Revolver gunslinger advice

[GuJiaXian]

I'm building a human revolver-wielding gunslinger (mysterious stranger archetype) for my wife. She cares more about roleplaying than combat and game mechanics, but still enjoys dealing out damage. We've got everything but the feats sorted out. The campaign will be starting at 5th level. Here's her current feat layout:

1: Deadly Aim, Point Blank Shot
3: Precise Shot
4: No Name (grit) (this is a must-have for my wife)
5: Rapid Reload (revolver)
7: Two-Weapon Fighting
8: Improved Critical (revolver)

After that, she was looking Blind Fight and Ricochet Shot Deed, Secret Stash Deed, and perhaps Weapon Focus (revolver) (is this needed, when she's targeting touch ACs?). Is Precise Shot needed (same reason--she's targeting lower ACs)?

Thoughts? Remember that this doesn't need to be an uber-maximized built--just an effective one. Regardless, she really wants to dual-wield the revolvers and to get No Name at 4th level.

[KrispyXIV]

If revolvers have been OKed by your DM, you're based have been covered offensively.

[GuJiaXian]

Yes, our DM did approve revolvers.

When you say we're covered, does that include getting Precise Shot and/or Weapon Focus, or can my wife drop one or both of those from her build?

[KrispyXIV]

'bases are covered' is what I meant, oops.

I wouldn't drop precise shot, but weapon focus likely isn't necessary. Hitting should be a non-issue for the most part but big penalties like -4's will add up.

Advanced firearms are very good, so I would take the opportunity to take as many 'cool' options as possible. I'd consider secret stash as well, both as a cool option and a power one.

[MacGurcules]

Weapon Focus probably isn't a big deal. But the four points you can get from Precise Shot is pretty big and it leads to Improved Precise Shot which is excellent.

Secret Stash isn't great. Cartridges are expensive, but Secret Stash doesn't give you enough ammo to make it worthwhile. Use Dead Shot to conserve ammo if it's a problem. Mysterious Stranger has an advantage in that she can add her Charisma multiple times with Dead Shot. Other archetypes can't. That said, it is kinda fun and the extra bonus when gambling is thematic and flavorful.

Rapid Shot provides a good return. I might pick that up before two-weapon fighting. Gives the same effect at a lower penalty. If you want to use a second gun for flavor, you can always take the Rapid Shot with the second gun. I'd even consider taking it before Deadly Aim.

Also, strictly speaking, Rapid Reload doesn't do anything for revolvers. It says it reduces the reload time of a one-handed firearm to a move action. Advanced firearms are already a move action to reload, so by the book, it doesn't do anything. That said, I don't think it's unfair to extend it to make reloading revolvers a free action.

[KrispyXIV]

MacGurgles, my experience with secret stash has been otherwise (from a GM PoV). It allows a gunslinger to produce, from money and grit, custom ammunition to overcome any situation. Fighting a demon with dr/good? +1 holy bane bullets will make it one round from horrible bullety death. And you had them in your pocket.

[BYC]

Your GM better not renege on revolver, because advanced firearms will easily break the curve of a campaign assuming everything else is PF Core by RAW, and he might be tempted to do so if you trick this out too well.

I don't usually take Deadly Aim/Power Attack until level 4 because it's not really worth it to me until then.

Go Point-Blank and Precise immediately. You don't want to be taking a -4 right off the bat shooting into melee. Take Blind-Fighting and start working into Ricochet Shot later on.

There's not much else you really need because you have revolvers. Just stay like 100 feet away and shoot get still get a touch attack. If there are other ranged characters, and they don't have advanced firearms, there's a good chance they will hate your wife's character.

[MacGurcules]

KrispyXIV wrote:

MacGurgles, my experience with secret stash has been otherwise (from a GM PoV). It allows a gunslinger to produce, from money and grit, custom ammunition to overcome any situation. Fighting a demon with dr/good? +1 holy bane bullets will make it one round from horrible bullety death. And you had them in your pocket.

Hmm, I guess I hadn't read it that way. I read it as you get regular bullets or paper cartridges for free and stuff like flares and adamantine bullets cost you money. I never considered that it could give you magic ammo but I suppose it doesn't specifically deny that, either.

[GuJiaXian]

Hopefully the revolvers won't be an issue. This will be a comedy campaign--I'm playing a gnome alchemist that's obsessed with capitalism (down with the socialists!), and my wife typically doesn't power-game at all.

[gnomersy]

Well it looks okay although trading precise and deadly aim would be a good choice. The build isn't hyper optimized but you will definitely be doing solid damage even so and the touch AC thing can get really annoying for a DM if you end up fighting big monsters a lot. I never thought secret stash would do that so you might want to discuss it with your DM if that's how he plays it.