Just borrowed a friend's copy of the ARG and upon reading the new Experimental Gunsmith archetype for Gnomes I fell completely in love. The same friend is starting a game soon and I decided I'd work in a gnome Experimenter.
So what approach would be best to work with this archetype? It will obviously never be a damage machine, though I'd prefer he be fairly respectable on the DPR front. All advice welcome, any thoughts on feats, traits, attributes, equipment, innovations or level dips is appreciated.
Current thoughts include:
Standard ranged combat feats (Rapid Reload, Precise Shot, PBS, Deadly Aim, etc.)
Either Musket or Single Pistol
1 or 2 levels in Fighter or other Full BAB class (Thinking Fighter now for feats, but a Divine Hunter Paladin might be interesting)
Possibly Gunslinger Favored Class bonus for Gnomes, to offset likely lots of misfires/broken weapons
Expanded Capacity and Vial Launcher Innovations
I've been looking into building an experimental Gunsmith, and I have a question about the Vial Launcher:
The text states:
Vial Launcher: The experimental gunsmith adds a special tube onto her firearm that can hold 1 vial of alchemical material, such as alchemist's fire, a tanglefoot bag, or a thunderstone.The experimental gunsmith adds a special tube onto her firearm that can hold 1 vial of alchemical material, such as alchemist's fire, a tanglefoot bag, or a thunderstone.
My questions is; would an alchemical substance include bombs from the alchemist class? Or only equipment? Because being able to fire bombs from the under-barrel of a musket would be freaking awesome!
Bombs don't come in vials and arguably aren't alchemical material - they come under a different class feature.
That said look up the Explosive Missile discovery.
I would consider Master Craftsman and Craft Magic Arms and Armor(or ask the GM, if you can take the latter without the first, since caster are much stronger than you anyway) so you can further pimp your weapon.
Damage Dealing Sunstances like Liquid Cold, Alchemist's Fire are not worth it, since your normal shots are stronger
Tanglefoot Bag is obviously solid, especially against flyers
When fighting Outsiders - Blightburn Paste might be useful
If you can get your hands on a Goz Mask-Smokesticks will be great, they still can give you limited battlefield control without
Fungal Stun Vial - is expensive, but really strong, 10ft stun, 20ft. confusion
Flash Powder - Fort, 1round blindness in a 10ft radius
Itching Powder-Fort, -2 to all kinds of checks and it is flavorful
Sneezing Powder-Fort or staggered and that for d4+1 rounds, also jilarious
Spellscorch-against enemy casters(though blinding or stunning them might be better)
Broken stuff you could, but should not do:
Shoot Fury Drops at enemy casters-they will fall into a lesser Barbarian Rage no save and lose the ability to cast spells
I would stick to Sneezing Poder, Itching Powder and Flash Powder. Those are cheap and solid AoEs