The Gunslinger

What if one wanted to play DnD, but with guns? Well, Pathfinder has an answer for you, and the answer is the Gunslinger. They even have in-universe lore about it which is neat. The Gunslinger is a terrifyingly effective character, capable of decimating any resistance very easily, as guns attack against touch AC within their first range increment. Herein contains five builds dedicated to the Gunslinger. Enjoy!

Two-hands

Our base gunslinger build works perfectly to make Two Hands.

Class

Gunslinger 20

Race

Human, floating +2 into Dexterity

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 19/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 12/Cha 10 Put everything into Dexterity

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 20/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 13/Cha 10 Round up Wisdom, then everything in Dexterity

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 20/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 10

Round up Constitution, then everything in Dexterity

Traits

Black Powder Bravado lets you reroll a missed attack on a Deed, Deeds are trick shots and what is Revy if not a master trick shooter? Bastard gives you Sense Motive as a class skill and Revy has a natural knack to understanding people.

Favored Class Bonus

Skills, we won’t really be in melee anyway and our D10s should be sufficient.

Skills

Acrobatics, Intimidate, Sense Motive, Swim, Perception and Bluff are pretty much your go to, though a few points in Survival is not a bad idea.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

Human Bonus-Point-Blank Shot Gunslinger Bonus-Gunsmithing

3-Rapid Reload

Bonus 4-Two Weapons Fighting

5-Precise Shot

7-Deadly Aim Bonus

8-Rapid Shot

9-Combat Reflexes

11-Improved Two Weapons Fighting Bonus

12-Weapon Focus(Pistols)

13-Greater Two Weapons Fighting

15-Snap Shot

Bonus 16-Improved Snap Shot

17-Greater Snap Shot

19-Improved Initiative Bonus

20-Toughness

Via Rapid Reload and Alchemical Cartridges, we can reload as a free action letting us full attack each round. And with our combination of Rapid Shot and Greater Two Weapons Fighting, we can fire up to 8 attacks per round, not including our massive reserve of Attacks of Opportunity via Combat Reflexes, which we can do with our Firearms within 10 Feet of us via the Snap Shot feats line. Finally, Revy remains a capable melee combattant and thus, Weapon Finesse self imposed.

Equipment

A pair of Pistols.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Between your downright massive damage output and your various Deeds, plus your fairly good skill range and and combat maneuvrability makes you a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

The Gun Machine

Call this build Robocop or Major if you want, but you are a literal walking machine, envelopped in the thickest armor you can find, blasting folks with your gun. Absolutely glorious. We are taking the Gun Tank and the Techslinger Archetypes and the Stalwart Defender Prestige Class. Our Leveling should look like the following:

Classes

Gunslinger 10/Stalwart Defender 10

Race

Android. Thematically appropriate and extremely fun.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 17/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 8

Everything in Dexterity.

20Point-Buy

Str 14/Dex 17/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 8 Everything in Dexterity

25Point-Buy

Str 14/Dex 18/Con 15/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 8

Round up Constitution then everything in Dexterity.

Traits

Armor Expert lets you reduce Armor penalty, Rich Parents give you the chance to get a good armor early on.

Favored Class Bonus

We have tons of hp already, put that in skills.

Skills

Knowledge(Engineering) and Knowledge(Local) are thematically appropriate for us here, and then both Perception and Craft to significantly reduce the cost of our ammunition is going to be mandatory. Acrobatics increases our poor maneuverability.

Feats by Level

1-Point-Blank Shot

3-Precise Shot

5-Dodge

7-Toughness

9-Endurance

11-Technologist

13-Armor Focus(Full Plate)

15-Deadly Aim

17-Power Attack

19-Improved Bull Rush

I am fairly certain you did not see coming half the feats we took. Toughness, Endurance and Dodge, while neat, are strictly here due to Prerequisites to get into Stalwart Defender. Precise Shot being absolutely mandatory for any ranged build. And whenever our damage starts slowing down, we get a neat damage upgrade via Technologist allowing us to use advanced technological skills, and we can choose it because we are a Techslinger (allowing us to use advanced firearms, meaning anywhere between modern firearms to antimatter rifles) and Deadly Aim. Armor Focus further increases our AC and Power Attack and Improved Bull Rush gives us options when melee is inevitable.

Defensive Powers by Level

12-Internal Fortitude

14-Fearless Defense

16-Smash

18-Mighty Resilience

20-Intercept

We are extremely resilient when it comes to AC and Hit Points, and via Internal Fortitude and Fearless Defense, we are immune to a few downright crippling Conditions. Smash allows us an additional option in melee, Mighty Resilience let us negate a Critical Hit or Sneak Attack once/Defensive Stance which is a life saver, and Intercept allows us to protect our allies. Take cover and demolish enemies from where you stand, or heck, just stand in the middle of the corridor and blast them into oblivion, your impenetrable defenses turning you into a walking tank akin to a Space Marine.

Equipment

You start for free with a gun that is either a Pistol, Blunderbuss or Musket, but as a Techslinger, you can rapidly upgrade this all the way to modern firearms and even to sci-fi guns. Personally I like the idea that this one build works well with a Blunderbuss and eventually Shotgun, but if you wanna play the Major, Pistol into modern Rifles works perfectly fine too.

So with that fat pack of starting cash pick the single best armor you can get. Treat yourself.

Final Thoughts on the Build

The idea of a Ranged Stalwart Defender was something I had toyed with in the past and mixing it with a Gun Tank turned out to be extremely fun and surprisingly effective. With a Blunderbuss we attack in a cone that bypasses armor, all the while we are going around in full plate armor, and if we get in our Defensive Stance, we become as close to unkillable as this game allows, with a massive AC, which is further enhanced by Gun Tank allowing a High Dex in Full Plate. Or we can pick a Pistol and a Tower Shield(yes, we are, in fact, proficient in it) and have the highest AC in the damned game before buffs/shenanigans, beating even the Fighters to it. And our mobility remains largely untouched via Acrobatics when not in a Defensive Stance so have fun playing the Major vaulting above attackers and blasting them from behind with her rifle. Or as Robocop just walk through a wall and say to the enemy that you are here to apprehend them dead or alive like the absolute gigachad you are.

Sniper

When we talk about guns, it inevitably goes down into the sniper talk at one point or another. Does that mean I have a sniper build for you?

Why, yes, yes it does mean exactly that.

We will be multiclassing, taking the Musket Master Archetype, the Slayer class and the Assassin Prestige Class. Our Leveling should look like the following:

Classes

Gunslinger 5/Slayer 5/Assassin 10

Race

We are beyond feat starved, so we are going for Human here. That floating +2 goes into Dex.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 19/Con 10/Int 14/Wis 14/Cha 7 Throw everything into Dexterity

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 20/Con 11/Int 14/Wis 14/Cha 7 Once again, everything into Dex.

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 20/Con 11/Int 16/Wis 14/Cha 7 Again, everything into Dexterity

Traits

Ambush Training gives you an Initiative and Damage bonus during the Surprise Round, and

Sharp Eye gives you Immunity to the Dazzled Condition.

Favored Class Bonus

Skills, as we will be staying as far away from melee as possible anyway.

Skills

Stealth, Perception, Disguise are all mandatory for this build. Beyond that, Survival is extremely thematic, Craft to reduce our money throwing build with each bullet, and Sense Motive are all great to have too.

Feats by Level

1-Point-Blank Shot

Human Bonus-Precise Shot

Musket Master-Rapid Reload(Musket)

3-Deadly Aim

Bonus 4-Rapid Shot

5-Weapon Focus(Musket)

7-Vital Strike

9-Overwatch Style

11-Murderous Sniper

13-Overwatch Tactician

15-Improved Vital Strike

17-Overwatch Vortex

19-Greater Vital Strike

Aight aight, Precise Shot and Deadly Aim are pretty much self-explanatory, but our main methods of damage comes from the Vital Strike and Overwatch Style feat lines, one allowing us to quadruple our damage die if we make a single attack a round, and the other letting us ready four standard action attack per turn as a standard action, letting us also hide as a move action each turn. Just from this we get 16d12 damage a round, and that’s before any other bonus at all. Finally, Murderous Sniper lets us use our Death Attack from Assassin at range.

Slayer Talents by level

7-Rogue Talent: Sniper’s Eye

9-Deadly Range

Increase your Sneak Attack Range and can Sneak Attack opponents with Concealment. Great stuff.

Equipment

You start with a Musket for free and frankly, that is all you will ever need. Have fun with the rest of your equipment.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So, each round you can ready four standard action attacks, with your Musket, each doing Greater Vital Strike damage because they both are Standard Action Attacks, with your Musket Master bonuses, Deadly Aim, Sneak Attack, Studied Target, we are dealing, each round, 16d12+60 plus 24d6 damage. All that from a hiding place that can be anywhere because we have Hide in Plain Sight. Oh, and we can Death Attack a target without studying them 1/day and if we succeed at a stealth check, no one knows we killed them, where we are or whatever, allowing us to study another target from our hiding spot to, once again, insta kill em in a few rounds… Or we can start blasting I guess.

If we do not use readied actions and sniping, we are attacking 5x/round for a total of 5d12+75 plus 30d6 each turn. That’s more than enough to make our target bite the dust.

The Drow Crossbow Expert

So, the Gunslinger has this fun Archetype that switches his focus from guns to Crossbow, and whenever I hear Crossbow in a fantasy setting, my mind immediately goes to the Drows. So here we are, taking the Bolt Ace Archetype and the Shadowdancer Prestige Class. Our leveling should look as follow:

Class

Gunslinger 5/Shadowdancer 10/Gunslinger +5

Race

We are taking the Drow Noble race. We are assuming that we can take this race because it is still a legitimate race that was printed and has not been errata’ed, even tho in the Advanced Race Guide Paizo tried to roll it back by turning it into feats, but officially that race is still official so screw Paizo.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 19/Con 11/Int 12/Wis 16/Cha 12 Throw everything into Dex.

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 20/Con 12/Int 12/Wis 16/Cha 12 Everything in Dex because whatnot

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 22/Con 11/Int 12/Wis 16/Cha 12

You guessed it, everything in dex, you can also round up Constitution if you really can’t stand that odd number and want a tad more hp I guess.

Traits

Silent Hunter for Stealth as a Class Skill, Reactionary for a +2 to Initiative for shits and giggles.

Favored Class Bonus

We do have low hp, so hp it is.

Skills

Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception and we need a minimal investment into Perform(Dance). Everything else is at your discretion.

Feats by Level

1-Rapid Reload(Hand Crossbow)

3-Dodge

Bonus 4-Mobility

5-Combat Reflexes

7-Deadly Aim

9-Weapon Finesse

11-Two-Weapons Fighting Combat Trick

11-Point-Blank Shot

13-Precise Shot

Dampen Presence

14-Dampen Presence

15-Improved Two-Weapons Fighting

17-Rapid Shot

19-Greater Two Weapons Fighting

With a Hand Crossbow in each hand, the Two Weapons Fighting feats line, Rapid Shot and Rapid Reload, you can shoot 8 times a round, dealing a fairly high amount of damage each round.

Shadowdancer

With your ability to teleport between shadows, Hide in Plain Sight, and your Shadow Companion which deals strength damage to your enemies, plus your various defensive abilities like Improved Evasion and Improved Uncanny Dodge, you are surprisingly hard to kill. You also gain three Rogue Talents at the following levels:

8-Fast Stealth

11-Combat Trick

14-Dampen Presence

Equipment

A Hand Crossbow and a Chain Shirt at first, eventually. You also start the game with a free Masterwork Crossbow of your choice making it two hands crossbows.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Who said crossbow builds suck in Pathfinder again?

You are extremely mobile, deals tons of damage at range, and can still defend yourself in melee(or just teleport away in the shadows), you can stealth even against Blindsight and Blindsense, have a bunch of various defenses giving you extra survivability, and you have a friggin Shadow Companion that can hide in the walls and slowly drain the strength of your enemies. Also, as a Drow Noble you have Magic Resistance, a bunch of Spell-Like Abilities, and Poison Use to make those bolts extra deadly.

Big Iron

You knew this build was coming, do not lie to me. We are going after Texas Red and our Arizona Ranger will bring him back alive or maybe dead. No one will dare to make a slip, for we have a big iron on our hip. We are taking the Mysterious Stranger Archetype, multiclassing into Paladin with the Holy Gun Archetype, and the Grand Marshal Prestige Class. Our leveling will look something like the following:

Classes

Gunslinger 5/Grand Marshal 10/Paladin 5

Race

Gotta go for Human here. That floating +2 goes into dex naturally.

Ability Scores

If Intelligence is odd, round it up, otherwise everything in Dexterity.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 14

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 19/Con 10/Int 12/Wis 10/Cha 14

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 20/Con 10/Int 13/Wis 10/Cha 14

Traits

Reactionary for that +2 to Initiative, and Engineer to reduce misfire if your firearm becomes broken.

Favored Class Bonus

Hit Points Hit Points Hit Points.

Skills

We need Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge(Local), Perception and Sense Motive. Spare a few points for Survival and Ride for thematic reasons. Stealth too if you can afford it, and Craft because boy, we are pissing gold pieces per shot fired.

Feats by Level

1-Deadly Aim

Human Bonus-Point-Blank Shot Gunslinger Bonus-Gunsmith

3-Precise Shot Bonus

4-Quick Draw

5-Rapid Shot

7-Weapon Focus(Pistol)

9-Overwatch Style

11-Vital Strike

13-Overwatch Tactician

15-Improved Vital Strike

Holy Gun Bonus

16-Extra Grit

17-Overwatch Vortex

19-Greater Vital Strike

We are reaching truly terrifying damage levels once again, but this time in a duel, not from a sniping position, again via Overwatch Style and Vital Strike. We can also totally just attack five times a round if we wish so via Rapid Shot. Quick Draw is a prerequisite, but it’s also extremely thematic.

Grand Marshal

We get a bunch of bonuses on Initiative, Perceptions, Charisma skills when in our home country, doubly so when in Urban Environment, and we can judge our enemies as a swift action to get bonuses to attack, damage, even fast healing and such. Great stuff.

Starting Equipment

You start with a pistol for free. Keep that pistol until the end of the game as you can upgrade it to Masterwork and have your local mage enchant it(and you can further boost it via Divine Bond late game). Have your mage turn your pistol into a Pistol of the Infinite Sky if you are that terrified of not having rapid reload.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So, we can automatically bypass DR from evil creatures, deal some significant damage, yet act also as a face for the party, and our Big Iron keeps getting better and better through the levels. We are also fairly sturdy as we can gain Fast Healing.

Our damage each round is about 16d8+64 via our Divine Bond before any magic item. If you have our Pistol of the Infinite Sky, we can attack five times a round for 5d8+80 which is not bad at all.

We are using our Big Iron with great effect, and we can bring down even the most tenacious of foes in a few rounds only. Soon, they will beg to be taken alive instead of dead.