Munitions Crafter and Munitions Machinist after Player Core 2

[Fierce-Maeve]

Do the Munitions Crafter and Munitions Machinist feats change after Player Core 2, or do we keep using the rules as written even though they don't match the changes in Player Core 2?

[Fierce-Maeve]

Fierce-Maeve wrote:

Do the Munitions Crafter and Munitions Machinist feats change after Player Core 2, or do we keep using the rules as written even though they don't match the changes in Player Core 2?

My interpretation is that you still gain the Advanced Alchemy feature with Munitions Crafter as described on p. 58 of the PC2. However, the Munitions Crafter applies some restrictions: the alchemical items you craft must be ammunition or bombs. And alchemical items can be used to create 10 rounds of level-0 ammunition with the infused trait. However, both of these require some assumption since they were previously only applied to reagents, which are no longer a thing.

This also makes Munitions Machinist obsolete, until a new rule alters that feat to be similar to the Alchemist Dedication feat Voluminous Vials, or the Herbalist feat of Advanced Herbalism.

It is essentially a rather big buff to Munitions Crafter.

[Sniperfox47]

I'm not so sure about the big buff part... Surprised this wasn't addressed in the recent Errata.

As worded RAW, the feat works with "Infused Reagents" so it either either:
A) No longer does anything (grants an ability that no longer exists).
B) Continues to work with the legacy feature as is. Nothing changes.

B is likely how I will play it with my gunslinger in my existing game.

Not RAW, but I expect that the intention would be the following, and hopefully we'll see an errata or clarification for this:
C) It gets the same overhaul as the Alchemist, Herbalist, and Poisoner dedication. The current restrictions and limits get replaced with Advanced Alchemy benefits. I.e.:
- you now get 4 crafts (vs your level in infused reagents)
- those crafts now craft 1 item instead of 2 (4 total vs your level*2)
- you no longer have a restriction on advanced alchemy level since that no longer exists.
- Still restricted to bombs and alchemical ammo
- batch fusing level-0 ammo should still give a batch of 10, since that's outside the normal dedication stuff.
- Munitions Machinist gets changed to "You can create up to 6 munitions items per day with advanced alchemy. Special: At 10th level or higher, you can select this feat a second time to increase the number to 8."

If I was running it with a new gunslinger I would run it with C, and I expect that to be how it works in society when the new playguide drops... but I could be wrong.

Big buff at level 1 (craft 4 items instead of 2), but overall nerf past level 2, less items overall (max 8 instead of 40) plus higher feat investment to get those more limited items (3 instead of 1). Less feat investment if you just want to craft a couple pieces of high powered alchemical ammo so it's better if you want a small splash of alchemy. It's a mixed bag.

[Fierce-Maeve]

I agree with your interpretation and your option C as the most likely outcome.

I guess it is a buff (particularly with the Hobgoblin Ancestry Feat of Alchemical Scholar), where you could more easily craft higher level ammunition and bombs with your daily crafting.

However, it makes it more difficult to use things like Alchemical Shot frequently. Instead of using daily crafted bombs for this feat, I will just buy a bunch of level 1 bombs of various damage types.

[Tridus]

Right now you should use it with the legacy Alchemist rules, as the feat mentions Infused Reagents which don't exist anymore.

The whole feat chain needs revising to work with the new Alchemist stuff, as the quantities would get nerfed massively and Munitions Machinist isn't really necessary anymore. With the greatly reduced quantity, the whole thing gets you significantly less value.

We'll probably see this updated when Guns & Gears gets its remaster update, since we know that's coming.

Fierce-Maeve wrote:

It is essentially a rather big buff to Munitions Crafter.

Not really. You get WAY less out of it, and with Precious Munitions costing 1 use per 1 bullet, spending much on those means you've got very little to work with in general vs the wide variety the old method gets you by time you're at that level.