"Splash" of a Gunslinger Build Help

[D-Kal]

So I'm working on a build for a sort of piratey brawling agile versatile sword-swinging musket-shooting trick-playing scoundrel of the high seas. My thought was to build thusly:

Human Cleric 3/Gunslinger 3/Cleric the rest. (Gunslinger - Musket Master)
STR 10
DEX 16+2
CON 14
INT 9 (+1 at 4th)
WIS 16
CHA 7 (+1 at 8th)

Feats: 1- Weapon Finesse, Point-Blank Shot; 3- Precise Shot; 5- Rapid Shot; the rest- ???

Deity - Besmara; Domains - Trickery, War(Tactics);

I start with a rapier (deity's weapon) and buckler, as well as a chain shirt (maxing out my light load). Later, once I get gunslinger, I swap my buckler for my gun & ammo (potentially earlier if I decide to use a light crossbow). Use cleric spells to enhance combat, replenish ammo, and be generally annoying (hold person, etc), use gun to, well, shoot people, and use rapier when I can't cast or shoot (decent melee option with good crit mod). Use domain powers to gain tactical advantage (better of 2 rolls for INIT and free mirror copies to be a tricky dodger). Focus on perception & survival for skills.
Traits - magical knack (compensate for splashed levels of gunslinger) and Veteran of Battle (+1 init, and I can draw my gun as a free action in the surprise round, if I can act in it).

So that's the idea, but I'm hearing that I should also consider main-classing as a Ranger, or an archaeologist Bard, or even a Rogue.
So what are my options? Pros and cons? Think my build is viable as it stands? Let the nit-picking begin.

[Jiggy]

If this is for PFS, note that Magical Knack is banned.

Also, I notice you list Rapid Shot, but IIRC reloading your gun is not a free action.

[ShadowcatX]

First, ranged fighting is very feat intensive, you'd be much better to start out as a ranged combatant and take only ranged feats rather than wasting a feat choice on weapon finesse. Secondly, gunslinger is much better as a 5 level dip than a 3 level dip (yes, you don't get 9th level spells, but it is still better for the majority of your career, IMO). Otherwise just take it as a 1 level dip and use a pistol.

[D-Kal]

Magical Knack being banned in PFS is definitely good information. I may grab a Stealth trait to make that a class skill then, sticking with my theme. Also, the 3rd level of Musket Master lets me treat my musket as a one-handed firearm for the purposes of reloading, and when you add that to the free rapid reload feat, and alchemical cartridges, then yes, I can reload my musket as a free action.

I suppose I could go with a 1-level dip and a pistol, but I like the range increment on the musket, and I get rapid reload (musket) as a free feat taking that route, so I'm already at the pistol's base reload speed without wasting a level feat. Since I won't be using my other hand for anything, a musket is as good as a pistol in that sense, except for how it's better.

[ShadowcatX]

Except that going for a musket instead of a pistol is costing you 2 levels of full casting, and if you're that worried about doing ranged damage you might as well go whole hog and go up to level 5 for gun training.

[Jiggy]

@D-Kal: Not gonna lie, that's a neat trick on the reloading. Shazam.

[D-Kal]

I suppose taking one level and grabbing a pistol would be doable, but unless I got a pepperbox, my ranged feats would be pushed back even further (for rapid reload). And if I went with pepperbox, I'd pretty much have to drop it once I was out of shots. But even so, I suppose it would get me through a few rounds, and then I always have my rapier and spells. So I'll call that a good option. And I'll consider the 5-level musket master as well.

Other thoughts, anyone? Better base class & why? Viable build @ 1, 3, or 5 levels of gunslinger?

[Jiggy]

Basically, you can't really be an effective full-caster AND be an effective "archer" (gunslingers count in this regard). You need to decide how much of what you really can't live without.

[D-Kal]

So far, the pepperbox build seems the most promising (thanks ShadowcatX). Given that, I can take some scaling domains (unlike my current domains). Any recommended deities/domains?
Or should I maybe consider gunslinger 11/cleric 1 (just for my non-scaling domains)?

[brreitz]

I would suggest a split between gunslinger and inquisitor. The clericy bits of the inquisitor will work nicely with your guns (especially judgements and bane), and inquisitor gets some fun spells. You'll probably need to rely more on out of combat healing items if you go down this path.

[blackbloodtroll]

Inquisitor will mesh a bit better, unless you are willing to switch deities.

[Please Don't Kill Me]

A guy I play PFS all the time with plays a Sound Striker Bard that took a one level dip into Mysterious Stranger and picked up a pepper box pistol. It is a really nice build because he not only deals good damage but his Cha score works for both of his classes. The Mysterious stranger lets you burn a point of Grit to apply extra damage equal to your Cha mod until the beginning of your next turn.

However, if you still want to be a divine caster you could go with an Oracle with the Life Mystery so not only can you spontaneously cast divine spells but you can also channel energy 1+Cha Mod/day (treating your Oracle level as your Cleric level) and take a dip into Mysterious stranger for a level (maybe even throw pistelero on top of that if you are feeling daring) so you can get a good damage output with your pistol. Then you have a decent BAB bonus and one main stat Cha, and one minor stat Dex.

Edit: Just thought of this but since pistols only have a range of 20ft you could add some flavor to your character and maker him take the clouded vision curse so you are a blind healing gunsliner (and your human now has dark vision up to 30ft, granted you can't see anything past that until you get to 5lvl oracle at which point it goes to 60ft).

[D-Kal]

I'd like to avoid the Charisma approach for now, but the inquisitor path does sound very promising for this concept. Any input on the domain?

[blackbloodtroll]

War Domain, or Tactics subdomain. If you want to dump charisma, and still be a face (and stealthy) the Heresy Inquisition is for you. If you want the Seafarer feel, the Aquatic Domain is for you.