In my current campaign, I am playing a Duergar Stonelord (Paladin archetype) and there is the slight potential that it may come to combat with the lawful evil Hobgoblin Gunslinger in my group. At this point, it is just a chance and whatever happens happens if we get there, but, in an effort to be mentally prepared, does anyone have any advice for fighting against a pistol gunslinger?
Maneuvers. If he's got a pistol he doesn't threaten so if you can get in close you can disarm, sunder, trip, grapple. If you think you can take it out quickly, I'd sunder it.That's a hard blow in PvP. If you've got enough strength, go for the grapple. Remember that if he fails to break out you get +5 on checks to maintain.
To go along with that, buffs. Enlarge person for extra grapple points and depending on level bull's strength. Anything that can deflect range attacks would be good too.
I totally neglected to think about maneuvers! Stonestrike allows me to ignore some hardness too, so that could work. How do you determine a guns hardness and HP? Also, I am going to be using reach weapons a lot, can I disarm/sunder at my reach?
I agree with the above: Use maneuvers to lock him down. If you can, have a spiked gauntlet or the like ready. Pin the guy in a grapple and punch the crap out of him.
I have a Dwarven Boulder Helm...could I grapple and headbutt him? Imaging that is pretty awesome, so I hope I can!
EDIT: Also... Consider getting a potion of Bullet Shield, or maybe one of Protection from Arrows. Or both. One lasts 10 minutes per level; the other lasts an hour per level. If you know the fight is comin', swig 'em.
Also: I THINK you can use your helmet in a grapple, yes. DO IT. That's an amazing image.
I totally neglected to think about maneuvers! Stonestrike allows me to ignore some hardness too, so that could work. How do you determine a guns hardness and HP? Also, I am going to be using reach weapons a lot, can I disarm/sunder at my reach?
You can do maneuvers at reach yes, except grapple, which has to be done with hands. I recommend reading over all the maneuvers. And that does make a spiked gauntlet a good idea just in case.
I don't know how much hardness a gun would have, but it's less than 20 so adamantine beats it. Hit points should be 10/inch of thickness (for wood) +10 per point of enhancement bonus. But I still don't know what level this is for. So that's 20-40 hit points at level 5ish. On the low end that's doable in one hit if you're built for damage. But not out of the realm of possibility in any case. Being at 10ft reach also means no AoOs even if he threatens his natural reach. You just need to make sure you can keep him where you want him. That's why disarm or trip might be good. You can trip him and use the AoO he provokes when standing to sunder his gun. Then he just has a standard left. On your turn, repeat.
Check out a quick runner's vest for an extra move action to help you close the distance quickly and maybe get an attack (trip/grapple/sunder) in.
Have your Earth Elemental Earthglide under him and have HIM attempt a Grapple while you Disarm. Then beat the s!+$ out of him.
If it happens, I think it will happen around the time I get my elemental, so that would be perfect. Thanks for all the advice everyone!
+1 Sunder strategy
Regardless, as you seemed to have begun noticing, Stonelord is set up to be a sunder machine. Look into it. I love the image of your ball and chain working the Gunslinger over. Good stuff. :)
If the gunslinger doesn't have the deft shootist feat (unlikely before level 15) consider pumping dexterity (cat's grace etc) combined with combat reflexes and reach (either weapon or enlarge potion), each attack and each reload draws an AoO. Move adjacent and hit him with armor spikes or weapon (reach weapon or large size) so he can choose to either 1)full attack and eat every AoO you have or 2) move and only fire one shot. Viability is dependant on how many AoOs you can make, but AoOs are made at full BAB and you can get two AoOs for every shot he takes if he is using early pistols (one for reloading & one for shooting).
This is good advice. It would suck to waste a feat just for a maybe PvP encounter. But combat reflexes is good for a reach wielder anyway.
This is good advice. It would suck to waste a feat just for a maybe PvP encounter. But combat reflexes is good for a reach wielder anyway.
I actually picked up combat reflexes since I am one of two melee characters in our 6 person group. We have gone through two nights in the AP so far and I have already gotten decent usage out of combat reflexes, so it is good to know it would be useful in this potential encounter.