Wufflykins
2016-03-24, 08:22 PM
MASSIVE OVERHAUL AS OF 17/8/2016
Not satisfied with Matt Mercer's well thought out Gunslinger Archetype I set out looking for a quality homebrew solution for a gunslinger class.
Still a work in progress but I need the unbiased eye of you fine folks to help me fine tune it for wider use. This will be an ongoing project to produce a seamless and quality Gunslinger class that any DM should feel comfortable allowing at the table; I feel that it is close to being balanced but not there yet, but before I focus on fine tuning balance I want to instead ensure the flavour is there and that the mechanics fit in with the principles of 5E (simplicity and flavour first). I need your help with that.
The beginnings of a PDF copy with art and two of the four prospective archetypes:
Be a Better Gunslinger! (http://docdro.id/dZbphVr)
I present to you:
THE GUNSLINGER
GUNSLINGER CLASS FEATURES
As a gunslinger, you gain the following class features.
HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Gunslinger level.
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per gunslinger level after 1st.
PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor, Medium armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Rapiers, Scimitars (and Sabre), Firearms
Tools: Tinker's Tools
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Persuasion, Intimidate, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth and Survival.
EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
A Pistol, Musket or Rapier
Any Simple Weapon, Pistol or Coat Pistol.
Leather or Scale Armor
An explorer’s pack, an ammo bandolier, a holster, 50 bullets, and Tinker's Tools.
Any firearms you begin play with have the Battered condition.
THE GUNSLINGER
Level Proficiency Features
1 +2 Fighting Style, Utility Shot
2 +2 Grit, Quick Draw
3 +2 Gunslinger Archetype
4 +2 Ability Score Increase
5 +3 Gunplay, Charmed Life
6 +3 Targeting
7 +3 Gunslinger Archetype
8 +3 Ability Score Increase
9 +4 Evasive
10 +4 Gunslinger Archetype
11 +4 Extra Attack
12 +4 Ability Score Increase
13 +5 Thrillin' Heroics
14 +5 Ability Score Increase
15 +5 Gunslinger Archetype
16 +5 Ability Score Increase
17 +6 Cheat Death
18 +6 Gunslinger Archetype
19 +6 Ability Score Increase
20 +6 True Grit
FIGHTING STYLE
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty, Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. Fighting Styles from other classes that affect ranged weapons do not apply to firearms.
Marksman. You gain a +2 bonus to ranged attack rolls you make with firearms.
Gunfighter. You are trained in making firearm attacks at close quarters. When you are wielding a firearm and make a ranged attack you have the following benefits: While you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you. Finally, you have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on all ranged attacks.
Desperado. When you take the attack action and attack with a one handed firearm, you can use a bonus action to attack with a loaded one handed firearm that you're holding. You can add your ability modifier to the damage of the off-hand attack and may draw, stow or reload two one handed firearms when you would normally be able to draw, stow or reload one.
Avante Garde. When you take the attack action and attack at least once with a one handed weapon or bayonet, you can use a bonus action to attack with a firearm that you're holding. You can add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack and may draw or stow two weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow one. While you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature and holding a melee weapon, you do not have disadvantage on ranged attack rolls.
UTILITY SHOT
Starting at 1st level, you can take a shot with a firearm that creates a dramatic effect, rather than causing damage. This can blast open a lock, scoot an unattended object of 10 pounds or less, sever a rope or chain or any other suitably dramatic effect that the DM approves. If the DM calls for a roll when using the utility shot, you may choose to spend a grit point to roll with advantage once you acquire the Grit feature.
GRIT
A gunslinger makes her mark upon the world with daring deeds. Some gunslingers claim they belong to a mystical way of the gun, but it’s more likely that the volatile nature of firearms simply prunes the unlucky and careless from their ranks. Whatever the reason, all gunslingers have grit.
In game terms, grit is a fluctuating measure of your ability to perform amazing actions in combat. At the start of each day, a you gain a number of grit points equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. Your grit goes up or down throughout the day, but usually cannot go higher than 1 + your Charisma modifier, though some feats and magic items may affect this maximum. A gunslinger spends grit to accomplish deeds (see below), and regains grit in the following ways.
Critical Hit. Each time you score a critical hit with a firearm or one-handed melee weapon attacks while in the heat of combat, you regain 1 grit point. Critical hits gained outside of die rolls (via enemy conditions) do not generate grit.
Killing Blow. When you reduce a dangerous creature (adjudicated by the DM) to 0 or fewer hit points with a weapon attack while in the heat of combat, you regain 1 grit point.
When you spend a grit point, it is unavailable until you finish a short rest or long rest.
You can spend these points to fuel various grit features. You start knowing three such features: Deadeye, Gunslinger Dodge, and Quick Clear. You learn more grit features as you gain levels in this class.
Deadeye. You can spend 1 grit point to avoid suffering disadvantage on an attack roll when you attack a target beyond normal range with a firearm.
Gunslinger Dodge. When an attacker you can see hits you with a ranged attack or subjects you to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw, as a reaction you may spend 1 grit point to grant yourself half-cover vs. ranged attacks and effects until the start of your next turn. As part of the same reaction you can choose to hit the deck if you are standing, going prone and granting yourself three-quarters cover instead.
Quick Clear. You can spend 1 grit point to use a bonus action to attempt a gunsmithing check to fix a firearm that has misfired.
You can also regain grit by performing daring acts. The Dungeon Master has the ultimate say as to whether an act constitutes a daring act, but as a general guideline, a daring act should be risky and dramatic. It should take a good deal of guts, and its outcome should have a low probability of success. If it is successful, the gunslinger regains 1 grit point. Before undertaking an action, the player can ask the Dungeon Master if it will qualify as a daring act.
Many of your Grit abilities require a saving throw against your Grit save DC. The saving throw DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier, if the saving throw is provoked on a critical the target makes it's saving throw at disadvantage.
QUICK DRAW
Beginning at 2nd level, if your hands are free and unrestrained, you can draw a single weapon as part of the initiative check.
GUNSLINGER ARCHETYPE
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that specializes and focuses your skill with guns. Choose Mysterious Stranger, Stalker, Holy Gun, or Hexgun, all detailed at the end of the class description. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th level.
GUNPLAY
Beginning at 5th level, when you take the attack action you can choose from one of the following attack options:
Extra Attack. You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn. When you take the extra attack action, you may spend 1 grit and make an additional ranged firearm attack. At 11th level you may spend 1 grit to make two firearm attacks instead.
Deadshot. You make a single ranged firearm attack as your attack action; for this attack your weapon dice double and your critical range becomes 19-20 (four weapon dice on critical). At 11th level, for this attack your weapon dice triple and your critical range becomes 18-20 (six weapon dice on a critical). You only add your other dice and modifiers once to the overall damage. When you take the deadshot action, before rolling you may spend 1 grit to grant yourself advantage on the next deadshot you make.
CHARMED LIFE
At 5th level, when you make a Acrobatics, Athletics, Initiative or Vehicle check you may roll a d6 and add the result to the check. If the result of the d6 roll is a natural 6, it explodes and you may roll another 1d6 and add it to the check. You can continue to do this as long as you rolls natural 6s. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifer, regaining all uses when you complete a short or long rest.
TARGETING
Beginning at 6th level, before you make a ranged firearm attack roll against a creature, you can target a specific part of a target’s body by spending 1 grit point. The effect on the target on a failed saving throw depends on the part of the body targeted, as set out below.
Body Part Effect on a Hit:
Arms. The target takes normal or no damage (your choice), but drops an item carried in its hands if it fails a Strength saving throw.
Head. The target has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the start of your next turn if it fails a Constitution saving throw.
Legs or Wings. The target is knocked prone if it fails a Dexterity saving throw.
Torso. If you miss on your attack roll the target makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking the attacks full damage on a failure or half damage on a success. If you hit and the target is Huge or smaller it is pushed back 10ft.
EVASIVE
Starting at 9th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
THRILLIN' HEROICS
At 13th level, you've learned to push your luck to the limit. After you roll a charmed life die that is less than a 6, you may roll a heroics die. If the first heroics die is lower than the last Charmed Life die you rolled you lose your entire charmed life bonus for the check. If the heroics die is equal to or higher than the last charmed life die rolled, add all of dice together and apply it to the check. This can only be done once per check.
CHEAT DEATH
Starting at 17th level you gain the ability to evade certain death through sheer force of will. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can spend all of your remaining grit points (minimum of 1) to drop to 1 hit point instead. The cost of this feature cannot be reduced by true grit.
TRUE GRIT
At 20th level, you select two of your other abilities that require you to spend grit points. The cost of both of those abilities is reduced by 1 grit point, to a minimum of 0 grit points (in which case it makes those abilities free). In addition, when you perform a daring act, you now regain 2 grit points.
GUNSLINGER ARCHETYPES
MYSTERIOUS STRANGER
SNAPSHOT
At 3rd level, when you use the Gunslinger Dodge class feature and successfully save or avoid the attack you may as a reaction take a ranged firearm attack against the attacker.
BLACKPOWDER BRAVADO
At 3rd level you define the way you fight in earnest; choosing one of the three following options:
Gun Tank. While wearing medium or heavy armour you may use your Gunslinger Dodge feature against melee attacks and traps. Additionally when you dodge you may reduce the damage you take by 1d12 + your Gunslinger level + your Constitution modifier. Additionally being within 5ft of an opponent does not impose disadvantage on your ranged firearm attacks.
Wild-card. Your talent for not getting shot is as absurd as it is near miraculous. While you are not wearing armour or wielding a shield your AC becomes 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier and you gain proficiency in three gaming sets and two of the following proficiencies: Deception, Insight, Persuasion or Sleight of Hand. Any checks made with these proficiencies, or to do with gambling may benefit from the Charmed Life and Thrillin' Heroics class features when you gain access to them.
FAST AS LIGHTNING
At 7th level, you add your proficiency bonus to your initiative. Additionally when you draw a firearm as part of quick draw, you may make a single attack against a creature you can see, or spend 1 grit to take an attack action targeting creatures you can see; if the creature you target is surprised you have advantage on the first attack roll you make. If more than one creature in an encounter has this or a similar feature, they all act first in order of initiative, then the regular initiative order begins.
BLACKPOWDER SAVANT
At 10th level, choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.
UNBREAKABLE
At 15th level, you can shrug off the worst the world has to offer, such as a green dragon’s poison breath or a thunderwave spell. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws and when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Constitution saving throw to take only half damage, you may spend a grit point instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail (though you are still subject to any other effects the ability or spell might impose).
DIEHARD
At 18th level, you've lived longer than most gunslingers, and it's never quite your time. When your hit point total is at 0, and you are not dead, at the start of your turn you can choose to regain consciousness but are still dying. Until you die or stabilize you continue to make death saving throws at the end of your turns but you may choose to act taking an action and bonus action on each of your turns, while in this state you are prone and your movement speeds are 0. After you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
STALKER
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Athletics, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.
NATURAL EXPLORER
At 3rd level, you are a master of navigating the natural world, and you react with swift and decisive action when attacked. This grants you the following benefits:
You ignore difficult terrain.
You have advantage on initiative rolls.
On your first turn during combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that have not yet acted.
In addition, you are skilled at navigating the wilderness. You gain the following benefits when traveling for an hour or more:
Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
SKIRMISHER
Starting at 7th level, you can use the Dash actions as a bonus action on your turn. You may as an action spend a grit point to imbue your firearm with some minor natural magic, the next shot this firearm makes makes no flash, noise or smoke. This magic lasts for up to one hour. You may only imbue one firearm in this way, if you attempt to imbue a second firearm the magic in the first firearm fades.
HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT
Starting at 10th level, you can remain perfectly still for long periods of time to set up ambushes. When you attempt to hide on your turn, you can opt to not move on that turn. If you avoid moving, creatures that attempt to detect you take a −10 penalty to their Wisdom (Perception) checks until the start of your next turn. You lose this benefit if you move or fall prone, either voluntarily or because of some external effect. You are still automatically detected if any effect or action causes you to no longer be hidden. If you are still hidden on your next turn, you can continue to remain motionless and gain this benefit until you are detected.
VANISH
Starting at 15th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can’t be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.
STAGGER
At 18th Level when you score a critical hit, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be slowed as per the spell until the end of your next turn. This is not a magical effect.
MULTICLASSING AND GEAR
MULTICLASS GUNSLINGER
For characters who wish to multiclass as a gunslinger, the minimum ability score to do so is Dexterity 13 and Charisma 13.
Further, when you multiclass into the gunslinger class you gain proficiency in firearms and gunsmith’s kits.
Multiclass gunslingers with the Holy Gun feature add one third of their levels (rounded down) when calculating their available spell slots.
Hexgun Magic. If you have both the Hexgun Magic class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.
You determine your available spell slots by adding together all your levels in the Warlock Class and a third of your Gunslinger levels (rounded down) if you have the Hexgun magic feature. Use this total to determine your spell slots by consulting the Warlock table.
If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Hexgun Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Hexgun Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast hexgun spells you know.
Holy Gun Sacred Oath. If you already have the Channel Divinity feature and gain a level in a class that also grants the feature, you gain the Channel Divinity effects granted by that class, but getting the feature again doesn't give you an additional use of it. You gain additional uses only when you reach a class level that explicitly grants them to you.
If you gain levels in a class that grants a Paladin Sacred Oath you must choose the same oath you chose for the initial class.
FIREARMS WEAPONS AND GEAR PROPERTIES
Most firearms are durable and can be used as a club for anyone with proficiency with the weapon. Firearms use special ammunition, and some of them have the cannon, misfire, capacity, or scatter properties.
Ammunition. The ammunition of a firearm is destroyed upon use. Most firearms use bullets.
Misfire. A weapon that has the misfire property becomes jammed when make an attack roll with a firearm, and the dice roll is equal to or lower than the weapon's misfire score. Until the jam is cleared by spending an action to use a Gunsmithing Kit to make a DC 10 Intelligence ability check, the weapon can not be fired.
If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be repaired out of combat at half the cost of the firearm.
Capacity. This weapon can be fired a number of times equal to it's capacity score. A character must then spend an attack or a bonus action to reload.
Scatter. A weapon with the scatter property potentially deals damage to all creatures within a line equal to the indicated length. All creatures within the line must succeed on a dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus if proficienct + your Dexterity) or take the weapon’s normal damage. Weapons with the scatter property can use normal ammunition, as opposed to scatter ammunition, in which case they are treated as a normal weapon attack against a single target. Roll a d20 each time the weapon is fired, if the number is equal to or lower than the weapon's misfire score the weapon misfires.
FIREARMS
Weapon Cost Damage Weight Properties
Firearms Ranged Weapons
Simple Firearms
Blunderbuss 400 gp 1d10 piercing 8 lb. Ammunition (range 100/300), heavy, loading, misfire 1, scatter 60 ft., two-handed
Pistol 250 gp 1d10 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 60/180), capacity (1 shot), misfire 1
Coat Pistol 250 gp 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 40/120), capacity (1 shot), misfire 1, special
Musket 400gp 1d12 piercing 8 lb. Ammunition (range 150/450), heavy, misfire 2, capacity (1 shot), two-handed
Carbine 300 gp 1d10 piercing 6 lb. Ammunition (range 120/360), capacity (1 shot), misfire 2, two-handed
Advanced Firearms
Revolver 1250 gp 1d10 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 50/150), misfire 1, capacity (6 shots)
Lever-Action or Revolving Carbine 2000 gp 1d10 piercing 6 lb. Ammunition (range 200/600), misfire 2, capacity (5 shots), two-handed
Lever-Action or Revolving Rifle 2500 gp 1d12 piercing 10 lb. Ammunition (range 250/750), heavy, misfire 2, capacity (5 shots), two-handed
Breach Loading Rifle 4000 gp 2d12 piercing 12 lb. Ammunition (range 300/1200), heavy, capacity (1 shot), misfire 3, two-handed.
Upgrades.
Rifling. Barrel grooves that serve to increase distance.
Triple cost and range increased by a half rounded up to the nearest 10.
Double-Barreled Weapons. A second barrel.
Base weight and cost increased by a half and capacity +1.
Pepperbox Firearms. Large capacity, but complex and hard to maintain.
Double base weight, triple cost, capacity +4, misfire +1; incompatible with double-barrel.
Takedown. Permits easy disassembly of firearm into three compact pieces.
Allows a long firearm to be stored/concealed in a backpack or under a coat; assembles and disassembles as an action.
Double base cost, misfire +1, incompatible with pepperbox.
Advanced Firearms already come with Rifling and due to their complex nature cannot be upgraded with Pepperbox or Double Barrel.
Ammunition
Bullets or Scattershot (10) 3 gp – 2 lb. –
Gunpowder, keg 250 gp – 20 lb. –
Powder Horn, Empty 10 gp – – –
SPECIAL FIREARMS
Battered. A gunslinger's starting weapon is battered, and only they know how to use it properly. It takes a miracle of love and labour to keep it running at all. For the gunslinger it functions like a normal weapon; all other creatures treat the gun as if it had the misfired condition. This starting weapon can only be sold for scrap (it’s worth 4d10 gp when sold).
Coat Pistol. The coat pistol grants advantage on any Sleight of Hand or Stealth rolls made to conceal the weapon.
AMMUNITION
Gunpowder, keg. A 20 lb keg of gunpowder, fills 10 powder horns and holds 2000 shots worth of powder. Keep away from fire.
Gunpowder, horn (empty). Hollow horn used for the storage and measurement of powder prior to firing, holds approximately 25gp worth of powder (2 lbs or two-hundred shots).
Scattershot. These rounds are used in weapons with the scatter property.
FIREARMS GEAR
Ammo Bandolier. This simple leather cross-belt features twelve leather loops suitable for holding bullets, enabling easy access to them. A character can wear up to two bandoliers or braces. Cost: 5 gp, Weight 1 lb.
Bipod and Ladder Sight. A bipod can be attached to any firearm with the two-handed property by using a Gunsmith’s Kit and making a DC 10 Intelligence ability check. A ladder sight is a mechanical sight fully adjustable for windage and elevation. As an action or a bonus action (the character’s choice), a character can set up the bipod and adjust the sight so that the attached weapon counts as being braced and sighted until the weapon is moved. In addition, once a weapon is braced and sighted, a character can use a bonus action to gain advantage on their next attack with the weapon made against a target outside it's base normal range. If a character moves or is moved the bipod and sight need to be set up again; when not in use the sight and bipod fold away allowing use of the normal sights.
Cost: 150 gp, Weight 5 lb.
Gun Brace. This is effectively a heavy leather bandolier for pistols. A gun brace has enough sleeves to hold up to four pistols (including repeating pistols) and a character can wear up to two bandoliers or braces. Cost: 5 gp, Weight: 1 lb.
Gunsmith’s Kit. A gunsmith’s kit contains all the tools needed to construct bullets, cannon shots, and firearms. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability check you make to create or repair and such items (including clearing jams on firearms that have misfired). Cost: 50 gp, Weight: 6 lb.
Holster. This leather container is used to protect a firearm from the elements. It can be worn on the belt or across the back. Cost: 5 gp, Weight: 1 lb.
Wrist-Spring Holster. These holsters are leather bracers fitted with a spring-arm mechanism that holds a dagger or coat pistol in place and can project it immediately into the wearer’s hand when triggered. This allows the wearer to draw the weapon without spending any actions on their turn. The nature of this device enables it to be easily concealed beneath a loose, billowy sleeve, and grants advantage on Sleight of Hand and Stealth checks related to concealing the holstered weapons. Cost: 50 gp, Weight: 1 lb
Not satisfied with Matt Mercer's well thought out Gunslinger Archetype I set out looking for a quality homebrew solution for a gunslinger class.
Still a work in progress but I need the unbiased eye of you fine folks to help me fine tune it for wider use. This will be an ongoing project to produce a seamless and quality Gunslinger class that any DM should feel comfortable allowing at the table; I feel that it is close to being balanced but not there yet, but before I focus on fine tuning balance I want to instead ensure the flavour is there and that the mechanics fit in with the principles of 5E (simplicity and flavour first). I need your help with that.
The beginnings of a PDF copy with art and two of the four prospective archetypes:
Be a Better Gunslinger! (http://docdro.id/dZbphVr)
I present to you:
THE GUNSLINGER
GUNSLINGER CLASS FEATURES
As a gunslinger, you gain the following class features.
HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Gunslinger level.
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per gunslinger level after 1st.
PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor, Medium armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Rapiers, Scimitars (and Sabre), Firearms
Tools: Tinker's Tools
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Persuasion, Intimidate, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth and Survival.
EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
A Pistol, Musket or Rapier
Any Simple Weapon, Pistol or Coat Pistol.
Leather or Scale Armor
An explorer’s pack, an ammo bandolier, a holster, 50 bullets, and Tinker's Tools.
Any firearms you begin play with have the Battered condition.
THE GUNSLINGER
Level Proficiency Features
1 +2 Fighting Style, Utility Shot
2 +2 Grit, Quick Draw
3 +2 Gunslinger Archetype
4 +2 Ability Score Increase
5 +3 Gunplay, Charmed Life
6 +3 Targeting
7 +3 Gunslinger Archetype
8 +3 Ability Score Increase
9 +4 Evasive
10 +4 Gunslinger Archetype
11 +4 Extra Attack
12 +4 Ability Score Increase
13 +5 Thrillin' Heroics
14 +5 Ability Score Increase
15 +5 Gunslinger Archetype
16 +5 Ability Score Increase
17 +6 Cheat Death
18 +6 Gunslinger Archetype
19 +6 Ability Score Increase
20 +6 True Grit
FIGHTING STYLE
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty, Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. Fighting Styles from other classes that affect ranged weapons do not apply to firearms.
Marksman. You gain a +2 bonus to ranged attack rolls you make with firearms.
Gunfighter. You are trained in making firearm attacks at close quarters. When you are wielding a firearm and make a ranged attack you have the following benefits: While you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you. Finally, you have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on all ranged attacks.
Desperado. When you take the attack action and attack with a one handed firearm, you can use a bonus action to attack with a loaded one handed firearm that you're holding. You can add your ability modifier to the damage of the off-hand attack and may draw, stow or reload two one handed firearms when you would normally be able to draw, stow or reload one.
Avante Garde. When you take the attack action and attack at least once with a one handed weapon or bayonet, you can use a bonus action to attack with a firearm that you're holding. You can add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack and may draw or stow two weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow one. While you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature and holding a melee weapon, you do not have disadvantage on ranged attack rolls.
UTILITY SHOT
Starting at 1st level, you can take a shot with a firearm that creates a dramatic effect, rather than causing damage. This can blast open a lock, scoot an unattended object of 10 pounds or less, sever a rope or chain or any other suitably dramatic effect that the DM approves. If the DM calls for a roll when using the utility shot, you may choose to spend a grit point to roll with advantage once you acquire the Grit feature.
GRIT
A gunslinger makes her mark upon the world with daring deeds. Some gunslingers claim they belong to a mystical way of the gun, but it’s more likely that the volatile nature of firearms simply prunes the unlucky and careless from their ranks. Whatever the reason, all gunslingers have grit.
In game terms, grit is a fluctuating measure of your ability to perform amazing actions in combat. At the start of each day, a you gain a number of grit points equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. Your grit goes up or down throughout the day, but usually cannot go higher than 1 + your Charisma modifier, though some feats and magic items may affect this maximum. A gunslinger spends grit to accomplish deeds (see below), and regains grit in the following ways.
Critical Hit. Each time you score a critical hit with a firearm or one-handed melee weapon attacks while in the heat of combat, you regain 1 grit point. Critical hits gained outside of die rolls (via enemy conditions) do not generate grit.
Killing Blow. When you reduce a dangerous creature (adjudicated by the DM) to 0 or fewer hit points with a weapon attack while in the heat of combat, you regain 1 grit point.
When you spend a grit point, it is unavailable until you finish a short rest or long rest.
You can spend these points to fuel various grit features. You start knowing three such features: Deadeye, Gunslinger Dodge, and Quick Clear. You learn more grit features as you gain levels in this class.
Deadeye. You can spend 1 grit point to avoid suffering disadvantage on an attack roll when you attack a target beyond normal range with a firearm.
Gunslinger Dodge. When an attacker you can see hits you with a ranged attack or subjects you to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw, as a reaction you may spend 1 grit point to grant yourself half-cover vs. ranged attacks and effects until the start of your next turn. As part of the same reaction you can choose to hit the deck if you are standing, going prone and granting yourself three-quarters cover instead.
Quick Clear. You can spend 1 grit point to use a bonus action to attempt a gunsmithing check to fix a firearm that has misfired.
You can also regain grit by performing daring acts. The Dungeon Master has the ultimate say as to whether an act constitutes a daring act, but as a general guideline, a daring act should be risky and dramatic. It should take a good deal of guts, and its outcome should have a low probability of success. If it is successful, the gunslinger regains 1 grit point. Before undertaking an action, the player can ask the Dungeon Master if it will qualify as a daring act.
Many of your Grit abilities require a saving throw against your Grit save DC. The saving throw DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier, if the saving throw is provoked on a critical the target makes it's saving throw at disadvantage.
QUICK DRAW
Beginning at 2nd level, if your hands are free and unrestrained, you can draw a single weapon as part of the initiative check.
GUNSLINGER ARCHETYPE
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that specializes and focuses your skill with guns. Choose Mysterious Stranger, Stalker, Holy Gun, or Hexgun, all detailed at the end of the class description. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th level.
GUNPLAY
Beginning at 5th level, when you take the attack action you can choose from one of the following attack options:
Extra Attack. You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn. When you take the extra attack action, you may spend 1 grit and make an additional ranged firearm attack. At 11th level you may spend 1 grit to make two firearm attacks instead.
Deadshot. You make a single ranged firearm attack as your attack action; for this attack your weapon dice double and your critical range becomes 19-20 (four weapon dice on critical). At 11th level, for this attack your weapon dice triple and your critical range becomes 18-20 (six weapon dice on a critical). You only add your other dice and modifiers once to the overall damage. When you take the deadshot action, before rolling you may spend 1 grit to grant yourself advantage on the next deadshot you make.
CHARMED LIFE
At 5th level, when you make a Acrobatics, Athletics, Initiative or Vehicle check you may roll a d6 and add the result to the check. If the result of the d6 roll is a natural 6, it explodes and you may roll another 1d6 and add it to the check. You can continue to do this as long as you rolls natural 6s. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifer, regaining all uses when you complete a short or long rest.
TARGETING
Beginning at 6th level, before you make a ranged firearm attack roll against a creature, you can target a specific part of a target’s body by spending 1 grit point. The effect on the target on a failed saving throw depends on the part of the body targeted, as set out below.
Body Part Effect on a Hit:
Arms. The target takes normal or no damage (your choice), but drops an item carried in its hands if it fails a Strength saving throw.
Head. The target has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the start of your next turn if it fails a Constitution saving throw.
Legs or Wings. The target is knocked prone if it fails a Dexterity saving throw.
Torso. If you miss on your attack roll the target makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking the attacks full damage on a failure or half damage on a success. If you hit and the target is Huge or smaller it is pushed back 10ft.
EVASIVE
Starting at 9th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
THRILLIN' HEROICS
At 13th level, you've learned to push your luck to the limit. After you roll a charmed life die that is less than a 6, you may roll a heroics die. If the first heroics die is lower than the last Charmed Life die you rolled you lose your entire charmed life bonus for the check. If the heroics die is equal to or higher than the last charmed life die rolled, add all of dice together and apply it to the check. This can only be done once per check.
CHEAT DEATH
Starting at 17th level you gain the ability to evade certain death through sheer force of will. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can spend all of your remaining grit points (minimum of 1) to drop to 1 hit point instead. The cost of this feature cannot be reduced by true grit.
TRUE GRIT
At 20th level, you select two of your other abilities that require you to spend grit points. The cost of both of those abilities is reduced by 1 grit point, to a minimum of 0 grit points (in which case it makes those abilities free). In addition, when you perform a daring act, you now regain 2 grit points.
GUNSLINGER ARCHETYPES
MYSTERIOUS STRANGER
SNAPSHOT
At 3rd level, when you use the Gunslinger Dodge class feature and successfully save or avoid the attack you may as a reaction take a ranged firearm attack against the attacker.
BLACKPOWDER BRAVADO
At 3rd level you define the way you fight in earnest; choosing one of the three following options:
Gun Tank. While wearing medium or heavy armour you may use your Gunslinger Dodge feature against melee attacks and traps. Additionally when you dodge you may reduce the damage you take by 1d12 + your Gunslinger level + your Constitution modifier. Additionally being within 5ft of an opponent does not impose disadvantage on your ranged firearm attacks.
Wild-card. Your talent for not getting shot is as absurd as it is near miraculous. While you are not wearing armour or wielding a shield your AC becomes 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier and you gain proficiency in three gaming sets and two of the following proficiencies: Deception, Insight, Persuasion or Sleight of Hand. Any checks made with these proficiencies, or to do with gambling may benefit from the Charmed Life and Thrillin' Heroics class features when you gain access to them.
FAST AS LIGHTNING
At 7th level, you add your proficiency bonus to your initiative. Additionally when you draw a firearm as part of quick draw, you may make a single attack against a creature you can see, or spend 1 grit to take an attack action targeting creatures you can see; if the creature you target is surprised you have advantage on the first attack roll you make. If more than one creature in an encounter has this or a similar feature, they all act first in order of initiative, then the regular initiative order begins.
BLACKPOWDER SAVANT
At 10th level, choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.
UNBREAKABLE
At 15th level, you can shrug off the worst the world has to offer, such as a green dragon’s poison breath or a thunderwave spell. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws and when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Constitution saving throw to take only half damage, you may spend a grit point instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail (though you are still subject to any other effects the ability or spell might impose).
DIEHARD
At 18th level, you've lived longer than most gunslingers, and it's never quite your time. When your hit point total is at 0, and you are not dead, at the start of your turn you can choose to regain consciousness but are still dying. Until you die or stabilize you continue to make death saving throws at the end of your turns but you may choose to act taking an action and bonus action on each of your turns, while in this state you are prone and your movement speeds are 0. After you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
STALKER
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Athletics, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.
NATURAL EXPLORER
At 3rd level, you are a master of navigating the natural world, and you react with swift and decisive action when attacked. This grants you the following benefits:
You ignore difficult terrain.
You have advantage on initiative rolls.
On your first turn during combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that have not yet acted.
In addition, you are skilled at navigating the wilderness. You gain the following benefits when traveling for an hour or more:
Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
SKIRMISHER
Starting at 7th level, you can use the Dash actions as a bonus action on your turn. You may as an action spend a grit point to imbue your firearm with some minor natural magic, the next shot this firearm makes makes no flash, noise or smoke. This magic lasts for up to one hour. You may only imbue one firearm in this way, if you attempt to imbue a second firearm the magic in the first firearm fades.
HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT
Starting at 10th level, you can remain perfectly still for long periods of time to set up ambushes. When you attempt to hide on your turn, you can opt to not move on that turn. If you avoid moving, creatures that attempt to detect you take a −10 penalty to their Wisdom (Perception) checks until the start of your next turn. You lose this benefit if you move or fall prone, either voluntarily or because of some external effect. You are still automatically detected if any effect or action causes you to no longer be hidden. If you are still hidden on your next turn, you can continue to remain motionless and gain this benefit until you are detected.
VANISH
Starting at 15th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can’t be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.
STAGGER
At 18th Level when you score a critical hit, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be slowed as per the spell until the end of your next turn. This is not a magical effect.
MULTICLASSING AND GEAR
MULTICLASS GUNSLINGER
For characters who wish to multiclass as a gunslinger, the minimum ability score to do so is Dexterity 13 and Charisma 13.
Further, when you multiclass into the gunslinger class you gain proficiency in firearms and gunsmith’s kits.
Multiclass gunslingers with the Holy Gun feature add one third of their levels (rounded down) when calculating their available spell slots.
Hexgun Magic. If you have both the Hexgun Magic class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.
You determine your available spell slots by adding together all your levels in the Warlock Class and a third of your Gunslinger levels (rounded down) if you have the Hexgun magic feature. Use this total to determine your spell slots by consulting the Warlock table.
If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Hexgun Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Hexgun Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast hexgun spells you know.
Holy Gun Sacred Oath. If you already have the Channel Divinity feature and gain a level in a class that also grants the feature, you gain the Channel Divinity effects granted by that class, but getting the feature again doesn't give you an additional use of it. You gain additional uses only when you reach a class level that explicitly grants them to you.
If you gain levels in a class that grants a Paladin Sacred Oath you must choose the same oath you chose for the initial class.
FIREARMS WEAPONS AND GEAR PROPERTIES
Most firearms are durable and can be used as a club for anyone with proficiency with the weapon. Firearms use special ammunition, and some of them have the cannon, misfire, capacity, or scatter properties.
Ammunition. The ammunition of a firearm is destroyed upon use. Most firearms use bullets.
Misfire. A weapon that has the misfire property becomes jammed when make an attack roll with a firearm, and the dice roll is equal to or lower than the weapon's misfire score. Until the jam is cleared by spending an action to use a Gunsmithing Kit to make a DC 10 Intelligence ability check, the weapon can not be fired.
If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be repaired out of combat at half the cost of the firearm.
Capacity. This weapon can be fired a number of times equal to it's capacity score. A character must then spend an attack or a bonus action to reload.
Scatter. A weapon with the scatter property potentially deals damage to all creatures within a line equal to the indicated length. All creatures within the line must succeed on a dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus if proficienct + your Dexterity) or take the weapon’s normal damage. Weapons with the scatter property can use normal ammunition, as opposed to scatter ammunition, in which case they are treated as a normal weapon attack against a single target. Roll a d20 each time the weapon is fired, if the number is equal to or lower than the weapon's misfire score the weapon misfires.
FIREARMS
Weapon Cost Damage Weight Properties
Firearms Ranged Weapons
Simple Firearms
Blunderbuss 400 gp 1d10 piercing 8 lb. Ammunition (range 100/300), heavy, loading, misfire 1, scatter 60 ft., two-handed
Pistol 250 gp 1d10 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 60/180), capacity (1 shot), misfire 1
Coat Pistol 250 gp 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 40/120), capacity (1 shot), misfire 1, special
Musket 400gp 1d12 piercing 8 lb. Ammunition (range 150/450), heavy, misfire 2, capacity (1 shot), two-handed
Carbine 300 gp 1d10 piercing 6 lb. Ammunition (range 120/360), capacity (1 shot), misfire 2, two-handed
Advanced Firearms
Revolver 1250 gp 1d10 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 50/150), misfire 1, capacity (6 shots)
Lever-Action or Revolving Carbine 2000 gp 1d10 piercing 6 lb. Ammunition (range 200/600), misfire 2, capacity (5 shots), two-handed
Lever-Action or Revolving Rifle 2500 gp 1d12 piercing 10 lb. Ammunition (range 250/750), heavy, misfire 2, capacity (5 shots), two-handed
Breach Loading Rifle 4000 gp 2d12 piercing 12 lb. Ammunition (range 300/1200), heavy, capacity (1 shot), misfire 3, two-handed.
Upgrades.
Rifling. Barrel grooves that serve to increase distance.
Triple cost and range increased by a half rounded up to the nearest 10.
Double-Barreled Weapons. A second barrel.
Base weight and cost increased by a half and capacity +1.
Pepperbox Firearms. Large capacity, but complex and hard to maintain.
Double base weight, triple cost, capacity +4, misfire +1; incompatible with double-barrel.
Takedown. Permits easy disassembly of firearm into three compact pieces.
Allows a long firearm to be stored/concealed in a backpack or under a coat; assembles and disassembles as an action.
Double base cost, misfire +1, incompatible with pepperbox.
Advanced Firearms already come with Rifling and due to their complex nature cannot be upgraded with Pepperbox or Double Barrel.
Ammunition
Bullets or Scattershot (10) 3 gp – 2 lb. –
Gunpowder, keg 250 gp – 20 lb. –
Powder Horn, Empty 10 gp – – –
SPECIAL FIREARMS
Battered. A gunslinger's starting weapon is battered, and only they know how to use it properly. It takes a miracle of love and labour to keep it running at all. For the gunslinger it functions like a normal weapon; all other creatures treat the gun as if it had the misfired condition. This starting weapon can only be sold for scrap (it’s worth 4d10 gp when sold).
Coat Pistol. The coat pistol grants advantage on any Sleight of Hand or Stealth rolls made to conceal the weapon.
AMMUNITION
Gunpowder, keg. A 20 lb keg of gunpowder, fills 10 powder horns and holds 2000 shots worth of powder. Keep away from fire.
Gunpowder, horn (empty). Hollow horn used for the storage and measurement of powder prior to firing, holds approximately 25gp worth of powder (2 lbs or two-hundred shots).
Scattershot. These rounds are used in weapons with the scatter property.
FIREARMS GEAR
Ammo Bandolier. This simple leather cross-belt features twelve leather loops suitable for holding bullets, enabling easy access to them. A character can wear up to two bandoliers or braces. Cost: 5 gp, Weight 1 lb.
Bipod and Ladder Sight. A bipod can be attached to any firearm with the two-handed property by using a Gunsmith’s Kit and making a DC 10 Intelligence ability check. A ladder sight is a mechanical sight fully adjustable for windage and elevation. As an action or a bonus action (the character’s choice), a character can set up the bipod and adjust the sight so that the attached weapon counts as being braced and sighted until the weapon is moved. In addition, once a weapon is braced and sighted, a character can use a bonus action to gain advantage on their next attack with the weapon made against a target outside it's base normal range. If a character moves or is moved the bipod and sight need to be set up again; when not in use the sight and bipod fold away allowing use of the normal sights.
Cost: 150 gp, Weight 5 lb.
Gun Brace. This is effectively a heavy leather bandolier for pistols. A gun brace has enough sleeves to hold up to four pistols (including repeating pistols) and a character can wear up to two bandoliers or braces. Cost: 5 gp, Weight: 1 lb.
Gunsmith’s Kit. A gunsmith’s kit contains all the tools needed to construct bullets, cannon shots, and firearms. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability check you make to create or repair and such items (including clearing jams on firearms that have misfired). Cost: 50 gp, Weight: 6 lb.
Holster. This leather container is used to protect a firearm from the elements. It can be worn on the belt or across the back. Cost: 5 gp, Weight: 1 lb.
Wrist-Spring Holster. These holsters are leather bracers fitted with a spring-arm mechanism that holds a dagger or coat pistol in place and can project it immediately into the wearer’s hand when triggered. This allows the wearer to draw the weapon without spending any actions on their turn. The nature of this device enables it to be easily concealed beneath a loose, billowy sleeve, and grants advantage on Sleight of Hand and Stealth checks related to concealing the holstered weapons. Cost: 50 gp, Weight: 1 lb