PFS Legal Gunslinger Builds...

[karossii]

okay, from both a versatility standpoint (useful in the most situations outside of combat) and from a DPS standpoint (sheer firepower), which of the following combinations would be best for a PFS character?

Straight Gunslinger (any of the various archetypes)
Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger) 5 / Paladin 7, focused on smiting
Gunslinger (Pistolero) 5 / Paladin 7, focused on smiting with dual wielding pistols
Gunslinger (Pistolero or Musket Master) 1 / Inquisitor 11, focused on Banes and Inquisitions
Gunslinger (Pistolero or Musket Master) 5(7) / Inquisitor 7(5), utilizing both deeds and inquisitions/banes
Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger) 5 / Rogue 7, focused on sneak attacks
Gunsliner (Pistolero + Buccaneer) 5 / Rogue 7, focused on both sneak attack and grog fueled 'up close and deadly' dice
Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger) 1 / Fighter (Lore Warden 3) / Rogue 8, focused on sneak attacks

...or something completely different?

I want to play a gunslinger, I would like to be able to somehow minimize the cost of ammunition; so gaining the bard/cleric/ranger/sorcerer/wizard first level spell 'abundant ammunition' (even in wand form) would be a huge boon. I want to be able to lay down the hurt in combat the majority of the time. Not brokenly so, necessarily, but enough so that I feel I have contributed my share and more at least most of the time.

But I also want to have skills and utility abilities/powers/spells to use outside of combat.

As for RP style; I have a few approaches I am thinking of, and could tailor that to fit the mechanics as needed.

[trollbill]

I have a Mysterious Stanger 7/Paladin 3 in PFS. I have never thought the ammunition cost was so exorbitant that I would waist my first round of full attacks to cast a spell to cut down the cost. In the worst case I can think of, which was Bonekeep, I used 50 rounds of ammunition mixed between cartridges, bullets, pellets and rock salt. Some of the ammunition was Cold Iron. It netted to around 300 GP in ammo, which didn't compare to how much I spent of the 25 charges off a Wand of Cure Light Wounds, 6 charges off a Wand of Protection from Evil and the Potion of Fly I used in that mod.

Of course, since gunslingers can tend to dominate encounters, I suppose wasting your first turn casting Abundant Ammunition might help cut down on that domination. If you are going with a Mysterious Stanger you can always just take Dangerously Curious and UMD a Wand of Abundant Ammunition. You don't actually have to be able to cast the spell.

[karossii]

The abundant ammunition is more of a side issue, and that is why I mentioned wands - I figured I could UMD it if nothing else.

[Samasboy1]

Pistolero 5/Myrmidarch 7

Sort of an arcane archer with guns

[karossii]

the myrmidarch had crossed my mind, but I saw three issues with it. First, it makes me 3 stat dependent, all the others I can get down to two. Second, it forces me into a switch hitter for several levels, using melee and ranged both, neither as effective as a focused character. And third, it delays my effectiveness several levels; not until I hit Myrmidarch 4 can I do anything ranged as a magus; which is most likely meaning from 6th through 9th I am playing as effectively as a 6th level character... or only slightly moreso.

[trollbill]

Well, you could always go for a Grammaton Cleric.

[karossii]

Had to look that one up. Grammaton is 3PP, and not PFS legal.

[LoneKnave]

You can easily dump Wis since you get 1 grit for free anyway, and you generally don't need to spend any (if you must, play human and take the extra grit feat, or play a race that gives grit as favoured bonus, such as half-elf).

[Samasboy1]

You can build a Grammaton Cleric type PC.

Something like Gunslinger 1/Weapon Master Fighter 3/Sohei 6/Gunslinger +4

Flurry with pistols

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2q6mz?Gunslinger-Monk-build-questions

[trollbill]

karossii wrote:

Had to look that one up. Grammaton is 3PP, and not PFS legal.

Wow. I hadn't even realized someone had come out with rules for one. I was just suggesting a Gunslinger/Monk based off of Equalibrium.

[Rerednaw]

I play a musket master.
I don't think abundant ammunition is a must-have. Especially at lower levels.

In one mod he played there were at least 6 combat encounters with a total of 12 combat rounds.
In one combat he didn't get to act at all due to low initiative (the boss fight) and the combat was over before he acted.
Two combats were 1 round each. Didn't get to reload.
The remaining combats were several rounds. Usually he fired 2-3x. He missed 3 times. With Precise shot and no cover.
At the end of the module he had expended 8 bullets and doses of powder. Total cost 8.8 gp.

Fast muskets is a must-have for musket use. While Musket Training at 5th is very desirable it's not vital.

I'm more of a purist so I don't usually multi-class (all of my PFS characters are single class) but if I were:
I would multi-class with Inquisitor. Also, I would go with a Gunslinger(MM) 5/ Inquisitor 7 as opposed to G3/I9.

Why Inquisitor?
Wisdom synergy.
Gunslinger Init 3rd (+2) plus Cunning Init(+wis). Most PFS Gunslingers builds I have seen run with a 14 wis. That's a +4 init modifier or Improved Init for free (which you can still take anyway).

All three savings throws covered. Fort is favored all the way up, Reflex from Gunslinger and Will from Inquisitor. Both Will and Reflex are with your primary and secondary stats so they will be pretty good even if they are only favored for half your career each.

A very good self-buffing spell list.

Still get 3 judgments a day by career end.

Your iterative attacks are delayed by one level until 7th, not too painful.

Out of combat you have a very good skill list. 6+int for inquisitor and 4+int for gunslinger. Much better than many other classes.

Why Inquisitor 7th vs. Inquisitor 9th?
Still have access to 3rd level spells.
Bonus feat (Gunslinger 4th) vs. bonus teamwork feat (Inquisitor 9th).
Lose out on double judgement but pick up +dx damage which works on every shot without needing to buff. 2 boss fights is about the most you will run into 95% of the time in Society Play.

No abundant ammunition (UMD not class skill either) is about the only dim spot in this build. Looking for a way around that.