New Archetype or Class: minimal paperwork plus bombs

[Quixote]

One of my players really likes the feel of a dwarven bombadier who lobs bundles of dynamite, smokes huge cigars and carries a blunderbuss.
However. This player struggles with even the most basic of mechanics. Not looking for spells, extracts, mutagens, grit or any of that stuff. Hit points and ammunition from their equipment list will be more than enough resources pools for them to track during the game.

So. I'm thinking a simplified fighter chasis with gunslinger and alchemist trappings.

How would you go about building this, as simply and easily run as possible?

[Quixote]

Something like:

-d10 HD
-4 skill points/level
-Proficient with simple and martial weapons, firearms, light and medium armor.
-good Fort and Will
-full BaB
- alchemy (as alchemist)
-bombs/alchemical ordinance (as alchemist/gun chemist)
-discoveries (as alchemist)
-bonus feats (as...warpriest?)

One higher HD, better proficiencies, better Will and worse Reflex, better base attack and some bonus feats VS no extracts, no mutagen and no additional special abilities.

I don't need it to be perfectly balanced. If it's a little on the weak side or a little too strong, that will be fine. But what do you think of this for a starting point?

[avr]

I'm not sure what you mean to include in alchemy (as alchemist) - isn't 'alchemy' their spellcasting class feature? It also includes mutagen. Do you just mean the creating alchemical items class features?

[Firebug]

Alchemy (as alchemist) is like the meta class feature that encompasses(Mutagen, Extracts, and Bombs) and also gives 1/level to crafting alchemical items and identify potions with Craft(Alchemy). But from your description it sounds like you wanted to lose Extracts and Mutagen.

How about start with the Slayer chassis but allow them to take the Bomber Rogue Talent with their first Slayer Talent(Rogue Talent) (its not normally on the list of approved choices).
This gets you the D10 HD, proficiency in Light/Medium/Shields/Simple/Martial(but not firearms*), 6+Int skills/level, Good Fort and Reflex(instead of Will), Full BAB, Bombs(though limited in number**), and 'bonus feats/discoveries' that can come from Rogue and Ranger (and bomb discoveries via Rogue's Bomber's Discovery).
You also get some Sneak Attack and Studied Target, and minor other tracking things.

*You can pick up the Firearm aspect via a simple feat on proficiency (or the white pyramid ioun stone), and quick clear via Amateur Gunslinger as your first couple of feats.

** Maybe also add in +1/level for 'fun'.

[Quixote]

Oh yeah. Forgot how much that one ability entailed. I was just referring to the bonus to Craft (alchemy). Figured they'd probably be good at making ammunition and the like.

Hm...so dropping a few skill points, Sneak Attack, Studied Target and the other stuff for the proficiencies, more bombs and I assume more frequent discoveries, as well as the slightly better save loadout.

I really want to trim as many bells and whistles off as possible. This is a player who still needs to ask me what the bonus is for charging and what that bonus applies to. Pretty much every combat. After several decades of playing.
Part of the issue is that they are always picking up new systems. But a bigger part of it is that their brain just doesn't do math and mechanics well. They still have that crunchy, big numbers, dice-rolling, instant gratification-itch they want scratched, they're just not very good at scratching it.

[Quixote]

Okay, so beyond the class, I'm also trying to revise the race a bit to simplify things. Here's what I've got so far in total:

Race-

-Slow and Steady: as-is

-Darkvision: as-is

-Greed: flat +2 to Appraise

-Hardy: +1 to Fort and Will saves

-Stability: flat +2 to CMD

-Weapon Familiarity: as-is

Class-

...bombadier? Thunderer? Something like that.

-HD d10, full BAB, good Fort and Will, 4 skills/level

-Bombs as alchemist

-bonus to Craft (alchemy) equal to level.

-Brew Potion and Throw Anything as bonus feats (can brew potions from a short list of options).

-Discoveries (that modify bombs only) every even level. Or maybe alternate discovery with bonus feats.

-Int to damage on Firearms at some point

-want to simplify firearms, too. Was thinking that on a natural 1 you need to spend a move action to fix it. That, or levy a flat -1 to all attacks with firearms and remove the concept of a misfire entirely.
Also, I'll let them reload two pistols without needing anything silly like a tail.

What do you think? How would it compare to standard characters?

[Name Violation]

3rd party rogue archetype

1st party rogue talent

[Quixote]

Hm. So in exchange for a step larger HD, better BAB, proficiencies and saves and two steps down in skills, you lose evasion, uncanny dodge and all the other bits from the rogue.

So that feels at least somewhat close to the mark. Thanks for the side-by-side.

[Name Violation]

honestly i'd make it a gunslinger archetype at that point.

make a bomb take a grit. make grit int based.

drop a lot of the deeds, like gunslingers dodge, Utility Shot, Dead Shot, Bleeding Wound, Slinger's Luck, and Stunning Shot

give a d6 bomb damage everytime they get new deeds, so 6d6 at 19.

let them take a bomb altering discovery or extra grit in place of a combat bonus feat if they want.

Replace Nimble +1 with the alchemy bonus. and throw anything + int to bomb damage. maybe replace other instances of nimble with a bomb discovery.

replace gun training with int to damage on firearms

let them take "vestigile arm" as a discovery/feat to reload with hands full

[Quixote]

As I said: as few bells and whistles as possible. Hit points and equipment will be plenty for them to keep track of. Adding grit, especially the "as long as you have 1 point in your pool" vs "spend X points" feels like an unnecessary complication.
If I felt like I could offer up a form of bombs that wasn't X/day, I'd do that, too.

Also: see above for allowing normal humanoids with four limbs to reload while holding two pistols. I've seen it, so. I'm fine with it.