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!
Our base gunslinger build works perfectly to make Two Hands.
Gunslinger 20
Human, floating +2 into Dexterity
Str 10/Dex 19/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 12/Cha 10 Put everything into Dexterity
Str 10/Dex 20/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 13/Cha 10 Round up Wisdom, then everything in Dexterity
Str 10/Dex 20/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 10
Round up Constitution, then everything in Dexterity
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.
Skills, we won’t really be in melee anyway and our D10s should be sufficient.
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.
1-Weapon Finesse
Human Bonus-Point-Blank Shot Gunslinger Bonus-Gunsmithing
3-Rapid Reload
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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.
A pair of Pistols.
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.
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:
Gunslinger 10/Stalwart Defender 10
Android. Thematically appropriate and extremely fun.
Str 10/Dex 17/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 8
Everything in Dexterity.
Str 14/Dex 17/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 8 Everything in Dexterity
Str 14/Dex 18/Con 15/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 8
Round up Constitution then everything in Dexterity.
Armor Expert lets you reduce Armor penalty, Rich Parents give you the chance to get a good armor early on.
We have tons of hp already, put that in 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Gunslinger 5/Slayer 5/Assassin 10
We are beyond feat starved, so we are going for Human here. That floating +2 goes into Dex.
Str 7/Dex 19/Con 10/Int 14/Wis 14/Cha 7 Throw everything into Dexterity
Str 7/Dex 20/Con 11/Int 14/Wis 14/Cha 7 Once again, everything into Dex.
Str 7/Dex 20/Con 11/Int 16/Wis 14/Cha 7 Again, everything into Dexterity
Ambush Training gives you an Initiative and Damage bonus during the Surprise Round, and
Sharp Eye gives you Immunity to the Dazzled Condition.
Skills, as we will be staying as far away from melee as possible anyway.
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.
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.
7-Rogue Talent: Sniper’s Eye
9-Deadly Range
Increase your Sneak Attack Range and can Sneak Attack opponents with Concealment. Great stuff.
You start with a Musket for free and frankly, that is all you will ever need. Have fun with the rest of your equipment.
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.
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:
Gunslinger 5/Shadowdancer 10/Gunslinger +5
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.
Str 10/Dex 19/Con 11/Int 12/Wis 16/Cha 12 Throw everything into Dex.
Str 10/Dex 20/Con 12/Int 12/Wis 16/Cha 12 Everything in Dex because whatnot
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.
Silent Hunter for Stealth as a Class Skill, Reactionary for a +2 to Initiative for shits and giggles.
We do have low hp, so hp it is.
Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception and we need a minimal investment into Perform(Dance). Everything else is at your discretion.
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.
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
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.
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.
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:
Gunslinger 5/Grand Marshal 10/Paladin 5
Gotta go for Human here. That floating +2 goes into dex naturally.
If Intelligence is odd, round it up, otherwise everything in Dexterity.
Str 10/Dex 18/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 14
Str 10/Dex 19/Con 10/Int 12/Wis 10/Cha 14
Str 10/Dex 20/Con 10/Int 13/Wis 10/Cha 14
Reactionary for that +2 to Initiative, and Engineer to reduce misfire if your firearm becomes broken.
Hit Points Hit Points Hit Points.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.