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I think it would be interesting if firearms had a 'point blank' trait, that gave them an extra damage die when they hit a target in their first range increment. That would mean the gunslinger (or other firearms user) would be encouraged not to fire until they saw the whites of their opponents eyes, so it speak.
Also, it would make firearms more useful to classes that don't have a fighter or gunslingers proficiency advancement. It's great that there are simple firearms, but there is little reason for a character to want to use something with such a bad range increment that also only does 1d4/1d6 (except on an unlikely critical hit).
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Fatal sort of does this, though in a roundabout way. In their first range increment you will be more accurate. So you have a higher chance of getting that critical hit and dealing that extra damage die. If instead you could reliably get an extra damage die just by being within 40 feet of your target, guns would need to be completely rebalanced, and would probably lose Fatal in the mix.
Would this be a good thing? I'm not sure.
I mean with how ranges realistically work in Pathfinder, first range increment will be Most of the engagements you end up being in. So "point blank" would end up just being normal rather than something exceptional.
I could see a trait like Volley with a stated distance though. Point Blank 10 feet or something, where within 10 feet you get some extra damage.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I think it would be interesting if firearms had a 'point blank' trait, that gave them an extra damage die when they hit a target in their first range increment. That would mean the gunslinger (or other firearms user) would be encouraged not to fire until they saw the whites of their opponents eyes, so it speak.
Also, it would make firearms more useful to classes that don't have a fighter or gunslingers proficiency advancement. It's great that there are simple firearms, but there is little reason for a character to want to use something with such a bad range increment that also only does 1d4/1d6 (except on an unlikely critical hit).
I believe that the ideal solution to this is to de-emphasise getting crits on simple firearms, giving them a higher base damage and either deadly or a smaller fatal, and leaving the higher fatal values for the martial and advanced firearms.
Getting extra damage at point blank range is also only really a blunderbuss/shotgun thing. Most guns (and especially the longer-ranged ones) aren't going to see significant enough losses of velocity to have distinct damage until at least several hundred feet of range.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I think it would be interesting if firearms had a 'point blank' trait, that gave them an extra damage die when they hit a target in their first range increment. That would mean the gunslinger (or other firearms user) would be encouraged not to fire until they saw the whites of their opponents eyes, so it speak.
Also, it would make firearms more useful to classes that don't have a fighter or gunslingers proficiency advancement. It's great that there are simple firearms, but there is little reason for a character to want to use something with such a bad range increment that also only does 1d4/1d6 (except on an unlikely critical hit).
I believe that the ideal solution to this is to de-emphasise getting crits on simple firearms, giving them a higher base damage and either deadly or a smaller fatal, and leaving the higher fatal values for the martial and advanced firearms.
Getting extra damage at point blank range is also only really a blunderbuss/shotgun thing. Most guns (and especially the longer-ranged ones) aren't going to see significant enough losses of velocity to have distinct damage until at least several hundred feet of range.
I would not be against just raising the damage die a size, but note that by giving them an extra die at the first range incrmeent encourages risk taking tactics that are flavorful. Also, raising the damage die a zize makes the striking firearms more deadly and makes it less important to score a critical hit, but adding a damage die for the first range increment does not improve striking firearms, and keeps the critical hit incentive (as all of those damage dice are improved by the fatal trait).