Hello, I have a player in one of my games insistent on being able to use the dancing property on their gun. Normally dancing is reserved for melee weapons, but due to the Mage Bullets ability, spellslingers are able to add dancing to their gun.
How is this supposed to work? Does the spellslinger's gun when dancing attack with a melee attack, like a pistol whip ability from the gunslinger, or does it do a ranged attack?
If the gun does a ranged attack, can it be at its normal range or is it only against creatures next to it?
Would the gun provoke an attack of opportunity if it shot at a creature next to it?
Would the creature get to choose to attack the spellslinger or only attack the gun?
I've done some research on this, but it seems that the only consensus is that this is a fringe case and a rather weird ability.
1 & 2) The weapon would most likely still attack as normal using ranged attacks. Some GMs may rule that it uses the reach weapons rule for determining range, while others might restrict it to 1 ranged increment while dancing for balance purposes.
3) This is a bit of a grey area, but from what I've seen it is typically assumed that no, it does not provoke. The reason for this is because of this line:
"While dancing, it cannot make attacks of opportunity, and the activating character it is not considered armed with the weapon. The weapon is considered wielded or attended by the activating character for all maneuvers and effects that target items."
4) In the event that a GM does rule that the dancing ranged weapon does provoke AoOs, the AoO can only be delivered to the weapon in the form of a sunder or any other attack that can specifically target weapons or items. This is again because of the above stated line. Specifically this part, "the activating character it is not considered armed with the weapon." Since the activating character is not considred armed with the weapon, they do cannot be the target of any AoO provoked by the weapon firing durring a round in which it is dancing. However, the following line, "The weapon is considered wielded or attended by the activating character for all maneuvers and effects that target items," does give you the information needed for if the weapon is attacked, treating it as wielded or attended to determine the AC/CMD for the targeting attack, as well as granting it benefit of any special abilities or feats you may possess that can provide additional protection.
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Definitely weird, and definitely subject to GM interpretation.
You've got lots of ways to limit how effective a dancing gun is, including this line from the dancing property:
While dancing, the weapon shares the same space as the activating character and can attack adjacent foes (weapons with reach can attack opponents up to 10 feet away).
I personally would probably let the gun target anything within its first range increment.
Also bear in mind that unless he has a Pistol of the Infinite Sky (really expensive), puts the shadowshooting property on the gun (may reduce damage quite a bit), or casts reloading hands (uses an action) the gun only has the ammo it was loaded with. Which probably means it only gets one shot.
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The dancing weapon will do exactly what Dancing says, so it will attack only the adjacent square.
Note that unless the weapon has other abilities it doesn't reload, so the utility is limited.
Personally, as a houserule, I would limit it to melee attacks, so the ability would be useful only for mixed firearms/melee weapons like the axe-musket.
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Honestly, it's not that powerful of an ability.
If your player wants to spend
1) A 4th level or above spell (and a swift action) to give it dancing,
2) A standard action to release it to dance, and
3) More actions (or money) to give it the ability to fire more than its normal ammo capacity,
then I say let him.
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To summarize:
Does the spellslinger's gun when dancing attack with a melee attack, like a pistol whip ability from the gunslinger, or does it do a ranged attack?
Ranged attack, but the "range" may only be melee range (see next question)
If the gun does a ranged attack, can it be at its normal range or is it only against creatures next to it?
Up to your interpretation, there's been a variety of opinions here.
Would the gun provoke an attack of opportunity if it shot at a creature next to it?
Yes. Making a ranged attack (of any distance) provokes from any enemies that threaten.
Would the creature get to choose to attack the spellslinger or only attack the gun?
With the attack of opportunity? It would have to attack the gun. It's what is provoking, not the wizard who "is not considered armed with the weapon."
I've done some research on this, but it seems that the only consensus is that this is a fringe case and a rather weird ability.
Yes.
Well, it seems like the situation has righted itself as the spellsplinger did not survive its first encounter. Shadows against a level 4 party are super mean.
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Well, it seems like the situation has righted itself as the spellsplinger did not survive its first encounter. Shadows against a level 4 party are super mean.
Once I had a shadow one-shotting an unlucky level 8 alchemist. Surprise attack, critical, 12 strength damage. Instantly dropped to 0 strength.