How do I do this?

[JonMonster]

I'm trying to put together a different sort of character for my next campaign. I have this vision of a gnomish tinker-type character. He's a blundberbuss wielding alchemist. So you've got your typical gnome tinker running around in a leather smock with aviation goggles and fingers black from the gunpowder. He's always futzing about with his chemicals trying to perfect his gunpowder mixture and concocting odd oils that he uses to buff up his blunderbuss.

So I'm thinking I want to start by taking a single level of Fighter for the Exotic Weapon proficiency and a ranged feat. Then proceed as normal as a Wizard specializing in Divination for that True Strike goodness with Transmutation as the prohibited school.

Is there a better way to go about this?

(I'm limited to using the SRD.)

[edit to add: Would I be better off making this guy a Cleric of the Gnomish God of Gunpowder and taking the War domain?]

 

[Hedgemage]

I think dipping into fighter for 1 level would be a good idea for this character concept. If you didn't mind losing one more level of spellcasting, you could head for the Eldritch Knight prestige class.

You could have a lot of fun with Craft Wand to make yourself different "sidearms". The 'Creation' group of spells are also fun with a character who has good crafting ability since your firearms could easily be created out of thin air with them.

 

[Darklone]

Don't forget oil and alchemists fire goodness. TWF throwing is always nice.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I plan to play something like this one day, too.

It would probably be a rogue/fighter with some wizard thrown in.

My idea for the gunne would be to use a variation of the Ancestral Daisho ability/soulforge item: You could improve the weapon - giving it a better attack bonus, adding elemental damage, and all that - by adding the usual magic weapon enhancements on it, but would let it all be technical instead of magical in origin, and involve some tinkering with the thing (with the same expenditure of time and money, though).

 

[SadisticFishing]

But Transmutation has such fun spells! Like... Cat's Grace, or Tenser's Transformation!

 

[jasin]

I have this vision of a gnomish tinker-type character. He's a blundberbuss wielding alchemist.

[...]

Then proceed as normal as a Wizard specializing in Divination for that True Strike goodness with Transmutation as the prohibited school.

An alchemist with transmutation as the prohibited school?

Is there a better way to go about this?

(I'm limited to using the SRD.)

That's too bad, since the artificer from Eberron sounds perfect for this.

With the SRD, I'd go eldritch knight or arcane trickster, depending on how exactly you envision the character. If you're using the favoured class rules, probably arcane trickster, since with eldritch knight you cannot easily avoid the XP penalty for multiclassing.

I probably wouldn't specialize, since you just lose too much, but if I did, it'd be in transmutation, with barred schools probably being illusion and enchantment.