Firearms pt 1 ~ Ranger Archetype: Bounty Hunter

[Final Hyena]

This is going to be a series of posts of content for renaissance firearms. I desired classes and archetypes beyond the re skinned gunslingers.

Firstly the items;
http://s32.postimg.org/ffy4tenth/Firearms.png
As you can see this is very similar to the DMG guns. The Musket is a heavy crossbow with less range but +1 damage I wanted the pistol to similarly be in line with the hand crossbow so reduced it to a D8.

The Bounty Hunter. (http://www.naturalcrit.com/homebrew/share/BJb1t3Rg)

[Oramac]

Looks like a good start. A couple things on it.

Cursed Wounds is cool, but a d12 seems too high for it, especially at 3rd level. I'd probably make it a d8, tops. Also, it doesn't specify how many dice. I'd say it should be 1d8 at most, maybe scaling to 2d8 then 3d8 at higher levels.

Crippling Shot sounds good, but it's basically just a powerful crit-without-a-crit. I'd say reduce the damage and maybe increase the rider on it to be more in line with the name and proposed function. Maybe 1 extra damage die and force the target to make a strength save or be knocked prone (or something like that).

Stalked Prey is really cool. I like it. :)

[sengmeng]

I think a gunslinging ranger should be called the Texas archetype.

[Final Hyena]

Cursed Wounds is cool, but a d12 seems too high for it, especially at 3rd level. I'd probably make it a d8, tops. Also, it doesn't specify how many dice. I'd say it should be 1d8 at most, maybe scaling to 2d8 then 3d8 at higher levels.
Cursed Wound is d12 over d8 because it takes a bonus action which cuts into using hex, but a d10 might be more appropriate, I'll have a think on it.


Crippling Shot sounds good, but it's basically just a powerful crit-without-a-crit. I'd say reduce the damage and maybe increase the rider on it to be more in line with the name and proposed function. Maybe 1 extra damage die and force the target to make a strength save or be knocked prone (or something like that).
Level 11 you can make a regular attack
6.5 (musket) +5 (dex) + 3.5 (hex) = 15 with 2 attacks = 30
or
6.5 (musket) +5 (dex) + 3.5 (hex) + 19.5 (crippling) = 34.5
Crippling shot does a bit more damage, but it is only 1 attack which means it gets less from magical weapons and makes it harder to apply cursed wound.
On the other hand, it always does more damage (unless you get +5 damage onto a weapon) and has a slow affect. I'll remove one damage die.

The reason I dislike prone is it isn't desirable for a ranged character to want to inflict it.


Stalked Prey is really cool. I like it. :)
I like it, my fear is that it's too wordy.


I think a gunslinging ranger should be called the Texas archetype.
That is a nice name, I was making it for a campaign that has no Texas sadly, but you're free to use and call it what you wish.

[Oramac]

The reason I dislike prone is it isn't desirable for a ranged character to want to inflict it.

Agreed. I was just trying to come up with a condition that fit the crippling theme but had a little more oomph than just a speed reduction.


I like it, my fear is that it's too wordy.

It is a bit wordy, but it kinda needs to be.

[Rogem]

I feel like blunderbuss should deal less damage than the musket, to kind of keep a reason there to want to use the musket in the first place. Range isn't that good of a reason, as I'm finding distances over 60' relatively rare in combat. Plus, the blunderbuss deals the same damage with the pellets and the slug, which really doesn't seem appropriate to me.

I agree with the others that cursed wounds is very powerful, a d8 would be much more appropriate.

Otherwise, I like it.

[Final Hyena]

I feel like blunderbuss should deal less damage than the musket, to kind of keep a reason there to want to use the musket in the first place. Range isn't that good of a reason, as I'm finding distances over 60' relatively rare in combat. Plus, the blunderbuss deals the same damage with the pellets and the slug, which really doesn't seem appropriate to me.

I agree with the others that cursed wounds is very powerful, a d8 would be much more appropriate.

It does +0.5 damage over the musket but has half the range. This makes it harder to set up surprise, hit fleeing foes, more likely to fire with disadvantage (combat may rarely get beyond 60 ft for you, but disadvantage starts at 25) and it forces you to be closer during combat creating a higher risk of being forced into melee or disadvantage. The pellets do the same weapon damage die, but don't get dex to damage.

Have you considered that it takes a bonus action, the archetype that does d8 needs no action. This means you'll likely not always use it due to setting up hunters mark or vice versa, either way something is lost.

[Rogem]

It does +0.5 damage over the musket but has half the range. This makes it harder to set up surprise, hit fleeing foes, more likely to fire with disadvantage (combat may rarely get beyond 60 ft for you, but disadvantage starts at 25) and it forces you to be closer during combat creating a higher risk of being forced into melee or disadvantage. The pellets do the same weapon damage die, but don't get dex to damage.

Yes, but doesn't the Sharpshooter feature remove that disadvantage? And usually, anyone using ranged weapons for things
Now that I think about it, you need to define how the to-hit thing is solved with the pellets: is it a to hit roll on each separate target, is it a DC to avoid/reduce the damage or is it a single to hit roll. This matters a lot for estimated damage. Criticals, etc. Burning hands deals 3d6 damage in a 15ft cone, and is a 1st-level spell. You're giving this power to anyone with a proficiency in the weapon as a cantrip.

Also, the 2d6 stacks with the Crippling Shot. Say, you decide to fire Crippling Shot at an enemy with your blunderbuss in that 15ft cone. You roll for 6d6 damage after to hit, every round, with no limits to how often you can do this. AND 2d6 of that carries over to be AoE. This is ridiculously powerful, no matter your Dexterity modifier not being included (burning hands doesn't include it either!). This isn't necessarily a reason to nerf the pellets, but is more than enough reason to nerf Crippling Shot...



Have you considered that it takes a bonus action, the archetype that does d8 needs no action. This means you'll likely not always use it due to setting up hunters mark or vice versa, either way something is lost.

It uses your bonus action once, after which you're free to use it for other things again. Assuming a required throw of 14 or higher to successfully stop the effect... 30% to save at the end of the turn, not when you'd take damage, which means that you're dealing 1d10 (5.5) guaranteed damage for every bonus action, and have a 24% chance to deal 2d10(11), 14% chance to deal 3d10(16.5) and 22% chance to deal at least 4d10(22) with that single bonus action. Weighted average becomes 11.44 over 4 rounds without having to reapply. 60% of the time, you'll be dealing at least 2d10 damage with a single bonus action over two turns. Also, the debuff lasts indefinitely, until the target succeeds in a saving throw.

P.S. I am not out to personally get you, I just find a lot of the stuff you write interesting and thus provide feedback to the extent of my knowledge.

[Final Hyena]

Yes, but doesn't the Sharpshooter feature remove that disadvantage?
Yes you need to get a feat to overcome that issue. That's kinda what feats do. You also need to get a feat to fire guns more than once a turn.


Now that I think about it, you need to define how the to-hit thing is solved with the pellets: is it a to hit roll on each separate target, is it a DC to avoid/reduce the damage or is it a single to hit roll. This matters a lot for estimated damage. Criticals, etc. Burning hands deals 3d6 damage in a 15ft cone, and is a 1st-level spell. You're giving this power to anyone with a proficiency in the weapon as a cantrip.
You make one attack roll once against everyone in the area (because that's easiest).
Burning hands does 3d6, Blunderbuss does 2d6, here's another thing for you, burning hands doesn't have disadvantage on attacks from being in melee


Also, the 2d6 stacks with the Crippling Shot. Say, you decide to fire Crippling Shot at an enemy with your blunderbuss in that 15ft cone. You roll for 6d6 damage after to hit, every round, with no limits to how often you can do this. AND 2d6 of that carries over to be AoE. This is ridiculously powerful, no matter your Dexterity modifier not being included (burning hands doesn't include it either!). This isn't necessarily a reason to nerf the pellets, but is more than enough reason to nerf Crippling Shot...
It doesn't stack

At 11th level as an action you can make a range attack, If you hit you can roll the weapon’s damage dice two additional times and add it to the total damage done to the nearest target hit. That targets movement speed is halved until the end of its next turn.
You can only get one creature with it.

Doing 6d6 (21) damage at level 11 and maybe 2d6 (7) to a few others.
Lest throw in cursed wound and hex even though it takes set up time;
Doing 7d6 & d10 (30) damage at level 11 and maybe 2d6 (7) spread among others.
A level 11 fighter GWF
2d6+5+1.33 = 13.33
3 attack = 40

Hardly broken


It uses your bonus action once, after which you're free to use it for other things again. Assuming a required throw of 14 or higher to successfully stop the effect... 30% to save at the end of the turn, not when you'd take damage, which means that you're dealing 1d10 (5.5) guaranteed damage for every bonus action, and have a 24% chance to deal 2d10(11), 14% chance to deal 3d10(16.5) and 22% chance to deal at least 4d10(22) with that single bonus action. Weighted average becomes 11.44 over 4 rounds without having to reapply. 60% of the time, you'll be dealing at least 2d10 damage with a single bonus action over two turns. Also, the debuff lasts indefinitely, until the target succeeds in a saving throw.
Lets compare;
Round one
curse wound ->d10 -> 5.5
slayer & mark -> d8 & d6 ->8
mark -> d6 ->3.5

Depending on whether you can attack a viable target means that hunter gets either +2.5 or - 2 damage.

Round two
curse wound & mark ->d10 & d6 -> 9
curse wound ->d10 -> 5.5
slayer & mark -> d8 & d6 ->8

The bounty does +1 damage if the target fails which is a fairly close call otherwise it falls to -2.5 damage.

Now this is just quick cheap maths without doing percentages, my head is too tired right now, but you can see that they're fairly close. Especially as you level, when you get extra attacks slayer gets easier to proc, and enemies are likely to have stronger saves but your save is likely not going to increase too fast when you need feats and want dex.