Playing a gunslinger

[DarkEternal]

Hello

A friend decided to DM a campaign which gives me some time off from that duty. Knowing this friend, this probably won't be longterm and I expect that it will be zany and fun. In any case, I decided to try something non caster like and fairly simple and I had my on this class for some time.

Thinking of making a badarse, I was instantly drawn to the mysterious stranger archetype. Played the first session, thought I would specialise with a pistol kind of weapon and move on to a pepper box(six bullets) when I get the chance. The campaign where we're playing in is extremely low magic, so magic items are a rarity. The more I look at the archetype, the more I think I made a mistake choosing it and it seems underwhelming compared to the others. We play a fusion of pathfinder classes with 3.5 play system.

Mysterious strangers get charisma to power up their abilities instead of wisdom like other gunslingers which is great, one of their abilities basically gives you the ability to add charisma to weapon damage, also good. But with the misfire of guns and no reliable way to do it quickly with a mysterious stranger in a low magic kind of game, seems like I screwed myself, not to mention they miss out on gun training. Pistolero on the other hand seems pretty damn awesome.

Considering that mysterious strangers get charisma for their abiities, one would think it would also open some good charisma based skills as class skills. Nope. So basically you have to spend your already limited skill points to get stuff at half the speed as anyone else.

Did I oversee something or are mysterious strangers just underwhelming?

I was thinking of going a double wield pistol build, which seems very hard to pull off and honestly, it's too much effort with not enough payoff so I think I'm gonna stick with one gun.

My build so far involves taking rapid reload and point blank shot on level 1, rapid shot on level 3, deadly aim on level 4(extra feat) and maybe hammer the gap on level 6 and Precise shot maybe on level 8 or something like that. Didn't really think much past that(will take signature deed on level 11 of course). If I went into two weapon fighting, this would all change, but like said, I don't really see the point with all the hassle involved, not to mention that being a gunslinger is expensive, wielding two guns as a mysterious stranger that fire off many times seems like even more of a hassle.

Any thoughts?

[Anlashok]

not to mention they miss out on gun training.
Just a correction: You miss out on Gun training 1. You still get a chance to pick it up at 9, 13 and 17.



Considering that mysterious strangers get charisma for their abiities, one would think it would also open some good charisma based skills as class skills. Nope. So basically you have to spend your already limited skill points to get stuff at half the speed as anyone else.
Trait to pick up diplomacy as a class skill? UMD too if you want.


But with the misfire of guns and no reliable way to do it
You do get to ignore Cha mod misfires per day at least. Which is nice.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Hello
Considering that mysterious strangers get charisma for their abilities, one would think it would also open some good charisma based skills as class skills. Nope. So basically you have to spend your already limited skill points to get stuff at half the speed as anyone else.
Gunslingers have Bluff, Handle Animal and Intimidate as class skills, if the DM allows traits you could use one of them to pick up diplomacy and or use magic device as a class skills.

Which skill set do you use, in pathfinder its five skill points for five ranks in a skill doesn't matter if its a class skill or not. Class skills simply get a +3 bonus if you have a rank in them.


not to mention that being a gunslinger is expensive, Remember you craft ammunition at 10% the listed price due to your gunsmithing feat.


I was thinking of going a double wield pistol build, which seems very hard to pull off and honestly, it's too much effort with not enough payoff so I think I'm gonna stick with one gun.
Doesn't work because rotating the barrels on a pepper box requires a freehand, and obviously reloading any firearm requires two hands. Only advanced firearms can pull of dual wielding.
Keep in mind that with rapid-reload and alchemical cartridges you can reload a basic pistol as a free action.


But with the misfire of guns and no reliable way to do it quickly with a mysterious stranger in a low magic kind of game, seems like I screwed myself, not to mention they miss out on gun training. Pistolero on the other hand seems pretty damn awesome.
You miss out on gun training 1, you'll still get gun training II, III etc. Would Pistolero have been better?... yeah probably.

[grarrrg]

Mysterious Stranger works fine, the CHA-Skills problem seems to be because you are still using 3.5 Skill set-up.
You also seem to be using 3.5's Feat progression as well.


Doesn't work because rotating the barrels on a pepper box requires a freehand, and obviously reloading any firearm requires two hands. Only advanced firearms can pull of dual wielding.

Could always just grow another arm by way of Alchemist.
Or make a Gundolon.

[DarkEternal]

We use the 3.5 skill system in general. All in all, I like the class, just think the archetype I chose is somewhat underwhelming, as is the fact that most of the gunslingers using pistols on art are depicted dual wielding, but to do it feasibly you have to jump through hoops or pull off that crap with a third hand or something.

[Vhaidara]

Well, actually, the way you do TWF with guns is Quick Draw and lots of guns. Which, when you think about it, is pretty true to type when using older guns (even up to Revolvers). It only gets properly viable when you get to truly modern firearms with 10+ rounds in a clip.

One thing you could do (I've done this on a character) is ask you GM if you can give up Stranger's Fortune and Clipping Shot to take both Pistolero and Mysterious Stranger, since I feel they are a very good thematic combo.

[DarkEternal]

Cool. Now I have to work on an extensive list of groan worthy one liners to use in combat.

[Spore]

Cool. Now I have to work on an extensive list of groan worthy one liners to use in combat.

You have to make them good enough to gain grit for them!