Bolt Ace Additions: Or, removing the rest of the gun

[SpectralTimer]

I love the concept of the bolt ace. If nothing else, it presents a way to port Gunslingers into campaigns and campaign worlds where the DM might be leery of letting in firearms and all they represent.

However, I'm not sure it goes quite far enough. If guns are fully banned from the table (a move I don't agree with but understand), then the bolt ace will still have a few gun-related class features and traits that specifically refer to firearms and the use thereof.

So, in light of this, I've decided to present a couple of alternate traits for the bolt ace. They will be boring, but it will hopefully make the archetype a fully "crossbow-gunslinger." If you've another idea, let me know.

My other ideas were, respectively, to grant a bonus feat at level one to replace firearm training and to just remove Gunsmithing altogether, and give the bolt ace a few extra grit points instead, since he or she'll be burning through much more to get those sweet, sweet touch attacks.

Anyway, short and boring:

Exotic Crossbow Training: At 1st level, bolt ace gains proficiency in all crossbow weapons, even those which are normally considered exotic weapons, such as the hand crossbow and repeating crossbow.

This ability replaces firearm proficiency.

Master Fletcher: At 1st level, the bolt ace gains the ability to craft crossbows and bolts without requiring a crafting roll. He may manufacture any crossbow out of raw materials for half the normal weapon's cost, or bolts for 10% of their normal cost. If he has at least one rank in Craft (alchemy), he may manufacture alchemical bolts (described under Alchemical Archery in the Pathfinder Player Companion: Alchemy Manual) at half their normal cost.

This ability replaces the Gunsmithing class feature.

[LessPopMoreFizz]

Master Fletcher is *a lot* weaker than Gunsmithing; making a crossbow at half normal cost is something that can be done at the expense of a skill point and a bunch of die rolling. Making a gun is literally impossible without the feat.

The most common suggestion I've seen is to give the Bolt Ace either Rapid Reload or Extra Grit as a bonus feat, since the former is pretty fundamentally a feat tax on Crossbows, and the latter is one of those 'Nice to Have' things that won't make or break most builds and makes the 'slinger a bit less MAD.

[boring7]

Are there rules for explosive crossbow bolts? I mean, they're a staple of fiction, but I don't know that there are any specials in the actual rules. I mean, being able to make gunpowder has a lot of uses.

Opinions...

Master Fletcher should be free, because a crossbow is already freakin' cheap. Also, because I liked the Fixer (from Spycraft) and Macgyver, it should upgrade over time until by level 10 or so your Bolt Ace can jury-rig a light or heavy crossbow and some bolts from scrap wood and bootlace in an hour. It has a -2 for being shoddy materials and only the Bolt Ace can use it, but it's a weapon when you're down and out.

Exotic Crossbow Training: Just fine.

that's all I got.

[Morgen]

There are rules for alchemical arrows floating about which should translate to crossbow bolts either automatically or easily enough as a house rule.

Alchemist/Bolt Ace multi-classing for Explosive Missiles.

There is a launching crossbow in the adventurer's armory but that thing is kind of weird... Maybe you can do something with it though.

[SpectralTimer]

...I've half a mind to grab Rapid Reload and run.

But, on second thought, maybe just replacing Gunsmithing with a bonus feat of the character's choice is the right move. Most of those alchemical arrows I found just weren't really wowing me, and none offered the kind of raw mechanical benefit that alchemical ammunition does.

Bonus feats may not be the most exciting options in the world, but they seem to work well enough, and giving it the same limitations as the other bonus feats should keep 'em honest.

[Mortuum]

Why not make it a Ranger crossbow style feat?