Gunslinger

Gunslinger
(Image By Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruwwe – http://hideyoshi.deviantart.com/)
Since the first primitive pistol was developed, there have been soldiers of fortune focused on pistol fighting.  The tradition grew with the technology, creating a special breed of gun-wielding freelancers who shoot first and ask questions later.  Often wandering guns-for-hire, bodyguards in fringe areas, professional duelists, or even assassins, these fighters know everything there is to know about pistols of all descriptions.  They can draw faster, shoot faster, and aim more accurately with their weapons of choice than any other category of warrior.  Some use their prowess to defend the weak and battle injustice, while others use their skill to gain fast and easy credits.  Regardless of motivation, gunslingers seek to use their focused combat techniques to gain greater fame, and wield that fame as a weapon against less well-known foes.

REQUIREMENTS

To qualify to become a gunslinger, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

  • Minimum Level: 7th
  • Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Weapon Proficiency (pistols)

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Gunslingers have the following game statistics.

HIT POINTS

At each level, gunslingers gain 1d8 hit points + their Constitution modifier.

HERO POINTS

Gunslingers gain a number of Hero Points equal to 6 + one-half their character level, rounded down, every time they gain a new level in this class.

LEVEL BASE ATTACK BONUS CLASS FEATURES
1st +1 Defense bonuses, talent
2nd +2 Trusty sidearm +1
3rd +3 Talent
4th +4 Trusty sidearm +2
5th +5 Talent
6th +6 Trusty sidearm +3
7th +7 Talent
8th +8 Trusty sidearm +4
9th +9 Talent
10th +10 Trusty sidearm +5

CLASS FEATURES

The following are features of the gunslinger prestige class.

DEFENSE BONUSES

At 1st level, you gain a +4 class bonus to your Reflex Defense and a +2 class bonus to your Will Defense.

TALENTS

At every odd-numbered level (1st, 3rd, 5th, and so on), you select a talent.  The talent can be selected from the Awareness talent tree (Scout Base Class), Fortune talent tree (Scoundrel Base Class), Sniper talent tree (Soldier Base Class), or from the Carbineer, Gunslinger, Pistoleer, or Sharpshooter talent trees, below.  You must meet the prerequisites (if any) of the chosen talent. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated.

CARBINEER TALENT TREE

While pistols offer great versatility and mobility, their range is a significant limiting factor. Thus, many gunslingers choose to specialize in long arms, especially submachine guns and carbines.

  • Blowback: When you make an attack with a rifle that deals damage in excess of your targets damage threshold, you can choose to push the target 1 square away from you.
  • Close Contact: The point-blank range of any rifle, carbine, or submachine gun you use is increased by 5 squares.  Short range for the weapon begins 5 squares later, but still ends at the same distance.  You can take this talent up to two times: each time you take this talent, you increase the point-blank range of any rifle, carbine, or submachine gun you use by an additional 5 squares, up to a maximum of 10 squares.
  • Multiattack Proficiency (rifles): Whenever you make multiple attacks with any type of rifle as a full attack action, you reduce the penalty of your attack rolls by 2.  You can take this talent multiple times; each time you take this talent, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by an additional 2.
  • Old Faithful: The trusty sidearm class feature of the gunslinger prestige class also applies to any rifle, carbine, or submachine gun that you use.
  • Opportunity Fire: You gain a +2 bonus on attacks of opportunity made with rifles.
  • Rifle Master: You treat all rifles as though they were accurate weapons, taking no penalty when firing at targets at short range.
  • Shoot from the Hip: You can always use a rifle to make attacks of opportunity.
  • Snap Shot: You do not provoke attacks of opportunity while using the aim action with a rifle, carbine, or submachine gun with its stock extended.

GUNSLINGER TALENT TREE

You never travel anywhere without a gun (or two or three), and you know how to handle yourself in a gunfight.  The following talents may only be used with pistols and rifles.

  • Blind Shot: You ignore the penalties on your ranged attack rolls when a target has concealment or total concealment.
  • Damaging Disarm: If you successfully disarm an opponent using a ranged attack, the target also takes half damage from the attack.
    • Prerequisite: Ranged Disarm.
  • Debilitating Shot: If you aim before making a ranged attack, you move the target character -1 step along the condition track if the attack deals damage.
  • Deceptive Shot: Select one target in line of sight within 6 squares.  You can spend two swift actions on the same turn to make a Deception check; if the check result equals or exceeds the target’s Will Defense, the target is denied its Dexterity bonus to Reflex Defense against your attacks until the beginning of your next turn.
  • Improved Quick Draw: If you are carrying a pistol (either in your hand or in a holster), you may draw the pistol and make a single attack during a surprise round even if you are surprised.  If you are not surprised, you may take any single action of your choice, as normal.
  • Keep Them Honest: When using the aid another action to suppress an enemy (see page 151 SECR), the enemy instead takes a -5 penalty to all attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
    • Prerequisite: Careful Shot feat.
  • Knockdown Shot: If you aim before making a ranged attack and the attack hits, you knock the target prone in addition to dealing damage.  You can’t use this talent to knock down targets two or more size categories bigger than you.
  • Lingering Debilitation: Once per encounter, when you successfully use Debilitating Shot to move a target character -1 step on the condition track, the target suffers a persistent condition requiring 4 hours of rest or a DC 25 Treat Injury check to remove.
    • Prerequisite: Debilitating Shot.
  • Mobile Attack (pistols): Immediately after making a full attack where you attack with two pistols, you may move up to your speed as a free action.
    • Prerequisites: Multiattack Proficiency (pistols), Dual Weapon Mastery I, Weapon Focus (pistols).
  • Multiattack Proficiency (pistols): Whenever you make multiple attacks with any type of pistol as a full attack action, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by 2.  You can take this talent multiple times; each time you take this talent, you reduce the penalty on your attack rolls by an additional 2.
  • Pistol Duelist: You are a master of the elegant, if archaic, custom of dueling with pistols.  You can use each of the following actions once per encounter as a standard action:
      • End Game: You can make a single ranged attack with a pistol against an opponent within range.  The opponent’s damage threshold is halved (round down) for the purposes of this attack.
      • Snap Aiming: You make a single ranged attack with the benefits of aiming.
      • Stand Steady: You gain a +4 bonus to your Reflex Defense until the end of your next turn and make a single ranged attack.
  • Ranged Disarm: You can disarm an opponent using a ranged attack.  If your ranged disarm attack fails, your opponent doesn’t get to make a free attack against you (see Disarm in the Combat Rules).
  • Ranged Flank: If you are within 6 squares of a target and are armed with a pistol or a rifle, you can act as a though you occupied the nearest square adjacent to the target for the purposes of determining whether or not you or any allies are flanking that target.  You may only be considered to be flanking a single target at range at a time.  You must spend a swift action on your turn to designate the target you flank at range.
  • Retreating Fire: When moving away from a pursuing target, if you either run or use two move actions during this turn, you can make a single ranged attack with a -5 penalty as part of your move action.  You can spend a Hero Point to avoid the penalty.
  • Slowing Shot: If you successfully use Debilitating Shot, until the target moves to a normal state on the condition track or until the end of the encounter, the target’s speed is reduced by 2 squares, and it loses its Dexterity bonus to its Reflex Defense and is considered flat-footed.  These effects occur in addition to the effect of a Debilitating Shot.  If you spend a Hero Point, the target’s speed is reduced by 4 squares or half its normal speed, whichever is the greater reduction.
    • Prerequisite: Debilitating Shot.
  • Swift Shot: Once per encounter, you can make a single ranged attack with a handheld weapon as a swift action instead of a standard action.  However, you cannot use your remaining actions for an attack.
  • Trigger Work: You take no penalty on your attack roll when using the Rapid Shot feat.

PISTOLEER TALENT TREE

You are a master of wielding two pistols at the same time, and can use both pistols simultaneously in unusual ways.

  • Dash and Blast: Once per encounter as a full-round action, when you are wielding two pistols, you may move up to twice your speed and make a ranged attack with each pistol.  The normal penalties for attacking with two weapons apply to these attacks.
    • Prerequisites: Dual Weapon Mastery I, Running Attack.
  • Flanking Fire: Whenever you are flanked by two (or more) opponents and are wielding two pistols, you can make a full attack action as a standard action instead of a full-round action.  This is provided that you target only opponents that flank you and attack at least two targets.
    • Prerequisite: Dual Weapon Mastery I.
  • Guaranteed Shot: If you are wielding two pistols and make a single ranged attack with one of those pistols as a standard action, even if you miss you deal damage equal to half your heroic level to the target.  This consumes a single shot from the weapon not making the attack, and the weapon you attack with uses as many shots as required by the attack.
    • Prerequisite: Dual Weapon Mastery I.
  • Hailfire: When you are wielding two pistols, as a standard action you can make an autofire attack with one of the pistols as though the weapon were set to autofire, even if the pistol would not normally be capable of autofire.  The normal penalties for autofire still apply to this attack roll, and you may split the number of shots consumed between the two pistols, effectively allowing use of this talent with pistols that have an ammo capacity of less than 10.
    • Prerequisite: Dual Weapon Mastery I.
  • Twin Shot: When you are wielding two pistols, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls when using the Rapid Shot feat.
    • Prerequisite: Dual Weapon Mastery I, Rapid Shot.

SHARPSHOOTER TALENT TREE

You are an expert at long-range combat, using the inherent range advantage of a rifle to win the day.

  • Bullseye: Once per encounter, you can designate a single target that you have aimed at and that is not within point-blank range. When making a ranged attack roll against that target, the target is denied its Dexterity bonus to Reflex Defense when determining the effect of your attack.
    • Prerequisites: Draw a Bead, Precision Shot, Sniper feat.
  • Draw a Bead: Once per round, you can spend a single swift action to designate a single enemy who is not within point-blank range. When you make a successful ranged attack roll that deals damage against the designated enemy, add your Dexterity bonus (minimum +1) to the damage roll. This effect lasts until the target is unconscious, dead, or leaves your line of sight. You can have only one enemy designated in this manner.
    • Prerequisites: Precision Shot, base attack bonus +10.
  • Pinning Shot: You can keep your target worrying about where the next shot is coming from instead of trying to flee. When you deal damage to an enemy that you have aimed at, the target’s speed is reduced to 2 squares, and the target cannot take either a double move action or use the run action until the end of your next turn. This is a stunning effect.
    • Prerequisite: Precision Shot.
  • Harrying Shot: When you make a successful ranged attack against an enemy that you have aimed at and the attack deals damage, the target cannot use a standard action to make an attack roll on his or her next turn. This counts as a stunning effect.
    • Prerequisites: Pinning Shot, Precision Shot.
  • Precision Shot: When using the aim action, you gain the benefit of the Point Blank Shot feat against your target, regardless of range category.
    • Prerequisite: Far Shot feat.

TRUSTY SIDEARM

Starting at 2nd level, you gain a bonus on damage rolls equal to one-half your class level (rounded down) when wielding a pistol.  This damage is in addition to the character’s usual level bonus to damage. This damage is doubled on a successful critical, as normal.