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Calemyr
2015-07-09, 01:13 PM
I'm working on a new character for a local game (my last guy died - who knew heroic sacrifices were fatal?).

The concept I have is basically "Pathfinder Megaman". It breaks down like this:

Race: Warforged (using converted rules (http://pf-eberron.wikidot.com/races:warforged) for the race)
Class 1: Alchemist (using a homebrewed archetype to resemble an artificer more than an alchemist).
Class 2: Gunslinger (using the Gun Tank archetype).

Story: Ancient and decrepit relic from a lost civilization, it was recently dug up and reactivated. With no surviving ties or agenda, its only real motivation is repairing itself and subjecting its continuous improvised repairs and upgrades to rigorous testing (i.e. adventuring). A functional "robot" in a low-tech setting, it is often referred to as "Rusty" due to its very time-worn initial plating.

Concept:
* Re-fluff Bomb ability into a "Plasma Buster" ability. Same damage, same stats, but an energy projectile fired from an arm weapon rather than a thrown projectile and defaulting to electrical damage rather than fire. Bomb discoveries can be used to modify the nature of the blasts. Ammunition capacity and damage increase due to initially poor power supply and sub-optimized design.

* Refluff "Strafe Bomb" discovery as a penetrating beam weapon, dealing full damage to the first target it hits and splash damage to anything behind the target.

* Refluff "Explosive Bomb" discovery as a high yield blast, dealing fire damage. Combined with Strafe Bomb, it creates a wide beam that is 15' in diameter (though still only does full damage to one target).

* Re-fluff "Advanced Construction" feat to "Modular Construction": it begins play in heavily corroded (non-masterwork) medium plating, but can build and replace this plating as superior resources and facilities become available.

* Integrated firearm weapon that can, like his armor, be modified and upgraded as circumstances allow. Eventually upgraded to an energy-based weapon (no reload, effectively infinite ammo) at some point. Integrated weapon is a trait, initially paid for through the gunslinger's free weapon.

Anyway, that's what I've got. I'm curious to see what the experts might have to say on the idea. Is it interesting? Even vaguely legit? Any advice on how to make this character more interesting and/or effective? I'm satisfied with the concept as it is but, like Rusty itself, I'm always interested in ways to improve it.

Thealtruistorc
2015-07-09, 02:01 PM
No need to do all of the refluffing. Check out the Daevic or Vizier class from Akashic Mysteries (Still in playtest at this point). One of the veils that it gains is an arm cannon that can be amplified with various effects. Throw in some of the utilities and you have a fairly competent super fighting robot.

Calemyr
2015-07-09, 03:43 PM
No need to do all of the refluffing. Check out the Daevic or Vizier class from Akashic Mysteries (Still in playtest at this point). One of the veils that it gains is an arm cannon that can be amplified with various effects. Throw in some of the utilities and you have a fairly competent super fighting robot.

I couldn't find any good information on the Daevic (outside of being a gish application of the Akashic discipline and can't use Riven Darts), but I don't see how the Vizier requires less fluffing. Assuming you're talking about Riven Darts, it looks like you trade limited ammunition with high damage for unlimited ammunition with lower damage, no range increments, less versatility, and worse accuracy (1/2 BAB rather than 3/4). More on the fly versatility with other veils, I suppose, providing numerous enduring passive benefits as opposed to short burst benefits via extracts. Still, it doesn't really strike me as superior, just a different order of priorities being satisfied.

By the way, am I reading Riven Darts correctly? Once you reach level 18 (so you can put 4 essence into the veil), you can 4 darts in one standard action, dealing 4d4 damage at targets within a range of 20 feet, with no limit to the number of castings per day? An unlimited source of 64 potential damage per round is pretty cool, mind you, but for an ability you need to reach level 18 to use, that doesn't sound all that impressive, given its limited range and accuracy.

Ilorin Lorati
2015-07-09, 04:03 PM
Assuming you're talking about Riven Darts, it looks like you trade limited ammunition with high damage for unlimited ammunition with lower damage, no range increments, less versatility, and worse accuracy (1/2 BAB rather than 3/4).

No, he means Hand Cannons - which is literally a veil intended to evoke Megaman. There's also a Megaman-styled archetype for the Psionic class Marksman that's in testing using that veil called the "Adaptive Gunner".

You can see the veil and the archetype both in the Supplemental rules in the book's playtest thread, here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?409134-Dreamscarred-Press-Presents-Akashic-Mysteries-Thread-2).

Calemyr
2015-07-09, 08:40 PM
No, he means Hand Cannons - which is literally a veil intended to evoke Megaman. There's also a Megaman-styled archetype for the Psionic class Marksman that's in testing using that veil called the "Adaptive Gunner".

You can see the veil and the archetype both in the Supplemental rules in the book's playtest thread, here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?409134-Dreamscarred-Press-Presents-Akashic-Mysteries-Thread-2).

Ah. "Hand Cannon" is a wrist slot veil. My bad. Okay, it's pretty interesting. One question comes to mind, though: Hand Cannon says you can use your caster level as base attack bonus, but how does that work with multiclass? If I'm a level 10 Vizier, do I have to gain six levels of fighter to have a +11 BAB when using the Hand Cannon, or just one?

Extra Anchovies
2015-07-09, 09:05 PM
Ah. "Hand Cannon" is a wrist slot veil. My bad. Okay, it's pretty interesting. One question comes to mind, though: Hand Cannon says you can use your caster level as base attack bonus, but how does that work with multiclass? If I'm a level 10 Vizier, do I have to gain six levels of fighter to have a +11 BAB when using the Hand Cannon, or just one?

You don't use your caster level, you use your veilweaver level. Important distinction.

However, your question about multiclassing is something that needs to be cleared up. I'll post about it in the Akashic Mysteries playtest thread.

Milo v3
2015-07-10, 01:43 AM
Android marksmen with adaptive gunner archetype?

Psyren
2015-07-10, 01:51 AM
Ah. "Hand Cannon" is a wrist slot veil. My bad. Okay, it's pretty interesting. One question comes to mind, though: Hand Cannon says you can use your caster level as base attack bonus, but how does that work with multiclass? If I'm a level 10 Vizier, do I have to gain six levels of fighter to have a +11 BAB when using the Hand Cannon, or just one?

Just one. Paizo handled this already (http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9naz) with the monk's variable BAB due to flurry, and the same ruling would apply here (because this is another case where the class has a standard value X for BAB, and then a class feature that lets their BAB count as Y while using it.)

Calemyr
2015-07-10, 03:26 AM
Just one. Paizo handled this already (http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9naz) with the monk's variable BAB due to flurry, and the same ruling would apply here (because this is another case where the class has a standard value X for BAB, and then a class feature that lets their BAB count as Y while using it.)

Kickass. You see, the campaign inn question has a rather interesting aspect to it: it's a dual timeline story. We're simultaneously playing our characters as level 2 rookies and level 21 badasses, with time shenanigans rewriting the future when events in the past don't go the way they were "supposed" to. Rather than get into the screwy side of epic levels, however, we're just raising the max level without altering the class rules or adding epic feats. So a character is by necessity a dual-class character in the future timeline. The Vizier fits my initial 'artificer' concept for the character well, but multiclassing would have really hurt if the bonus wasn't class-contribution specific.

Taveena
2015-07-10, 12:54 PM
If I recall correctly, there was going to be an archetype for... I want to say Marksman, which was focused heavily on the Arm Cannon veil.

Though in 3.PF, another way to do it is to ask your DM if you're allowed to enhance the Warforged Armbow. Equip that, enhance them with Force, and you've got energy blasts. BOOM BOOM BOOM.

(And throw on Splitting there when you can.)