Hero Cannon!! A semi Glitterboy / Warmachine-ish idea

[Dwarftr]

OK OK, hear me out......

I found a suit of armor that allows you to add a firearm to said armor (Clockwork Armor... sry i don't know how to link things...).

Clockwork Armor
Source Armor Master's Handbook pg. 28
Aura moderate transmutation CL 11th
Slot armor; Price 33,350 gp; Weight 60 lbs.
Description
This suit of +2 field plateISWG is composed of durable plates of steel layered over an intricate framework of gears, springs, and pistons that move with mechanical precision. A suit of clockwork armor requires a special winding key to function; this key is created as part of making a suit of clockwork armor.

In order to function, a suit of clockwork armor must be fully wound as a full-round action. Once fully wound, a suit of clockwork armor functions for 4 hours. If a suit of clockwork armor is not fully wound, its gears grind to a halt and it imposes double its normal armor check penalty and a –2 penalty to its wearer’s Strength and Dexterity scores. Donning or removing a suit of unwound clockwork armor requires 10 minutes.

When fully wound, a suit of clockwork armor can be donned or removed as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. It grants the wearer a +4 temporary enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution, and its weight does not count against the wearer’s total encumbrance. A single crossbow or firearm sized appropriately for the wearer can be added to the armor with a successful DC 20 Craft (armorer) check. Such a weapon can be fired once as a standard action by the wearer, then automatically reloads itself in 2d4 rounds, as long as the wearer has the appropriate ammunition in his gear.

Now talking to my DM and another player who has a good grasp of the rules say that a "Double Hackbut" count as a firearm sized appropriately for this application.

So now you have a character in power armor shooting a mounted cannon. Now what if you added "Vital Strike" to that shot? The 2d12 now becomes 4d12. 5 Lvls of gunslinger adds Dex to damage, and "Deadly Aim" adds some more.

Now i know this looks like putting all your eggs in one basket but i would be multi-classing so only the 5 lvls of Gunslinger then something else.... but what would you think would be a good something else?

A little campaign background...
*Darklands/Underdark (the DM has some Forgotten Realms stuff)
*25 point Builds
*Darkland Races allowed, So Drow, Duergar and such. Regular above ground races can be used adding the "Dark" template
*We are currently lvl 9 on the brink of 10

While i would have the cannon, its not the main weapon... Its a Hero Shot!! Main battles would be melee style stuff... sword/board, two-hander, whatever....
So what 2nd class you think would go good with a vital strike cannon build and would you use vital strike in regular combat as well? going for a big damage weapon? or sword/board with regular att actions?

My first thoughts where fighter for extra feats and Advanced weapon/armor training.... but the will saves would take a hit. Barbarian would get more HP and rage powers, but again the will hit.

Thoughts?

[VoodistMonk]

Arsenal Chaplain Warpriest... probably with a Greatsword and Gorum's Divine Swordmanship to use Vital Strike on a charge with a Greatsword. With the Arsenal Chaplain's Weapon Training, you could take Cut/Smash From the Air, too. You get good Will saves, Wisdom-based spellcasting and abilities to go with the Gunslinger's Grit, Fervor can save you in a second, bonus feats, divine casting doesn't care about robot armor... I think it's an okay place to start.

[Dwarftr]

I have looked into the Arsenal Champion Warpriest, and ya i think it has good points that i can work with. I like it thxs!!

Any other suggestions?

[zza ni]

My conga-line-man build is based on getting sneack attack whenever you vital strike with a butchring axe (so around 9d6 for both at 9th lvl before extras). along with being able to get 50% concealment from lightning stance each turn.
Thecnicly your also withdrawing each round (as move action up to your speed. Fast getaway) so you are very mobile while avoiding aoo from leaving your 1st space.( even if all you move is back and forth 5 feet)
At lvl 9 it also has 25% chance of negating any hostile effect that allow a will save (making it 50% at level 11). You have the classes mirror images to help have even more defense and flanking if needed and if you get the suggessted decoy ring from the posts later on you can end with something like 14 mirror images hance the ability to dance the conga line dance all by himself.

Just imagine it 15 powersuited men in one line doing the conga...

You can work the build with 6 slayer 2 unchained rogue and 1 gunslinger and get the rest of 4 lvls of gunslinger after if you realy want the dex for shot damage

[zza ni]

zza ni wrote:

My conga-line-man build is based on getting sneack attack whenever you vital strike with a butchering axe ...

just to make it clear, the build uses a butchering axe, but it get to sneak attack whenever it uses vital strike (or crits) no matter the weapon used (as long as it can be used with V.S.). So the Sneak is also when you V.S. with the 'cannon'.

also in the opening post I had the feats a bit mixed and it was pointed out on a later post (thought i didn't have to pick the 1st feat style of the ranger style feats before taking the 6th level one. but i had an open feat slot so was ok)

side question: you do know that the Double hackbut is usually mounted on a carriage and if you shoot it without one you take -4 to the attack roll and get knocked prone after firing it?
maybe use something with less recoil?

[Dragonchess Player]

zza ni wrote:

side question: you do know that the Double hackbut is usually mounted on a carriage and if you shoot it without one you take -4 to the attack roll and get knocked prone after firing it?

maybe use something with less recoil?

When attacking touch AC (first range increment; possibly more if you want to burn grit), the -4 penalty will often still result in a better chance of hitting.

To avoid being knocked prone, four levels of monk of the sacred mountain will prevent that from happening as long as the character "starts and ends his turn in the same space." The character only loses one from full BAB, plus picks up +1 natural armor (not an enhancement bonus to natural armor) and some unarmed combat benefits.

Note that a monk can wear armor they are proficient with, they just lose the Wis and class AC bonuses, fast movement, and flurry of blows when doing so.

[Dwarftr]

Thxs for the suggestions!!

@zza ni: i am aware that the Hackbut is usually mount on a carriage but its only 2 wheels and a base meant to be wheeled around by hand. The DM and other player and i discussed this... and as its "power armor" which give a +4 Str/Con when wound up its been determined that as long as i brace myself or kneel down when shooting i won't get knocked prone or take the penalty.

@Dragonchess Player: Interesting.... never thought of a monk in field plate (hvy armor). 4-5 lvl s in "Monk of the Sacred Mountain" actually looks decent and it gives some out of armor survivability...

[zza ni]

well if it's like that..see if you're gm will let you later on (when you get the cash to buy\craft it) mount a lightning gun on the armor for 10d12 touch attack at 120 ft.
-it's also is kinda cool! (to get the Predator's shoulder laser vibe)

(it probably won't work with Vital strike as it's not an attack action to use but a standard, but if your gm also allow that then 20d12...getting hilly in here..)

[Trokarr]

Since a medium sized double hackbut can be fired by a large sized creature without the carriage without the -4 penalty or the risk of being knocked prone then perhaps the GM might allow you to use a small sized double hackbut in the same manner. Would still have the -2 penalty for inappropriately sized weapon but Irongrip Gauntlets can eliminate this penalty.

[Trokarr]

On that note if you get enlarge person permanently cast on you as a large creature you could carry and wield a cannon as a 2 handed firearm I believe.

[Dwarftr]

...... WOW, thats a lot of gold.....

@zza ni: sounds like fun, might be something to look at in the future.

@Trokarr: To mount the gun to the armor, say has to be " A single crossbow or firearm sized appropriately for the wearer can be added to the armor with a successful DC 20 Craft (armorer) check " Im not sure if the size difference matters but...... never know.

Also, i was planning on using the cannon sparingly and mostly using melee as it can only be used once per round as a standard action. And while it does reload itself.... the reload time is 2d4 rounds when mounted to the armor. Like i said, "Hero Shot". And as i can alrdy avoid the -4 penalty seems redundant to worry about sizing

[Trokarr]

Somewhere down the road if u have a fair bit of cash to spare you might want to consider buying/crafting a small or tiny construct with the Construct Limb modification. Allows you to “wear” a construct on your arm and use its natural attacks and special abilities as your own. Pretty expensive as just the modification is 27k on top of the construct price. Acts as a heavy steel shield when worn as well. Another thing you might want to consider is replacing your limbs with Clockwork Prosthesis. Being a cyborg would fit in with your build perhaps. If this is to your liking you could consider taking levels in Constructed Pugilist Brawler archetype.

[Dwarftr]

@Trokarr: We have a construct crafter in the party so that would be easier to do, but not something i would be interested in.... As for the Clockwork Prosthesis, also not really something i was looking into. If it happens at some point where i lose limbs or something then i would think about it then. And the brawler has a crap will save which im trying not to tank it as we in the save or die lvl range.........

So far it looks like The Warpriest and Monk Archetypes are taking the lead in this build. Each with its own points that help out one way or another.

Thxs so far for all the suggestions!

@zza ni: i am def gonna keep that "Lightning Gun" idea in mind!! Warmachine had multipule weapon attachments so maybe i can convince the DM to allow more than one if i can meet whatever reqs he comes up with....

[Temperans]

So the armor only lasts 4 hours and need to be wound. So getting a clockwork servant means that you could effectively have the armor active all day with 0 input from you.

Gun Chemist will allow you to deal an extra 1d6+Int +1d6 for every odd alchemist level. Assuming 5 levels in Gunslinger and 5 in Alchemist you would have (4d12+Dex)+(4d6+Int). What makes this extra good is that Alchemist can craft constructs, like the previously mentionted clockwork servant.

*******************

Alternately, you could go with levels in kineticist and pick an energy blast. Then you can use a conductive double hackbutt to do some really silly things.

If you pick fire you can get Greater Flame Jet to fly, while Torrent infusion lets gives a 30-ft line blast of fire (can be flavored as a unibeam). If you get air, you can use Plasma blast with Magnetic infusion to get +4 to hit on your next firearm shot.

[Trokarr]

If u do chose to go kineticist I would suggest the Energize Weapon infusion which would allow you to add additional energy damage to both barrels of a double barrel firearm. You can still use the Conductive weapon enchantment with this allowing you to essentially make 2 kinetic blasts with one attack.

[Trokarr]

I think one thing to note about the Lighting Gun is that, despite the name it isn’t actually a weapon. It is a slotless wondrous item which means that feats and abilities that apply specifically to weapons will not apply to it.

[Trokarr]

If you’re looking for a strong martial class with a good will save you may want to consider Panoply Savant Occultist. The Trappings of the Warrior panoply is pretty good. It turns Occultist into a full BAB class as well as giving you an ability that is pretty much Martial Flexibility from the Brawler class and one of the powers available is essentially the Riposte portion of the Opportune Parry and Riposte Swashbuckler deed. The panoply requires the abjuration and transmutation implement schools which are both also pretty good. Abjuration gives you what amounts to a free Cloak of Resistance that scales with level and if u choose the Aegis power it is basically the Sacred Armor ability from warpriest. Transmutation gives u an enhancement bonus to the physical stat of your choice (since u will get bonuses to strength and con from your armor that just leaves dex but that will shore up the classes weak reflex save) and the Legacy Weapon power is essentially the enhancement portion of the Warpriest Sacred Weapon ability. Plenty of other good powers on both of those implements and on the other implements you can also take as well. Then there’s the spells you get that u can use to buff yourself or whatever. Seems like a pretty solid choice to me.

[Dwarftr]

@Temperans: I looked at both gun chemist and kineticist and they both offer some good stuff.... but the are both poor will save classes. So at lvl 10 i would only have a +2 will save.... and at save or die territory that is a dangerous gamble. Even if i could fit in "Iron Will" that would only bring it to +4. Even with a decent stat and items it would still be under 10.

@Trokarr: Yes, that looks pretty good. Options look really decent and flexible with this option.

Was also looking at the "Phantom Blade" Spiritualist.... also has some decent ability there and spell access.

[Temperans]

Dwarftr wrote:

@Temperans: I looked at both gun chemist and kineticist and they both offer some good stuff.... but the are both poor will save classes. So at lvl 10 i would only have a +2 will save.... and at save or die territory that is a dangerous gamble. Even if i could fit in "Iron Will" that would only bring it to +4. Even with a decent stat and items it would still be under 10.

@Trokarr: Yes, that looks pretty good. Options look really decent and flexible with this option.

Was also looking at the "Phantom Blade" Spiritualist.... also has some decent ability there and spell access.

Yeah you would have a +2 will (baring wis score and other ways to get a bonus to will saves). But you would also have +8 fort and +8 reflex. So you are trading 1 point in will for 1 point in each of fort and reflex on top of all the other abilities that you can are getting from those classes.

Btw, you can compensate having lower will by buying magic items that boost it. Like mind butressing armor enchantment (+2 cost, +2 resistance to will, immunity to all possession and mind control).

[Trokarr]

If you don’t mind a -2 penalty to Int/Wis checks and concentration checks VMC Oracle with the Shattered Psyche curse will give you +4 to all mind affecting at lvl 1 plus immunity to charm/compulsion at lvl 11 and immunity to all mind affecting at 20. If you choose half-orc as a race then Sacred Tattoo alternate racial trait plus Fate’s Favored trait will give you a +2 luck bonus to all saves. Indomitable Will as a second trait will get you another +1 to will.