Sniper type Class.

[kharaa]

I'm trying to put together a sniper flavored class. It's individual strength isn't as important as having the flavor.

right now what i'm looking at is a noble drow gunslinger(musket master archtype)/rogue(sniper archtype)

any suggestions? My DM is basically okay with any real combination or rules. It basically needs to use firearms, and be able to make a single powerful shot. My line of thinking with my choices are the gunslinger obviously is the use of firearms, and a variety of gun/ammo related feats. and the rogue with the sniper archetype gives me the sneak attack damage and such.

[Umbral Reaver]

Unfortunately, this system strongly discourages single strong shots except in bizarre edge cases.

[Lincoln Hills]

Snipers are brought in to simplify a situation so that head-on combat is either A) unnecessary or B) hilariously one-sided. And PF is built around head-on combat between (relatively) equal sides.

The hit point mechanic itself, and the use of Armor Class and hit points rather than location-specific damage, are all geared to prevent the called-shot instant kill method of combat.

Consider: if you built a functional and effective sniper class, you'd have a series of combat encounters with one of three forms:

A) Your sniper performs his function. Everybody else is just there to loot the corpses you manufactured. You have fun at the expense of the other players.

B) Your sniper fails to perform his function. The rest of the party has to try to fix the situation. Not much fun for anybody, you least of all.

C) It turns out the enemy had a member of the Sniper class too. And his Stealth check just beat your Perception check... and vice versa. Goodbye!

[Brambleman]

rogue with a pair of sniper goggles. They let you sneak attack at any distance.

[Robert Jordan]

As much as I love the sniper archetype for rogues it doesn't quite match the feel of 1 shot 1 kill from obscene range. With that said it does fit the theme of a sniper very well. I prefer Fighters even though their skill set doesn't quite support it as much as you might wish you have more than enough feats to actually pick up skill focus and other such feats. Also the fact that Fighters can focus entirely on one weapon and do obscene amounts of damage and it's not based on variables... well typically. Unlike sneak attack or favored enemies fighter feats like wep spec and weapon training always apply when using your weapon.

With that said! If your DM is open to 3rd party and older, read 3.5/3.0 material, then I know of a neat feat that makes sniping a amazingly fun and viable option. It's basic functionality is that you make targeting attacks and a payoff shot and if the payoff misses the shot is wasted. Which is honestly how a one shot type thing works.

[Cheapy]

The gunslinger's Deadshot (or Deadeye?) is basically a snipe. Make a stealthy one of those? Any class can be stealthy.

[Adamantine Dragon]

How is your game going to be played? Are you part of an adventuring party, or are you a solo assassin? Are you roaming through dungeons, or hiding in towers shooting through windows?

Take us through what you see as a typical "encounter" with your sniper. Where are you? If you have a party, where are they? What do you see yourself doing?

[Magus Black]

Are you sold on a Nobel Drow? Hobgoblins might be a simpler and more effienct at the Hide and shoot kind of sniper since they have a +4 racial to Stealth and +2 to Dexterity and Constitution.

Are the Gun rules that you are using the ones from current Pathfinder or are they from Pathfinder Chronicles? Or are perhaps from a 3rd Party source?

If your using the using the current rules for firearms then may either want to rethink your concept or use a bow/crossbow. A typical sniper would probably want to have the range advantage against someone and the range of the 'long-range' firearms is simply not enough to save you, a bow/crossbow sniper will shoot you dead before you can even get into range to counter-attack.