You could argue it either way, however I would say that it only applies to one shot. If the double shot used only one die roll then I might be more inclined towards allowing it - but it doesn't.
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Vital Strike: "When making an attack action, you may make one attack at your highest base attack bonus."
Double Barreled Musket: "Both barrels may be fired once as the same attack".
Although you are rolling two attack rolls, they are treated as the same attack. So per RAW they seem to work together just like Double Barrels work with everything else (even Dead Shot!). However this is for PFS play so I was curious if there is some FAQ or Dev response ruling against this.
+1 to Gilarius. It's a bit of a corner case, but the fact that firing both barrels as one action requires two separate attack rolls indicates to me that Vital Strike would work only on one of the two shots.
That and, well, it would be effectively granting the weapon 4d8 damage, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. Given the recent hubbub over double-barreled pistols and weapon cords, the intent seems clear that double-barreled weapons aren't meant to be 'abused' to grant such huge amounts of damage. Tangential, and I may have inferred the wrong idea from that discussion, but I don't think so.
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It's a bit of a corner case, but the fact that firing both barrels as one action requires two separate attack rolls indicates to me that Vital Strike would work only on one of the two shots.
Is there any RAW to support this though? Yes it's strong but like all Double Barreled uses it's risky. (it's actually 4d12 IF the attacks hit with an additional -4 and IF you your gun doesn't explode due to a double misfire).
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Honestly, Monk/Druids can do 12d8+Static per hit up to 19 times in one round.
I don't think his 4d8 is that big of a deal.
I unfortunately have no backing for RAW for yah on this.
I believe as long as you're only rolling ONE d20 for this attack, whether it's both barrels or not, it should apply. To me it wouldn't make sense if it didn't. That's just my perspective.
"If both barrels are fired at once, they must both target the same creature or object, and the gun becomes wildly inaccurate, taking a –4 penalty on each shot. Each barrel of a double-barreled musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition."
Include the whole cite next time. It's kind of important.
It seems to me, reading the full cite, that it implies using 1 bullet for a double shot at a -4 penalty. I feel like vital strike would apply... but again, no RAW to back you up on that one :T At least the Attack Action isn't being compromised, which is a good and surprising start.
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Hmm for Double Barreled weapons although you are rolling two d20's they count as a single attack. Take for instance Dead Shot where a gunslinger "makes as many attack rolls as she can, based on her base attack bonus". Although you cannot use feats like rapid shot to increase attacks, the Devs have stated you can use Double Shot.
If I take the penalty can I fire both barrels with Dead shot? If so does the Dead Shot affect both barrels or just one? Please provide and example of how the damage math would
You can use both shots of a double barrel pistol with dead shot. Both attacks take a -4 to the attack roll. Each shot gains each attack roll with the same effect, but with lower accuracy.
Each shot gains each attack roll with the same effect, but with an additional -4 to everything. That means you apply the Dead Shot effect to each bullet separately. This logic should extend to Vital Strike, which is very close to Dead Shot.
Which begs the question, why are you using Vital Strike at all when you should have access to Dead Shot? There are pros and cons to each, but to keep up with Dead Shot you'll have to drop feats on Improved and then Greater Vital Strike.
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Which begs the question, why are you using Vital Strike at all when you should have access to Dead Shot? There are pros and cons to each, but to keep up with Dead Shot you'll have to drop feats on Improved and then Greater Vital Strike.
I want to make a sniper character and Vital Strike works on an attack action where as Dead Shot requires a full. So if he moves he will use Vital if he doesn't and has the grit (Until Signature Deed) it will be Dead Shot.
The intent of vitalstrike is 100% clear as its been repeates ad noseum muktiple times. You only ever get it on the first attack. So vital strike double barreled musket is 3d12.
Essentially the wording of vital strike was not written with double barreled weapons in mind. But they are always a second attack. Pretty sure the second shot from a double barreled pistol doesjt beneft from true strike either.
Honestly, Monk/Druids can do 12d8+Static per hit up to 19 times in one round.
I don't think his 4d8 is that big of a deal.
I unfortunately have no backing for RAW for yah on this.
I believe as long as you're only rolling ONE d20 for this attack, whether it's both barrels or not, it should apply. To me it wouldn't make sense if it didn't. That's just my perspective.
"If both barrels are fired at once, they must both target the same creature or object, and the gun becomes wildly inaccurate, taking a –4 penalty on each shot. Each barrel of a double-barreled musket uses either a bullet and a single dose of black powder or an alchemical cartridge as ammunition."
Include the whole cite next time. It's kind of important.
It seems to me, reading the full cite, that it implies using 1 bullet for a double shot at a -4 penalty. I feel like vital strike would apply... but again, no RAW to back you up on that one :T At least the Attack Action isn't being compromised, which is a good and surprising start.
The monk you're describing is well beyond 6th level (the point where the Gunslinger can qualify for Vital Strike). At 6th, a monk is doing three attacks at 1d8 each, at +4/+4/-1 (meaning that last attack is rarely going to hit).
That said, looking at double-barreled musket, I think there's some oddities in the language here. My initial statement was based on the description of the double-barreled pistol (the OP hadn't yet clarified he meant a musket).
The double-barreled pistol states you can fire both barrels as part of the same action, whereas the musket states you can fire both as part of the same attack. The former implies that you roll twice; the latter implies you roll once.
So I think before a clear answer can be given on Vital Strike, it first needs to be clarified if they really intend the double-barreled musket to require only one attack roll for both of the shots fired. It seems odd that the pistol would function one way and the musket another...
The double-barreled pistol states you can fire both barrels as part of the same action, whereas the musket states you can fire both as part of the same attack. The former implies that you roll twice; the latter implies you roll once.So I think before a clear answer can be given on Vital Strike, it first needs to be clarified if they really intend the double-barreled musket to require only one attack roll for both of the shots fired. It seems odd that the pistol would function one way and the...
I would presume that action means attack, there is no reason the transition from single to double should be different between pistols and muskets, it's just an example of inconsistent wording.
I would presume that action means attack, there is no reason the transition from single to double should be different between pistols and muskets, it's just an example of inconsistent wording.
I think you're probably right - in which case the idea that you only roll one attack roll for the double-barreled musket is incorrect.
It states you take a -4 penalty on each shot; there would be no reason to state that the penalty applies to each shot unless each shot required a separate attack roll.
Vital Strike seems likely intended only to work on the first, but by RAW it's questionable since by the weapon description, both shots take place as part of one attack.
The problem is the different wording makes it interaxt different. Yes they should have the same rules but which is correct?
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Essentially the wording of vital strike was not written with double barreled weapons in mind. But they are always a second attack. Pretty sure the second shot from a double barreled pistol doesjt beneft from true strike either.
That may be RAI but not RAW. And True Strike states "your next single attack roll" unlike Vital Strike which says "single attack" so True Strike would not affect both rolls.