Focused Shot and Firearms

[Whale_Cancer]

The focused shot feat states that it only works with bows and crossbows. A number of things - such as coup de grâce and rapid reload - were errated/updated to work with firearms when they were introduced in Ultimate Combat. Was this ever done for this feat?

Obviously, in a home game, it's a simple thing to house rule that this feat works with firearms, but I am wondering if there were was official word on the topic.

[ErrantPursuit]

As far as I have seen Focused Shot still only works with bows and crossbows.

[Jamie Charlan]

Focused Shot is a trap feat anyhow; you're using a Standard Action to make the attack, rendering it incompatible with a number of other effects.

If you want a crossbow sniper* you've got exactly one choice open to you: The minotaur double crossbow.
Not the standard double crossbow, that's a bigger penalty and possibly slower reload. The 'monster' one that's already large sized to begin with [this can be an issue if you aren't large].

Even here what you want with it is Vital Strike. A double-crossbow [better yet the minotaur version, or a double pistol], preferably using Sniper Style on a level 8+ marksman, is how you get the one exception to "static mods put damage dice to shame even in the early levels". Once you're tossing a pair of 16d8 hits in a single augmented vital volley, your sniper can almost keep up with mr manyshot.
Almost.
But he'll do better in the ultra-rare instances of high non-bypassable DR unless manyshot has clustered shots as well.

*Generally speaking Crossbows are inferior to even water balloons at higher levels thanks to a minimum of one damage then strength mods. Even though "exotic" proficiency is supposed to provide a better weapon, the repeaters are more or less the worst weapon choice in the game. Racial, Traits, Heirloom Weapons are all easy ways of obtaining at least one martial or even exotic proficiency even if you're a wizard, so there's absolutely no reason any claims to 'but those who cannot use martial weapons can use it because it's simple' should ever be regarded with anything less than utter contempt

[Whale_Cancer]

It's not a trap feat when you are using a Colt .45 and can double shot it. In other words, this is for a modern campaign where I imagine it would actually be rather effective. I want to know if I need to include a change to it in my player's guide or whether such a change already exists.

Of course, none of that is germane to my question.

It does seem like it was overlooked (I couldn't imagine firearms being omitted as a deliberate design choice).

[chaoseffect]

Focused Shot is in Advanced Players Guide, which came before firearm rules IIRC. It's likely they just didn't care enough to errata it, but RAW still says no.

[Whale_Cancer]

chaoseffect wrote:

Focused Shot is in Advanced Players Guide, which came before firearm rules IIRC. It's likely they just didn't care enough to errata it, but RAW still says no.

Indeed. Rules for coup de grace and rapid reload were in the core rulebook and they have updated those. It's not unprecedented.

[Jamie Charlan]

What action is double-shooting the colt?
The big problem with Focused Shot is that it is its own action. This is where the incompatibility comes from.

You cannot Full Attack and Focused Shot. You cannot Rapid/Deadshot/manyshot/Targeting/Throughtheeyeoftheneedle, or any other number of things, because Focused Shot is its own Standard Action. If double-tapping is a modification to the normal attack action, or an action of its own, it will also be incompatible with Focused Shot, though in the latter case it is incompatible with most of the above as well.

It's also not certain for guns on the feat-saving front; Touch ACs are so low that precise shot isn't really a necessity, So you could just grab vital strike instead of precise>>focused too.

If you have a huge Int bonus it would be better at low levels, but eventually with larger weapons, augmented-weapon, augmented shot or other boosters, you'll have been better off with Vital.

If you do have retraining, though, then by all means; just be ready to switch out once you can boost your colt's dice up or have the firing options way above.

[thistledown]

Whale_Cancer wrote:

It does seem like it was overlooked (I couldn't imagine firearms being omitted as a deliberate design choice).

LOL. Firearms being omitted is a constant deliberate design choice. They hate having firearms being allowed to have the benefits other ranged weapons get.

[Claxon]

So wait, if the design team hates firearms, why were they added in the first place?

Also, you don't have to sell me on the "hate firearms" fan club for Pathfinder, they feel awful and out of place and if I wanted firearms I'd play D20 modern.