I've recently discovered that gunslingers use touch ac at their first range, get full bab, and they really only need dex for a stat... Y3$!
I'm still learning things, and I lack experience to know what's awful, and what's wonderful with archetypes, weapon selections, and tactics, which is why I immediately come here.
Muskets worth it, and are there any sweet tricks I don't know about? Bestow onto me your wisdom
Pistolero is a very strong archetpye, going the pistol route will lead to good things later on, but it is very feat intensive and doesn't leave much room for additional options.
Your best races are going to be humans or grippli, maybe dwarves.
Rapid Shot stacks with Two Weapon Fighting meaning that as long as you have the means of obtaining another weapon (like with Quickdraw) or have a means of reloading your firearms, you can get 3 shots off by like level 4 in a round which resolves against Touch AC so you really don't care about the penalties that you take.
Deadly Aim is all but necessary.
I made a PFS gunslinger and helped a friend make two gunslingers.
A gunslinger's biggest concern is getting free action reloads. By default, a one-handed firearm takes a standard action to reload while two-handed firearms take a full-round action. To get free action reloads, you need Rapid Reload`with your weapon of choice and paper alchemical cartridges. If you want free action reloads with a musket, you need the Musket Master archetype
Here's a list of random advice off the top of my head:
1) Pistol and muskets are the best standard firearms. Blunderbuss can be fun for flavor. It's usually best to choose one weapon and stick with it.
2) Pistolero and Musket Master are the best archetypes. The others might be fun in edge cases, but I don't recommend them for you.
3) The Musket Master is the only way to get free action reloads with a two-handed firearms. Otherwise, you need the Deadshot deed to full attack your musket.
4) Always save your grit points to quick clear misfires. Misfires are the bane of your existence. My PFS gunslinger was out for an entire combat because he got three misfires in a row.
5) Ammunition for guns are very costly because you need a dose of black powder and a bullet to fire a shot. The Gunsmithing feat thankfully reduces this to 11 silver pieces per shot or 6 gold per alchemical cartridge.
6) Buy lots of bullets and black powder. When you're able to attack more than once per round, use alchemical paper cartridges instead. Make sure you put a rank in Craft (alchemy) so you can buy alchemical cartridges at a discount.
7) You need a gunsmithing kit and powder horns as starting equipment.
8) Buy a bow and use it when the enemy is out of range or they're not worth wasting bullets on.
9) Remember you can restore your battered gun using the Gunsmithing feat. Doing this will turn it into a masterwork weapon.
10) Get Rapid Reload at first level and Rapid Shot as soon as possible. Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Deadly Aim are good feats.
11) I recommend humans due their bonus feat. Rapid Reload and Point Blank Shot are solid first level feats.
12) Start with an 18 Dexterity and at least 14 Wisdom. Constitution should be 12 or higher. Don't dump Strength.
13) There's not really any convenient way to two-weapon fight with pistols because you need a free hand to reload. It's not impossible, but you either need a third hand by dipping into alchemist or take Gun Twirling feat, which has hefty feat tax for your already feat-starved build.
I have seen only Pistoleros and Musket Masters played. I think it depends on just how close you want to get to enemies. Pistolero is insane with advanced firearms. For PFS you can't do this because you have to worry about reloads, but a level 1 human Pistolero with Point Blank Shot and Rapid Shot is crazy, with Two Weapon Fighting at 3rd when you can afford another revolver and Deadly Aim at 5th and Improved Two Weapon Fighting at 7th it quickly gets out of control.
The question you have to ask when building a gunslinger is, "How stinky do you want the cheese to be?"
Answer that, and then I will throw a build together for you.
By all means, let's ruin the game for everyone, but please remember, I am building for PFS using 20 point buy and such.
If you decide to dip into another class as well, going half elf is a good race due to being able to have 2 favorite classes. If you do double class, think about a inquisitor-gunslinger. At 5th level of inquisitor, you can add bane to your gun.
Some facts about myself...
1. For over 15 years, I've only ever played a human Fighter
2. I've never dipped into another class
3. I am a feat fiend
4. I make up for lack of social skills on character with my social skills at the table.
5. I like things not to be complicated, and mixing things together can usually do that.
6. I love having a full BAB
I'm down to see and hear any and all advice, but stuff that keeps it human and straight gun slinger seems to be my preference. Darkvision is pretty cool too if it's included in the race making it a possible exception to not being human (feats <3), but overall, I'm looking for min/max optimal Gunslinger for PFS.
I'm lazy, so my advice is to go read this guide.
I did not write this all credit to the original author.
Gun mechanics aside, gunslinger is a very simple class that's easy to min/max. I think Musket Master sounds like your cup of tea. While Pistolero can do more burst damage with Up Close and Deadly, Musket Master will likely do more reliable damage. Besides, experience taught me and my gunslinger friends that grit points are often best saved for misfires. In addition, muskets have superior range and Musket Master grants you free Rapid Reload. Add distance to your gun, and you'll almost always be targeting touch AC.
A good build might look like this:
Human Gunslinger
STR: 10 DEX: 20 CON: 12 INT: 7 WIS: 14 CHA: 10 (includes racial bonus)
TRAITS
Dangerously Curious //So you can use wands)
Never Stop Shooting //Can keep shooting even when dying)
FEATS
B1 Rapid Reload (musket) //From Musket Master
B1 Point Blank Shot //From human race
L1 Deadly Aim
L3 Rapid Shot //You can now reload as a free action at this level
B4 Precise Shot
L5 Blind Fight //for ricochet shot deed
L7 Ricochet Shot Deed
L8 Improved Critical (musket)
L9 Cluster Shot
DAMAGE PROGRESSION (does not include magical item bonuses)
L1 1 x 1d12+3 //base + deadly aim + point blank shot
L2 1 x 1d12+3
L3 2 x 1d12+3 //can attack twice per round via Rapid Shot
L4 2 x 1d12+5 //Deadly Aim's bonus increases by +2
L5 2 x 1d12+8 //musket training adds your Dex mod to damage
L6 3 x 1d12+8 //your BAB now adds an extra attack
L7 3 x 1d12+8
L8 3 x 1d12+11 //Deadly Aim's bonus increases by +2, your Dex should now be at least 22, now crits on a 19-20
L9 3 x 1d12+12 //musket training adds an extra +1
Put one rank in Craft (alchemy) and buy as many paper cartridges as possible. Using cartridges, at first and second level, your reloads will be a move action. At third level, they become free actions.
As a last bit of information, muskets have a x4 critical modifier. Anything you crit will surely die and it's easy for you to confirm critical hits.
If your a musket master, dip out after level 5, there is mothing more of value in the class. Warpriest (thank you devs), Urban Barbarian, Fighter (I like weapon master), Ranger all give you more mow than the gunslinger class does. Really though, since your a gunslinger you can take any full bab class and just have fun with it, your weapon is already optimized. I like the gunslinger sheriff one (alkenstar I think) for flavor.
If you are a pistolero, you can dip out after 5 too, but at level 11 signature deed+up close and personal puts you up in.yhe highest dps in the game. Whether or not its worth 5 other crappy class levels is up to you.
paper cartridges are like 6gp each, so how does one afford to play this class in PFS when you're shooting away money every attack?
paper cartridges are like 6gp each, so how does one afford to play this class in PFS when you're shooting away money every attack?
Its not as bad as you think really. One reason I like the warpriest dip is no loss of BAB and Abundant Ammunition on your spell list, solves that problem.
Remember, your a pretty beastly ranged character, so you can more safely play up than many classes, nullifying the gold cost some there. My Zen Archer has almost exclusively played up.
Even outside of that lets look at the worst case situation. Your level 6 with rapid reload, combats take the maximum amount of time (average is 3-5, so 5 rounds) and your getting hasted before every encounter. Thats 20 shots per encounter, and there are four encounters in a scenario for 80 shots. But really the first shot of each combat will be a regular round, so your looking at 76 shots for 456 GP's. A tier 5-6 pays out a little more than 2500 gold, but even at tier 6-7 it pays out 3300 gold. Granted, 456 is a lot of gold this level in expendables, but its not the end of the world, and if you play up (easily and relatively safe for you) its even less so.
If you take an even more realistic example your rounds are going to average 4 rounds over the four combats. Lets say you get hasted for 2 encounters (still a high average as many times no one will have haste). This brings you to 56 rounds for the day, which you can subtract 4 as regular rounds for 52 or 312 gold. Still a good chunk, but thats now less than 10% of tier 6-7 gold, so your doing ok.
You can take it down even more. There is no rule that you must go all out every round. Heck, after the first two rounds 75% of the time my wizard does nothing, or maybe throws down a first level spell. You can learn from the wizard and NOT full attack the last round, most the time its pretty much mopping up by then anyway. That would knock down another 14 rounds in the above example to 38 rounds, or 228 Gold. Now less than 10% of 5-6 gold. I know players who burn more expandables than that per scenario that aren't gunslingers.
And remember, the above costs are relatively static, so at level 10 when your bringing in 7700/scenario, your cost is still only 228 gold.
You wrote about playing up, but I've been told nothing but that being out of my hands to have happen. Is it legal to join games that your character isn't legal for and gain the rewards?
I'll have to check, but is there a fighter weapon training for firearms?
Edit: found firearms weapon training
So no firearm can ever be a free action unless you use paper cartridges?
So no firearm can ever be a free action unless you use paper cartridges?
The Reloading Hands spell (2nd level) reloads one barrel per round with whatever ammunition you have, no action at all from you once it is cast; the Beneficial Bandolier (magic item, belt slot) reloads once per round as a swift action.
Another magic item you should look at having is the Endless Bandolier (chest slot) for holding all your firearm gear.
And on the cheese front, take a look at double-barrelled pistols and muskets. They double your rate of fire if you have free action reloads, but are very stinky (Munster stinky, in fact - smelliest cheese I know of, even kept in a fridge it stinks the whole house out. But very tasty, if you like cheese).
You wrote about playing up, but I've been told nothing but that being out of my hands to have happen. Is it legal to join games that your character isn't legal for and gain the rewards?
I'll have to check, but is there a fighter weapon training for firearms?
Edit: found firearms weapon training
So no firearm can ever be a free action unless you use paper cartridges?
You have to join something thats legal for play, but yes you can play up if the table qualifies. For instance, if you are level 5 you can join a tier 5-9 thats playing at 8-9. When you do that, you get midtier gold, which is half of what each tier (5-6&8-9 in this instance) for gold. Obviously it holds extra risks, but generally ranged martial characters tend to be very suited to these risks, having good hps, ac, saves (sometimes).
I believe the only way to free action reload more than once a round is paper cartridges.
Fighters can indeed weapon train in firearms. That was my gunslingers plan (musketmaster 5/fighter weapon master 3 and then urban barabarian or chevalier to retirement) but I'm noe higjly considering war priest. I dumped cha though on a dwarf, so I wouldn't get any fervor, so I'm not sure its worth it. I have 3 characters at level 5 right now though so I have some time tofigure it out.
paper cartridges are like 6gp each, so how does one afford to play this class in PFS when you're shooting away money every attack?
That's why you carry a bow as well and save your ammo for priority targets. Your wallet will suffer if you waste bullets on every single goblin that comes your way. You should have all the feats necessary to be a decent bow fighter. If you get 7th level gunslinger, you can use the Deadshot deed, which allows you to essentially full attack when you're actually making one firearm attack.
And no, there's no way to get free action reloads without a paper cartridge. The best alternative solution is to use a firearm that has an increased capacity.
Fighter is probably not a bad choice after 5th level as they get plenty of feats, weapon training, armors, and shields.
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Dead Shot (Ex): At 7th level, as a full-round action, the gunslinger can take careful aim and pool all of her attack potential into a single, deadly shot. When she does this, she shoots the firearm at a single target, but makes as many attack rolls as she can, based on her base attack bonus. She makes the attack rolls in order from highest bonus to lowest, as if she were making a full attack. If any of the attack rolls hit the target, the gunslinger's single attack is considered to have hit. For each additional successful attack roll beyond the first, the gunslinger increases the damage of the shot by the base damage dice of the firearm. For instance, if a 7th-level gunslinger firing a musket hits with both attacks, she does 2d12 points of damage with the shot, instead of 1d12 points of damage, before adding any damage modifiers. Precision damage and extra damage from weapon special abilities (such as flaming) are added with damage modifiers and are not increased by this deed. If one or more rolls are critical threats, she confirms the critical once using her highest base attack bonus –5. For each critical threat beyond the first, she reduces this penalty by 1 (to a maximum of 0). The gunslinger only misfires on a dead shot if all the attack rolls are misfires. She cannot perform this deed with a blunderbuss or other scatter weapon when attacking creatures in a cone. The gunslinger must spend 1 grit point to perform this deed.
Is the solution to those worried about cash...
** spoiler omitted **
Is the solution to those worried about cash...
Assuming you using things like weapon training, deadly aim, enhancement bonuses to weapons, dex to damage... pretty much anything to increase the +'s to your damage, your vastly decreasing your effectiveness and damage output. My gunslinger would loose well over half his damage (+10 to +11 on damage per shot at level 5) if he used this ability, more so if I have a friendly haste spell. By level 7, thats two shots less, so a minimum reduction of 20 points, likely more by then. I just can't see this as worth it.
I'm still thinking the warpriest dip is a good idea. Access to the entire cleric list in exchange for 1 HP per level is a great trade-off. You also get 2 blessings, a very limited channel energy,, and you keep your full BAB of you take The free Weapon Focus feat in your preferred firearm.
As I said previously, level 4 is a great point to take the first level in warpriest because at level 3, musket masters get free action reloads. Yes, it will delay musket training for 1 level, but in the long run I think it's worth it. You definitely get more than you give up with 7 levels of warpriest.
I agree, war priest is a great multi for Gunslingers, but I'd wait until after 5 myself. Getting Dex to damage was a gigantic turning point in my characters career.
Its just a shame they can't multi with fighter, I'd love to do this and three level of weapon master!
Bah, all these muskets and pistols.
What you need is a Double Hackbut, Improved Vital Strike, and Furious Finish.
72 Base Damage. Enough damage to kick you off your feet.
Sadly, Double Hackbuts aren't legal in PFS, or I would have done the same thing. Plus Improved Critical.
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Sadly, Double Hackbuts aren't legal in PFS, or I would have done the same thing. Plus Improved Critical.Bah, all these muskets and pistols.
What you need is a Double Hackbut, Improved Vital Strike, and Furious Finish.
72 Base Damage. Enough damage to kick you off your feet.
Possibly double barrel musket, since both shots can be fired with the same action.