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Started a Western setting for Pathfinder I dubbed Dustfinder. So far it's been successful, mainly because it's a solo campaign and hit some roadblocks.
1. What would be the appropriate price adjustment for firearms from ultimate combat to basically western time period? I haven't gone into caliber. I made revolvers 25-150 gold. Kept ammo price the same.
2. How do I adjust the feats to allow firearms proficiency? Already seen the ultimate combat version. Didn't like how you need to declare exotic/martial weapons proficiency and specify firearms
3. This is more time period appropriate. What base classes would be time period appropriate? Gunslinger, base classes, brawler, investigator, hunter, shaman, samurai, ninja, I got covered. Remember, wild West is Victorian England and manji era Japan.
While you probably have you mind made up on this already, I might as well ask just to help establish: are you trying to do a gun heavy game, or are you just aiming for the wild west flavor?
I have to ask because pathfinder guns tend to have a rather ...heavy flavor for the mechanics (which can make things awkward when there might be a dozen people with guns; this is particularly noticeable due to the low magic class selection that lacks many choices to counter guns). You do not necessarily need guns in order to do a wild west theme.
The cultural archetype of the gunslingers parrallel fairly well with the errant knights and the ronin swordsmen- a single warrior dispatching justice with their trust weapon as they wander the lands. There is a reason why Akira Kurosawa samurai films have had several prominent adaptations into the cowboy genre (including Yojimbo-> A Fist Full of Dollars and Seven Samurai-> the magnificent Seven).
So you could focus on swords instead of pistols. Alternatively, you could just make your guns work off of crossbow rules (the bolt slinger shows a fairly simple transition of those mechanics)- regular archery is already accounted in the game's balance.
Sorry for having to ask. I just wanted to make sure you knew where you wanted to go with this. Anyway, more productive suggestions within the areas you asked about:
-How about barbarians? And while you seem to be doing a low magic thing here, you could also go with blood ragers (god, an arcane blood rager would be fantastic in a gun heavy campaign). While this goes against my postcolonial lens tendencies.
-rangers and slayers are always fine. Rangers are good when dealing wtih various kinds of wildness, and slayers are great for the "I talk with NPCs with the same mechanic I use to stab kidneys" flavor of hard boiled grit.
-inquisitors make fantastic sheriffs. That is why Paizo went o the effort of making an inquisitor/gunslinger combo prestige class.
-oooo...bard that does his own sorrowful whistle background music.
Kinda a mix of starfinder and Pathfinder. Gun centric with swords as option. Hell, my NPC sheriff is a orc fighter, dual pistols, repeater rifle, and a battle axe.
Still looking through the firearms wikis. Like the misfire, probably should get into caliber at some point. Along with racial designs.
As per inspiration, later.
Barbarians: yep, a thing with ranger and bard. As per base aka core classes. Planning a gnoll raid on Blister well. It's only low magic cause the PC is a Changeling rogue.
Slayer: got the advanced class book so I'll look into it.
Inquisitor: I'll have to double-check with the advanced players book.
Bard: https://youtu.be/AFa1-kciCb4
Slayer
I think the Commonplace Guns or maybe Guns Everywhere would work for a standard Western setting, depending on your level of grittiness and/or spaghettitude. Guns are either martial or simple weapons, and materials are cheaper and easier to find.
I'm thinking about having feats for various firearms. Pistol, rifle, heavy, black powder, etc. While simple and martial weapons proficiency works, but at the same time, you know all the gun types and calibers. A lvl 1 chose can wield a pistol up to Gatling gun with one feat.
Speaking of cheaper and easier access to materials. That's part of the reason why I need the price adjustment. Yes while each gun is essentially the same weapon in mass. Each individual weapon has it's own quirks and modifications.
Modified Winchester reaper
https://youtu.be/8fMN8a3ZRUY
Mare's leg
https://youtu.be/1fjsURDK4T4
Superficial and subtle quirks
https://youtu.be/6RdrYt1eFGk
That's not to mention the firearms produced by elves, dwarves, orcs, etc. Then special materials like mithril, adamantine, electrum, etc. Enchantments, if the gun is modified to be a magical focus point.
You could make the simple ones simple and the others martial. That way fighters and the like get all the guns (same as they currently get all the swords/axes/bows/hammers/etc.) but other classes only get one per feat.
The really weird ones, of course, could be exotic. Racial ones could be named "dwarven flintlock fowler" so that they're martial for dwarves and exotic for others.
The weapon modification rules can further differentiate between similar but not quite the same models as well as bump the proficiency required to use them--just make your own modifications.
Until someone tries to make Gatling guns Martial weapons.
https://youtu.be/RqZQg9cRcpI
Makes sense. Thought about also using the racial weapon proficiency you get as said race.
Inspiration
Television
The Rifleman https://youtu.be/8fMN8a3ZRUY
Bonanza https://youtu.be/QUBgzSBMtpc
Wild wild west https://youtu.be/xuCuf5tvTqE
Have Gun Will Travel https://youtu.be/tgvxu8QY01s
Wagon Train https://youtu.be/pFF7r1TsdKA
Gunsmoke https://youtu.be/qbo6tp4UgII
Rawhide https://youtu.be/RdR6MN2jKYs
Wanted Dead or Alive https://youtu.be/tUROZEmC1WQ
The Big Valley https://youtu.be/eOFb-9hK2jM
Hell on Wheels https://youtu.be/wTFlhFev45w
Film
The Quick and the Dead https://youtu.be/8FbuXkp18H8
Cowboys and Aliens https://youtu.be/zH7KZD5vGBY
The Warriors Way https://youtu.be/zH7KZD5vGBY
The Magnificent Seven https://youtu.be/bG-ZxrG7htU https://youtu.be/q-RBA0xoaWU
True Grit https://youtu.be/w4XxN1modZU https://youtu.be/CUiCu-zuAgM
The Missing https://youtu.be/535RNQ0REx8
Tombstone https://youtu.be/XTWYKf5hXIg
Games
Deadlands - RPG
Werewolf the Wyld West - RPG
Red Dead Redemption - Video game https://youtu.be/-o7rES_3ymA https://youtu.be/gmA6MrX81z4
Oddworld Stranger's Wrath https://youtu.be/8o6F6fBlBtk
I'm doing mines similar to starfinder. Guns everywhere, melee still an option.
Kept coinage cause paper dollars wasn't a thing yet. Going to look up what denomination was paper.
Like your method. But problem would be if both was going to go for the shot. There I would use the dex modifiers for the drop. Quick draw feat gets the drop automatically unless both has the feat. Highest dex gets the first drop, roll to hit. Second highest gets the drop, roll to hit. Auto confirm crit. Roll initiative for rest of combat.
Oh. My modifications to firearms feats.
Firearms proficiency pistol - pistols
Firearms proficiency rifle - rifles and modified rifles
Firearms proficiency scatter - shotguns, modified shotguns, and anything using scatter shot
Firearms proficiency exotic - heavy weapons, racial designs, unique firearms
I went with the Intimidate/Bluff/Sense Motive to account for the psyche out that happens right before the draw.
I liked that part cause it makes sense per the theme. Giving the edge if you can bluff, fake out, or scare. Like so.
This is what I meant. no bluff, intimidation. Fastest hand wins.
Classes of Dustfinder
There is a mirad of classes that roam the trails. Most have survived by either persistence, regional popularity, or traditionalists. They are divided into four categories: universal, any culture has this class; civilized, any county has this class; native, any civilization that lives off the wilderness has this class; traditionalist, individuals who keeps the old traditions alive preserve this class.
Bear in mind that I only have two books and some knowledge of other classes. If there's one I missed, feel free to add. However, bear in mind I am going off of time period. Double check if wild West, Victorian England and manji era Japan has similar individuals before adding. Do not expect Vikings in the West.
Core rulebook
Barbarian - native
Bard - universal
Cleric - civilized, known as preachers
Druid - native, traditionalist
Fighter - universal
Monk - traditionalist, Eastern Golarion
Paladin - civilized
Ranger - universal, specify military, homestead, native, or mountain man for background
Rogue - universal
Sorcerer - universal
Wizard - civilized
Advanced class guide
Arcanist - civilized
Bloodrager - native
Brawler - civilized
Hunter - native, traditionalist
Investigator - civilized
Shaman - native
Slayer - traditionalist, native
Warpriest - civilized, military background
Ultimate combat
Gunslinger - civilized, becoming universal
Samurai - civilized, Eastern Golarion
Ninja - traditionalist, Eastern Golarion
Misfire crit fail chart
D6
1 - backfire, weilder takes damage, no save
2 - backfire, reflex save DC 15
3 - flash, bad round
4 - click, loose cylinder, firing pin, or trigger
5 - click, cylinder chambered spent round
6 - click, out of ammo.
I just started a wild west campaign last weekend.
I posted my campaign's house rules here: http://westernterritories.obsidianportal.com
For classes, I'm encouraging Alchemist, Brawler, Cavalier, Gunslinger, Hunter, Inquisitor, Mesmerist, Oracle, Ranger, Shaman, Sorcerer, Spirtualist, and Witch. I'm allowing Barbarian, Bloodrager, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Investigator, Monk, Occultist, Psychic, Rogue, Slayer, and Warpriest.
That means that I've disallowed Arcanist, Bard, Kineticist, Magus, Medium, Paladin, Skald, Summoner, Swashbuckler, Vigilante, and Wizard. I know that it might seem sacriligious to not have Bards, Paladins, and Wizards, but none of those classes seem to fit into the "Wild West" theme.
I'm using the "Guns Everywhere" rules from Ultimate Combat, but I've also been struggling with prices for guns. $400 seems awfully expensive for a standard revolver! I just allowed my players to have whatever guns they wanted at the start of the campaign.
I'll be watching this thread to see how it goes.
I've been busy with that. So far found a price range for revolvers that's been agreeable with my players. Piece of crap, 5 gold; 25-150 gold new, depending on caliber and or barrel length.
Also found this.
Cost of living in the old west
Got price or pay range for crafts.
Not all civilizations are in the scholarly sense "civil". Roaming between the sage brush, forests, mountains, and especially between the nations' borders. Native tribes roam the wilds of Golarion. They make their own borders, and they shift depending on factors; war, resources, fonts of power. They live in nature in almost perfect harmony. Some Governments try to coral them into reservations; others have accepted that they will remain peaceful if unprovoked and has peace treaties with the tribes, only allowing personal vendettas with ample evidence (murder and corporation being the most frequent). Each tribe has a distinct culture unto itself; customs, language, even magic. The tribes are unofficially split into "environmental" themes with either an powerful animal, plant, or locale representing as their tribal founder or totem, bear in mind it's from outside observations, there are more likely other tribes with no such themes and may have started on their own.
When creating a Native character. Note that your starting language is your tribes. Having "Native" as a language will not work, you'll have a similar effect like being a tourist in Mexico with High School Spanish in the real world, it works up to a point. You can take more tribal languages, common, and other racial languages as bonus languages with a high enough Intelligence. Elves, dwarves, gnomes, halfings, etc., will be able to start with their racial language or for backstory may drop racial for tribal language.
Example Tribes
Mountain Tribes
Rock Claw
Skyspear
Dire Bear
Forest Tribes
Ironwood
Shadow Fox
Green Roc
River/Lake/Swamp Tribes
Brook
Thunder Shoals
Stalking Cat
Plains Tribes
Darkfoot
Sage Smoke
Raven
There's always room for improvement and room for expansion. Granted not the best examples, but I've been busy with work.
Firearms conversions
Conversion 1 - cap and ball to cartridge. Pistols only, the easiest of conversions. Making it easier to reload and not have to worry about carrying a ton of cap and ball pistols.
Conversion 2 - increasing caliber size. Can be used for rifles, shotguns, and heavy firearms. When you have plenty of ammo but it's not appropriate for the firearm. Note once caliber size is increased, it's not reversible.
Conversion 3 - mundane to magical. Because of the power shooting enchanted bullets. This conversion reenforces the firearm to fire magical ammunition.
Whether by the Gods or spirits, visions are a powerful thing. Clues of the past, present, and future are hidden behind the veil. To induce a vision, there are ways listed, but the important thing. They must fail a fortitude save. The save is a DC 7, because of the controlled situation you'll be at it a while. But they must fail.
Vision inducement
1. Sweat lodge. The safest method, and serves a dual purpose of cleansing the body and unlocking the mind. Heat up a few good size rocks, add water sparingly. And go.
2. Sacred medicinal plants. Make a knowledge nature roll to determine if the plant can be used to access visions without poisoning the player.
3. Vision quest. The most dangerous. Participants must go four days without food or water. Can be in same place, or four days out from a town. Because of being out in the wilderness. There are many dangers.
Make a list of 100 things. Each player must submit five good memories, five bad memories, and five important things. Add in various random things of great power or meaning like animal spirit guides and heavily symbolic things. Each player rolls percentile dice, reroll if same result from previous part of vision. And totally trip balls.