Way to boost accuracy for a gunslinger?

[Mellored]

What's the best way to boost accuracy for the gunslinger?

Assuming free archetype, no ally help, and making 1 attack per round (risky reload?).

Investigator? Caster for Sure Strike?
Any items to give off guard?

[Nintendogeek01]

I have a bit of a distaste for gunslinger so I admit I don't know the ins-and-outs of the class; so if my advice fails to account for some nuance of the gunslinger I apologize in advance.

I'd say investigator archetype to pick up Investigator's Stratagem. It eats an action, but it's also not a limited daily resource so you'll know ahead of time whether to chance a shot or not.

If you're not worried about daily resources the occult spell list probably has the most amount of spells to help with accuracy; Bless, Sure Strike, Heroism, Haste for an action-economy boost.

Just don't forget to meet the Attribute prerequisites.

[Powers128]

Mellored wrote:

What's the best way to boost accuracy for the gunslinger?

Assuming free archetype, no ally help, and making 1 attack per round (risky reload?).

Investigator? Caster for Sure Strike?

In terms of simple accuracy boosting abilities, ranger dedication and hunters aim is the quickest route. If you're going for one handed guns, pistol phenomenon will get you pistol twirl for free which will free your 2nd level feat up. Other than that, sure strike is the only other practical thing you can do feat wise with archetypes.

[Mellored]

Nintendogeek01 wrote:

I have a bit of a distaste for gunslinger

you could imagine it's an fighter using a crossbow.

I imagine most of the same advice would apply.

[PossibleCabbage]

Powers128 wrote:

In terms of simple accuracy boosting abilities, ranger dedication and hunters aim is the quickest route.

If you're a Way of the Sniper gunslinger, you have this in class.

[Powers128]

PossibleCabbage wrote:

Powers128 wrote:

In terms of simple accuracy boosting abilities, ranger dedication and hunters aim is the quickest route.

If you're a Way of the Sniper gunslinger, you have this in class.

That's true. Hunter's aim can be gotten earlier and if you want a different level 6 feat though.

[shroudb]

it kinda depends on the rest of the group.

do you have someone that regularly trips/grapples the enemy? then you don;t need a lot of ways to get the enemy off-guad to them.
If you don't, then consider grabbing Pistol Twirl for the feint.

Do you have someone giving status boosts to attack, like a bard or someone regularly casting Bless? Then you have this covered, if not consider either getting Bless yourself or going for Marshal and grabbing the stance for the +attack aura.

Sniper's Aim as pointed above is your biggest circumstance bonus boost.

So, all those together, are already a 5 point shift, on a character with fighter proficiency, they should be enough.

[Mellored]

shroudb wrote:

it kinda depends on the rest of the group.

I don't really know the party composition.

But I would lean towards boosts that are less common if possible.

But...
If I went sniper with a clan pistol (1 handed, d10 fatal)
And with free archetype witch, grabbed ceremonial dagger (sure strike), and a bunch of sure strike wands, plus a few slots, that should give me a good number of sure strike spells. As well as access to heroism.

But draw, cast, shoot, reload is already 4 action. 5 with snipers aim.

Is there any Quickdraw wand option?

[Captain Morgan]

Way of the Sniper not only has Sniper's aim, but a pretty reliable way to generate flatfooted by hiding on covered reload. (Remember, cover bonuses apply to stealth checks.) That said, Amy gunslinger benefits significantly from Sniping Duo. I know you mentioned no help from allies, but allies will often hurt you without it by applying soft cover, which the dedication lets you ignore on top of giving both of you a circumstance bonus to damage. It also gets you Duo's Aim for any Way if you didn't go Sniper.

For consumables, a level appropriate quicksilver mutagen will up your item bonus by one, and scrolls of bless are cheap if you can afford trick magic item. (Though action economy wise, you'll probably only want to use those to prebuff.)

There are also various ways for inflict flatfooted for other Ways, like Create a Diversion. Demoralize is always good, obviously. There are also poisons which inflict clumsy and flatfooted, but if you don't have an alchemist in the party I can't imagine they are worth it. Even using your own reagents to generate them will lag too far behind on the DCs.

[The Raven Black]

Mellored wrote:

shroudb wrote:

it kinda depends on the rest of the group.

I don't really know the party composition.

But I would lean towards boosts that are less common if possible.

But...
If I went sniper with a clan pistol (1 handed, d10 fatal)
And with free archetype witch, grabbed ceremonial dagger (sure strike), and a bunch of sure strike wands, plus a few slots, that should give me a good number of sure strike spells. As well as access to heroism.

But draw, cast, shoot, reload is already 4 action. 5 with snipers aim.

Is there any Quickdraw wand option?

Independent Familiar ?

Note that scrolls of Sure Strike will cost far less.

Also don't forget Cat's Eye Elixir for those foes within 30 feet who rely on concealment.

[shroudb]

Mellored wrote:

shroudb wrote:

it kinda depends on the rest of the group.

I don't really know the party composition.

But I would lean towards boosts that are less common if possible.

But...
If I went sniper with a clan pistol (1 handed, d10 fatal)
And with free archetype witch, grabbed ceremonial dagger (sure strike), and a bunch of sure strike wands, plus a few slots, that should give me a good number of sure strike spells. As well as access to heroism.

But draw, cast, shoot, reload is already 4 action. 5 with snipers aim.

Is there any Quickdraw wand option?

What level are you looking for? Because to get ceremonial dagger you would need level 12. At that point, the ceremonial knife is getting you (if you're using it for sure strike) just 8gp worth of scrolls per day.

At that level, I'm not sure how important those 8gp are.

Furthermore, Charisma will be an important stat for you, either for ranged Feint, or for Create a Distraction, both of which should be common ways for you to gain off-guard against enemies.

In order to pick up Witch Archetype, you would require to start with at least 14 Int, given that you need to max out your Dex, and add in the 14 Int, it will be a significant hit to either your defences or your charisma.

---

If we're talking a functional, higher level character, I would consider an alternate route:

Familiar Master. Picking up the archetype, enhanced familiar at 4, and improved familiar at 6, would allow you to get a Crawling Hand with Independent.

From then on, any spellcasting archetype (prefferably a Cha one so you don't need to diversify your stats) either at 8 or 9 (via human multiclass) will allow access to Sure strike. This will also be a time where the cost of scrolls starts becoming insignificant/easily managed.

Crawling Hand will give you:
a)without spending an extra action you will have access to a +1 Circumstance bonus to an attack per round.
b)with spending an action it can still spend an action to give the above assist but also through Valet give you a scroll in hand to use.

If you go with Psychic as the spellcasting archetype, that will open up the possibility of grabbing Distortion lens as a cantrip to further boost your range when needed, or you can pick up something like the Guidance from the get go to use your focus point on when needed.

---
With the familiar, you can game your action economy, since now you have a +1 without spending actions, on rounds you need to reload, or spending action to command the familiar to grab you a scroll and still get the +1, on rounds you don't need to reload. On intensive combats, you can even command it to draw 2 scrolls for you, one to use on this round, and the second to be ready for the next round (after you used the 1st one) without spending additional actions on that round.

It's not the maximum attack bonus, since you will be getting +1 circumstance as opposed to +2 with sniper's aim. BUT it doesn't cost an extra action, and you can combine it with different attacking actions rather than being shoehorned to only sniper's aim.

---

Since you are talking about level 12 feats, I'd suggest starting out as a hafling. At level 13 you can hide in plain sight, and it has easy access to human ancestry feats from level 5 and onwards though his level 5 ancestral feat.

[Mellored]

So this is what I got so far.

Ancient Elf. Assuming I can take a second dedication at 2.

0 Str, -1 Con, 4 Dex, 2 Int, 3 Cha
Dealing Pistol

1: Witch Dedication, hit the dirt.
2: Sniping Duo Dedication, risky reload
4: basic spell casting (sure strike / bless scrolls), pistol twirl
6: enhanced familiar, triangulate
8: improved familiar (crawling hand), Vanguard Shot
10: patrons breath, called shot (for some variety)

And my turn will be
*possibly pre-buff with bless / heroism
*familiar gives a wand/scroll
*cast Sure strike
*pistol twirl / reload
*risky reload / strike

At level 10, 5 dex, 16 proficiency, 2 items, 1 bless, 2 off-guard.
= +26, roll twice.
Vs a normal 30 AC. That's 97.75% hit rate.
57.75% crit rate.

Any other suggestions?

[shroudb]

Mellored wrote:

So this is what I got so far.

Ancient Elf. Assuming I can take a second dedication at 2.

0 Str, -1 Con, 4 Dex, 2 Int, 3 Cha
Dealing Pistol

1: Witch Dedication, hit the dirt.
2: Sniping Duo Dedication, risky reload
4: basic spell casting (sure strike / bless scrolls), pistol twirl
6: enhanced familiar, triangulate
8: improved familiar (crawling hand), Vanguard Shot
10: patrons breath, called shot (for some variety)

And my turn will be
*possibly pre-buff with bless / heroism
*familiar gives a wand/scroll
*cast Sure strike
*pistol twirl / reload
*risky reload / strike

At level 10, 5 dex, 16 proficiency, 2 items, 1 bless, 2 off-guard.
= +26, roll twice.
Vs a normal 30 AC. That's 97.75% hit rate.
57.75% crit rate.

Any other suggestions?

keep in mind Valet doesn't work with Independent. So for Valet to work you need to be spending an action to Command. The familiar can be starting with a scroll in hand and giving it to you with Independent.

p.s. what is Vanguard shot?

p.p.s 8 Con on an elf... is risky at least. Excpect to be down (especially in earlier levels) A LOT.

[Mellored]

shroudb wrote:

p.s. what is Vanguard shot?

p.p.s 8 Con on an elf... is risky at least. Excpect to be down (especially in earlier levels) A LOT.

vantage shot, sorry. from Sniping Duo

And yeah. It's a bit of a glass cannon. That's to be expected when you put everything into max accuracy.

I could probably start off with a longer range 2-hander, since I don't use scrolls for the first few levels. As well as nimble elf.

[Mellored]

Changed my mind. I'm going fighter and a bow. Less worry about reloading.

I also like the bow crit specialization better. Though I will miss the concussive trait.

So...

Ancient Elf. Assuming I can take a second dedication at 2.

3 Str, -1 Con, 4 Dex, 2 Int, 0 Cha
Composite Longbow

1: Witch Dedication, point blank shot stance
2: Sniping Duo Dedication, basic spell casting (sure strike / bless scrolls)
4: enhanced familiar, assisting shot
6: parting shot, triangulate
8: improved familiar (crawling hand), Vantage Shot
10: patrons breath, incredible aim

And my turn will be
*possibly pre-buff with bless / heroism
*familiar gives a wand/scroll
*cast Sure strike
*Incredible Aim

At level 10, 5 dex, 16 proficiency, 2 items, 1 status, 2 circumstance.
= +26, roll twice.
Vs a normal 30 AC. That's 97.75% hit rate.
57.75% crit rate.

Probably higher accuracy in practice since allies can give off guard, and no worry about failing a Feint or missing reload.

[The Raven Black]

Mellored wrote:

Changed my mind. I'm going fighter and a bow. Less worry about reloading.

I also like the bow crit specialization better. Though I will miss the concussive trait.

So...

Ancient Elf. Assuming I can take a second dedication at 2.

3 Str, -1 Con, 4 Dex, 2 Int, 0 Cha
Composite Longbow

1: Witch Dedication, point blank shot stance
2: Sniping Duo Dedication, basic spell casting (sure strike / bless scrolls)
4: enhanced familiar, assisting shot
6: parting shot, triangulate
8: improved familiar (crawling hand), Vantage Shot
10: patrons breath, incredible aim

And my turn will be
*possibly pre-buff with bless / heroism
*familiar gives a wand/scroll
*cast Sure strike
*Incredible Aim

At level 10, 5 dex, 16 proficiency, 2 items, 1 status, 2 circumstance.
= +26, roll twice.
Vs a normal 30 AC. That's 97.75% hit rate.
57.75% crit rate.

Probably higher accuracy in practice since allies can give off guard, and no worry about failing a Feint or missing reload.

Basic Spellcasting is level 4, not level 2.

And I feel you should forget about 1-minute buffs. Think of all the damage you could be dealing / all the enemies you could be killing with these 2 actions you spend buffing on the first round.

[ElementalofCuteness]

Archer Dedication then at level 6 Parting Shot, for 2 actions you step then fire at an enemy, causing them to be off-guard to the attack giving them a -2 to their AC or otherwise you can view it as a +2 to your attack

[Mellored]

Tweaked it a bit.

Ancient Elf.

2 Str, 1 Con, 4 Dex, 2 Int, 0 Wis, 0 Cha

Composite Longbow

1: Witch Dedication, point blank shot stance
2: Sniping Duo Dedication, Assisting Shot
4: Parting Shot, Basic spell casting (sure strike / bless scrolls)
assisting shot
6: Basic Witchcraft (enhanced familiar), Triangulate
8: improved familiar (crawling hand), Vantage Shot
9: blind fighting
10: patrons breath, incredible aim
12: advanced spell casting, debilitating strike.

+2 fighter
+1 status with bless / heroism, if i can buff before battle. Using Stealth to scout.
reroll fortune with Sure strike, from familiar handing scrolls and a few slots.
possibly "+2" off-guard with Vantage Shot
+2 circumstance with Incredible Aim.

That's +7 with a reroll, semi-reliably.

Any other way to ensure I don't miss?

[ElementalofCuteness]

There is also the option of doing one of the following when possible...

Bard Dedication - Level 6 Casting Courageous Anthem for a +1 status bonus to yours and every ally in a 60ft radius centered on yourself. Which as a cantrip can be spammed every round technically. If you get a muse then pick up lingering composition for a chance of it lasting 3-4 turns, or be a Warrior Muse and pick up their feat, if you hit it lasts for 1 more turn before needing to recast it.

[Mellored]

ElementalofCuteness wrote:

There is also the option of doing one of the following when possible...

Bard Dedication - Level 6 Casting Courageous Anthem for a +1 status bonus to yours and every ally in a 60ft radius centered on yourself. Which as a cantrip can be spammed every round technically. If you get a muse then pick up lingering composition for a chance of it lasting 3-4 turns, or be a Warrior Muse and pick up their feat, if you hit it lasts for 1 more turn before needing to recast it.

I suppose that would be slightly better than bless or heroism, at least for my allies. And Acrobatic Performancer would let me succeed most of the time.

But that's 3 feats and 2 Cha. So like level 16.

But then I could get more Sure Strike slots.

[The Raven Black]

Mellored wrote:

ElementalofCuteness wrote:

There is also the option of doing one of the following when possible...

Bard Dedication - Level 6 Casting Courageous Anthem for a +1 status bonus to yours and every ally in a 60ft radius centered on yourself. Which as a cantrip can be spammed every round technically. If you get a muse then pick up lingering composition for a chance of it lasting 3-4 turns, or be a Warrior Muse and pick up their feat, if you hit it lasts for 1 more turn before needing to recast it.

I suppose that would be slightly better than bless or heroism, at least for my allies. And Acrobatic Performancer would let me succeed most of the time.

But that's 3 feats and 2 Cha. So like level 16.

But then I could get more Sure Strike slots.

Acrobatic Performer allows to use an Acrobatics check in place of a Performance check when using the Perform action.

It does not work with Lingering Composition because the latter actually requires a Performance check.