Ultimate Gunslinger

Created by Nick Kahoshi, on the Wizards of the Coast Message Boards

Game Rule Information

  • Gunslingers have the following game statistics.
  • Abilities: Dexterity is vital to a gunslinger for accuracy with his firearms as well as for many of his class skills, the AC bonus given from dexterity is a boon as well. Wisdom can also be important depending on the gunslingers specialization.
  • Alignment: A gunslinger can be any alignment. The best and the worst are among their ranks. Good gunslingers tend to be upholders of law, their own personal sense of justice, or showmen who use their guns in shows. Evil gunslingers make excellent assassins. Neutral gunslingers seem to make up the majority of gunslingers, if only because largely gunslingers were originally mercenaries or hunters.
  • Hit Points per Level: 1d8 + Con modifier.
  • Hit points are maximized at 1st character level.
  • Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier.
  • Skill points are multiplied by 4 at 1st character level.

Class Skills: The gunslinger’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Jump (Dex), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Slight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Tumble. Code:

Class Table

       Base            Ref  Fort   Will
Level  Attack Bonus    Save  Save  Save  Special                 
1st    +1              +2    +0    +0    Favored Gun, Sudden Shot 1d6
2nd    +2              +3    +0    +0    Way of the Bullet
3rd    +3              +3    +1    +1    Bonus Feat
4th    +4              +4    +1    +1    Sudden Shot 2d6
5th    +5              +4    +1    +1    Way of the Bullet
6th    +6/+1           +5    +2    +2    Bonus Feat
7th    +7/+2           +5    +2    +2    Sudden Shot 3d6
8th    +8/+3           +6    +2    +2    Way of the Bullet
9th    +9/+4           +6    +3    +3    Bonus Feat
10th   +10/+5          +7    +3    +3    Sudden Shot 4d6
11th   +11/+6/+1       +7    +3    +3    Improved Way of the Bullet
12th   +12/+7/+2       +8    +4    +4    Bonus Feat
13th   +13/+8/+3       +8    +4    +4    Sudden Shot 5d6
14th   +14/+9/+4       +9    +4    +4    Improved Way of the Bullet
15th   +15/+10/+5      +9    +5    +5    Bonus Feat
16th   +16/+11/+6/+1   +10   +5    +5    Sudden Shot 6d6
17th   +17/+12/+7/+2   +10   +5    +5    Improved Way of the Bullet
18th   +18/+13/+8/+3   +11   +6    +6    Bonus Feat
19th   +19/+14/+9/+4   +11   +6    +6    Sudden Shot 7d6
20th   +20/+15/+10/+5  +12   +6    +6    Master of the Bullet

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the gunslinger.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Gunslingers are proficient with all simple weapons and firearms. Gunslingers are proficient with light armor. Because the gunslinger needs enough freedom of movement to accurately aim his firearms, wearing medium or heavier armor strips the gunslinger of his way of the gun, improved way of the gun, and master of the gun abilities.

Favored Gun: At first level the Gunslinger chooses either rifle or pistols. The chosen gun type is considered his favored gun for the purposes of special abilities.

Sudden Shot: Whenever a gunslinger is able to attack an opponent who is denied their bonus to dexterity, even if they do not actually lose their dexterity, the gunslinger adds 1d6 damage to his damage roll. This damage is increased by 1d6 every third level. Constructs, oozes, undead, and other creatures that do not take damage from critical strikes do not take damage from sudden shot. Sudden shot can only be used with pistols within 30 ft and rifles beyond 30 feet, but does not work with any other kind of weapon. For the purpose of qualifying for feats or for being affected by spells or abilities treat sudden shot as being equal to sneak attack.

Bonus Feats: At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th) a gunslinger gains a bonus feat from the list below. If the feat requires you to choose a weapon to apply the feat to, the weapon must be either a rifle or pistol. the gunslinger must meet all prerequisites for the feat.

  • Player’s Handbook: Dodge, endurance, far shot, greater two weapon fighting, greater weapon focus, greater weapon specialization, improved critical, improved disarm, improved feint, improved precise shot, improved sunder, improved two-weapon fighting, lightning reflexes, many shot, mobility, mounted archery, mounted combat, point blank shot, precise shot, quick draw, rapid shot, shot on the run, stealthy, two-weapon defense, two-weapon fighting, weapon focus, and weapon specialization.
  • Player's Handbook II:Keen-eared scout, penetrating shot, ranged weapon mastery, steadfast determination, telling blow, and tumbling feint.
  • Complete Warrior: Arterial strike, eyes in the back of your head, greater two weapon defense, improved mounted archery, improved rapid shot, improved two-weapon defense, power critical, prone attack, ranged disarm, ranged sunder, sharp-shooting, and Zen-archery.
  • Complete Adventurer: Deft opportunist, deft strike, dive for cover, dual strike, goad, improved diversion, and over sized two-weapon fighting.
  • Complete Scoundrel: Concussion attack, deafening strike, impeding attack, merciful strike, and persistent attacker.
  • New Feats: Rapid Reload (Guns), Improved Rapid Reload (Guns), Greater Rapid Reload (Guns)

Way of the Bullet: At 2nd, 5th, and 8th levels the gunslinger can choose any skill form the following list as long as they meet the prerequisite. A gunslinger can also choose to gain a feat from the bonus feat list instead.

  • Anarchic Shot: A gunslinger can choose to make any shots he fires chaotically aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This ability can not be used in conjunction with any other gunslinger ability for overcoming damage reduction.
  • Axiomatic Shot: A gunslinger can choose to make any shot he fires lawfully aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This ability can not be used in conjunction with any other gunslinger ability for overcoming damage reduction.
  • Close Quarters Combat: A gunslinger does not provoke attacks of opportunities when firing his pistols in melee.
    • Prerequisite: Favored Gun Pistols
  • Cold Iron Bullets: A gunslinger can choose to make his bullets turn into cold iron bullets for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This ability can not be used in conjunction with any other gunslinger ability for overcoming damage reduction.
  • Distracting Shot: Before making an attack roll, a gunslinger can make any of his shots a distracting shot. If the shot hits the target it does no damage, but until the start of the gunslingers next round the target must make a concentration check for casting spells and suffers a -5 to their concentration check. This affect does not stack, unless the shots are from multiple gunslingers.
  • Dodge the Bullet: A gunslinger develops a sixth sense against ranged attacks. When someone attacks the gunslinger with a ranged attack, the gunslinger instantly feels it, allowing him to react faster than normal. This provides him with a +2 AC bonus against ranged attacks, with an additional +2 against firearms. If the gunslinger is caught flat-footed or otherwise denied his bonus to dexterity (even if he does not have one) he does not gain the bonus from this ability. This ability can not be taken if the gunslinger has already taken the gun-fu novice ability.
  • Gun-fu Novice: A gunslinger begins to learn how to dodge melee attacks without losing his ranged accuracy by reading his opponents movements. He gains a bonus to AC against melee attacks equal to half his wisdom bonus. If the gunslinger is caught flat-footed or otherwise denied his bonus to dexterity (even if he does not have one) he does not gain the bonus from this ability. This ability can not be taken if the gunslinger has already taken the dodge the bullet ability.
    • Prerequisite: Wis +2
  • Head Shot: A gunslinger knows that the head is any creature’s weakness, and on rare occasions they find a way to capitalize on this with extraordinary effect. Once per day when the gunslinger gains a critical threat he can automatically confirm it. This can not be used if the gunslinger already made a roll to confirm it or not.
  • Holy Shot: A gunslinger can choose to make any shot he fires good aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This ability can not be used in conjunction with any other gunslinger ability for overcoming damage reduction.
  • No Bullet Fighting: A gunslinger can use his firearms to make melee attacks that do full normal damage for that firearm. For these attacks the firearms are considered bludgeoning melee weapons and do not do sudden shot damage nor gain the benefit from any ranged enchants (including elemental :*Ricochet Shot: By spending a full round action, a gunslinger can make a single ranged attack against a target. The target is considered to have lowered cover than it actually does when rolling an attack roll. If the has total cover it is considered to have partial cover and if the target has partial cover it is considered to have no cover. This ability does not stack with the sharp-shooting feat.
  • Silver Shot: A gunslinger can choose to make his bullets turn into silver bullets for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This ability can not be used in conjunction with any other gunslinger ability for overcoming damage reduction.
  • Soul Shot: A gunslinger can choose to lower his sudden shot damage by 1d6 to instead to one point of constitution damage to an opponent. He must say which shots will be affected by this ability before rolling for attack. Creatures not affected by sudden shot are not affected by this ability. Creatures can only be affected by this ability once per 24 hours, unless the ability is being used by a different gunslinger.
  • Unholy Shot: A gunslinger can choose to make any shot he fires evil aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This ability can not be used in conjunction with any other gunslinger ability for overcoming damage reduction.

Improved Way of the Bullet: A gunslinger at his 11th, 14th, and 17th level can choose to learn any skill from the list below as long as he meets the prerequisites. The gunslinger can also choose to learn a normal way of the gun or feat from the bonus feat list instead.

  • Adamantine Bullets: A gunslinger can choose to make his bullets turn into adamantine bullets for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and for sundering weapons or attacking objects. This ability can not be used in conjunction with any other gunslinger ability for overcoming damage reduction.
  • Advanced Gun-fu: A gunslinger has honed his ability to read his opponents and now gains his full wisdom modifier as a bonus to his AC against melee attacks instead of just half. If the gunslinger is caught flat-footed or otherwise denied his bonus to dexterity (even if he does not have one) he does not gain the bonus from this ability.
    • Prerequisite: Gun-fu Novice, Wis 14
  • Chance Shot: A gunslinger learns how to make a quick shot against opponents that leave themselves open. The gunslinger can now use his pistols to make attacks of opportunity.
    • Prerequisite: Favored Gun Pistols, Close Quarters Combat
  • Devastating Shot: A gunslinger’s firearms seem to shred an opponent when he strikes a target’s vitals. The critical damage multiplier of his favored gun is increased by one. This ability does not stack with any other abilities that increase the critical damage multiplier of the guns.
  • Ghoul Shot: A gunslinger draws energy from the ethereal plane and channels it into his bullets. A gunslinger can choose to make any shots he fires become ethereal. Ethereal bullets do not harm a creature on the material plane, but do full damage against creatures on the ethereal plane.
  • From the Heart: A gunslinger learns how to use excess power from his very soul and form them into the shape of bullets. As a swift action a gunslinger can create a number of bullets equal to his constitution bonus. By drawing extra energy and damaging his soul, the gunslinger can cause any amount of constitution damage to create and equal about of bullets, this damage persists for an hour. The gunslinger can not reduce his constitution score below five. Spending a full round instead of a swift action creates twice as many bullets. Any bullets created using this ability vanish after an hour.
  • Greater Ghoul Shot: This ability functions identically to soul shot except sudden shot damage is reduced by 4d6 and the constitution damage dealt is 1d4+1. Constitution damage caused by soul shot and greater soul shot do not stack unless caused by different gunslingers.
  • Improved Distracting Shot: This functions just like distracting shot except the check penalty is increased to -10.
    • Prerequisite: Distracting Shot
  • Improved Dodge the Bullet: A gunslinger’s sixth sense has improved to the point where he can predict the exact path an opponents attack will travel. The gunslinger now gains a +5 bonus to ranged attacks and an extra +5 against firearms. If the gunslinger is caught flat-footed or otherwise denied his bonus to dexterity (even if he does not have one) he does not gain the bonus from this ability.
    • Prerequisite: Dodge the Bullet
  • Invisible Shot: A gunslinger can use a full round action to fire a single invisible bullet from his rifle. When fired this way the gunslinger does not suffer any penalty to hide checks. This ability can be used three times per day.
  • Keen Shot: A gunslinger has learned how to better strike at his opponents vitals. The critical strike range of his favored gun is doubled. This ability does not stack with any other abilities that increase the critical strike range of the guns.
  • Pointblank Shot: A gunslinger has learned to fire his unwieldy rifle at his opponents for optimum effect even close up. He can now use sudden shot with his rifles within 30 feet.
    • Prerequisite: Favored Gun Rifle

Master of the Bullet: At his 20th level a gunslinger can learn one skill form the list below as long as he meets the prerequisite. The gunslinger can also choose to learn any skill an improved way of the bullet, way of the bullet, or feat from the bonus feat list instead.

  • Bullet Time: The gunslinger’s sixth sense has become so advanced that during the single moment a ranged attack is directed toward him, time actually slows around the gunslinger allowing him to easily dodge any ranged attack. For a number of rounds per day equal to his dex modifier, the gunslinger can use an immediate action to become immune to all ranged attacks until the beginning of his next attack. This ability does not protect against attacks made by invisible opponents.
    • Prerequisite: Dodge the Bullet, Improved Dodge the Bullet
  • Explosive Shot: A gunslinger can spend an entire round to fire a single shot to a designated square. When the bullet reaches the designated square or hits a solid object, whichever comes first, the bullet explodes causing 10d6 damage to all squares within 10 feet of where the bullet exploded, reflex halves. The DC for the reflex save is 10 + 1/2 class level + dex modifier. This ability can be used three times per day.
  • Gun-fu Master: The gunslinger has mastered reading opponents that are close to him. For a number of rounds per day equal to his wisdom modifier, the gunslinger can use an immediate action to become immune to any melee attacks until the beginning of his next round. This ability does not protect against attacks made by invisible opponents.
    • Prerequisite: Gun-fu Novice, Advanced Gun-fu, Wis +2
    • Prerequisite: Favored Gun Rifle, Quiet Shooting, Hide the Muzzle Flash
  • Magic Bullet: By using a full round action, a gunslinger can fire a bullet from each weapon he can normally use at the same time. This bullet can hit a number of times as attack rolls the gunslinger would normally get from that weapon. Each strike gets the gunslinger’s full BAB and does full damage from enchantments and other bonuses, but does not gain bonus damage from abilities such as sudden shot even if the target otherwise meets the requirements. Once the bullet hits the first target, the bullet can travel to another target within ten feet, including the original target. This is repeated until the bullet’s available attacks are used up.
  • Master of the Twin Guns: When wielding two pistols a gunslinger becomes a devastating force. Whenever he kills a creature within 30 feet of himself he can instantly make another attack using the same BAB against another opponent within 30 feet. In addition when fighting like this the gunslinger’s negative to attack rolls due to two-weapon fighting is reduced by two for each weapon.
    • Prerequisite: Favored Gun Pistols
  • Scatter Shot: A gunslinger can use a full round action to fire a single shot. Upon leaving the barrel the bullet shatters into thousands of fragments and then seems to multiply exponentially. These fragments do the full damage the original bullet would do to any creatures inside the attack’s range, and stuns those creatures for 1d4 rounds. This attack forms a 15-foot cone at the end of which the bullet fragments vanish. A reflex save halves damage taken and negates the stun. The DC for the reflex save is 10 + 1/2 class level + dex modifier. This ability can be used five times per day.
    • Prerequisite: Favored Gun Rifle
  • Silencing Shot: A gunslinger can use a full round action to fire a single bullet at a target. The target must make a will save equal to 10 + 1/2 caster level + wis modifier or they can not use any spells, psionics, or supernatural abilities until the start of the gunslinger’s next round. This ability functions a number of times per day equal to their dexterity modifier plus their wisdom modifier divided by two.
    • Prerequisite: Distracting Shot, Improved Distracting Shot

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