Below is one of my first attempts at a homebrew class. Based on the powder mages from Brian McClellan's Powder Mage trilogy.
Powder Mage
A blend of alchemical and martial power powder mages strike terror into the heart of the enemy on the battlefield. Supernaturally accurate marksman gifted with strange power over black powder. Able to sense nearby gunpowder, and can ignite it at will. They can control the direction and shape of a gunpowder blast.
By consuming gunpowder they enter a powder trance enhancing their senses and accuracy. Consuming large amounts of gunpowder can enhance their physical abilities as well but with the risk of addiction. Powder mages are easily identified by the strong odor of gunpowder that accompanies them. (Note: This class is intended for settings in which firearms are more prevalent and assumes Commonplace Guns availability)
Role: Powder mages are master marksmen able to strike deadly blows from an incredible distance but can also use their enhanced physical abilities in close combat.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Wealth: 5d6 x 10 gp (average 175gp) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less, and the powder mage begins with a starting firearm of their choice: blunderbuss, musket, or pistol. Their starting weapon is battered, and only they know how to use it properly. All other creatures treat their gun as if it had the broken condition. If the weapon already has the broken condition, it does not work at all for anyone else trying to use it. Their starting weapon can only be sold for scrap (it’s worth 4d10 gp when sold).
Class Skills
The powder mage’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the powder mage.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A powder mage’s are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all firearms. They are proficient with all light armor.
Gun Training (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a powder mage gains a bonus equal to their Dexterity modifier on damage rolls when firing a firearm; their bonus to damage cannot exceed their class level until they reach 5th level.
Furthermore, they reduce the misfire value of firearms by 1 (minimum 0) and when they fire a broken firearm, the misfire value of that firearm increases by 2 instead of 4.
Powder Magic
The magic of the powder mage is activated by consuming gunpowder and expressed through the mages arcane pool, powder trance and powder surges. These abilities are addictive and many powder mages have been destroyed by overuse of their power.
While powder mages detect as arcane casters powder magic is very distinct from traditional casting. Many of their abilities are at-will and others consume points from their arcane pool but they are most closely associated with spontaneous casters and should be treated as such for the purpose of feats and abilities where this would be relevant.
They have a distinct scent of gunpowder that is immediately noticeable in their presence. Anyone in close contact with them can make a DC 15 Knowledge: Arcana check to identify them as a powder mage.
Arcane Pool (Su)
At 1st level, you gain a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that you can draw upon to fuel your powers and enhance your weapons. Your arcane pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 your powder mage level (minimum 1) + Wisdom modifier. The pool refreshes once per day after you take an eight hour rest.
At 1st level, you can expend 1 point from your arcane pool as a swift action to grant any firearm you are holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute per level. For every four levels beyond 1st, the firearm gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.
At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, nimble shot, shock, shocking burst, or speed.
Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier. These properties are added to any the firearm already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time you use this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than you.
Powder Trance (Su)
By consuming a dose of black powder, which is a standard action, you enter a powder trance for one minute per level. There are several benefits that you receive while in a powder trance. The first is increased accuracy with firearms. You treat all one handed firearms as if they had a range of Close and two handed firearms as if they had a range of Medium.
Close: 25 feet + 5 feet per 2 levels.
Medium: 100 feet + 10 feet per level.
Long: 400 feet + 40 feet per level.
While in a powder trance you have a constant detect black powder ability which functions within close range, you can use detect magic at-will, within the same range, but must make a DC 15 Fortitude save after using it or you are sickened for 1 round. When detecting magic you simply sense whether or not something is magical but cannot determine the school or any additional details but you also detect spell casters, with their aura strength based on their caster level, and you can distinguish between alchemical, arcane, divine and psionic casters. You gain low-light vision and darkvision with a range of 60 feet while in a powder trance.
While powder magic has no verbal or somatic components it does have a costly material component, gunpowder. A powder charge costs 10gp and a bullet 1gp though this can be reduced through the Gunsmithing feat to 1pg and 1sp respectively. The only ability that does not require that you consume gunpowder to use it is remote detonation as it uses the targets gunpowder to supply the material component.
Powder Addiction and Blindness:
Powder magic is addictive. Whenever you expend one or more arcane points from your pool, you must pass a Fortitude save against powder addiction DC 15 + 5 for each save previously made that day. Thus, the first roll would be a DC 15, the second a DC 20, the third a DC 25, etc.). After an eight hour rest the DC of the Fortitude save to resist powder addiction resets. While in a powder surge you ignore the penalties of your addiction.
If you fail your daily powder addiction save, you gain a minor addiction, suffering a -2 penalty to Constitution. Once you fail a save and gain a minor addiction the DC to resist increasing the severity of the addiction to a moderate addiction increases to 10 + 1 for each roll previously made. This gives you a -2 penalty to Constitution and Strength. The Fortitude save DC to resist increasing the severity of a moderate addiction to a severe addiction increases to 15 + 1 for each roll previously made. When you fail to save against increasing the severity of a moderate addiction in addition to retaining the penalties of the moderate addiction your addiction becomes a severe addiction giving you the powder blind condition where you can no longer enter a powder trance or use any of your supernatural abilities. Consuming a gunpowder charge automatically nauseates a powder mage when they are powder blind.
The save DC to resist powder addiction or increasing the severity of an existing addiction is separate from the save DC to overcome a powder addiction. While the save to increase the severity of the addiction resets each day after an eight hour rest the save to overcome powder addiction is set when the first save is failed. The DC of the Fortitude save to overcome is equal to the highest daily save to resist increasing addiction since your last failed save.
For example if you fail a DC 15 Fortitude save to resist addiction and then have a daily save of 20 even if you pass that save and do not increase the severity of the addiction the DC to overcome the addiction is now 20.
At the end of each day you do not use your powder surge ability; you may make a Fortitude save against your addiction DC to overcome the powder addiction. Unlike normal addictions, an addiction to magic cannot be cured with magic, although the Heal skill can be used to help overcome addictions similar to overcoming diseases.
Powder Surge (Su)
You can consume a gunpowder charge to gain increased physical abilities for one round per point of Constitution modifier plus ½ powder mage level. You gain a +2 bonus to hit with melee weapons and a +2 bonus to damage with melee and thrown weapons. You also gain a +10 foot bonus to your base speed and fast healing 1. At the end of the surge you are fatigued for one minute.
You can use your powder surge ability once per day at 1st level and an additional time per day at 5th level and every 4 levels after. Once you have reached your maximum number of powder surges per day you can still enter a powder surge by expending 1 arcane point from your arcane pool but each time you spend an arcane point to enter a powder trance you must make a save against powder addiction.
Ignite Powder (Su)
Powder mages can ignite any powder they can sense. You can ignite all powder on an individual as a standard action. Each dose of black powder deals 1pt of damage or a powder horn deals 2d6+6 damage.
This can be used to remotely fire a firearm even if another creature is wielding it or to make a firearm misfire giving it the broken condition; destroying it if it was already broken. This ability cannot be used on the black powder that a powder mage is carrying or on the powder in a firearm they are wielding, as they will reflexively negate the ignition, unless they are caught by surprise and flat-footed (or suffering from powder blindness).
Push (Su)
When a powder mage shoots a firearm that is not making a scatter shot, they can burn an extra dose of gunpowder to magnify the force of the shot, adding 1d6 points of extra damage. This is piercing damage and is not multiplied if the attack is a critical hit. This piercing damage increases by 1d6 every odd level to a maximum of 10d6 at 19th level.
The damage can be increased to 1d6 per powder mage level for one shot per round by also expending 1 point from your arcane pool (minimum 2d6). Push can be altered by one target ability and one type ability.
Wild Shot (Su)
At 1st level, as a standard action, the powder mage can burn a powder charge that they are carrying to propel a bullet as if they fired it from a gun. This is done at a -4 non-proficiency penalty to hit as it is much more difficult to aim when firing a shot this way. The first time this ability is used against a target they are considered flat footed.
This ability can be used to make a full attack using each of their iterative attacks, including attacks granted from feats such as the two weapon fighting feats. The -4 non-proficiency penalty stacks with all other penalties that apply to the attack rolls.
Specialty Shots
While many of the powder mages abilities use their arcane powers to accomplish amazing feats they are capable of making extraordinary shots without their arcane abilities as well. At 1st, 3rd, and every 4 levels after you may select two specialty shots. After 11th level you may instead select one specialty shot from the advanced specialty shot list.
When a specialty shot calls for a save the DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 your powder mage’s level + your Wisdom modifier. All specialty shots are extraordinary abilities. You may only make one specialty shot each round.
Utility Shot: The powder mage can perform all of the following utility shots. Each utility shot can be applied to any single attack with a firearm, but the powder mage must declare the utility shot they are using before firing the shot.
• Blast Lock: The powder mage makes an attack roll against a lock within the first range increment of their firearm. A Diminutive lock usually has AC 7, and larger locks have a lower AC. The lock gains a bonus to its AC against this attack based on its quality. A simple lock has a +10 bonus to AC, an average lock has a +15 bonus to AC, a good lock has a +20 bonus to AC, and a superior lock has a +30 bonus to AC. Arcane lock grants a +10 bonus to the AC of a lock against this attack. On a hit, the lock is destroyed, and the object can be opened as if it were unlocked. On a miss, the lock is destroyed, but the object is jammed and still considered locked. It can still be unlocked by successfully performing this deed, by using the Disable Device skill, or with the break DC, though the DC for either break or Disable Device or the AC increases by 10. A key, combination, or similar mechanical method of unlocking the lock no longer works, though knock can still be employed to bypass the lock, and the creator of an arcane lock can still bypass the wards of that spell.
• Scoot Unattended Object: The powder mage makes an attack roll against a Tiny or smaller unattended object within the first range increment of their firearm. A Tiny unattended object has an AC of 5, a Diminutive unattended object has an AC of 7, and a Fine unattended object has an AC of 11. On a hit, the powder mage does not damage the object with the shot, but can move it up to 15 feet farther away from the shot’s origin. On a miss, they damage the object normally.
• Stop Bleeding: The powder mage can pour a powder charge into their wound or the wound of an adjacent creature and ignite the powder to staunch bleeding. Instead of dealing damage, the powder ends a single bleed condition affecting the creature.
Extend Scatter Shot: You can increase the scatter range of a firearm you are wielding by 5 feet for 1 round as move action.
Slowing Shot: In addition to dealing damage on a hit on a failed Reflex save the targets speed is reduced by half for 1 round per 2 levels. You must declare that you are using this ability prior to rolling to hit.
Disarming Shot: In addition to dealing damage on a hit you may select one held object for the target to drop on a failed Reflex save. Objects locked into a gauntlet are immune to this effect. You must declare that you are using this ability prior to rolling to hit.
Blinding Shot: You may make an attack in melee range without provoking an attack of opportunity which in addition to dealing damage the target must make a Reflex save or be blinded for 1 round.
Deafening Shot: You may make an attack in melee range without provoking an attack of opportunity which in addition to dealing damage the target must make a Fortitude save or be deafened for 1d4 rounds.
Tripping Shot: In addition to dealing damage you may make a shot which trips the target as well, the target must make a Reflex save or fall prone. Creatures that have four or more legs or that are immune to trip attacks are immune to this effect. You must declare that you are using this ability prior to rolling to hit.
Stunning Shot: In addition to dealing damage you may make a shot which stuns the target for 1 round, the target must make a Fortitude save or be stunned. You must declare that you are using this ability prior to rolling to hit.
Demoralizing Shot: When the powder mage hits an opponent with a firearm they can choose to use Intimidate to demoralize that opponent as a swift action instead of a standard action.
Improved Demoralizing Shot: When using Demoralizing Shot ability add the damage the target takes as a bonus to your Intimidate check.
Parry Shot: Once per round whenever a ranged attack is made against them, the powder mage can make an opposed attack roll as an immediate action. If their attack roll is higher, they shoot the projectile in midair, deflecting the ranged attack harmlessly. Unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts) cannot be deflected, although they can expend 1 point of arcane from their pool to be able to deflect these types of ranged attacks.
After a successful use of Parry Shot the powder mage may expend 1 point of arcane from their pool to riposte making an attack of opportunity against the creature whose attack they parried as an immediate action provided they are wielding a firearm with a loaded barrel or they are able to reload as a free action.
Advanced Specialty Shots
At 11th level the powder mage can access more powerful specialty shots.
Dead Shot: As a full-round action, you can take careful aim and pool all of your attack potential into a single, deadly shot. When you do this, you shoot a firearm at a single target, but make as many attack rolls as you can make that round, including any granted by the effects of feats and abilities which grant additional attacks such as the Two Shot talent and Snap Shot feat. You make the attack rolls in order from highest bonus to lowest, as if you were making a full attack. If any of the attack rolls hit the target, the attack is considered to have hit. For each additional successful attack roll beyond the first, you increase the damage of the shot by the base damage dice of the firearm.
For instance, if an 11th-level powder mage firing a musket hits with both attacks, they do 2d12 points of damage with the shot, instead of 1d12 points of damage, before adding any damage modifiers.
Precision damage, damage from the Push ability, and extra damage from weapon special abilities (such as flaming) are added with damage modifiers and are not increased by this deed. If one or more rolls are critical threats, they roll once and on a confirmation the attack is treated as if an additional attack hit. The powder mage only misfires on a dead shot if all the attack rolls are misfires. They cannot perform this deed with a blunderbuss or other scatter weapons which attack creatures in a cone.
Precise Critical: You may choose to reduce the critical multiplier of a firearm you are wielding to a minimum of *2. For each point by which you reduce the critical multiplier, increase the threat range by one. This takes effect after any other effect which increases the critical threat range and no weapon can have a critical threat range greater than 15-20.
Lightning Reflexes: You threaten all squares within 5 ft. while wielding a firearm. If the powder mage would already threaten while wielding a ranged weapon, such as due to possessing the Snap Shot feat, this specialty shot increases that range by 5 ft.
Head Shot: When you score a critical hit, you may choose to forgo dealing damage and instead the target must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 your level + your Wisdom modifier. On a failed saving throw, the target dies. This is a death attack.
Eagle Eyes (Ex): Powder mages have extraordinary sight allowing you to make precise shots and scout distant targets. At 2nd level, you receive an alchemical bonus on Perception checks equal to 1/2 your class level.
Talents
At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a powder mage gains a talent. Except where otherwise noted, each talent can only be selected once.
Combat Training (Ex): Select any one combat feat for which you meet the prerequisites from the following list: Craft Specialty Ammunition, Rapid Reload, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim, Precise Shot, Gunsmithing, Improved Precise Shot, Weapon Focus, Quick Draw, Improved Initiative, Improved Critical, Extra Arcane Pool, Dodge, or Mobility. This talent may be selected multiple times.
Aim: You may increase the damage of your Push to 1d6 per powder mage level when you make 1 attack as a full round action.
Guided Shot (Target) (Su): Expend 1 point from your arcane pool to control the path of a bullet between multiple targets. Choose a number of targets no greater than 1 + half your powder mage level (minimum 2 targets total). Make a ranged touch attack against each of them in order. No target can be farther than 10 feet + 5 feet per 5 powder mage levels from the previous target and no target can be selected more than once. Should any of the targets fail to take damage, either by a missed attack, resistance, or other method, the chain stops and no further targets are damaged. This attack is a full round action.
Two Shot (Su): You may load two bullets into one barrel of a firearm so that your first attack that round fires two shots, if the attack hits both bullets hit. Apply precision-based damage (such as sneak attack) and critical hit damage only once for this attack.
Focused Aim (Ex): You may expend 1 arcane point from your pool to treat your class level as your base attack bonus on a single attack made as part of a full-round action. Only one attack can be made but this attack can be combined with other abilities such as Push, Two Shot, or Deadly Aim as long as no more than one attack is made.
Musket Master (Ex): You may reload a two-handed firearm as if it were a one-handed firearm.
Deadly Display (Ex): Whenever you reduce an opponent to below 0 hit points you may make an intimidate check to demoralize all foes within 30ft of that opponent.
Quick Clear (Su): As a standard action, you can remove the broken condition from a single firearm you are wielding, as long as the condition was gained due to a misfire. Alternatively, if you expend 1 point from your arcane pool you may perform quick clear as a move-equivalent action instead of a standard action.
Scatter Burn (Target) (Su): You may expend 1 point from your arcane pool to add the damage from your Push to a scatter shot but targets receive a Reflex save, on a successful save they take only half of the damage from the shot.
Precise Detonation (Su): You can control explosions fueled by black powder, within the range of your ignite powder ability, you may choose to exclude one target in the blast radius per point of your Wisdom modifier.
Mass Ignition (Su): When igniting powder you may select multiple targets within the range of your powder sense. Choose a number of targets no greater than 1 + half your powder mage level (minimum 2 targets total).
Negate Misfire (Su): You can feel when your gun misfires and can burn away the powder in the shot to prevent the misfire; expend 1 point from your arcane pool to negate a misfire as an immediate action but you may not make further attacks with the firearm until you clear the round from the chamber, which is a move action.
Quick Trance (Ex): Powder mages learn to consume powder doses quickly and you can ingest a dose of black powder as a move action.
Improved Powder Sense (Su): The powder mage is able to sense and ignite gunpowder within Medium range.
Wild Shot Proficiency (Su): Practice has increased the accuracy of your Wild Shot ability. You have honed your skill and are considered proficient with your Wild Shot ability. You no longer have a non-proficiency penalty when you use the ability.
Fast Healing (Su): Powder mages recover swiftly from injuries. You recover 1 hit point per minute. In a powder surge your fast healing increases by 1 hit point per round.
Long Shot (Su): The powder mage can make shots over incredible distances. They treat all one handed firearms as if they had a range of Medium and two handed firearms as if they had a range of Long.
Grenadier (Target) (Su): The powder mage may magnify the force of a remote ignition or grenade targeting a 5ft square. The blast deals 1pt of splash damage per die in a 5 foot radius. This ability cannot effect an explosion out of the range of your powder sense ability.
Powder Brute (Su): The powder mage may use their arcane points to enhance their unarmed attacks or melee weapons as a magus of the same level.
Explosive Burst (requires grenadier) (Su): Expend 2 points from your arcane pool to increase the area targeted with the grenadier ability from a 5 foot square to a 10 foot radius burst + 5 feet per 5 powder mage levels. Targets in the area of the blast receive a Reflex save for half damage. This ability is limited to the range of your powder sense.
Razor Blast (Type) (Su): On a hit with a Push the target takes 1 point of bleed damage per damage die from the push.
Alchemical Ammunition (Su): You may infuse firearm ammunition with an alchemical weapon such as an alchemist’s fire, acid flask, or tanglefoot bag as a standard action. On a successful attack using the infused ammunition, in addition to the regular damage that would be dealt by the shot, any effects of the alchemical item go into effect as well. However, alchemical weapons with the splash property lose that property when this ability is used.
This combination is permanent and while it is incredibly rare this specialty ammunition can sometimes be found for sale in firearm specialty shops.
Alchemical Blast (Type) (Su): By infusing ammunition with an alchemical item you can make a specialized Push. The blast requires a round of alchemical ammunition infused with the alchemical item listed in the entry. (This ability does not technically require the Alchemical Ammunition talent but this ammunition is rarely for sale so it may be of limited use without that talent.)
Corrosive Blast (Acid Flask): Change the damage type of the Push to acid and any creature damaged by the Push takes 1 point of acid damage per damage die the following round.
Deafening Blast (Thunderstone): Change the damage type of the Push to sonic. On a hit the target must make a Fortitude save or be deafened 2d4 rounds.
Fiery Blast (Alchemists Fire): Change the damage type of the Push to fire and increase the damage die to d8s.
Entangling Blast (Tanglefoot Bag): In addition to the regular damage the targets must make a Reflex save or be entangled.
Frost Blast (Liquid Ice): Change damage type to cold and target must make a Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round.
Shocking Blast (Bottled Lightning): Increase damage dice to d8 against foes wearing primarily metal armor or wielding a primarily metal weapon.
Force Blast (Type) (Su): Expend 1 point from your arcane pool to change the damage type of a Push to force and reduce the damage die to d4. On a hit the target must make a Reflex save or be knocked prone.
Advanced Talents
At 10th level a powder mage may learn advanced talents.
Vengeful Blast (Su): You may apply your Push to attacks of opportunity for one round by expending a point from your arcane pool.
Legendary Sniper (Su) (requires Long Shot and Snipers Eye): Extend the range of two handed firearms to 1000ft +100ft per caster level. Expend 1 point from your arcane pool to make a shot with unlimited range.
You may also spend a full round action to make a perception check and ignore 1000 feet per powder mage level of distance before taking penalties to perception checks for distance. This only applies to visual checks.
Arcane Parry (requires Parry Shot)(Su): You can expend 1 point of arcane from your pool and fire a bullet imbued with arcane energy to deflect a ranged attack generated by a spells effect. It must be a spell that requires an attack roll to hit. Make an opposed attack roll as an immediate action. If your attack roll is higher, you shoot the spell effect in midair, dispersing its energy.
Following a successful Arcane Parry you may expend another point of arcane from your pool to riposte with an Push, making an attack of opportunity, against the creature whose attack you parried as an immediate action provided you are wielding a firearm with a loaded barrel or that you are able to reload as a free action. You may spend an additional arcane point to increase the damage of the Push to 1d6 per powder mage level.
Snipers Eye (Su): Powder mages are capable of seeing over incredible distances and you ignore the first 1000 feet of distance before taking penalties to perception checks for distance. This only applies to visual checks. Powder mages with this ability may use Targeting at the increased range granted by Long Shot and Legendary Sniper if they possess those talents.
Improved Fast Healing (requires Fast Healing talent) (Su): Recover 2 hit points per minute. In a powder surge your fast healing increases by 2 hit points per round.
Legendary Powder Sense (Su) (requires Improved Powder Sense): This incredibly rare ability is terrifying when used. The powder mage is able to sense and ignite gunpowder within Long range. They may ignite all powder within Long range by expending 5 points from their arcane pool.
Cheat Death (Su): Whenever you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, you may expend all of your remaining points in your arcane pool (minimum 1) to instead be reduced to 1 hit point and immediately enter a powder surge.
Evasive (Ex)
At 7th level, the powder mage gains the benefit of the evasion and uncanny dodge rogue class features.
Greater Powder Surge (Su)
At 11th level a powder mage increases the bonuses granted by their powder surge ability by 1. They gain a +3 bonus to hit with melee weapons and a +3 bonus to damage with melee and thrown weapons. They also increase the other benefits of the powder surge; gaining a +20 foot bonus to their base speed and fast healing 2.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
At 15th level, the powder mage gains the benefit of the improved uncanny dodge rogue class features. If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
Legendary Powder Surge (Su)
At 20th level a powder mage increases the bonuses granted by their powder surge ability by 1. They gain a +4 bonus to hit with melee weapons and a +4 bonus to damage with melee and thrown weapons. They also increase the other benefits of the powder surge; gaining a +30 foot bonus to their base speed and fast healing 3.
I quit reading at Head Shot, this ability is broken.
On one firearm attack per round (so a ranged touch attack to at least 1 range increment), you get the equivalent of stunning fist. From 1st level. No limit daily or otherwise, no problem with powder addiction if I'm reading it correctly (which would be a serious problem if playing this class generally; tone that down!), no cost other than a bullet & powder. This and most of the other specialty shots are broken IMO, long before the advanced specialty shots come online.
Saves & BAB?
What is this supposedly balanced against?
It appears to combine Gunslinger, Alchemist, and Kineticist(?) into one monster class...
Dex to Dmg @ level 1? Why?
Ability to add +1 @ level 1? Why?
Notice how similar abilities do not exist in any other class as class features @ level 1?
Push is equal to Bombs/Sneak Attack, with fewer restrictions (such as concealment/cover)... and can be doubled just for fun?
Was Powder Addiction supposed to be like Kineticist Burn?
What, exactly, is this class supposed to be? The combination of a Blaster Sorcerer and a Gunslinger?
Break what you have there into two or three distinct archetypes... vanilla powder mage doesn't deserve all that... nobody does... it's clownshoes, IMO.
To be fair gunslinger gets dex to damage at level 1 under the assumption he presented at the start of the class. The rest of your message is about right though
How does a Gunslinger get Dex to Dmg @ 1?
I don't know what "presented at the start of the class" means...
I thought that is part of the Gun Training feature @ 5?
Under the commonplace guns rule they get gun training at level 1
The classes that I most drew from were the alchemist and the 3.5 warlock. 2/3 progression BAB, and high fort and reflex with low will saves.
Head Shot I think was originally supposed to be restricted to like level 17 or 19 but I've never really fully liked it.
The powder surge ability and addiction mechanic is really only in there to capture the feel of the books. If I wasn't trying to really capture the feel of the books I would would have replaced that with something weaker. Overall if I was using the class at a table I'd probably let the other players take like a +1 template to balance it out.
The class is definitely intended for games where guns are commonplace in a flintlock fantasy setting. Some inspiration was also drawn from the Spheres of Power 3rd party books by Drop Dead Studios.
To be fair gunslinger gets dex to damage at level 1 under the assumption he presented at the start of the class. The rest of your message is about right though
Would adding an Arcane cost to most of the specialty shots balance it out more in your opinion? I wrote a lot of this at work in between phone calls and it definitely needs a couple more passes to refine it.
Under the commonplace guns rule they get gun training at level 1Gun Training at level 1 for Gunslinger is for 'Guns Everywhere' not 'Commonplace Guns'.
Under commonplace guns, Firearms are Martial weapons. The class writeup is already proficient in all martial, and separately all firearms... So the author must not be assuming commonplace firearms even though they are saying they are.
Thank you. I had my terms mixed up
Under the commonplace guns rule they get gun training at level 1Gun Training at level 1 for Gunslinger is for 'Guns Everywhere' not 'Commonplace Guns'.
Under commonplace guns, Firearms are Martial weapons. The class writeup is already proficient in all martial, and separately all firearms... So the author must not be assuming commonplace firearms even though they are saying they are.
From a quick look, Guided Shot + Aim Talent (assuming aim merely changes the non-Arcane Pool part of Push) + Razor Blast + Stunning Shot is basically 11 targets taking 20d6 + 20 bleed (+ whatever the gun does) and each target hit needs to save or be stunned. No save, most likely vs Touch AC (especially if you have the Long Shot talent as well). If Aim is on top of Push, jump that to 40 dice and 40 bleed. Technically, this is all online by level 6.
As written the only thing the Aim talent seems to do is make it as if you were always spending an arcane pool on Push for free as a talent choice. I would probably just move the 'spend a pool' to increase the damage to the talent instead of base.
I didn't know about the various proficiency rules involving guns... I generally avoid them in my games, but Bolt Ace has always been welcome. I am gearing up for a post-pandemic gestalt Skulls & Shackles based campaign, though... so it is good to familiarize myself with those rules.
Anyways, I was looking at the Talents and noticed that same combination... like, this CANNOT be right... is it?
Some of these interactions between abilities/features/talents/existing feats are ridiculous... absolutely turned up to 11, clownshoes.
I get that you are trying to adapt something specific. But come on...
Something has to balance it out, you can't just import crazy characters from other media and handwave the abilities that make them crazy awesome...
Have the addiction mechanic bring on Negative Levels... Long Rest or Restoration heals them at a normal rate... they remain after you die, as normal... yeah, get addicted, dummy... now we have a price for our power...
Let me read all this, again... see if I can come up with some more specific advice.
Based on some of your feedback I've made a few edits. When I have more time I'll add more. I like the idea of getting a negative level for addiction and will look into making that edit when I have more time.
Edited opening to note intended for Guns Everywhere availability.
Added to the general description of specialty shots: Specialty shots may only be made against one target each round.
Stunning Shot: In addition to dealing damage you may make a shot which stuns the target for 1 round, the target must make a Fortitude save or be stunned. You must declare that you are using this ability and spend an arcane point prior to rolling to hit.
Removing the head shot ability entirely
Aim: You may increase the damage of your Push to 1d6 per powder mage level when making one attack as a full round action against a single target. (Aim modifies push to 1d6 per powder mage level so it does not stack with push)
Focused Aim (Ex): You may expend 1 arcane point from your pool to treat your class level as your base attack bonus on a single attack against a single target made as part of a full-round action. Only one attack can be made but this attack can be combined with other abilities such as Push, Two Shot, or Deadly Aim as long as no more than one attack is made.
Razor Blast (Type) (Su): On a hit with a Push the target takes 1 point of bleed damage per damage die from the push. If multiple creatures are targeted such as with the guided shot talent the bleed damage is halved and negated on a successful fortitude save.
Aside from the balance issues you're addressing, I'd consider simplifying things and cleaning up those walls of text for all those abilities and options. Having something you can use (level-dependant variable)/day that effects (level-dependant variable) targets and deals (level-dependant variable)dX...it gets to be too much.
It really just seems like there's so much here. I'd try to cut out everything that isn't essential to the concept. "Blast Lock" is not a special ability reserved for those magicians who have studied the way of the gun. It's that thing that happens when you point a gun at a lock and pull the trigger. Anyone can do that.
In summary: cut out frivolous abilities and simplify how remaining abilities function. It'll be much more accessible.