SangoProduction
2023-10-27, 04:52 AM
Preamble: This build is going to make use of the Spellshot Engineer, along with a focus on the Death sphere to get a particular Halloween aesthetic going on, with a cool archetype, and see if we can make something usable by level 10. I've got high hopes.
Race: Human
For a bonus feat, to be used on Eternal Transformation. Taking Anthropomorphic Transformation, which grants a choice of 2 traits - Used for Undead Skin (DR 5 / Bludgeoning) and Undead Resistances (+2 to saves vs some conditions).
This gives you explicit cosmetic redesigns, as well as the mechanical effects. (Can just take the (non-Eternal) Transformation feat instead, if you don't always wanna look like Sir Skellington the Fourth.)
Also take Practiced Hunter alternative trait for +2 stealth and survival racial bonuses. (It also just fits, aesthetically.)
+2 Wisdom as our casting ability modifier of choice
Firearms of Choice Dragoon Pistol (Dragoon cartridges allow for 3 shots between reloads - but Full round reload, until level 7 - normally expensive, but so long as you have 1 spell point remaining, you never use real ammo.)
Dragon Pistol (Not really, Paddle-foot is strictly superior as your Scatter coverage, but I like the idea of holding a Dragon and Dragoon at once. Have your DM let you rename Paddle-foot appropriately.)
Notably, we will not be "dual wielding" (as in attacking with both) in most rounds. But having both allows for the appropriate choices when appropriate. And you can only choose one as your Magic Firearm (and thus also which one you get for free), but you can reattune with a different firearm with an 8 hour ritual, if you foresee a reason to change.
So, economically, at lower levels, I would choose Paddle-foot Pistol, and craft the Dragoon Pistol, and then attune to the Dragoon for 99% of encounters.
If you don't want to bother, then just take a Destruction sphere talent with an appropriate AoE blast shape, and only grab a Dragoon Pistol. You certainly wouldn't mind the option to just blast people.
Of course, making sure you have a backup pistol would allow you to swap out to a pre-loaded weapon if the fight drags-on for longer than 3 rounds, only sacrificing the CL from the magic pistol to do so.
--Also, you may just want to go for the Breech-Loaded double barrel Pistol, which can load both barrels in 1 standard action by default -> move action with Expert Reload -> swift action if your DM allows the magical ammo to be alchemical cartridges. Of course, you do want to use your swift action, as both a Spheres of Might user, and for your (amps) for the bonus CL. So is it really better to reload as a swift action every 2 rounds than a standard action every 3? (Yes, actually.) And in both instances, the reload is a moot point by class level 7.
Also, given that we are perhaps the first person to ever be using Dragoon ammo, and thus the base reload time doesn't matter, we could, just as well, pick up a Dragoon Musket.
https://imgs.search.brave.com/RZsdAYuPVt9AHUcqyvKV7jcoF0G6GFuuwd7w1SG6ZSk/rs:fit:860:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly9pLmVi/YXlpbWcuY29tL2lt/YWdlcy9nL1lJZ0FB/T1N3QlBKZEpNckov/cy1sMTYwMC5qcGc https://imgs.search.brave.com/DGW8vq5Xq_fuqxNAw1sJsPCAknAM70s9lIazSNmnjq0/rs:fit:860:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cDovL2Nhc3Rs/ZWxpYnJhcnkud2Rm/aWxlcy5jb20vbG9j/YWwtLWZpbGVzL2Ny/ZWF0dXJlczpza2Vs/ZXRvbi1zbmlwZXIv/c2tlbGV0b24tc25p/cGVyKDEpLnBuZw
Level Progression
Level 1. Gunslinger [SpellShot Engineer] (Class), Spookster (custom Casting Tradition), Iron Sights (custom Martial Tradition), Spell Attack (feat)
Class is obvious. But we have 0 base CL, and then +1 when channeling through the gun (requires attack, or certain AoEs), and +1 when using Amps. Also 1 talent from the level (forced to be mana sphere), and 1 (strike) talent, in addition to the traditions. And as the first level of a casting class, we gain 2 casting talents. (I'm juts calling those two 'tradition' talents. Since it's the same principle as martial traditions.)
To be more explicit, you gain the Elemental Bullets. which adds your CAM to damage with your gun. Given that 1d8 averages to 4.5, you can literally double your expected damage with this, effectively free ability, while getting some elemental coverage. Also demonstrates just how little damage we are *actually* dealing when we attack.
And Thermoarcanic Powder gives 0-cost ammunition that counts as magical. And the ability to enhance our gun to +1 from level 1. (Granted, Enhancement sphere could do +2 by level 1 - and it's not a high tier sphere- but this literally comes with the class.)
General Drawbacks
Anemic: Bleed from slash and piercing damage. (The bone-thin skin is easily sliced, despite the DR. You resist the *damage* but it's still an open wound. You aren't actually dead yet.)
Galvanized: Must wield a weapon. (Obvious)
Madness Mantra: Chance to become Antagonized until start of next turn. (I think it makes sense. Also Undead Resistance almost inarguably applies. Almost.)
Substantial Magic: Creates objects on the target of your magic, that can be targeted and destroyed to defeat the spell. (Ask for a second drawback, to make it obviously the source of the spell, and have your spells manifest as literal cursing spirits hanging off of them.)
Verbal Casting: Uses Verbal components
Somatic Casting: Uses Somatic components. Also spell failure chance on heavier than light armor.
Witchmarked: The spells you use are written in a long-dead language across your fingers.
Consciousness Linked: Your spells go out, if you do.
---
Boons:
Deathful Magic: +1 CL at 1/2 HP. Or +2 at 1/4 HP.
(Draw Magic would be strictly better, and more reliably within your control. But it's the Spookster. Of course it'll take Deathful Magic. Also the DR does mean staying at low hp is less dangerous.)
Easy Concentration: Concentrate as a move action.
---
Sphere Specific Drawbacks
Blood
Cruoromancy: Can't control blood, but gain a Blood Art (Specifically Gory Armaments - free action reload with Blood Muskets and Blood Blunderbus; And in the situations where you can use them, Hackbuts and Culverins as well... Actually, this isn't valid for actual Magic Firearm Tinkerer. Sad; guns are basically the sole place this talent is useful.) (So, instead, taking Internal Propulsion - swift action to take blood loss and move 10 feet without AoO. Works with 5 ft steps.)
Death
Necromantic Limit: Can only use Ghost Strikes. (Bonus talent for not being able to reanimate.)
Enhancement
Bodily Enhancement: Can only target creatures with Enhancements (enables some of the more fun enhancements (like Cripple) earlier - if you care about actually getting good enhancements on your gun, buy this off when you've got the spare talents)
Striker: Gain Crippling Strike, but may only enhance via crippling strike.
Mana
Incongruent: Cannot use / create mana bonds.
War
Battle Manipulation + Solo Combatant: Can't create totems, nor rally others, but gain 2 talents.
Sniper Sphere
Fencing Sphere
Expert Reloading
Fast Draw
[level 1 talent] Mana sphere (ew)
[Drawback] Arcanodynamics (Duration as though +2 CL)
['Tradition' talent 1]: Death sphere
[Free Strike]: Cryptic Strike (Death sphere's strike talent)
[Drawback]: Sickening (sickened or nauseated for 1 rnd / CL)
[Trardition talent 2]Enhancement sphere
[Drawback] Cripple (-2 to most D20 rolls)
[Drawback] Crippling Strike (enhance by attacking)
Death Sphere CL (ignoring traits): 0 (base CL) + 2 (class) + 2 (deathful magic) [+2 as far as duration is concerned - I won't mention this again], for an upwards bound of 4 CL, which is more likely to hover around 2 or 3. Three is the minimum for truly usable death sphere effects, so ritual scarring at the beginning of the day may be needed.
Enhancement sphere CL: Same, but enhancement cares much less for CL.
Mana CL: Doesn't matter.
No additional combat talents outside of those given by the tradition.
Level 2: Incanter (Death specialization)
(Also from now on, I will say Baseline CL is your CL if using all non-trait bonuses, at 1/2 HP, and only point out any difference from this CL for a sphere, if there is one.)
Incanter is dipped specifically for the 2 bonus talents, and the bonus death CL, while still progressing general CL. The +0 BAB progress doesn't matter. You still target touch.
[Level 2 talent]: War sphere (Momentum pool refills on using spell point. Up to CL + CAM.)
[Drawback]: Resilient (On taking damage spend 1 momentum to reduce damage by CAM) [Makes it even easier to stay at low HP, since this reduces the damage per hit. Also useful for allies.]
[Drawback]: Damaging Momentum: Spend 2 momentum on hit, to add CAM to damage, again. Now you're tripling your base pistol damage. Yay.
: Poltergeist (apply -3 to 1 d20 roll per round, for CL rounds) [Between the 3 debuffs you can cast yourself, over 3 rounds, that's up to -7 on the often singular attack roll they get at level 2)
Baseline CL: 4
Death CL: +1
War CL: -1 (not applicable to be channeled through the gun, and might have difficulty justifying being able to (amp) it, being -2 now. It's a minor problem though, as War sphere's Momentum scales mostly on CAM).
Level 3: Gunslinger (class), Cascade Spell (Metamagic feat)
Level 2 gunslinger gets 1 talent, plus 1 strike talent
[B]Talent: Visual Dynamics (amp): Not only do you get explicit redefinition of your spell visuals (to be even more spooky than they already could be), this is just a useful amp. Refluff "beautiful" to "so dreadful you can't look away," or "so terrifying one can't move."
Cascade Spell lets you cast up 9 CL worth of sphere effects at once, for +2 spell points.
A good general layout is: Sickening (-2 to saves), at CL 4, Poltergeist, at CL 3 (-3 to a d20 / round), and Cripple, at CL 2 (-2 to saves), in that order, applying Poltergeist to Cripple's save, if needed. This maximizes the expected successful effects inflicted, as well as expected durations. Could easily knock Cripple to CL 1 and Poltergeist to 4, if you aren't confident Sickening would land.)
So, despite the relatively low CL (aka, that of your actual character level right now), they all get applied in one attack. It's more than worth it, even though you can't apply an amp to it.
Also, do note that even without any fancy maths, if they would normally make one save on a 13, then it would take a DC -7 (or a difference of 14 CL) before they have an equal chance of avoiding all 3 equivalent spells that don't affect saves - when they affect saves, the maths get real funky. But that's the break even point. Probably would want to deprioritize this use around an 8 CL difference, due to increased cost. But you also have more spell points to eat the cost. So hard to say. Probably an opening move for all of your character's life time from here on.
Call the "Combination spell" something like "Enveloping Hell Swarm."
Alternatively, you can apply Cripple CL 5 (-3 to saves), Poltergeist CL 2 (-3 once / round), and Sickening (-2), which does get a bit more penalty out at once, but the death sphere effects only last for 2 rounds including the one you use on them. 3 is my preferred duration, as that's about as long as a creature is alive in combat. But given the penalties inflicted... 2 might be enough. Granted 2 round Poltergeist is particularly bad, as it will literally only affect 2 rolls, period. But it is coming along as basically a side effect, I guess, and might potentially help land sickening.
Baseline CL: 5 (2 BCL, 2 from class, 1 from Deathful)
Death CL: +1
(Notably, Poltergeist improves to -4 at CL 6, and Cripple improves to -3 at CL 5.)
Level 4: Gunslinger (class), +1 Wisdom (stat)
Gains another talent, and Illusory Rifling (save or act as feinted), and Infused Magnetism (on hitting a target, make further hits easier). Illusory Rifling, however, does take a swift action to inflict, and thus means that you can't do it, if you applied an (amp) last round. And as a save, it's probably less likely to work than a Bluff check. That said, it's so many tons less investment in making it usable, that it makes yo mamma look skinny. For the cost of (absolutely nothing), you already get it as a swift action, with it working at range, and not caring about creature type, and you never need to invest skill points (let alone feats in making the skill better).
And with feint being applied, you can now start making use of Fencing sphere, as rider effects to your spells.
Also, you can't (amp) on your cascade spell, so you've got at least 2 swift actions you can use at the start of combat for this. Plus the round after you need to cascade again.
Talent: Expert Feint: On feint, they lose dex until beginning of your next turn. You're just so spooky they don't know what to guard against. (If you don't have other allies that target AC, just grab an (exploit talent early instead.)
CL doesn't improve this level. (And thus at this point, you would start gaining benefits for which ever spheres you took a trait to give +2 CL to).
Level 5: Gunslinger (class), Extra Combat Talent.(feat)
The class gains 1 more talent
Talent: Arm Strike (exploit) is a decent choice, as that nets an upwards of -10 to hit (and can stack, if using 2 handed weapons to -12, which is basically impossible to overcome). It also lasts longer than most (exploits), meaning that there's a chance that it might actually be effective, despite not constantly reapplying it. But this could easily lead to the GM banning your entire getup (make sure to remind him that he can attack your spell effects to dispel them), so you can alternatively go for...
Repositioning Strike: On exploit damage, move 15 ft without AoO (assuming no move speed boosts). This makes the idea of holding concentration on your Cripple easier to accomplish, since you get to move for free anyway.
(If you find that somewhat repulsive, then you could instead take...)
Deep Enhancement, which lets you persist the enhancement spell effects for 2 rounds, after giving up concentration (and enhancements that use a spell point last one step longer, including your class ability to enhance your gun). This isn't long *enough* in my opinion. But you can concentrate, up until you actually want to move, and *then* drop it, which would probably be good enough.
Feat: Extra Combat Talent. This lets you take another talent
Extra Combat Talent: Pace Setter. Force the target to move 5 ft on dealing precision damage. Again, in the same vein of letting you give up your move action, so as to maintain your concentration, and thus save on spell points.
Baseline CL: 6
Death CL: +1
Notably, the DR you have from Eternal Transformation goes up to 6.
Level 6: Gunslinger (class)
At this level, Gunslinger increases the maximum sphere CL benefit of the enhancement value of her gun, as well as what he can natively apply through Thermoarcanic Powder by +1. This counter acts the lost CL from being a low caster. (Remember that you are still targeting touch as full BAB, which is balanced for half BAB, without enhancement modifiers.)
Oh, and like always, gains a talent.
Notably, at +5 BAB, Arm Strike lasts 1 extra round. Woo.
Talent: Steal Senses - This enhancement talent lets you steal either hearing or sight, or a special sense. Everyone knows that a monster is scariest when it's not on screen.
Baseline CL: 7
Death CL: +1
Level 7 Gunslinger (class), Extra Magical Talent (feat)
Gains 1 talent again.
Talent: Mass Death Magic - can use your curses in a cone. Yay. Still can explicitly channel through your gun.
Extra Combat Talent: Lighten - By now, you can reliably make medium targets float, which basically roots them in place, and even large targets weightless, which both apply stacking debuffs on their own. Plus they have utility outside of combat.
Baseline CL: 8
Death CL: +1
Level 8: Gunslinger (class), +1 Wisdom (stat)
At gunslinger 7, you finally unlock what you've been waiting for the entire time: Temporal Flux. Free action reloads. You can even more freely use two-handed weapons if you choose to do so.
Also you get Supernatural Sniping, which lets you finally get use of that Sniper sphere that's just been hanging uselessly for the past 7 levels. (Snipe) talents are great. I didn't see that it actually takes a spell point to do it though. But you are also 8 casting-class levels in, so you have plenty of spell points.
Talent: We have 2 options. My favorite one is to buy off Bodily Enhancement, which allows you to target objects with your enhancements.
So, first off, you now have access to better equipment enhancing. But secondly, you can target weapons with Lighten. Specifically, you can make a Large item weightless, letting you wield it without size penalty (because that's just how recoil work, don't cha know).
But second option is to start taking (snipe) talents. Like Pinning Shot, which grapples the target. With a bullet. But you're a magic bullet man, so it makes sense now. Which adds yet another thing they can attack rather than you, to remove conditions from themselves.
No CL gained this level.
Baseline CL: 8 (Finally hits 1:1, but remember that Deathful Magic is 1 less than if we had taken Draw Magic. And we aren't counting traits - could easily take one that adds +2 to Enhancement and Death. Or even just Death and something else, since Enhancement does not give a donkey's backside. Also, past level 5, most death sphere talents don't care either - inflicting flat penalties or conditions, just for longer durations which often don't matter. But the save DC matters. Could have picked up Sphere Focus (Death) a while ago.)
Death CL: +1
Alright. I'm actually rather satisfied with the build. They unlocked their big feature. Also, we kinda lost track of the aesthetic a little while ago.
In large part, it definitely felt like any attempt to integrate martial effects into the spell casting package was just unneeded bloat that not only barely did anything, but came at the cost of not picking a magic talent that actually meaningfully expanded your abilities. It does very little of... relatively little. It's both shallow and narrow. Not to mention we could never actually fit in Blood sphere. At all.
But those debuffs were pretty fat, and we didn't even go for Curse from Death sphere (again, because I feel it was probably only accidental that it wasn't an advanced talent).
I hate this feeling. lol. But I'm glad I feel this after a day of building it, rather than for the duration of 2-4 months of playing it.
Happy Halloween.
Race: Human
For a bonus feat, to be used on Eternal Transformation. Taking Anthropomorphic Transformation, which grants a choice of 2 traits - Used for Undead Skin (DR 5 / Bludgeoning) and Undead Resistances (+2 to saves vs some conditions).
This gives you explicit cosmetic redesigns, as well as the mechanical effects. (Can just take the (non-Eternal) Transformation feat instead, if you don't always wanna look like Sir Skellington the Fourth.)
Also take Practiced Hunter alternative trait for +2 stealth and survival racial bonuses. (It also just fits, aesthetically.)
+2 Wisdom as our casting ability modifier of choice
Firearms of Choice Dragoon Pistol (Dragoon cartridges allow for 3 shots between reloads - but Full round reload, until level 7 - normally expensive, but so long as you have 1 spell point remaining, you never use real ammo.)
Dragon Pistol (Not really, Paddle-foot is strictly superior as your Scatter coverage, but I like the idea of holding a Dragon and Dragoon at once. Have your DM let you rename Paddle-foot appropriately.)
Notably, we will not be "dual wielding" (as in attacking with both) in most rounds. But having both allows for the appropriate choices when appropriate. And you can only choose one as your Magic Firearm (and thus also which one you get for free), but you can reattune with a different firearm with an 8 hour ritual, if you foresee a reason to change.
So, economically, at lower levels, I would choose Paddle-foot Pistol, and craft the Dragoon Pistol, and then attune to the Dragoon for 99% of encounters.
If you don't want to bother, then just take a Destruction sphere talent with an appropriate AoE blast shape, and only grab a Dragoon Pistol. You certainly wouldn't mind the option to just blast people.
Of course, making sure you have a backup pistol would allow you to swap out to a pre-loaded weapon if the fight drags-on for longer than 3 rounds, only sacrificing the CL from the magic pistol to do so.
--Also, you may just want to go for the Breech-Loaded double barrel Pistol, which can load both barrels in 1 standard action by default -> move action with Expert Reload -> swift action if your DM allows the magical ammo to be alchemical cartridges. Of course, you do want to use your swift action, as both a Spheres of Might user, and for your (amps) for the bonus CL. So is it really better to reload as a swift action every 2 rounds than a standard action every 3? (Yes, actually.) And in both instances, the reload is a moot point by class level 7.
Also, given that we are perhaps the first person to ever be using Dragoon ammo, and thus the base reload time doesn't matter, we could, just as well, pick up a Dragoon Musket.
https://imgs.search.brave.com/RZsdAYuPVt9AHUcqyvKV7jcoF0G6GFuuwd7w1SG6ZSk/rs:fit:860:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly9pLmVi/YXlpbWcuY29tL2lt/YWdlcy9nL1lJZ0FB/T1N3QlBKZEpNckov/cy1sMTYwMC5qcGc https://imgs.search.brave.com/DGW8vq5Xq_fuqxNAw1sJsPCAknAM70s9lIazSNmnjq0/rs:fit:860:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cDovL2Nhc3Rs/ZWxpYnJhcnkud2Rm/aWxlcy5jb20vbG9j/YWwtLWZpbGVzL2Ny/ZWF0dXJlczpza2Vs/ZXRvbi1zbmlwZXIv/c2tlbGV0b24tc25p/cGVyKDEpLnBuZw
Level Progression
Level 1. Gunslinger [SpellShot Engineer] (Class), Spookster (custom Casting Tradition), Iron Sights (custom Martial Tradition), Spell Attack (feat)
Class is obvious. But we have 0 base CL, and then +1 when channeling through the gun (requires attack, or certain AoEs), and +1 when using Amps. Also 1 talent from the level (forced to be mana sphere), and 1 (strike) talent, in addition to the traditions. And as the first level of a casting class, we gain 2 casting talents. (I'm juts calling those two 'tradition' talents. Since it's the same principle as martial traditions.)
To be more explicit, you gain the Elemental Bullets. which adds your CAM to damage with your gun. Given that 1d8 averages to 4.5, you can literally double your expected damage with this, effectively free ability, while getting some elemental coverage. Also demonstrates just how little damage we are *actually* dealing when we attack.
And Thermoarcanic Powder gives 0-cost ammunition that counts as magical. And the ability to enhance our gun to +1 from level 1. (Granted, Enhancement sphere could do +2 by level 1 - and it's not a high tier sphere- but this literally comes with the class.)
General Drawbacks
Anemic: Bleed from slash and piercing damage. (The bone-thin skin is easily sliced, despite the DR. You resist the *damage* but it's still an open wound. You aren't actually dead yet.)
Galvanized: Must wield a weapon. (Obvious)
Madness Mantra: Chance to become Antagonized until start of next turn. (I think it makes sense. Also Undead Resistance almost inarguably applies. Almost.)
Substantial Magic: Creates objects on the target of your magic, that can be targeted and destroyed to defeat the spell. (Ask for a second drawback, to make it obviously the source of the spell, and have your spells manifest as literal cursing spirits hanging off of them.)
Verbal Casting: Uses Verbal components
Somatic Casting: Uses Somatic components. Also spell failure chance on heavier than light armor.
Witchmarked: The spells you use are written in a long-dead language across your fingers.
Consciousness Linked: Your spells go out, if you do.
---
Boons:
Deathful Magic: +1 CL at 1/2 HP. Or +2 at 1/4 HP.
(Draw Magic would be strictly better, and more reliably within your control. But it's the Spookster. Of course it'll take Deathful Magic. Also the DR does mean staying at low hp is less dangerous.)
Easy Concentration: Concentrate as a move action.
---
Sphere Specific Drawbacks
Blood
Cruoromancy: Can't control blood, but gain a Blood Art (Specifically Gory Armaments - free action reload with Blood Muskets and Blood Blunderbus; And in the situations where you can use them, Hackbuts and Culverins as well... Actually, this isn't valid for actual Magic Firearm Tinkerer. Sad; guns are basically the sole place this talent is useful.) (So, instead, taking Internal Propulsion - swift action to take blood loss and move 10 feet without AoO. Works with 5 ft steps.)
Death
Necromantic Limit: Can only use Ghost Strikes. (Bonus talent for not being able to reanimate.)
Enhancement
Bodily Enhancement: Can only target creatures with Enhancements (enables some of the more fun enhancements (like Cripple) earlier - if you care about actually getting good enhancements on your gun, buy this off when you've got the spare talents)
Striker: Gain Crippling Strike, but may only enhance via crippling strike.
Mana
Incongruent: Cannot use / create mana bonds.
War
Battle Manipulation + Solo Combatant: Can't create totems, nor rally others, but gain 2 talents.
Sniper Sphere
Fencing Sphere
Expert Reloading
Fast Draw
[level 1 talent] Mana sphere (ew)
[Drawback] Arcanodynamics (Duration as though +2 CL)
['Tradition' talent 1]: Death sphere
[Free Strike]: Cryptic Strike (Death sphere's strike talent)
[Drawback]: Sickening (sickened or nauseated for 1 rnd / CL)
[Trardition talent 2]Enhancement sphere
[Drawback] Cripple (-2 to most D20 rolls)
[Drawback] Crippling Strike (enhance by attacking)
Death Sphere CL (ignoring traits): 0 (base CL) + 2 (class) + 2 (deathful magic) [+2 as far as duration is concerned - I won't mention this again], for an upwards bound of 4 CL, which is more likely to hover around 2 or 3. Three is the minimum for truly usable death sphere effects, so ritual scarring at the beginning of the day may be needed.
Enhancement sphere CL: Same, but enhancement cares much less for CL.
Mana CL: Doesn't matter.
No additional combat talents outside of those given by the tradition.
Level 2: Incanter (Death specialization)
(Also from now on, I will say Baseline CL is your CL if using all non-trait bonuses, at 1/2 HP, and only point out any difference from this CL for a sphere, if there is one.)
Incanter is dipped specifically for the 2 bonus talents, and the bonus death CL, while still progressing general CL. The +0 BAB progress doesn't matter. You still target touch.
[Level 2 talent]: War sphere (Momentum pool refills on using spell point. Up to CL + CAM.)
[Drawback]: Resilient (On taking damage spend 1 momentum to reduce damage by CAM) [Makes it even easier to stay at low HP, since this reduces the damage per hit. Also useful for allies.]
[Drawback]: Damaging Momentum: Spend 2 momentum on hit, to add CAM to damage, again. Now you're tripling your base pistol damage. Yay.
: Poltergeist (apply -3 to 1 d20 roll per round, for CL rounds) [Between the 3 debuffs you can cast yourself, over 3 rounds, that's up to -7 on the often singular attack roll they get at level 2)
Baseline CL: 4
Death CL: +1
War CL: -1 (not applicable to be channeled through the gun, and might have difficulty justifying being able to (amp) it, being -2 now. It's a minor problem though, as War sphere's Momentum scales mostly on CAM).
Level 3: Gunslinger (class), Cascade Spell (Metamagic feat)
Level 2 gunslinger gets 1 talent, plus 1 strike talent
[B]Talent: Visual Dynamics (amp): Not only do you get explicit redefinition of your spell visuals (to be even more spooky than they already could be), this is just a useful amp. Refluff "beautiful" to "so dreadful you can't look away," or "so terrifying one can't move."
Cascade Spell lets you cast up 9 CL worth of sphere effects at once, for +2 spell points.
A good general layout is: Sickening (-2 to saves), at CL 4, Poltergeist, at CL 3 (-3 to a d20 / round), and Cripple, at CL 2 (-2 to saves), in that order, applying Poltergeist to Cripple's save, if needed. This maximizes the expected successful effects inflicted, as well as expected durations. Could easily knock Cripple to CL 1 and Poltergeist to 4, if you aren't confident Sickening would land.)
So, despite the relatively low CL (aka, that of your actual character level right now), they all get applied in one attack. It's more than worth it, even though you can't apply an amp to it.
Also, do note that even without any fancy maths, if they would normally make one save on a 13, then it would take a DC -7 (or a difference of 14 CL) before they have an equal chance of avoiding all 3 equivalent spells that don't affect saves - when they affect saves, the maths get real funky. But that's the break even point. Probably would want to deprioritize this use around an 8 CL difference, due to increased cost. But you also have more spell points to eat the cost. So hard to say. Probably an opening move for all of your character's life time from here on.
Call the "Combination spell" something like "Enveloping Hell Swarm."
Alternatively, you can apply Cripple CL 5 (-3 to saves), Poltergeist CL 2 (-3 once / round), and Sickening (-2), which does get a bit more penalty out at once, but the death sphere effects only last for 2 rounds including the one you use on them. 3 is my preferred duration, as that's about as long as a creature is alive in combat. But given the penalties inflicted... 2 might be enough. Granted 2 round Poltergeist is particularly bad, as it will literally only affect 2 rolls, period. But it is coming along as basically a side effect, I guess, and might potentially help land sickening.
Baseline CL: 5 (2 BCL, 2 from class, 1 from Deathful)
Death CL: +1
(Notably, Poltergeist improves to -4 at CL 6, and Cripple improves to -3 at CL 5.)
Level 4: Gunslinger (class), +1 Wisdom (stat)
Gains another talent, and Illusory Rifling (save or act as feinted), and Infused Magnetism (on hitting a target, make further hits easier). Illusory Rifling, however, does take a swift action to inflict, and thus means that you can't do it, if you applied an (amp) last round. And as a save, it's probably less likely to work than a Bluff check. That said, it's so many tons less investment in making it usable, that it makes yo mamma look skinny. For the cost of (absolutely nothing), you already get it as a swift action, with it working at range, and not caring about creature type, and you never need to invest skill points (let alone feats in making the skill better).
And with feint being applied, you can now start making use of Fencing sphere, as rider effects to your spells.
Also, you can't (amp) on your cascade spell, so you've got at least 2 swift actions you can use at the start of combat for this. Plus the round after you need to cascade again.
Talent: Expert Feint: On feint, they lose dex until beginning of your next turn. You're just so spooky they don't know what to guard against. (If you don't have other allies that target AC, just grab an (exploit talent early instead.)
CL doesn't improve this level. (And thus at this point, you would start gaining benefits for which ever spheres you took a trait to give +2 CL to).
Level 5: Gunslinger (class), Extra Combat Talent.(feat)
The class gains 1 more talent
Talent: Arm Strike (exploit) is a decent choice, as that nets an upwards of -10 to hit (and can stack, if using 2 handed weapons to -12, which is basically impossible to overcome). It also lasts longer than most (exploits), meaning that there's a chance that it might actually be effective, despite not constantly reapplying it. But this could easily lead to the GM banning your entire getup (make sure to remind him that he can attack your spell effects to dispel them), so you can alternatively go for...
Repositioning Strike: On exploit damage, move 15 ft without AoO (assuming no move speed boosts). This makes the idea of holding concentration on your Cripple easier to accomplish, since you get to move for free anyway.
(If you find that somewhat repulsive, then you could instead take...)
Deep Enhancement, which lets you persist the enhancement spell effects for 2 rounds, after giving up concentration (and enhancements that use a spell point last one step longer, including your class ability to enhance your gun). This isn't long *enough* in my opinion. But you can concentrate, up until you actually want to move, and *then* drop it, which would probably be good enough.
Feat: Extra Combat Talent. This lets you take another talent
Extra Combat Talent: Pace Setter. Force the target to move 5 ft on dealing precision damage. Again, in the same vein of letting you give up your move action, so as to maintain your concentration, and thus save on spell points.
Baseline CL: 6
Death CL: +1
Notably, the DR you have from Eternal Transformation goes up to 6.
Level 6: Gunslinger (class)
At this level, Gunslinger increases the maximum sphere CL benefit of the enhancement value of her gun, as well as what he can natively apply through Thermoarcanic Powder by +1. This counter acts the lost CL from being a low caster. (Remember that you are still targeting touch as full BAB, which is balanced for half BAB, without enhancement modifiers.)
Oh, and like always, gains a talent.
Notably, at +5 BAB, Arm Strike lasts 1 extra round. Woo.
Talent: Steal Senses - This enhancement talent lets you steal either hearing or sight, or a special sense. Everyone knows that a monster is scariest when it's not on screen.
Baseline CL: 7
Death CL: +1
Level 7 Gunslinger (class), Extra Magical Talent (feat)
Gains 1 talent again.
Talent: Mass Death Magic - can use your curses in a cone. Yay. Still can explicitly channel through your gun.
Extra Combat Talent: Lighten - By now, you can reliably make medium targets float, which basically roots them in place, and even large targets weightless, which both apply stacking debuffs on their own. Plus they have utility outside of combat.
Baseline CL: 8
Death CL: +1
Level 8: Gunslinger (class), +1 Wisdom (stat)
At gunslinger 7, you finally unlock what you've been waiting for the entire time: Temporal Flux. Free action reloads. You can even more freely use two-handed weapons if you choose to do so.
Also you get Supernatural Sniping, which lets you finally get use of that Sniper sphere that's just been hanging uselessly for the past 7 levels. (Snipe) talents are great. I didn't see that it actually takes a spell point to do it though. But you are also 8 casting-class levels in, so you have plenty of spell points.
Talent: We have 2 options. My favorite one is to buy off Bodily Enhancement, which allows you to target objects with your enhancements.
So, first off, you now have access to better equipment enhancing. But secondly, you can target weapons with Lighten. Specifically, you can make a Large item weightless, letting you wield it without size penalty (because that's just how recoil work, don't cha know).
But second option is to start taking (snipe) talents. Like Pinning Shot, which grapples the target. With a bullet. But you're a magic bullet man, so it makes sense now. Which adds yet another thing they can attack rather than you, to remove conditions from themselves.
No CL gained this level.
Baseline CL: 8 (Finally hits 1:1, but remember that Deathful Magic is 1 less than if we had taken Draw Magic. And we aren't counting traits - could easily take one that adds +2 to Enhancement and Death. Or even just Death and something else, since Enhancement does not give a donkey's backside. Also, past level 5, most death sphere talents don't care either - inflicting flat penalties or conditions, just for longer durations which often don't matter. But the save DC matters. Could have picked up Sphere Focus (Death) a while ago.)
Death CL: +1
Alright. I'm actually rather satisfied with the build. They unlocked their big feature. Also, we kinda lost track of the aesthetic a little while ago.
In large part, it definitely felt like any attempt to integrate martial effects into the spell casting package was just unneeded bloat that not only barely did anything, but came at the cost of not picking a magic talent that actually meaningfully expanded your abilities. It does very little of... relatively little. It's both shallow and narrow. Not to mention we could never actually fit in Blood sphere. At all.
But those debuffs were pretty fat, and we didn't even go for Curse from Death sphere (again, because I feel it was probably only accidental that it wasn't an advanced talent).
I hate this feeling. lol. But I'm glad I feel this after a day of building it, rather than for the duration of 2-4 months of playing it.
Happy Halloween.