Gun-toting alchemist, maybe PFS legal?

[MaxXimenez]

I've been obsessed with gun-toting magic users. First, I saw the Spellslinger and I was all "yay!", then I realized it wasn't PFS legal. Then I saw the Myrmidarch Magus and also went "yay!" and I'm currently playing that guy, and while reloading hands might be awesome with him, I'm worried that the spell list for a magus just isn't for ranged combat.

So I've been thinking about a gun-toting alchemist, and the image in my head of a guy on the cutting edge of science using such a weapon does appeal to me. The biggest thing I'm worried about is reload times and feats, though: I know alchemists can get a third arm for reloads but that doesn't actually reduce reload speed, and I'd need to take EWP and Gunsmithing, and probably also Rapid Reload before the character becomes viable. On the plus side, I could probably use Explosive Missile to speed up some of my reloads.

Do you guys have any experience with a character with this concept? Any suggestions how to build him?

[LoneKnave]

Grenadier with guns can be pretty nice. I'm not exactly sure on the rulings, but sounds like it'd be quite powerful AoE damage dealer with a dragon pistol, and you have a number of ways to make it even stronger at single target damage (getting a conductive gun, using targeted bomb admixture just for start).

[Kaito Darkborn]

Gunslinger 5 / Mindchemist Alchemist 6

Use one pistol.
Kirin Style/Kirin Strike
Explosive Missile Discovery
Tiefling for maximum Dex/Int goodness
Student of Philosophy trait to use Int for Dip and Bluff, socially
Targeted Bomb Admixture
Conductive Pistol

Explosive Missile states that you load and fire the weapon as a standard action, therefore there is no reload action.

Drink a TBA extract. Fire your gun to hit touch deal 1d8+Bomb dice+Dex+Int x 6 as you channel an extra bomb through the bullet with the Conductive property.

Have amazing social skills from the Int trait and have every knowledge over +20 from the Mindchemist special ability.

[MaxXimenez]

Kaito Darkborn wrote:

Gunslinger 5 / Mindchemist Alchemist 6

Use one pistol.
Kirin Style/Kirin Strike
Explosive Missile Discovery
Tiefling for maximum Dex/Int goodness
Student of Philosophy trait to use Int for Dip and Bluff, socially
Targeted Bomb Admixture
Conductive Pistol

Explosive Missile states that you load and fire the weapon as a standard action, therefore there is no reload action.

Drink a TBA extract. Fire your gun to hit touch deal 1d8+Bomb dice+Dex+Int x 6 as you channel an extra bomb through the bullet with the Conductive property.

Have amazing social skills from the Int trait and have every knowledge over +20 from the Mindchemist special ability.

Can you give me a level breakdown? Also, if I'm focused purely on damage, would Grenadier be better than Mindchemist?

[LoneKnave]

Grenadier could add another INTx2 and a bit of damage (about 2d6) by using alchemical items combined with Hybridization Funnel.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with Gunslinger levels aside from maybe the first one. Your DEX won't be high enough and you won't be making enough attacks for it to out weigh the extra bomb damage and bombs/day you'd lose from 4 alchemist levels.

[MaxXimenez]

LoneKnave wrote:

Grenadier could add another INTx2 and a bit of damage (about 2d6) by using alchemical items combined with Hybridization Funnel.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with Gunslinger levels aside from maybe the first one. Your DEX won't be high enough and you won't be making enough attacks for it to out weigh the extra bomb damage and bombs/day you'd lose from 4 alchemist levels.

Would it be worth it to just burn 2 feats on EWP and Gunsmithing and buy myself a pair of reliable pistols, and keep the full alchemist level profession?

Basically, would you say that two feats to use guns are worth losing:
1 point of bomb damage (from the racial favored class option)
1 caster level
1 discovery

[LoneKnave]

A level of gunslinger gets you proficiency with all firearms (again, dragon pistol) as well as grit, deeds (quick clear!), and a battered gun, right from lvl1. Musket master only gets you a few profs, but you also get steady aim (not bad) and rapid reload.

The discovery is made up for by 1 feat (extra discovery), so you gotta weigh the rest against this package. Personally, I'd go for it, but if you want to make a pure alchemist gunner the difference shouldn't be too big.