So are most GM's going with the guns and cannons or sticking with more standard weapons?
One reason I ask is that from what I am reading historically cannons were used very differently than ballista and catapults and I want to have an idea of the type of combat I will be describing for my sailors.
I have left the issue open.
When we were setting up characters I let my players know that gunpowder existed but was rare in anything other than expensive personal weapons, and that they could play a Gunslinger if they wanted to (subject to GM approval of any more egregious builds. ;D )
So far no one has taken me up on the offer, although one player has mentioned multi-classing as a Gunslinger once we get farther along.
I intend to drop firearms into the AP as treasure here and there
but it's going to be up to the PCs what they do with them - use them, sell them, trade them for favors, whatever.
I haven't seen Hell's Heart yet, so depending on how well the Filthy Lucre or the Chelaxians are armed I may increase availablity if it seems warrented.
I have a gunslinger in my group, but with the scarcity of materials, he's only got 14 shots worth of gunpowder until he gets to level 4.
I'll eventually allow him to make his own cannons for the ship. I don't see them as being overly powerful from a mechanics perspective - particularly for the costs involved. Besides, it'll help give these upstarts a bit of a reputation and perhaps the unwanted attention of the Hurricane King which should help smooth out some of the plot later in the books.
In general, guns will be quite uncommon, but I may toss in the odd related item here or there as Fitzwalrus describes (though, perhaps even less).
I have a gunslinger in my group, but with the scarcity of materials, he's only got 14 shots worth of gunpowder until he gets to level 4.
I'll eventually allow him to make his own cannons for the ship. I don't see them as being overly powerful from a mechanics perspective - particularly for the costs involved. Besides, it'll help give these upstarts a bit of a reputation and perhaps the unwanted attention of the Hurricane King which should help smooth out some of the plot later in the books.
In general, guns will be quite uncommon, but I may toss in the odd related item here or there as Fitzwalrus describes (though, perhaps even less).
What does he do in combat then? It sounds like he would be unable to use a majority of his class features for the entirety of the first book
What does he do in combat then? It sounds like he would be unable to use a majority of his class features for the entirety of the first book
Well, he's pretty good with a thrown dagger and a good chunk of level 1 is skill-based anyway. He'll certainly have to pick and choose his moments, but taking 2 or 3 shots per *major* combat will still last him quite a while. I expect he'll have to be resourceful towards the end of the book. At low levels, he's not really losing that much. Everyone's on a pretty level playing field in combat. Heck, our witch is one of the best fighters in the group due to his choice of ability scores.
I've just skimmed Part 6 (still finishing reading Part 5) so I easily may have missed something.
I plan on taking a similar approach as Fitzwalrus: Firearms will be rare in the Shackles. Only special Hurricane Kings get them. But "PC" is special also. We don't play Pirate the RPG(TM) that often so if someone specifically wants a gunslinger, I'll allow it.
The Inner Sea World Guide and the S&S Player's Guide both (I think) mention that Bonefist has cannons. The AP gives the impression he has the only full complement of cannons in the Shackles. It won't be a secret; if that's the case, it's certainly the source of some of the Hurricane King's own Infamy. The players may well decide to research the source of the cannons on their own. There may well be a way-out-in-left-field quest for cannons to whatever nation they are made (I'm not up on my Golarion to have the name right now.) I intend to take as much a sandbox approach to the AP as I can stand so I would probably allow that, too. Coming back with cannons to compete with the Hurricane King would be worth infamy and may help rally squads of ships to the PC's fleet.
Before I read much of the AP, I figured that the alchemist could play a vital role in scratching the gunpowder itch in a PF pirate campaign.
Now that I've read most of the AP, I have not come across anything to change that idea. An alchemist is a walking cannon and can with the right skill *invent* (or at least independently discover) gunpowder if you want them to. Have fun! (Edit - sp)
You could go down the road used by Privateer Press in the Iron Kingdom setting with "Blackpowder" plus "Redpowder"... mix two otherwise harmless ingredients, and you gain a very volatile substance. And make one of these two incredibly hard to produce (high DC, difficult to procure ingredients). Real life gunpowder after all came in varying degrees, too,
Actually might help the alchemist some with the first adventures, since the underwater environs often enough really play havoc on throwing bombs.
I have a gunslinger in my group, but with the scarcity of materials, he's only got 14 shots worth of gunpowder until he gets to level 4.Hmmm. Did you limit it to 14 by DM fiat or was it from starting gold? If he's a gunslinger then he gets the gunsmithing feat, which allows:
You can craft bullets, pellets, and black powder for a cost in raw materials equal to 10% of the price.
So 14 shots is worth:
2 powder horns = 6 gp14 does of black powder = 14 gp (10% of 140 gp)
14 bullets = 1.4 (10% of 14 gp)
total 21.4 gp (not 160 gp)
Just curious
cheers
I have a gunslinger in my group, but with the scarcity of materials, he's only got 14 shots worth of gunpowder until he gets to level 4.Hmmm. Did you limit it to 14 by DM fiat or was it from starting gold? If he's a gunslinger then he gets the gunsmithing feat, which allows:You can craft bullets, pellets, and black powder for a cost in raw materials equal to 10% of the price.So 14 shots is worth:
2 powder horns = 6 gp
14 does of black powder = 14 gp (10% of 140 gp)
14 bullets = 1.4 (10% of 14 gp)
total 21.4 gp (not 160 gp)Just curious
cheers
It was largely based on his own choice. Instead of using all of his starting gold on bullets and black powder, he spent some on the raw materials and I allowed him to craft it into usable material by spending ship actions. So, he opted for 4 uses and another 10 in (significantly cheaper) raw materials. The problem is that at the outset, he has no idea how long it might be until he's back in port to get more raw materials.
In retrospect, it would have been better to get only raw materials, but he would have had to know ahead of time that he wouldn't need to use his gun at all for the first couple days. I can't really blame him. After all, a gunslinger has a lot more leverage with even a handful of bullets in his pocket.