point per 5 feet of range added to the scattering shot.
This deed replaces the gunslinger’s deadeye deed.
Black Teeth (Ex)
At 1st level, the gun tank already masters an efficient technique to reload a firearm while protecting herself behind a shield ; because the most usual trick for a gun tank is to use her teeth to hold and manipulate reloading tools, they are commonly described as having a row of teeth darkened, and threadbared by powder and burnt residues. As long as she has at least 1 grit point, the gun tank may reload a one-handed firearm without a free hand while holding a shield. This deed doesn't change the firearm's reloading time.
This deed replaces the gunslinger’s quick clear deed.
Flip-Cocking (Ex)
At 3rd level, the gun tank improves her technique to reload a firearm while protecting herself behind a shield. She may add a mechanism containing the needed quantity of powder and ammunition for one shot to any two-handed firearm, allowing her to reload the weapon with a quick counterclockwise rotation called a flip-cock, and fire it with a strong grip. As long as she has at least 1 grit point, the gun tank may reload a two-handed firearm without a free hand while holding a shield, and may shoot an appropriately sized two-handed firearm with one-hand by suffering a -2 penalty to attack, in addition to any other penalty (like from using the wall of lead deed, or by wielding a tower shield). This deed doesn't change the firearm's reloading time.
This deed replaces the pistol-whip deed.
Shrapnel (Ex)
At 3rd level, the gun tank is able to easily shred to bits any group of opponents thanks to her skills with scattering firearms. When she attacks with a scattering shot, the gun tank can spend 1 grit point to deal 1d6 points of extra damage on a hit. If she misses with the attack, she grazes the targets, dealing half the extra damage anyway. She must choose to spend the grit point before she makes the attack roll. This is precision damage and is not multiplied if the attack is a critical hit. This precision damage increases to 2d6 at 7th level, to 3d6 at 11th level, to 4d6 at 15th level, and to 5d6 at 19th level. If using a Dragon's Breath cartridge, the weapon misfires only if the gun tank rolls a number of 1 on it's d6s equal to 1 + the number of extra damage dices. This precision damage stacks with sneak attack and other forms of precision damage.
This deed replaces the gunslinger's initiative deed.
Aim For The Head (Ex)
At 7th level, as a full-round action, the gun tank can take careful aim and pool all of her attack potential into a single, deadly shot. When she does this, she shoots the firearm at a single target within her weapon's scattering range (see the following). For each 10 feet of scattering range she sacrifices (up to a minimum range left of 5 feet, and to the range needed to hit the creature), she makes an attack roll at her best base attack bonus. If any of the attack rolls hit the target, the gun tank’s single attack is considered to have hit. For each additional successful attack roll beyond the first, the gun tank increases the damage of the shot by the base damage dice of the firearm, plus her normal damage modifiers. For instance, if a 7th-level gun tank firing a blunderbuss sacrifices 20 feets of range and hits with both attacks, she does 2d10 points of damage with the shot, instead of 1d10 points of damage, before adding any damage modifiers twice. Precision damage and extra damage from weapon special abilities (such as flaming) are added only once with damage modifiers and are not increased by this deed. If one or more rolls are critical threats, she confirms the critical once using her highest base attack bonus –5. For each critical threat beyond the first, she reduces this penalty by 1 (to a maximum of 0). The gun tank only misfires on this attack if all the attack rolls are misfires, in which case her weapon immediately explodes. She cannot perform this deed when attacking creatures in a cone, but may use the Wall of Lead deed to increase her range for the purposes of this deed – when using the Wall of Lead deed with the Aim For The Head deed, the misfire range of the weapon increases by 1 per 5 feet instead of 2. The gun tank can only use this deed with a dragon pistol or a blunderbuss. He must spend 1 grit point to perform this deed.
This deed replaces the dead shot deed.
Thundering Terror (Ex)
At 7th level, a gun tank with at least 1 grit point can spend a standard action to purposely shoot in the air with a scattering shot. When she does, all creatures under 30 feet become shaken until the start of her next turn. The DC of the Will save against this effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the gunslinger’s level + the gunslinger’s Wisdom modifier. This deed cannot be used to make a creature frightened or panicked, even if the targets are already shaken from another effect. Thundering Terror is a mind-affecting fear effect, and it relies on audible and visual components.
This deed replaces the startling shot deed.
Precise Scatter (Ex)
At 7th level, a gun tank with at least 1 grit point can apply damage increasing feats like Deadly Aim to the damage of her scattering shots.
This deed replaces the targeting deed.
Gun Tank’s Resilience (Ex)
At 15th level, when the gun tank has at least 1 grit point and makes a successful Fortitude saving throw against an attack that would deal half damage or have a partial effect, she takes no damage or other effects from that attack. Furthermore, she gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws against fear and mind-affecting effects.
This deed replaces the evasive deed.
Bullet Defection (Ex)
A gun tank is adept at modifying, and using her armor to stop firearm attacks. Starting at 2nd level, whenever she is wearing armor, the armor check penalty is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by her armor increases by 1. Every four levels thereafter (6th, 10th, and 14th), the bonus increases by 1, to a maximum of a –4 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +4 increase to the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed. This ability doesn't stack with the fighter's Armor Training class ability. If the gun tank has both class features, she takes the most advantageous benefit of the two class features.
In addition, the gun tank may add half her armor’s bonus plus the armor’s enhancement bonus (if any) as a deflection bonus to her touch AC against any splash weapon (including the alchemist’s bomb class ability; Advanced Player’s Guide 28) or non-siege firearm. This ability has no affect on spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities that make a touch attack.
This ability replaces nimble.
Shotgun Training (Ex)
Starting at 5th level, a gun tank increases her skill with firearms doing scattering shots. She gains a bonus on damage rolls equal to her Dexterity modifier with these firearms. Within a gun tank's hands, a blunderbuss has a scattering range of 20 feet instead of 15, and a critical range of 20x3. If using alchemical cartridges or if her weapon explodes, the reflex save to reduce damage increases by 1. Every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th), the reflex save increases by +1. At 13th level, a gun tank's misfire range on her scattering weapons is reduced by 2.
This replaces gun training 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Name Violation and I suggested it once...
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Wut ?... Please excuse me, but I'ts almost 5:00 AM here and I just spent some hours doing this. Fortunately I don't work tomorrow.
But the point is, I don't understand your post. Too much awesomeness and blazing in the post before.
EDIT : some frenglish I left.
EDIT 2 : ShadowCatX, my friend, I am sincerely glad to see this is my... hum... (holy shit !) seventh archetype you put as a favorite of yours these days ! Don't hesitate to express a comment if you feel like it, so I can correct any overlooked design mistake, and globally feel better in my cold little heart by putting a bit of happiness on peoples' lives. ;^p (It helps keeping the thread in sight, btw. I can do with suffering judgement. :3)
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I like Black Teeth a lot. When I think of a Gun Tank, I think of a dwarf built like a brick house in full plate and covering behind a tower shield. The fact that it would be possible with that deed is awesome.
...
*Anime eyes + handsome face + brofist*
It was exactly the intention.
Alas... it's not really do-able (or, at the least, optimal) because of a "little" detail I overlooked : when using a Tower Shield, you can only apply a maximum of 2 points from your Dexterity modifier to your AC. And as written, there is currently no way to improve this as a Gun Tank. At lower level this is fine, but I really don't see a gun tank looking less bulkier when gaining level just to stay competitive.
So let's get as an example a level 6 Gun Tank.
20 Dex, Full plate, Tower Shield, Blunderbuss.
20-point buy, 16 000 GP.
No specific feat taken.
BAB : +6/+1
Ranged : +11/+6
AC : 10 + 10(Arm) + 5(Shield) + 2 (Dex) = 27/12(17 firearms&splash)/25
Att :
Blunderbuss : (-2 from Tower Shield, -2 from Flip-cock) +8/+3 ; 1d10+6 20x3, 20 feet scatter (+6 att)
Dragon Pistol : +12/+7 ; 1d6+6 x4, 15-feet scatter (+10 att)
16000
+2 Dex belt (4000 gp)
12000
+1 Stone Plate (+10 AC) (Max 1+1=2 Dex) (1950 gp)
9050
+1 Tower Shield (+5 AC) (Max 2 Dex) (1180 gp)
7970
+1 Battered Blunderbuss (2300 gp)
5670
+1 (crafted) Dragon Pistol (2800 gp)
2870
+1 Cape of resistance (1000 gp)
1870
Diverse gun equipment (ammo, powder, keg, etc.)
I think :
- The blunderbuss probably deserves to be improved a bit (why the hell is a blunderbuss a 1d10, 20x2 weapon (scatter 15ft) when the dragon pistol, a lighter weapon, is a 1d6, 20x4 (scatter 15ft) weapon ? Seriously... the blunderbuss is inferior to a freakin' pistol in every point due to being two-handed, including damage. 2 HP more per average hit doesn't compensate the x2 multiplier, and even less the -2 from one-handing it). My DPR calculator shows that making it x3 helps balancing it, and the improved range adds some tactical choices, including when Aiming For The Head. So it is probably fine enough as it now. BUT...
- Bullet Defection should increase the maximum Dex to AC from a tower shield, at the same time than it does for armor. Using a light shield provides less AC, but no attack penalty, and may be used to shield bash. You may even add in the feats to hit better after a ranged attack for a good synergy. The higher you decide to go with your shields, the higher AC you get by sacrificing shield bash, TWFing potential, and finally by sacrificing attack bonus.
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ERRATA
On the Bullet Defection ability, replace the part going from "A gun tank is adept..." to "... maximum Dexterity bonus allowed." with the following :
A gun tank is adept at modifying, and using her armor and shield to stop firearm attacks. Starting at 2nd level, whenever she is wearing armor, the armor check penalty is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by her armor increases by 1. The maximum dexterity bonus allowed by a gun tank's tower shield also increases by 1. Every four levels thereafter (6th, 10th, and 14th), the bonus increases by 1, to a maximum of a –4 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +4 increase to the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed.
Name Violation and I suggested it once...Reply to wrong thread?
now I'm curious...
No no, I distinctly recall you and I recommended someone take levels in Gun Tank.