Affording a Gunslinger

[torrasque666]

So I'm going to be joining a level 1 Pathfinder game soon and I was considering Gunslinger as its going to be the Iron Gods AP and Dex to Damage is nice. My problem is......

affording it. Ammo is expensive man. Even starting out as a gunslinger you barely have enough for a few shots.

So I need advice on what I should be doing when not shooting, given that I will have a pitiful amount of shots for a few levels.

[Lord Vukodlak]

So I'm going to be joining a level 1 Pathfinder game soon and I was considering Gunslinger as its going to be the Iron Gods AP and Dex to Damage is nice. My problem is......

affording it. Ammo is expensive man. Even starting out as a gunslinger you barely have enough for a few shots.

So I need advice on what I should be doing when not shooting, given that I will have a pitiful amount of shots for a few levels.
First you should pay attention to the crafting rules provided by your gunsmithing feat. You make basic ammo at 10% of the market price, so its not 11gp per shot its 1.1gp.

Second if traits are allowed consider rich parent

[ArqArturo]

First you should pay attention to the crafting rules provided by your gunsmithing feat. You make basic ammo at 10% of the market price, so its not 11gp per shot its 1.1gp.

Second if traits are allowed consider rich parents.

Or, consider your wizard friend to create some ammo for you.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Or, consider your wizard friend to create some ammo for you.
How does that help? Unless the wizard took the gunsmithing feat he's going to be vastly inferior to the gunslinger when it comes to crafting firearms and ammo

[Alent]

How does that help? Unless the wizard took the gunsmithing feat he's going to be vastly inferior to the gunslinger when it comes to crafting firearms and ammo

He can touch an ammo pouch and get rid of ammo limits for 1hr1 minute/level IIRC.

[Lord Vukodlak]

He can touch an ammo pouch and get rid of ammo limits for 1hr/level IIRC.

Abundant Ammunition would create bullets but not the powder, a lot of firearm shots can run 40gp or even 60gp. I doubt his DM is generous enough to let the spell remove one of the gunslinger's drawbacks.

[Alent]

Abundant Ammunition would create bullets but not the powder, a lot of firearm shots can run 40gp or even 60gp. I doubt his DM is generous enough to let the spell remove one of the gunslinger's drawbacks.

This is sensible, but it could also be interpreted the other way depending on how he reads bullets vs powder and shot. It depends on his DM's perception of firearms and the tech level used, I suppose.

On a comical note, if his DM allows Spell component pouch shenanigans, he could always just ask the wizard for black powder: It's the spell component for Greater Magic Siege Engine.

[squiggit]

Abundant Ammunition would create bullets but not the powder, a lot of firearm shots can run 40gp or even 60gp. I doubt his DM is generous enough to let the spell remove one of the gunslinger's drawbacks.

So.. a pouch of cartridges? Not sure what a DM being generous has to do with it, seeing how it's both the point of the spell and the drawback isn't a particularly necessary or important one to begin with.

[legionof1]

I would also raise the point that early on in a gunslingers life time the number of shots you put out per round is small. With Rapid reload and a one handed firearm you fire once a round. Two handed every other round Add in that reloading firearms provokes and firearms are initially expensive. Odds are that most fights early on will be 5 shots or less. So at worst your looking at 1.2 gp per round for alchemical cartridges 5X1.2=6g per battle average. Not a bad tradeoff for targeting touch at range. Wizards burns slots to do this gladly and with far fewer slots then one can afford shots.

[AvatarVecna]

Making your own Alchemical Cartridges cuts down on costs a bit, although not enough to ever get close to the archer in gp saved; in fairness, what you're getting in return for the extra money spent (as opposed to a bow or crossbow) is a weapon with a better crit than a longbow that attacks Touch AC at close range.

At low levels, it really sucks. Among other reasons, it's one of the reasons I prefer taking Fighter 2 before going into Gunslinger: by level 3, I have most of the feats I need to function as a basic gunslinger, and I'll have the funds necessary to maintain my combat style. The first two levels are essentially just you taking the gunslinger feats that also work for bows, and being an archer. Once level 3 kicks in, gunslinger time!

[Trinoya]

I've had moderate success as a gunslinger by taking wizard levels.

You're starting gold should be spent on items you actually need, rather than wasting it all on fire arm stuff. Get a few bullets, make sure to take the secret stash deed so you have a never ending source of ammo, and most importantly DO NOT BUY ANY NEW GUNS.

Instead make a choice at first level between gunslinger and wizard (I prefer taking gunslinger at first level myself). When you take your wizard level you will want to take the arcane bond class feature. Choose the pepper box rifle (advanced firearm, value 7,000 gp). You just got a master work version of it, for free, since the arcane bond feature states: "Wizards who select a bonded object begin play with one at no cost."

Your new gun is needed to cast your spells (which is that bad a penalty, and since spells greatly assist the gunslinger in pathfinder it's a pretty good trade off imho) but more importantly it can be upgraded. If your gun takes damage it auto repairs itself when you memorize your spells to full. If it is destroyed you can replace it for the cost of the item + 200 GP after one week via a ritual (great if you are in the middle of no where and need a weapon).

Since you can upgrade your weapon as if you had the item creation feats (as long as you meet the level requirements) your gun can become absurdly awesome pretty early. Yeah, you're gonna need a few caster levels, but again those will come in handy for making your life loads easier in so many ways that it'd be almost criminal to not take them anyway.

So there you have it. Infinite (if somewhat slow) ammo regeneration, and a master work pepper box rifle, all by level 2. :smallbiggrin:

[torrasque666]

I've had moderate success as a gunslinger by taking wizard levels.

You're starting gold should be spent on items you actually need, rather than wasting it all on fire arm stuff. Get a few bullets, make sure to take the secret stash deed so you have a never ending source of ammo, and most importantly DO NOT BUY ANY NEW GUNS.

This was probably the only part of that post I would use. I'm not someone who likes playing casters(if I do, they're spontaneous casters) due to bookwork for spells(what any of the 100s of spells do) and the preparation mechanic. And I told you I'm playing Iron Gods, so why would I limit myself to a pepperbox rifle when i can get frikken laser beams?

[grarrrg]

You're starting gold should be spent on items you actually need, rather than wasting it all on fire arm stuff. Get a few bullets, make sure to take the secret stash deed so you have a never ending source of ammo...
So there you have it. Infinite (if somewhat slow) ammo regeneration

Do take note of the first line of Secret Stash (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/secret-stash-deed-grit):

Benefit: Spend 1 grit point while in combat to recover either 1 bullet and 1 dose of black powder or 1 alchemical...



I prefer taking Fighter 2 before going into Gunslinger: by level 3, I have most of the feats I need to function as a basic gunslinger, and I'll have the funds necessary to maintain my combat style. The first two levels are essentially just you taking the gunslinger feats that also work for bows, and being an archer. Once level 3 kicks in, gunslinger time!

Remember that Gunslingers are still a Full Bab, d10HD, and are proficient with all Martial weapons.
My suggestion would be straight Gunslinger, but carry around a decent melee weapon (or bow) for the first few levels.
Basically, just pretend you're a Barbarian that doesn't have any Rage left for the day.
Then when you get some money in your pocket go full-on "dakka dakka".

[Slipperychicken]

If you want to Gunslinger and melee, I'd suggest an axe musket. Sure, the damage die is lower, but you don't need to worry about swapping or dropping weapons.

But yeah, crafting at 1.1gp per shot is pocket change if you're getting anything close to WBL. Even when you get paper cartridges, it's only 6gp per shot.

[Trinoya]

snip

Oh, don't get me wrong, I did say near infinite. Thankfully in pathfinder you can technically enter combat at any point as long as you're attacking something. Punch a rock, recover a bullet. It may not be in the 'spirit' of the rules, but the idea of limiting when you can recover something like that (when it already has to use up a limited resource) doesn't even seem in the spirit of the setting so I'd call it a wash.

[Spore]

Abundant Ammunition would create bullets but not the powder, a lot of firearm shots can run 40gp or even 60gp. I doubt his DM is generous enough to let the spell remove one of the gunslinger's drawbacks.

This isn't a drawback for players tbh. It's just a way to stop guns from showing up EVERYWHERE on NPCs because they're so damn effective. By 2nd-3rd a PC stops caring about ammo costs. A more cynical poster would say that Paizo likes to screw with newer players. :D

For your actual question I have to say: Ask your DM what HE deems worthy of benefitting you grit points. Because those shots that you have should hit and be awesome. The rest of the fight is showing off being bad-ass enough to get your grit back.