I'm a GM running a campaign for my friends and one of my players chose to play a Gunslinger. Thing is, they wanted to specialize in the blunderbuss. I informed them that the blunderbuss was a terrible weapon compared to the musket and pistol, but that rather than tell them to pick something else up, I'd just homebrew a blunderbuss archetype for them. Somewhere along the way, I found myself also wanting to also make up for the lack of ability the Gunslinger has to keep up with spellcasters in the late game, so I added a bunch of debuff deeds and a way to overcome DR. This is the first archetype I've ever made, so I'd appreciate some feedback as to whether or not this is overpowered (I have a sneaking suspicion it might be), and if so, what I could do to balance it out more.
Marauder (Gunslinger)
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A marauder is proficient in all medium armor. A marauder only gains proficiency with two-handed firearms. They must take the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearm) feat to gain proficiency with one-handed firearms and siege engines.
Gunsmith: A marauder must take a blunderbuss when they choose a battered firearm at 1st level.
Deeds: A marauder swaps a few deeds for the following.
Punishing Blast (Ex): At 1st level, the marauder may make an attack with their firearm so painful it makes the enemy sick. After a successful attack roll with a firearm, the marauder may inflict the sickened condition on the enemy shot. This deed costs 1 grit point. At 8th level they may instead spend 2 grit points to inflict the nauseated condition. This deed replaces the gunslinger’s dodge deed.
Piercing Blast (Ex): At 3rd level, the marauder becomes skilled at targeting weak points in armor and hide. As long as the marauder has at least 1 grit point, they ignore 5 points of damage reduction (including untyped). The amount of damage reduction ignored increases by 5 more points for every five levels thereafter (to a maximum of 20 points ignored at 18th level) This deed replaces the pistol-whip deed.
Fast Slugger (Ex): At 3rd level, as long as the marauder has 1 grit point, they can reload any two-handed firearm as if it were a one-handed firearm. This deed replaces the utility shot deed.
Marauder’s Wrath (Ex): At 3rd level, as long as the marauder has at least 1 grit point, they remove the standard -2 penalty on attack rolls with a scatter weapon. In addition, their attack damage may be modified by precision damage or damage-increasing feats such as Vital Strike. Furthermore, if they have the Quick Draw feat, their hands are free and unrestrained, and the firearm is not hidden, they can draw a single firearm as a part of their initiative check. This deed replaces the gunslinger’s initiative deed.
Vicious Blast (Ex): This ability functions the same as dead shot, except that it may affect scatter attacks when firing in a cone as well.
Wreak Havoc (Ex): At 7th level, the marauder learns to tactfully destroy small parts of the environment to harm their enemies. The marauder makes an attack roll to target a single 5 foot square which hits so long as the gun doesn’t misfire. This deed costs 2 grit points. This deed replaces the targeting deed.
Ceiling: Any sort of ceiling, roof, canopy, or similar structure will collapse within the area shot, dealing 1d6 damage and knocking prone any medium or smaller sized creatures caught in it. A successful Reflex save equal to 10 + ½ the marauder’s level + the marauder’s Wisdom modifier will negate all damage and prevent the creature from being knocked prone without moving it to a different square.
Wall: Any sort of wall, pillar, tree, or similar structure will partially collapse into any adjacent square in the direction of the marauder, decided by the marauder, dealing 1d4 damage. In addition, the bullets will ricochet off into the same square, dealing the gun’s damage without needing an attack roll. A successful Reflex save equal to 10 + ½ the marauder’s level + the marauder’s Wisdom modifier will negate all damage.
Floor: Any sort of floor, ground, or similar structure will trip the creature within the square targeted unless they succeed a Reflex save equal to 10 + ½ the marauder’s level + the marauder’s Wisdom modifier, which will instead make it flat-footed until the start of its next turn.
Furniture: Any sort of furniture made of a material capable of being destroyed by a firearm (wood, glass, etc.) will explode into a thousand pieces, dealing 1d6 piercing damage and 2 bleed damage each round until the creature’s next turn. The bleeding can be stopped with a DC 15 Heal check. A successful Reflex save equal to 10 + ½ the marauder’s level + the marauder’s Wisdom modifier will negate all damage.
Rapid Reloader: At 1st level, a marauder gains Rapid Reload (blunderbusses) as a bonus feat.
Raider’s Defense (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a marauder reduces the armor check penalty of the armor they’re wearing by -1 and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus by +1. Every four levels thereafter, the check penalty reduces by another -1, and the max Dex increases by another +1 (to a maximum of -5, +5 at level 18). The armor check penalty cannot be brought below 0. In addition, they may still move at their full base speed in medium armor. This ability replaces nimble.
Blast Master (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a marauder increases their skill with two-handed firearms. They gain a bonus on damage rolls equal to their dexterity modifier, and when they misfire with a two-handed firearm, the misfire value increases by 2 instead of 4. Every four levels thereafter, the bonus on damage rolls increases by +1. At 13th level, a marauder never misfires with a two-handed firearm. This replaces gun training 1, 2, 3, and 4.
You're a GM after my own heart, making an archetype to make a player's choices more viable. Bravo to you!
With that said, I'm sure many people will point you toward at least one existing archetype that does this sort of thing. Have you seen it? If it's not what you're looking for, I totally get that. But if you just weren't aware of it, it's worth looking over.
I would be wary of all the abilities that allow an AOE effect to benefit from abilities, bonuses or modifiers that normally only work on a single attack. Even if they only hit 2-3 enemies, that's +200-300% more efficiency.
Finally, if you want to give non-lvl9 casters a little boost in the late game, I don't think you need to worry about damage, DR, AC or the like. It's all the weird, specific, super niche but super powerful stuff that really sets them apart. Invisibility, Spider Climb, Plane Shift, Teleport, Force Cage, Time Stop--those are the spells that allow casters to leave the martials behind and win the game on their own.
I don't know they existing archetype you're referring to, though I may have found it (scatter gunner?). I appreciate the advice on the AOE effects though, and will revise that side of the marauder, likely by having the marauder spend a deed point for each enemy they choose to affect.
Look at what the Siege Gunner can do with their Targeted Blast, probably make it similar to that.
Look at what the Siege Gunner can do with their Targeted Blast, probably make it similar to that.
This is what I did in place of Punishing Blast:
Focused Blast (Ex): At 1st level, when using a firearm or siege engine that targets an area rather than a specific creature, the marauder can spend 1 grit point to attack creatures in a line rather than a cone. The line is the same length as the weapons cone and deals an additional 1d6 points of damage. This damage die increases by 1d6 for every 4 marauder levels (to a maximum of 5d6 at level 20). This deed replaces the deadeye deed.
'Increases by' implies that it'd be 1d6 + 1d6/4 levels, which ends at 6d6 at L20. Ending at 5d6 means perhaps 1d6/4 levels, minimum 1d6.
'Increases by' implies that it'd be 1d6 + 1d6/4 levels, which ends at 6d6 at L20. Ending at 5d6 means perhaps 1d6/4 levels, minimum 1d6.
Ah, thanks for pointing that out.