|
I'm moderately familiar with D20 games, though moderately new to PF, but I was invited by a friend-of-a-friend to try out PFS this weekend. I popped into my university's game club to read some pathfinder books and saw the Spellslinger in Ultimate Combat and fell in love with the concept: I've always loved playing spellcasters and individuals who use guns in RPGs... only to find out it was illegal for PFS play. Poo. So I searched around and saw some suggestions that I do a multiclass Gunslinger/Magus, specifically a Myrmidarch, and I'd make his race a tiefling. First off, I need to ask if the concept is mechanically sound- following that, I have a few general questions
1) I was thinking of playing first level as a gunslinger and all others as a magus: do you guys agree?
2) What stats would you recommend? Right now I have 10str, 18dex, 12con, 18int, 12wis and 5cha, is that a good stat spread?
3) For traits, I was thinking of killer and magical lineage-shocking grasp, though I have been considering swapping magical lineage for magical knack (since I'm multiclassing)
4) I was considering grabbing the tiefling racial trait prehensile tail, which allows me to retrieve a small object as a swift action without using my hands. Is there any way I could use this trait to reduce my reload times with firearms? Barring that, do pistols count as small objects for the purposes of this feat? I just had a great idea of wearing a bandolier of pre-loaded pistols and swapping them out using my tail.
5) What gunslinger archetype should I pick- pistolero or musketeer? With only 1 level of gunslinger, I would only be able to fire a musket once every two rounds (musketeer reduces reloading the musket to a standard action from a full round action, so I still wouldn't be able to attack with it, correct?), so is the pistol much better? Could I use a pistol that doubles as a melee weapon (like sword cane pistol or dagger pistol) with spellstrike?
Thanks for your help: And for those who are worried I'm a munchkin, I can assure you I already have a developed backstory for this character concept.
First a disclaimer: I know nothing at all about playing a magus, I've only glanced at the class.
Gunslingers, on the other hand, I've looked into:
1) Musketmasters: rapid reload plus alchemical cartridges = move action to reload so one shot per round; Reloading Hands spell (no action from you required) or Beneficial Bandolier (swift action) = another reload each round; both = 2 reloads, but then you probably want to use a full attack action so you can't reload using your move action.
2) Pistols: pepperbox pistols can hold 6 shots and your tail can rotate the barrels as free actions. Don't try to push the free actions per round to get multiple reloads while using 2 pistols at once, it's cheesy and leeds to bad feelings especially amongst those who feel that guns shouldn't be allowed at all.
3) The multiple pistols method works but is expensive to get them all enchanted and you might need quickdraw to do it.
4)Pistolero is better than basic gunslinger if you use pistols only.
5)Double-barrelled guns are cheesy too, but very effective.
6) Taking more levels of gunslinger makes the guns much more effective: musketmaster 3 gets you 'fast musket' and level 5 of any version gets you much more damage (add dex to damage).
7)Magical knack is good. Killer doesn't look useful to me.
8) 5 charisma is lower than I'd be happy playing with; how revolting is your character? Will strangers simply attack on you on sight for being too horrible? Yes, I'm exaggerating but not by much. You won't need a stupidly high dex to be effective with a gun.
I think i would suggest a gunslinger(musketmaster)/wizard(forsigth diviner pehaps)instead 5/7hen you will have named bullet at level 12 and have that as a kind of capstone.
Problem with the other one is that you will be trick behind in magic with the magus(myrmidarch) only getting level 3 spells at level 7 and only the one you get from your int bonus. Even if ranged Spellstrike was a fantastic power, and dont think it is, you wouldent have the Spells to back it up. You need level 5 as a gunslinger to make the guns as good at they can be.
Musket Master will allow you to fire twice with rapid shot and dex to damage at level 5.
If you are an elf you will have bonus to Spell penetration, dex and int. Take the gunslinger levels first.
Str 10
Con 10
Dex 18
Int 18
Wis 10
Cha 8
After race modifiers.
Feats in order of apperance. Point blank shot, rapid shot, precise shot, deadly aim, and wizard from here. Pehaps Dodge mobility and deft shootist is still the best route from here i dont know.
If you are set on only having one level in gunslinger then you need a pistol so you can do somthing every round. But remember that the advanced of the myrmidarch is getting both magic and weapon training and the training you get is wastly inferior to what the gunslinger get at level 5.
I suggest magic knack as your magic trait no matter what combo you end up with caster level is very important.
And i am personally a fan of the Never Stop Shooting trait for gunslingers.
|
|
6) Taking more levels of gunslinger makes the guns much more effective: musketmaster 3 gets you 'fast musket' and level 5 of any version gets you much more damage (add dex to damage).
The concept I had was that I'd really only be relying on the bullets at level one, and once I multiclass magus I'd be focusing on my spells and only using the gun as a way to get spells to attack touch DC.
7)Magical knack is good. Killer doesn't look useful to me.
Magical Knack and Magical Lineage are mutually exclusive, since they're both magical traits.
8) 5 charisma is lower than I'd be happy playing with; how revolting is your character? Will strangers simply attack on you on sight for being too horrible? Yes, I'm exaggerating but not by much. You won't need a stupidly high dex to be effective with a gun.
I was planning on taking a buncha tiefling racial traits- tail, skin, claws, feet, so he's pretty demonic looking. The idea behind the character was that he grew up in Quantium which is a very cosmopolitan city without much prejudice, and as a level one character he doesn't quite understand why everyone's revolted by his appearance since he never had trouble at home.
I think i would suggest a gunslinger(musketmaster)/wizard(forsigth diviner pehaps)instead 5/7hen you will have named bullet at level 12 and have that as a kind of capstone.
Problem with the other one is that you will be trick behind in magic with the magus(myrmidarch) only getting level 3 spells at level 7 and only the one you get from your int bonus. Even if ranged Spellstrike was a fantastic power, and dont think it is, you wouldent have the Spells to back it up. You need level 5 as a gunslinger to make the guns as good at they can be.
Musket Master will allow you to fire twice with rapid shot and dex to damage at level 5.
If you are an elf you will have bonus to Spell penetration, dex and int. Take the gunslinger levels first.
Str 10
Con 10
Dex 18
Int 18
Wis 10
Cha 8
After race modifiers.
Feats in order of apperance. Point blank shot, rapid shot, precise shot, deadly aim, and wizard from here. Pehaps Dodge mobility and deft shootist is still the best route from here i dont know.
If I was only relying on the guns as a low level weapon, and at later levels just using it as a delivery system for my spells, does the myrmidarch magus make more, or less sense? I don't care that much about adding dex to my guns' damage, but your suggested gunslinger/wizard build, is the gun anything more than just a backup weapon until level 12? Bear in mind PFS play caps at 12 so I wouldn't enjoy that bullet ability much.
Another thing I was considering is just playing magus for all 12 levels and get exotic weapon proficiency in a type of gun- if I only intend to use the gun as a delivery system for spells, the cost of firing it without the cost reduction of gunsmithing is a bit easier to swallow. Maybe make the magus both bladebound and a myrmidarch, and then have a sword cane pistol or dagger pistol bound to me, since a blade bound weapon cannot be destroyed and I can basically ignore misfiring. Ooh, and now that I think about it- does ranged spellstrike require ammunition in the ranged weapon at all, or do I "just" fire a spell out of the weapon? Perhaps that way I could use the gun to cast spells that attack touch AC without spending 11 gold per shot on a bullet and black powder.
With the GS5/Wizard 7 i suggest you will play like a gunslinger until level 6 where you will get a few spells and the very good divination (forsigth) School powers, they alone are better than ranged Spell strike i think, get spells like vanish, and the Classic buff, debuff and control spells. And use magic to get the best conditions for killing with your gun.
The guns are Nice and all but they are only really worthwile as weapons if you get some sort of extra damage to them. Like dex or sneek.
I think that the gun using magus will feel impotent at level 1 and keep that feeling most of the way.
Ranged Spellstrike needs ammo.
A blade bound weapon can be destroyed it is only immune to the broken condition, some GMs May let you ignore missfires with it but i think others will think it cheese.
In my suggestet built the gun is the main attraktion and the magic is backup. A bit of rekreation between delivering massive damage against touch AC.
If you dont built for the gun to be the main thing. You May just as well make a wizard all the way and just have the gun as your arcane bound item and wave it around when you cast your spells.
And speaking of that you want the gun as your arcane bound also in the GS/wizard build i think but i am unfamiliar with the arcane bound rules in PFS.
If you are just dipping one level in gunslinger to get guns, you may want to look at 'spell slinger' for a dip instead.
It synergized with the Int you have, you get a gun, it's a wizard archetype that gets access to all of its variant toys at first level.
You pick up 'magic bullets' which with a one level dip can allow you to enchant all your ammo (1 min duration) with choice of distance, shock, frost, flaming, ghost touch, merciful, spell storing, or seeking.
since you are dumping spell slots to do this, you can memorize all true strikes (or something else with no somatic components, Liberating command?) and wear armor as well.
Pluses: access to cantrips and 1st lvl spells that aren't on wizard list, flexible enchantments to improve bullets in combat,
Downsides: lose the +1BAB from gunslinger, no grit, no quick clear deed, gunslinger dip would cover weak reflex save.
both give exotic weapon prof, a free gun, and gun-smithing feat, neither gives rapid reload for free.
In my opinion, 1 minute of distance enchant to all shots is better than the deadeye deed costing 1 grit per shot.
The amateur gunslinger feat can cover the missing quick clear, and you are always shooting at touch AC so the 1 BAB isn't a horrible drop.
spell slinger also opens up access to spells magi can't get
Abundant ammunition
Fabricate bullets
Sleep
Also, I'd suggest magical lineage and the reach spell feat, so your touch attack of choice become a ranged touch attack you can use your weapon to deliver
Spellslinger is not PFS legal IIRC.
However, you can play a gunslinger 1/myrmidarch blackblde magus with a pistol-swordcane blackblade. That lets you have an unbreakable weapon that you can fire spells through at lvl 5.
EDIT: In fact, you can get proficiency with a Kensai Blackblade so you don't even need the gunslinger levels, but I like myrmidarch because then you can use your spells through it in both melee and ranged.
Didn't check additional resources...
... sorry for the patently useless advice
Spellslinger is not PFS legal IIRC.
However, you can play a gunslinger 1/myrmidarch blackblde magus with a pistol-swordcane blackblade. That lets you have an unbreakable weapon that you can fire spells through at lvl 5.
EDIT: In fact, you can get proficiency with a Kensai Blackblade so you don't even need the gunslinger levels, but I like myrmidarch because then you can use your spells through it in both melee and ranged. Could a Tengu get it for free?
As i said a bit up thread this will be rejectet by some PFS GMs as invalid reading of the rules. So make sure to have a backup character you can play if you run into one of those. And if you go kensai then you wont get ranged Spellstrike.
|
|
Spellslinger is not PFS legal IIRC.
However, you can play a gunslinger 1/myrmidarch blackblde magus with a pistol-swordcane blackblade. That lets you have an unbreakable weapon that you can fire spells through at lvl 5.
EDIT: In fact, you can get proficiency with a Kensai Blackblade so you don't even need the gunslinger levels, but I like myrmidarch because then you can use your spells through it in both melee and ranged. Could a Tengu get it for free?
I've been considering that, but how does a character like that play? Is he significantly mechanically gimped?