Help Me Try the Gunslinger

[tylermalan]

I'm getting ready to move in about a month, and my gaming group finished the short game that I was running. Another member of our group is going to start running Rise of the Runelords this weekend. In addition to myself, another of our players is leaving soon, so our DM invited two new players to join the group to fill the empty spots. But, since we aren't leaving yet, our group will be fairly large (seven people) until we head out, which means we have a certain amount of redundancy in the party composition.

This gives me a good opportunity to try the Gunslinger. It isn't a class that I would actually want to play for a longer, more involved campaign, but I only have 5 total sessions. So, if I don't like it, or the rest of the group think it's really stupid - it doesn't matter, since I'm leaving soon. And really, I've always wanted to know just how bad it is.

So, I was hoping I could get some insight from you guys. I don't have a lot of time to make my character, but we're starting at level 1. I'm looking for a few examples of different builds for a Gunslinger:

1) "Standard" builds - decent but not overpowered.
2) Overpowered builds - show me what the Gunslinger is capable of!
3) Weird builds - what can the Gunslinger do that's fairly odd but still works?

All you who have played around with the Gunslinger - now's your chance to enlighten the world with this amazing class! Right guys? ...right?

 

[tylermalan]

I can't decide between a musket and a pistol. I intend to take Rapid Reload unless someone heavily suggests against it, and the reload time of the musket is a real turn-off. Any advice?

 

[tylermalan]

If you take Rapid Reload AND you're using an Alchemical Cartridge, do the benefits of both stack? For example, you're using a musket, which requires a full-round action to reload. You've got Rapid Reload, which reduces that to a standard action, and are using an alcehmical cartridge, which reduces that to a move action. Yes or no?

 

[N'raac]

I'd say they both stack.

The drawback to Rapid Reload is the need to select a specific firearm, so as long as you're committed to the firearm you've selected, I'd certainly take rapid reload. If your plan is to eventually ditch the starting weapon in favour of a different one, RR isn't as solid a choice, but with limited sessions, committing to a specific firearm seems a reasonable approach.

If you are selecting a specific weapon, look to the Archetypes, as there is one focused on muskets and one on pistols.

 

[SteelDraco]

My understanding is that they stack to allow full attacks.

 

[Systole]

They stack. However, the 'limited to one specific firearm' limitation does kind of suck.

In my view, you're better off holding out on Quick Draw until 3rd level, at which point you will likely have gotten your hands on whatever is the most advanced firearm that your GM allows. For levels 1 & 2, pick up a 2H weapon and be a skirmisher. Start the fight by shooting, continue with reload and shoot as long as you're not threatened, swap to beatstick otherwise.

Alternatively, you could take Rapid Reload as a fighter bonus feat, and then swap it out by getting to fighter level 4. I don't recommended this, as fighter really has nothing that helps with firearms.

 

[tylermalan]

Thanks for the help guys. I checked out those archetypes and will definitely be taking one of them. I'll be starting at level 1 and playing for exactly 5 sessions so I don't think I'll get much above level 2 at the most.

So, now that I've sat down to make this character, I realize the gunslinger is... nothing special. I don't know what I expected, but the class is really just like any other ranged weapon-using class. They can do a couple of little things with deeds that other classes can't, I guess, and the ability to target touch AC is nice and different, but unless I'm missing something major there I just don't see anything huge with this class.

Is there any feat that extends the range increment of a ranged weapon?

 

[Systole]

Touch AC doesn't make a huge different below level 5 or so while you're fighting orcs and goblins. Once you start hitting large and huge beasties with lots and lots of natural AC, it become important. At high levels, it's stupidly unbalanced.

For example: Great Wyrm Red Dragon CR 22 AC 39, touch 0, flat-footed 39 (-2 Dex, +39 natural, -8 size)

 

[tylermalan]

Wow. Well, considering the generally lower damage that ranged attacks tend to do, is the ability to auto-hit really that overpowered?

 

[Systole]

Gun Training (Ex)

Starting at 5th level, a gunslinger can select one specific type of firearm (such as an axe musket, blunderbuss, musket, or pistol). She gains a bonus equal to her Dexterity modifier on damage rolls when firing that type of firearm. Furthermore, when she misfires with that type of firearm, the misfire value of that firearm increases by 2 instead of 4. Every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th), the gunslinger picks up another type of firearm, gaining these bonuses for those types as well.

You can make an additional ranged attack.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Point-Blank Shot.
Benefit: When making a full-attack action with a ranged weapon, you can fire one additional time this round. All of your attack rolls take a –2 penalty when using Rapid Shot.


Deadly Aim (Combat)

You can make exceptionally deadly ranged attacks by pinpointing a foe's weak spot, at the expense of making the attack less likely to succeed.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all ranged attack rolls to gain a +2 bonus on all ranged damage rolls. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.*


*In their descriptions, firearms explicitly do qualify for Deadly Aim despite the touch attack thing.



This ability and feat put gunslinger base damage right up there with from any striker class you care to name. There are bells and whistles, but those are the main ones.