Gunslinger, 1st Variant (5e Class)

THIS IS INTENDED TO BE A VARIANT OF THE SEAS OF VODARI GUNSLINGER

Gunslinger

Ducking a tentacle and working to keep his balance on the deck, a human points his pistol towards the kraken. Noticing a small wound previously inflicted by a crewmate, the arcane gunmaster takes careful aim. The magically enhanced elemental shot is true and the kraken roars in anger as smoke escapes from the wound. The long chase across the rooftops of the wealthiest district of town finally ends. A rough looking half-elf walks into a crowded tavern. The pistolero eyes the folk who are seated playing cards and drinking, looking for his mark. With uncanny reflexes, he rolls to the right and avoids getting hit. A split second later a shot booms from his revolver, leaving his target disarmed and bleeding. From the deck of a ship, a gnome stands calmly and concentrates as she looks down the barrel of her musket. She smiles as the target surfaces. A quick squeeze of the trigger and the shark is dead before its teeth can bite into her frantically swimming captain. All of these are gunslingers, highly trained firearms experts who are a cut above most anyone who picks up a pistol or musket. Drawing on their bravado, gunslingers can accomplish deeds with firearms that would be difficult or impossible for others.

Creating a Gunslinger

As you build your gunslinger, think about two related elements of your character’s background: Where did you get your training with firearms, and what sets you apart from others who pick up a pistol or musket? Every gunslinger trains long and hard in the use of firearms. Did you combine alchemical knowledge with long hours of firing rounds in your laboratory? Did you receive your training from another gunslinger, a mentor looking to pass on their skills? Were you a recruit training at a military academy that stood out and was invited to an elite squad? Did you hone your aim as a hunter, taking down targets from a distance? Why did you first pick up a firearm? Whatever the reason you picked up a firearm, your training that followed is only half of what makes you a gunslinger. Your courage and confidence are what really sets you apart. As you trained as a gunslinger, how did you test yourself? Was there an event where your courage or bravado stood out? Did you stand in the face of danger while others cowered? Are you known for your trick shooting, quickdraw, or ability to hit far away targets?

Quick Build

You can make a Gunslinger quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution or Charisma. Lastly, pick a background option that would suit the character, whether it be Inventor, Soldier, etc…

Class Features

As a Gunslinger you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Gunslinger level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Gunslinger level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor and Medium Armor
Weapons: One-Handed Weapons, Crossbows, and Firearms
Tools: Tinker’s tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from the following: Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, Perception, and Stealth

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) Musket and Light Pistol with 30 Ammo or (b) Blunderbuss and Light Pistol with 30 Ammo or (c) Two Light Pistols with 30 Ammo or (d) Heavy Pistol and Cutlass
• (a) Studded Leather or (b) Chain Shirt
• 2 Daggers
• Tinker's Tools or Explorer's Pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Gunslinger

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Gunnery, Gunsmith, Bravado
2nd	+2	Firearms Training, Fleet Footwork
3rd	+2	Gunslinger Archetype
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Danger Sense
6th	+3	Gunslinger Archetype, Silver Bullets
7th	+3	Evasion, Deadeye
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Gunslinger Archetype
10th	+4	Quick Movement
11th	+4	Steadied Aim
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Luck of the Draw
14th	+5	Devil's Tongue
15th	+5	Elusive, Deadeye
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Gunslinger Archetype
18th	+6	—
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Deadman's Grit

Bravado

Beginning at 1st level, you can draw on your courage and confidence to accomplish deeds with firearms that would seem impossible to others, powered by bravado points.

Bravado Points. At 1st level, you have 3 Bravado Points, and you gain 1 additional Bravado Point at every odd level. When you spend a bravado point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which your expended bravado is recharged. You must spend at least 15 minutes of the rest maintaining your firearms to regain your bravado points.

Gunnery

Starting at 1st Level, you are trained and experienced in the art and use of firearms. You can spend 1 Bravado Point to gain an additional +2 to attack rolls made with firearms.

Gunsmith

Starting at 1st Level, you have the capability of making and repairing your own Firearms as well as their ammunition. You can craft bullets and mix gunpowder for all types of firearms for half the cost and repair damages with your Tinker's Tools. You can also use your Tinker's tools to create new ones from the list below and others (DM’s discretion). Repairing a firearm takes 1 hour and requires material at the cost of 1/4 of the listed price of the firearm, the process counting as light activity for the purposes of resting.

Firearms Training

Starting at 2nd Level, your extensive training with firearms allows you to ignore the loading quality of firearms. In addition, being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.

Fleet Footwork

Also at 2nd level, your courage and confidence allow you to act quickly when a fight breaks out. You may spend 1 Bravado Point to add your Charisma modifier to your initiative roll.

Gunslinger Archetype

Starting at 3rd Level, your character can now pick a specialization or role that he/she will be now and forever known for. The roles that can be picked are: Arcane Gunmaster, Sniper, Pistolero, or Reaver. Your choice grant features at the 3rd level, and again at 6th, 9th, and 17th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th Level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th Level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Danger Sense

Starting at 5th Level, While wearing light armor, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can spend 1 Bravado Point to use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack. You can do this once per short or long rest. Beginning at 9th level, you can use your Danger Sense twice between rests, and beginning at 17th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.

Silver Bullets

Starting at 6th Level, Your firearms count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical damage.

Evasion

Beginning at 7th 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.

Deadeye

Starting at 7th Level, you've come to have a keen eye to the weakpoints of your enemies. When you roll 19 on an attack roll made with a firearm, you can spend 1 Bravado Point to make it a critical hit. Upon reaching 15th level, you can now do this on a roll of 18.

Quick Movement

Starting at 10th Level, your adventures have made you fit and athletic to an extent. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet as long as you're wearing light armor.

Steadied Aim

Starting at 11th Level, you have achieved true mastery of firearms. When you make an attack roll that isn't at disadvantage with a firearm and miss, you can spend a Bravado Point to reroll the attack roll. You take the higher of the two rolls. If the total result is 20 or greater, you score a critical hit. This can be done a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus per long rest (rounded up).

Luck of the Draw

Starting at 13th level, you can call on your luck to gain advantage on a saving throw. You can’t use this feature if you are unconscious or dying. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Devil's Tongue

Starting at 14th level, you cannot have disadvantage on Persuasion, Deception, or Intimidation checks made against other creatures as long as they understand at least 1 language you speak.

Elusive

Starting at 15th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren't incapacitated.

Deadman's Grit

Starting 20th level, When you score a critical hit against a creature with less than 100 HP, You can spend 3 Bravado Points, the target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target dies.

Gunslinger Archetypes

As the firearm is a relatively new invention, there hasn’t been enough time for the practice of firearms to be codified in tradition. But as more men and women take up arms using these weapons, distinct styles and specialties are being formed, foreshadowing the roles that they’ll take up in the future.

Sniper

Patient and unseen, Snipers make their mark on the battlefield by taking out their targets from afar, their presence never felt by the enemy until they see their comrades dead and the crack of the shot being heard a moment later.

Long Shot

Starting at 3rd Level, accustomed to hitting your mark hundreds of feet away, you've learned to use your weapon's maximum range. Attacking at long range with a firearm doesn’t impose disadvantage.

One Shot, One Kill

Starting at 3rd Level, you gain advantage on firearm attacks if your target is surprised. If you are invisible or hidden from a surprised target, your first two-handed firearm attack that hits is a critical hit.

Aimed Down Sight

Starting at 6th Level, your shots always seem to hit the target, no matter the difficulty. As a bonus action, you can spend a Bravado Point to give yourself advantage on your next attack roll on the current turn. You can use this bonus action only if you haven't moved during this turn, and after you use the bonus action, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn.

Headhunter

Starting at 9th Level, you've come to prioritize the biggest weakpoint, the head. When you have advantage on a ranged weapon attack with a two-handed firearm and hit, you deal an additional 3d4 additional damage. Beginning at 11th level, this increases to 3d6 additional damage. You can’t use this feature more than once per turn and can only use it a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus per long rest.

In Death's Shadow

Starting at 17th level, while you are hidden, you can move at full speed without revealing your position. If you leave cover or concealment and would normally be revealed, you remain hidden as long as you end your movement behind at least the same degree of cover or concealment that you left. While hidden your next attack that is a critical hit deals quintuple damage.

Arcane Gunmaster

Arcane Gunmasters are rare gunslingers who can weave magic into their shots using a rare form of sorcery. These gunslingers combine their mastery of firearms with an unexplained connection to magic. It is this arcane connection that allows these gunslingers to quickly shift between firing their weapon and slinging spells, making them a double threat in battle.

Arcane Gunmaster Level	Cantrips	Spells Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	2	2	2	-	-	-
3rd	2	3	2	-	-	-
4th	2	4	3	-	-	-
7th	2	5	4	2	-	-
8th	2	6	4	2	-	-
10th	3	7	4	3	-	-
11th	3	8	4	3	-	-
13th	3	9	4	3	2	-
14th	3	10	4	3	2	-
16th	3	11	4	3	3	-
19th	3	12	4	3	3	1
20th	3	13	4	3	3	1

Arcane Gunsmithing

At 3rd level, you enhance your gunsmithing abilities using your technical knowledge and the secrets of magic. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill and with Smith’s tools.

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you weave magic into your ballistics, gaining the ability to cast spells.

Cantrips

You learn "Mending" and two cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Arcane Gunmaster Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice. The Spells Known column of the Arcane Gunmaster Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since you rely on supernatural bravado. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. You use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Arcane Ammunition

Starting at 6th level, you can use condensed magic in place of physical bullets. You can expend any number of spell slots on a long or short rest to gain arcane ammunition equal to (spell slot level x 10). Arcane ammunition deals an additional 2d8 fire, lightning, cold, necrotic, radiant, or force damage (decided when making the ammo). Beginning at 11th level this increases to 4d8 additional damage.

Spell Piercing

Upon reaching 9th level your arcane mastery has improved to allow your bullets to pierce through other magic. You can spend 2 Bravado Points to make your ranged weapon attack with a firearm ignore the "Shield" spell and magically-created walls up to 10 feet thick.

Sorcerous Gunfire

Starting at 17th level, you've mastered infusing sorcery into your gunfire so that it can pierce even the strongest of foes. When you deal fire, lightning, cold, necrotic, radiant, or force damage with an attack made from a firearm, you can spend 2 Bravado Points to have the attack ignore resistances (but not immunities); creatures who are normally non-resistant to the damage take double the fire, lightning, cold, necrotic, radiant, or force damage that was dealt. You can do this a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) per long rest.

Pistolero

A Pistolero is a gunslinger that focuses on combining blinding speed, deadly aim, and panache. These gunslingers use their uncanny skill with firearms to frustrate and defeat their opponents. Pistoleros also tinker with their firearms, leading to the development of experimental weapons that are both deadly and prone to failure.

Twin Gunner

Beginning at 3rd level you've mastered the gunman's art of dueling. When you engage in two-weapon fighting using one-handed firearms, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Dynamism

Also at 3rd level, your lightning-fast reflexes continue to improve. You now add both your Charisma modifier and proficiency bonus to your initiative rolls, and you cannot be surprised while you are conscious. You still pay 1 Bravado Point as usual.

Lightning Reflexes

Starting at 6th level, you've learned to be light on your feet to practically dance around swarms of enemies in close quarters. When you hit a creature with an attack you can spend 1 Bravado Point to move up to half your movement, all opportunity attacks made against you have disadvantage for the rest of your turn. Additionally your speed increases by 10 feet when you take the Disengage action. Starting at 11th level you can move your full movement after hitting a creature.

Double Tap

Starting at 9th level you've learned to expertly double up your shots. When you engage in two-weapon fighting using one-handed firearms, you can fire both weapons in quick succession allowing you to make 2 attacks as 1 attack action (all attacks made are still considered separate). You can only do this a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) per long rest.

Heavy Barrage

Starting at 17th level, you can spend 2 Bravado Points to fire all your loaded ammunition in a 20-foot cone. Creatures within the cone must make a Dexterity Saving Throw (8 + Half your Gunslinger rounded down + your proficiency bonus) or take piercing damage equal to Xd10 where X is the number of ammunition used. On a successful save creatures in the cone take half damage. You can do this a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) per long rest.

Reaver

Reavers are cruel and unforgiving gunslingers wielding a hand cannon and a scimitar they live for the carnage on the battlefield. They take the frontlines as opposed to their other gunslingers and carve a path through with blood and steel.

Scourge

Starting at 3rd level you are a force to be reckoned with. When you engage in two-weapon fighting using a one-handed melee weapon and a one-handed firearm you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Trial By Fire

Starting at 3rd level you've also learned how to ignite melee weapons with a spark of black powder. As a bonus action you can ignite your melee weapon, the next attack with that melee weapon deals an additional 2d4 fire damage. This increases to 3d4 at 7th level and increases to 5d4 at 11th level.

Persevere

Starting at 6th level you've learned to take sword and spell better than most and keep fighting. On your turn, you can spend 1 Bravado Point and use your bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your gunslinger level. You can use this a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) per long rest.

Paid in Blood

Starting at 9th level you find it hard to live and let live, those who wrong you must pay. If you are critically hit by a creature, you can spend 1 Bravado Point to use your reaction to make an attack with a one-handed weapon at the same creature, if the attack hits, it becomes a critical hit. If this kills the creature you regain hit points equal to 1/4 the damage you dealt.

Hellfire

At 17th level you've learned to rain hellfire down on your enemies in the form of blazing lead. You can spend 2 Bravado Points and shoot your firearm into the sky to cause flaming lead to rain down within 60ft of you in a 30ft radius. Creatures in the 30ft radius must make a Dexterity Saving Throw (8 + Half your Gunslinger rounded down + your proficiency bonus) or take 3d10 piercing damage and 3d10 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. You can do this a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) per long rest.

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