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Shishoka
2017-02-24, 01:34 PM
I'm a bit inexperienced with RPG's but very enthusiastic about them. Here's a little class "archetype for the witch" that I came up with inspired by the little known game "Bullet Witch" from Microsoft. Let me know what you think.

Patron - A Bullet Witch cannot choose the "Healing Patron Theme." This alters Patron.

Gunsmith - The Bullet Witch gains the Gunsmithing feat. Unlike a gunslinger the Bullet Witch does not gain a battered weapon nor is able to use this to restore battered weapons. This replaces cantrips (although the Bullet Witch gains arcane mark, detect magic, and read magic and can cast them as first level spells).

Weapon Proficiency (firearms) - The Bullet Witch gains proficiency with firearms as a free bonus feat at level 1.

Witch's Weapon - A Bullet Witch's strange bonds to the spirits takes the form of a Gun Rod which she gains at level 1. This weapon takes the form of a metal and wooden rod similar to a quarterstaff but gains the ability to transform into various firearms as the Bullet Witch grows in power. When assuming a different form the Gun Rod has the same number of hitpoints as the last time it assumed this form and is fully assembled after the Transformation is complete, but any ammunition that had been loaded into it is lost. The Witch can use Gunsmithing or Craft (Firearms) to repair her Gun Rod or can choose to use the spell "mending" even though it does not normally repair magical objects. The Gun Rod does not provide its own ammunition and must be loaded by ammunition that Bullet Witch carries. The Gun Rod counts as a magic item but it does not grant the Bullet Witch any statistic bonuses or special abilities other than the ability to assume the form of multiple guns, granting her Patron's bonus spells, and storing her spells. The Gun Rod gives off an aura of Transmutation that grows stronger as the Bullet Witch levels. At 1st level the aura is Faint. At 4th level the aura increases to Moderate. At 10th level the aura becomes Strong. At 18th level the aura becomes Overwhelming. Loading and firing the Gun Rod's firearm forms follows the normal rules for each form. A Bullet Witch can apply any hex or spell to her Gun Rod as if it were a familiar, even if it would not normally qualify for it (so long as the hex does not damage or destroy the Gun Rod). If one of these spells or hexes would grant the Gun Rod a form of mobility the Bullet Witch can control its movements so long as they remain in contact with it. Should the Gun Rod be lost or destroyed the Bullet Witch can replace it 1 day later through a special ritual that costs 500 gold pieces per witch level and takes 8 hours to complete. This replacement Gun Rod begins play with arcane mark, detect magic, and read magic plus two spells of every level the witch is able to cast. These are in addition to any bonus spells stored by the Gun Rod based on the witch’s level and her patron (see patron spells).

***Gun Rod - The basic form of the Gun Rod resembles a quarterstaff made of wood and metal. The Bullet Witch is considered proficient with this weapon in all of it forms. Transforming the Gun Rod back into its Staff form can be done as a swift action. As a staff the Gun Rod is able to be prepared with a hex as a swift action and deliver it as a standard action with a melee attack. The damage dealt by the staff is resolved as normal but the hex is delivered against the target's touch AC. Should the attack "miss" but still beat the target's touch AC the Gun Rod is considered to have "touched" them and delivers the hex as normal.

***Musket - The first form that the Gun Rod can assume is that of a Musket at level 1. The transformation to Musket form takes a standard action. Preparing one round of ammunition for the Musket as a Hex Bullet takes a standard action. The damage dealt by the Musket is resolved as normal but the hex is delivered against the target's touch AC regardless of range. Should the attack "miss" but still beat the target's touch AC the Hex Bullet is considered to have "touched" them and delivers the hex as normal.

***Blunderbuss - At 2nd level the Bullet Witch gains the ability to transform the Gun Rod into a Blunderbuss. The transformation to Blunderbuss form takes a standard action. The Bullet Witch can prepare a bullet or a handful of pellets for the Blunderbuss as Hex Pellets as a standard action. The damage dealt by the Blunderbuss is resolved as normal but the hex is delivered against the touch AC of any target caught in he Blunderbuss's cone. Should the attack "miss" but still beats the target's touch AC the Hex Pellets are considered to have "touched" them and delivers the hex as normal. This replaces the Bullet Witch's hex gained at 2nd level.

***Pistols - At 6th level the Bullet Witch gains the ability to transform the Gun Rod into two Pistols which she can wield in both hands. All appropriate penalties for wielding two weapons apply with these Pistols. The transformation into these Pistols requires a move action. The Bullet Witch is able to prepare a round of Pistol ammunition as a Hex Bullet as a move action. Unlike with other Gun Rod forms the Bullet Witch is able to prepare two Hex Bullets for Pistols (one for each Pistol) but must still use a move action or equivalent action for each Hex Bullet. This enables the Bullet Witch to load and fire Hex Bullets at two targets simultaneously up to the Pistols' maximum range increments. If the Bullet Witch drops one of the Pistols, is disarmed, or otherwise loses possession of one or both of the Pistols then the o+Hex Bullets of both weapons are treated as normal bullets. Should the Bullet Witch retrieve the lost Pistol or Pistols before the Hex Bullets are fired they regains their status as a Hex Bullets; if either weapon is fired by anyone before the Bullet Witch retrieves their lost weapons the round is treated as a normal bullet and the Hex Bullet is considered lost (but only the fired bullet; any bullet that hasn't been fired will regain its status as a Hex Bullet). The Hex Bullets from the Pistols are resolved the same way as with the Musket. This replaces the Bullet Witch's hex gained at 6th level.

***Hand Culverin - At 10th level the Bullet Witch gains the ability to transform the Gun Rod into a Hand Culverin. The transformation into a Hand Culverin takes a full round action. The Bullet Witch is able to prepare a round of ammunition for the Hand Culverin with a hex as a full round action. The damage dealt by a Hand Culverin is resolved as normal but the hex is resolved against the touch AC of all targets within the area of effect of the first range increment of the Hand Culverin (either a line or cone, depending on ammunition used). This replaces the major hex normally granted at level 10.

***Cannon - At 18th level the Bullet Witch's Gun Rod can be transformed into a Cannon. The Cannon comes mounted on a gun carriage capable of being hooked up to a limber, horse, or any hitch capable of accepting a cannon mount. The transformation into Cannon form takes a full round action and the Cannon forms fully assembled, waiting only to be loaded. Appropriate Hex Ammunition for the Cannon can be prepared as a full round action and loaded as normal. The damage dealt by the cannon is resolved as normal but the Hex is resolved against the touch AC of all targets in a line within the first range increment of the Cannon. This replaces the Bullet Witch's Grand Hex at level 18.

At level 20 in replace of her major hex a Bullet Witch can choose to take the ability to alter the manner of her Gun Rod's forms. These altered forms can be any firearm available and of an appropriate type at the GM's discretion. A few examples follow:

The Cannon form can be altered to the form of a Bombard. This would turn the cannon into an indirect fire weapon, bypassing fortifications and delivering it's Hex ammunition wherever the round lands.

The Musket can take the form of a Rifle increasing it's range.

The Blunderbuss can be turned into a Double Barreled Shotgun allowing two Hex Cartridges to be prepared and the Double Barreled Shotgun to fire Hex Ammunition twice before being reloaded.

The Pistols can be turned into Pepperboxes allowing sufficient Hex Bullets to be prepared in order to load each barrel and enabling even more targets to be hexed.

The Hand Culverin can be turned into an RPG causing the weapon to deliver its hexes to targets in an area of effect where the grenade explodes.

So long as the Bullet Witch is familiar with the firearm and the GM allows the altered form the Gun Rod can be turned into it. The Bullet Witch only gains this ability once and it effects all of the Gun Rod's forms including that of the Staff.

Store Spells: Starting at 1st level, a the bullet witch's Gun Rod stores all of the spells that the witch knows. The Gun Rod is unable to cast spells or use spell-trigger or spell completion items. Starting at 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, a Gun Rod gains new bonus spells and adds them to the witch’s spell list based on her patron. These spells are automatically stored in the Gun Rod and can be prepared as normal once they are gained. A Bullet Witch prepares spells as a normal witch but the 1 hour spent communing with her Gun Rod takes the form of cleaning the weapon.

This replaces "Witch's Familiar."

HEX AMMUNITION: Beginning at 3rd level a Bullet Witch is able to prepare Hex Ammunition, ammunition charged with the Bullet Witch's hexes and spells. The Bullet Witch must have the appropriate ammunition for her weapon in order to prepare it as Hex Ammunition and must load it using the rules appropriate for loading the weapon. The Hex Ammunition allows the Gun Rod to deliver hexes and touch spells to targets. The hex or spell dissipates if another spell or hex is cast or another Hex Ammunition is prepared before the Hex Ammunition is used. If the Bullet Witch changes the form of her Gun Rod then the Hex Ammunition is lost as the ammunition that it charged ceases to exist. A Bullet Witch must be in contact with her Witch's Weapon to activate or use this ability. Should the Bullet Witch not be in contact with her Gun Rod for any reason then the Bullet Witch cannot prepare Hex Ammunition. Should the Bullet Witch lose contact with her Gun Rod the ammunition reverts back to normal and must be removed and prepared as Hex Ammunition again (or fired as a normal bullet). The one exception to this is the Pistols form which requires you only remain in contact with one of the Pistols in order to prevent the hex or spell from being lost. Refer to that form for specific details.

aimlessPolymath
2017-02-24, 03:58 PM
Alright!

Heads up: Traditional formatting is that you don't spoiler the features unless there's a big list of options to pick from (and sometimes those go into their own post), and that ability names are formatted as follows:
Feature Name(Ex/Su): text of ability.


With that done, here's my analysis and text fixes.

Patron: Restriction is fine and makes sense.

Gunsmith - Alright. Primary use is making ammunition, fixing broken weapons. Since the class isn't a gunslinger, you don't actually need to include the text about battered weapons- just "The Bullet Witch gains Gunsmithing as a bonus feat." Wording on cantrip replacement can just be "Cantrips can be learned as 1st level spells instead." (you won't break anything with that).


Weapon Proficiency (firearms) "The bullet witch is proficient with all forms of firearms in addition to the normal proficiencies. This modifies weapon and armor proficiency."


Witch's Weapon - A Bullet Witch's strange bonds to the spirits takes the form of a Gun Rod which she gains at level 1. This weapon takes the form of a metal and wooden rod similar to a quarterstaff but gains the ability to transform into various firearms as the Bullet Witch grows in power. When assuming a different form the Gun Rod has the same number of hitpoints as the last time it assumed this form and is fully assembled after the Transformation is complete, but any ammunition that had been loaded into it is lost. The Witch can use Gunsmithing or Craft (Firearms)(Gunsmithing covers it perfectly well) to repair her Gun Rod or can choose to use the spell "mending" even though it does not normally repair magical objects. The Gun Rod does not provide its own ammunition and must be loaded by ammunition that Bullet Witch carries. The Gun Rod counts as a magic item (For what purposes?) but it does not grant the Bullet Witch any statistic bonuses or special abilities other than the ability to assume the form of multiple guns, granting her Patron's bonus spells, and storing her spells. The Gun Rod gives off an aura of Transmutation of caster level equal to her witch levelthat grows stronger as the Bullet Witch levels. At 1st level the aura is Faint. At 4th level the aura increases to Moderate. At 10th level the aura becomes Strong. At 18th level the aura becomes Overwhelming. Loading and firing the Gun Rod's firearm forms follows the normal rules for each form. A Bullet Witch can apply any hex or spell to her Gun Rod as if it were a familiar, even if it would not normally qualify for it (so long as the hex does not damage or destroy the Gun Rod). If one of these spells or hexes would grant the Gun Rod a form of mobility the Bullet Witch can control its movements so long as they remain in contact with it.This has many confusing interactions. I would cut it, as well as the "cast spells as though it were a familiar". Not many spells are affected, but those that are are mostly confusing Should the Gun Rod be lost or destroyed the Bullet Witch can replace it 1 day later through a special ritual that costs 500 gold pieces per witch level This is pretty expensive at low levels- more so than replacing a familiar, but you can't just keep this out of the way like you can with your familiar and takes 8 hours to complete. This replacement Gun Rod begins play with arcane mark, detect magic, and read magic plus two spells of every level the witch is able to cast. These are in addition to any bonus spells stored by the Gun Rod based on the witch’s level and her patron (see patron spells).
Major notes: Consolidate gun-rod related information (store spells, magic aura, etc. ) in a different section, then split it into paragraphs.


***Gun Rod - The basic form of the Gun Rod resembles a quarterstaff made of wood and metal. The Bullet Witch is considered proficient with this weapon in all of it forms. Transforming the Gun Rod back into its Staff form can be done as a swift action. As a staff the Gun Rod is able to be prepared with a hex as a swift action and deliver it as a standard action with a melee attack. The damage dealt by the staff is resolved as normal but the hex is delivered against the target's touch AC. Should the attack "miss" but still beat the target's touch AC the Gun Rod is considered to have "touched" them and delivers the hex as normal.
Is it or isn't it a quarterstaff? If not, you can't attack with it. If it is, then remove all the "resembles" and "similar to" when referring to it's base form, and take out the line about proficiency, since they are proficient with quarterstaves from being a Witch.
The usefulness of being able to load hexes into melee attacks is questionable.


Musket : Musket form.
Uses of this class feature: Attacking with a gun at the same time as using a hex.
Advantages: 1d12 damage is a lot! Enhanced range on hexes.
Disadvantages: Locks you into choosing an attack hex at this level. If you miss, you lose the hex. Hex takes two rolls to hit- one for the attack roll, one for the saving throw (usually). You need to have decided to use the musket ahead of time, given transformation time, a fullround/standard action (rapid reload?) to load the weapon, and (depending on how this class feature is supposed to work) a standard action to ready the Hex Ammo. Also, the Slumber hex might be incompatible with this class feature. Can only fire every other turn.
Verdict: Benefits of using this over a straight hex are debatable.


Blunderbuss Wow! Multi-hexing is a very useful, very neat option, especially to spread Misfortune or Evil Eye over a bunch of people. Downside: This replaces one of your hexes, making your early game somewhat monotonous outside spells.


Pistols Only a move action to prepare it, and a move action (rapid reload...?) to reload is pretty good. You can toss out two hexes at once? Wording on double Hex Bullets is confusing. You can load and fire at two people at once? Not entirely sure how that works...? Unfortunately, requires TWF (more feats...) to be useful.


Hand Culverin Whoo, a full-round action. Not sure what is meant by "depending on ammunition". Link the weapon description? Also sadtimes due to missing the first shot at a Major Hex.


Cannon What size of Cannon? Reminder that even a Large-size cannon needs at least two creatures to control it, takes a full-round action to aim, and three to load normally. You can hit a lot of targets with this, but lines are poor options.

Skipping level 20 since it's not fully written out.


Verdict: Standardize firearm forms with their own description, then let each of the weapon forms modify that base. Standardize and explain preparation of Hex Bullets- do you prepare them before combat, in which case the action to do so is irrelevant, or during combat (in which case the given actions are hilariously prohibitive)? Do they remain Hex Bullets if you change weapon forms?
Class loses a lot from the fact that you have many different weapon options, preventing you from taking feats like Rapid Reload (which does ask for a specific type of weapon!)

It feels more like a Gunslinger which can use hexes than a Witch with guns, and I think it would work a lot better in that format- there's little interaction with spells here, and gunslingers have important things like: Full base attack bonus, so your firearms actually hit instead of relying on touch AC; the ability to deal with misfires in combat rather than risking your familiar exploding (and 500-10k gp going down the drain), etc.

Weapon forms are neat and fairly differentiated, but they prevent you from focusing on one from level 1, since you don't get all of them until later. Want to take Weapon Focus, Rapid Reload, etc? They're dead feats until you get to the level where you have the relevant weapon.

More generally, linebreaks are needed to make this readable.

Shishoka
2017-02-26, 11:11 AM
It feels more like a Gunslinger which can use hexes than a Witch with guns

Thanks, aimlessPolymath, you gave a LOT of useful feedback here; especially on posting something such as this or just making posts readable. By the by, is there a concrete guideline regarding how much text is too much text in regards to spoilers? I was trying to err on the side of caution as what I saw in the rules just said large files or a lot of text.

There is one thing I have to ask about, though. With all the references to rapid reload and the preparation of hex bullets being too restrictive... are you trying to get four attacks with hex bullets as a full round action? That's probably why this feels like a gunslinger who can use hexes to you. With the blunderbuss able to effect a 15 ft. cone allowing someone to inflict Death Curse on up to 28 people in a single turn is way overpowered and I can't imagine any sane GM allowing a character that could do that. I probably should emphasize more how the guns can alter spell casting to draw people away from that kind of mindset. I'm already going to make one fix in the original post that might help that I can't believe I missed. adding "archetype of the witch" after the word 'class.' Going to leave it in quotes to point out that I didn't have that in the original posting.

But thanks again for the feedback. I'll work on a corrected version and post it.

aimlessPolymath
2017-02-26, 09:56 PM
There's no hard-and-fast rule as far as I know, but long posts are pretty normal around here due to the amount of text involved in classes. If you're providing stuff which is mostly rules, you're basically going to be OK as long as it's not a wall of text. You may need to break it up into multiple posts at some point (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?226857-3-5-The-Retooled-Monk-Strikes-Back-now-with-150-more-complexity!), but the text limit is pretty big.

Well, actually, you can't get a full-attack with a blunderbuss, even with Rapid Reload and alchemical cartriges; it just goes down to a move action to reload.
And Death Curse isn't actually that dangerous. You get three rounds- that's more than Weird (a 9th level spell which is available one level earlier) gets you. It's two saves, which is better than Wail of the Banshee. You have to be super close to them, too, and since it's a full attack, you need to already be there. Honestly, some of the major hexes like Agony and Retribution, which have immediate effects on their behavior, are nastier.

Preparation of Hex Bullets is hilariously restrictive if you can't prepare them ahead of time. You can spend, what, one or two straight rounds preparing the bullet and loading, and then fire, maybe miss because Witches have poor BAB, wasting your hex, or you could just... use the hex. The benefits of applying a hex to many people at once are good, maybe good enough that I would use a move-action reload - standard-action fire loop on a blunderbuss over full-attacks with pistols to toss down a variety of hexes. But if you can't prepare Hex Bullets ahead of time, it's pretty bad, because you're limited to every other round. It's even worse for this class, because since Rapid Reload only applies to one firearm, you have to choose between spending half your feats on Rapid Reload and being limited to one weapon.

If you're worried about gunslingers tossing down multiple Death Curses per round, you could limit the number of Hex Bullets you have prepared at once (hexes reduce your grit capacity while they exist unfulfilled, for example, or you can only have a limited number of each kind ready, or whatever).

Edit: You could also just... not give the gunslingers Grand Hexes.

Shishoka
2017-03-25, 11:24 AM
Wow, haven't come back to this thread in a while. I'm not sure where you get the idea to reduce the Bullet Witch's grit from. This is mostly because they do not get grit and I make absolutely no mention of grit. I think that's the big problem with your criticism that has made me hesitant to post any adjustments to the thread. The reason this feels like a Gunslinger who can use hexes is that is how you are looking at it. It's kind of like, well, my posting of the archetype itself. It clearly needed work and in hindsight wasn't finished although I was completely blind to that last part. I still KNEW I needed to get other people to look at it so I could see the things I have missed. You have helped greatly with that especiialy where you point out that I hadn't actually finished writing it but instead jsut sort of peter off into an idea of how to finish the archetype. I think if you stop looking at it from the perspective of someone with a full attack bonus who fires several bullets every round and uses grit at all you will see comletely different mistakes that I have made and only noticed while begin to change the archetype using your criticisms. I mean, I say they get new spells every two levels instead of getting two new spells every level. What was I thinking when I typed that? Was I just tired?

As for a Gunslinger that can use hexes, they have that. Its in Secrets of the Gunslinger from Rite Publishing. It.. has a certain charm I suppose. Lackluster if you ask me.

Shishoka
2017-04-24, 11:10 AM
Ok, an updated version. I admit I didn't use some of your suggestions. Still, I'd appreciate a little more help. I'm honestly not sure what to do about the "Advanced Gun Rod" ability. Just not sure how to finish it so if you could give me a little assistance I'd appreciate it. Also... newb question but how do you indent inthese things? I mean, maybe it's just my tab key is broken and I didn't realize it but I can not indent at all. Also, let me know if it's too long like this and needs a spoiler or to be broken up into multiple posts.

PATRON - A Bullet Witch cannot choose the "Healing Patron Theme." This
alters Patron.

GUNSMITH - The Bullet Witch gains the Gunsmithing feat
and treats Craft(firearms) as a class skill. This replaces
cantrips (although the Bullet Witch gains arcane mark, detect
magic, and read magic and can cast them as first level spells).

WEAPON PROFICIENCY (firearms) - The Bullet Witch gains
Exotic Weapons Proficiency (firearms) as a free bonus feat
at level 1.

WITCH'S WEAPON (Ex) - At 1st level a Bullet Witch's
strange bondes to the patron they serve takes the form of a
weapon known as the Gun Rod, with the ability to be changed
into multiple forms as the Bullet Witch grows in power. This
weapon is considered of masterwork quality and counts as a
magic weapon for all purposes with an aura of transmutation
with a caster level equal to the Bullet Witch's level in all its
forms. Unlike a normal witch's familiar the Gun Rod grants no
skill bonuses save the +1 masterwork bonus to attacks and
damage rolls.

GUN ROD - The Gun Rod is a magical weapon connected
to the Bullet Witch's patron that has the ability to change into
multiple forms. This weapon has an aura of transmutation equal
to the witch's level in Bullet Witch. The Gun Rod has a hardness
of 20 and 70 hitpoints. Anyone other than the Bullet Witch who
attempts to use this Gun Rod takes a -4 non-proficiency penalty
even if they are proficient with the form the Gun Rod is currently
in. For specific details on the Gun Rod's forms refer to the
following table and individual descriptions.

GUN ROD FORMS:



form
dmg (s)
dmg (m)
dmg (l)
critical
range
misfire
capacity
weight
type
special
crew
aim
load
speed


Staff
1d4/1d4
1d6/1d6
-
x2
-
-
-
4 lbs.
B
-
-
-
-
-


Musket
1d10
1d12
-
x4
40 ft.
1-2 (5 ft.)
1
9 lbs.
B and P
-
-
-
-
-


Blunderbuss
1d6
1d8
-
x2
Special
1-2 (10 ft.)
1
8 lbs.
B and P
scatter
-
-
-
-


Pistols (x2)
1d6
1d8
-
x4
20 ft.
1 (5 ft.)
1
4 lbs.
B and P
-
-
-
-
-


Culverin
2d6
2d8
-
x4
30 ft.
1 (10 ft.)
1
40 lbs.
B and P
scatter
-
-
-
-


Cannon
-
-
6d6
x4
100 ft.
1 (20 ft.)
1
6000 lbs.
B and P
-
2
1
3
10 ft.



Staff - This form of the Gun Rod is 5 feet long and visually similar
to a quarterstaff although with a metal grip at its center; anyone
who saw this form would be able to note the difference with more
than a glance. As a Staff the Gun Rod is able to be prepared with
a hex or touch spell as a swift action and deliver it as a standard
action with a melee attack or a melee touch attack.

Musket - The first form available that the Gun Rod can assume is
that of a Musket at level 1. Preparing one round of ammunition
for the Musket as a Hex Bullet takes a standard action.

Blunderbuss - At 2nd level the Bullet Witch gains the ability to
transform the Gun Rod into a Blunderbuss. As a Blunderuss the
Gun Rod fires in a 15-foot cone when firing pellets and has a
10-foot range increment when firing a buller. Preparing a bullet
or a handful of pellets as Hex Ammunition takes a standard action.
This replaces the Bullet Witch's hex gained at 2nd level.

Pistols - At 6th level the Gun Rod gains the form of two pistols
which can be dual weilded with all apropriate penalties for
weilding two weapons. The Bullet Witch is able to prepare
Hex Ammunition for these Pistols as a move action. Unlike
with the other Gun Rod forms the Bullet Witch is able to
prepare two bullets as Hex Ammunition for Pistols
simultaneously (one for each Pistol) but must still use a
move action or equivalent action for each bullet. This enables
the Bullet Witch to load and fire Hex Bullets at two targets
simultaneously up to the Pistol's maximum range increments.
the Bullet Witch drops one of the Pistols, is disarmed, or
otherwise loses possession of one or both Pistols then the Hex
Ammunition in the lost Pistols is treated as normal bullets.
Should the Bullet Witch retrieve the lost Pistol or Pistols before
they are fired or the Bullet Witch casts a spell or hex then the
bullets regain their status as Hex Ammunition. Should someone
else fire one of the Bullet Witch's Pistol then that Pistol's Hex
Ammunition is lost. This replaces the Bullet Witch's hex gained at
6th level.

Hand Culverin - At 10th level the Bullet Witch gains the ability to
transform the Gun Rod into a Hand Culverin. Preparing grapeshot
for the Culverin as Hex Ammunition as a full round action. This
replaces the major hex normally granted at level 10.

Cannon - At 18th level the Gun Rod can be transformed into a
Cannon. The Cannon is a standard large size siege weapon and comes
mounted on a gune carriage capable of being hooked up to a limber,
horse, or any hitch capable of accepting a cannon mount. The Cannon
forms fully assembled, waiting only to be loaded. Cannon balls cost
30 gp. each and weigh 25 pounds. Appropriate Hex Ammunition can be
prepared as a full round action and loaded as normal. This replaces
the Bullet Witch's Grand Hex at level 18.

Advanced Gun Rod - At level 20 in replace of their major hex
a Bullet Witch can choose to take the ability to alter their Gun Rod's
individual forms to any other similar weapon when they change forms.
These altered forms can be any firearm available in the game (with
GM's approval). A few examples follow:

Pistols can instead assume the form of Dragon Pistols.

A Musket can instead assume the form of a Double Barrel
Musket.

A Blunderbuss can instead assume the form of a Shotgun.

A Gun Rod can change between its forms as a swift action. When
changing forms any ammunition the Gun Rod is loaded with is
destroyed and damage sustained in one form carries over to the
next. This damage is repaired when next the Bullet Witch spells
unless the damage caused the Gun Rod to be broken or destroyed.

A broken Gun Rod can be repaired by using the Gunsmithing feat
or or the Craft (firearms) skill against a Craft DC of 25 and a base
cost equal to that of the most expensive firearm that the Gun Rod
can currently turn into, or with spells such as mending. The sole to
this is if the Gun Rod obtains the broken condtion from a misfire.
Should one of the Gun Rod's forms obtain the broken condition from
a misfire that form will retain the broken condition until the Bullet
Witch can dedicate the time to remove it using the Gunsmithing
feat or by using the Craft (firearms) skill.

A destroyed Gun Rod can be restored using an appropriate spell such
as make whole (although without their Gun Rod the Bullet Witch
will be unable to cast such spells themselves). Lacking the help of
another spellcaster, or in the event that the Gun Rod is lost, a Bullet
Witch can replace the Gun Rod in the same manner that a lost or dead
familiar. After 1 day they can perform a special ritual that costs 500
gp per witch level (levels in other witch classes stack with levels in
Bullet Witch when determining this cost) and requires 8 hours to
complete.

Store Spells - A Bullet Witch's Gun Rod stores all of the spells
that they know as per the Witch's Familiar ability. The Bullet
Witch's Gun Rod begins play storing three 1st level spells of the
witch's choice as well as arcane mark, detect magic, and read
magic as 1st level spells. The Bullet WItch also selects a number
of additional 1st level spells equal to their Intelligence modifier to
store in their Gun Rod.

At each new witch level the Bullet Witch adds two new spells of any
level or levels that they can cast (based on their highest witch level)
to their Gun Rod. The Bullet Witch can also add spells to their Gun Rod
through the same special ritual as a normal witch with minor
alterations. See ADDING SPELLS TO A GUN ROD for details.

In order to prepare spells a Bullet Witch must commune with their
their Gun Rod each day in a ritual of polishing and otherwise
maintaining the weapon for one hour.

Hex Ammunition (Su) - Beginning at 3rd level a Bullet Witch
is able to prepare Hex Ammunition, ammunition charged with the
Bullet Witch's hexes or spells. The Bullet Witch must have the
appropriate ammunition for their Gun Rod's form to prepare and
use it as Hex Ammunition. The Hex Ammunition allows the Gun
Rod to deliver hexes and spells to targets as long as they are not
healing spells. The hex or spell used to prepare the Hex
Ammunition dissipates and is lost if another spell or hex is cast or
another round of Hex Ammunition is prepared before the previous
Hex Ammunition is used. If the Bullet Witch changes the form of
their Gun Rod then the round of ammunition it is loaded with is
destroyed and the hex or spell used for the Hex Ammunition is lost.
A Bullet Witch must be in contact with their Gun Rod to activate or
use this ability. Should the Bullet Witch not be in contact with their
Gun Rod for any reason then the Bullet Witch cannot prepare Hex
Ammunition. Should the Bullet Witch lose contact with their Gun Rod
then the ammunition reverts to normal and must be removed and
prepared as Hex Ammunition agan or fired as a normal round. The
two exceptions to this are the Pistols form and the Cannon form.
Refer to those forms for the specific details.

Attacks made using Hex Ammunition are resolved as normal but the
spells or hexes used in its creation is applied to the target against
its touch AC. Should the attack roll fail but still beat the target's touch
AC then the Hex Ammunition is considered to have "grazed" the target.
The ammunition itself deals no damage but the spell or hex that the
ammunition is charged with succeeds and is resolved against the target
according to its mechanics.

Loading Hex Ammunition follows the rules appropriate for whatever
form the Gun Rod is in.

This replaces Witch's Familiar.

ADDING SPELLS TO A GUN ROD - A Bullet Witch gains new
spells in three ways.

Spells Gained at a New Level: Whenever the Bullet Witch gains
a new level, they may add two spells from the witch's spell list to
their Gun Rod. The two free spells must be of spell levels that they
can cast.

Teaching to/Taught by a Familar: A Bullet Witch's Gun Rod has
no mind of any kind and as such cannot learn spells from someone
else's familiar in the way that a normal witch's familiar can. Rather,
the Bullet Witch learns the spell and stores the knowledge in her Gun
Rod. Other than the Bullet Witch taking the place of their familiar
the ritual is unchanged and requires the Bullet Witch to spend one
hour per level of the spell being taught in communion with the other
witch's familiar. At the end of this time whoever is learning the spell,
either the Bullet Witch or the other witch's familiar, must make a
Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If the check succeeds the spell
is learned and can be utilized the next time the witch prepares spells.
If the check fails, the attempt to learn the spell has failed and whoever
was learning the spell cannot try to learn that spell again until the witch
has gained another rank in Spellcraft. Most witches dislike the idea of
leaving their familiar alone with another witch for any period of time but
if they can be convinced they will likely require a spell of equal or
greater level in return for this service. Convincing another witch to leave
their familiar alone with the Bullet Witch can require additional costs
to be negotiated between them.

Learn from a Scroll: A Bullet Witch can learn new spells from scrolls
and store them in their Gun Rod. This process takes 1 hour per level of the
spell to be learned, during which time the scroll is burned and its ashes used
to create a special oil or polish that is rubbed on the weapon. This process
destroys the scroll. At the end of this time, the witch must make a Spellcraft
check (DC 15 + spell level). If the check fails, the process went awry in some
way and the spell is not learned, although the scroll is still consumed. Spells
cannot be stored in any other weapon by the Bullet Witch in this way.

aimlessPolymath
2017-04-24, 11:35 AM
Alright!

First off, something's funny with your spacing- it almost looks like you added newlines in order to manually cut the paragraph width in half? It's a bit hard to read, and it's awful on mobile (or when trying to quote).

Second, tab characters often don't work in web browsers, sadly- you want the Increase Indent button, in the second line, third grouping of buttons, last item of the in-window editor- or use {Indent][/Indent] tags (change out the curly brace for a bracket.

Notes:
Masterwork property only adds to attack rolls, not damage- fix last line of Witch's Weapon.


Unlike
with the other Gun Rod forms the Bullet Witch is able to
prepare two bullets as Hex Ammunition for Pistols
simultaneously (one for each Pistol) but must still use a
move action or equivalent action for each bullet.
So, if you want to prepare two sets of ammunition, you need two move actions, but what you mean is that you can have two bullets ready at a time?
Change "the bullet witch is able to prepare..." to "the Bullet Witch can have two bullets prepared as Hex Ammunition for Pistols at once, but must still..."- it clarifies that you aren't actually preparing both simultaneously without causing confusion.


This damage is repaired when next the Bullet Witch prepares spells
unless the damage caused the Gun Rod to be broken or destroyed.

Unclear in what way the Cannon form is an exception to normal Hex Ammunition rules.


This enables
the Bullet Witch to load and fire Hex Bullets at two targets
simultaneously up to the Pistol's maximum range increments.
... as a standard action.


Looking through, this seems pretty solid! Do note that the Scatter quality probably makes
Hex Ammunition is a nice option for delivering spells to multiple targets at once.

Major notes:
Do note that your current screening out of healing spells doesn't prevent buffs from being delivered. One suggestion: Make any spell delivered through Hex Ammunition lose the harmless tag. That way, people are forced to make the saving throw against the spell, even if they don't want to. For attacking spells, it doesn't
make a difference, but for helpful spells, it limits their availability significantly.

On Advanced Gun Rod- I would like to note that the upgrades given aren't a whole lot of upgrade for a 20th level ability. What about just giving the guns +1 size for damage, and the ability to give them some form of enchantments (i.e. flaming for dragon pistol imitation, I think there was a quickloading enchantment somewhere, etc)? Or letting them assume any gun form they want? It's 20th level, and you're giving up some incredible hexes. I would consider it OK to let them getget actual revolvers, and load each barrel with spells.

Double Barrelled Shotgun upgrade for Advanced Gun Rod makes me suspect that you may want to generalize the rules for # Hex Bullets (much catchier name than Hex Ammunition BTW) preparable at once to directly measure from the capacity of the Gun Rod- that's just a compatibility thing, though.

Class is losing heavily on accuracy compared to the Gunslinger- 10 points of BAB, and it's not clear that the Gun Rod can be enchanted, so it might lose another +5 on top of that, so it's unlikely to be able to hit easily.

Misfires are pretty nasty for the class. It takes at least a day to fix a misfire, right? That's happening 1 in 10-20 times you fire. Fortunately, it looks like it can function without if needed, or switch to a different form.

Shishoka
2017-04-25, 11:40 AM
First off, something's funny with your spacing- it almost looks like you added newlines in order to manually cut the paragraph width in half? It's a bit hard to read, and it's awful on mobile (or when trying to quote).



I did do that. I am newb. I am guessing there is a way to insert linebreaks that doesn't have you manually hitting enter at about where you want the line to end?


This enables
the Bullet Witch to load and fire Hex Bullets at two targets
simultaneously up to the Pistol's maximum range increments.

I said this wrong. I only noticed it now that it isn't what I meant... You dont have to use both rounds of Hex Ammunition at the same time as a simultaneous dual-weilded attack... you can do it one right after the other as a full-attack or you can even fire the other one on a subsequent turn for whatever reason. Any suggestions on how to clarify it.


Major notes:
Do note that your current screening out of healing spells doesn't prevent buffs from being delivered. One suggestion: Make any spell delivered through Hex Ammunition lose the harmless tag. That way, people are forced to make the saving throw against the spell, even if they don't want to. For attacking spells, it doesn't
make a difference, but for helpful spells, it limits their availability significantly.

They are meant to be able to apply buffs this way. Did I forget to put in the part about "winging" the target? That is still the intent. The bullet does damage seperate from the spell/hex it is charged with. This is to make it a bit more distinct from the spellslinger wizard archetype. That's basically why they don't have to make the saving throw against the spell. Applying a buff in this way can cause them damage. But the bullet itself doesn't have to actually hit them. Just beat their touch AC to apply the spell. This is mostly in there as a bit of goof if someone feels a desire to get a bit silly. As for the healing spells not being able to prepare Hex ammunition... that's because you may end up causing more damage than you do healing it. I grant applying healing spells to the ammunition would be useful against undead but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.



and the ability to give them some form of enchantments (i.e. flaming for dragon pistol imitation, I think there was a quickloading enchantment somewhere, etc)?

I actually just added that as a part of the nature of the gun rod, adding enchantments the way a wizard's bonded object works but without the requirement to be in possession of it to cast spells without making a concentration check. I removed it because I was actually worried it would be overpowered and maybe somewhat redundant with hex ammunition. Think I should add it back?


Or letting them assume any gun form they want? It's 20th level, and you're giving up some incredible hexes. I would consider it OK to let them getget actual revolvers, and load each barrel with spells.

It is intended that they be able to do exactly that, actually. As long as the gun is available... and the GM approves mainly because he determines if the gun would be available or not. These were just a few small examples. Any advice on how to phrase it in order to better carry that intent? Hell, if its a modern campaign and the GM approves I have no problem with the player turning the Cannon form into an Abrams... as long as someone knows how to drive it.


Double Barrelled Shotgun upgrade for Advanced Gun Rod makes me suspect that you may want to generalize the rules for # Hex Bullets (much catchier name than Hex Ammunition BTW) preparable at once to directly measure from the capacity of the Gun Rod- that's just a compatibility thing, though.

I actually did call Hex Ammunition by individual names in the specific entries for the firearm forms originally. Hex Bullets, Hex Pellets, Hex Grapeshot, etc. Cannon is called Hex Rounds though for dignities sake. The generalized term was used to replace all of these. Think I should change it back?


Class is losing heavily on accuracy compared to the Gunslinger- 10 points of BAB, and it's not clear that the Gun Rod can be enchanted, so it might lose another +5 on top of that, so it's unlikely to be able to hit easily.

Yeah, this is intentional. Although I based this off of Microsoft's "Bullet Witch" game I did not want this to be a Gunslinger that can use hexes or just a gestalt class. This is still a witch with the primary function of casting spells. The guns just augment the way they CAN deliver their hexes and spells by giving them a different option. I don't think they should actually be able to enchant the Gun Rod since it is already a magic item outside of the wizard bonded item emulation which we seem to be in agreement about. It is a gift from their patron, after all. Any advice on how to clarify this?


Misfires are pretty nasty for the class. It takes at least a day to fix a misfire, right? That's happening 1 in 10-20 times you fire. Fortunately, it looks like it can function without if needed, or switch to a different form.

Glad the stuff I added clarified how the class could handle misfires. They are nasty and unpleasant, especially since the ritual to replace the Gun Rod if it is destroyed is the same as a normal witch's familiar. This is intended to be a bit of a game of roulette.

One last question to ask before I end this post. Has it gotten too long and thus requires a spoiler tag in order to shorten it? Thanks for your input. Glad to see that the class presentation is improving and getting closer to what I intend.

aimlessPolymath
2017-04-25, 02:45 PM
I did do that. I am newb. I am guessing there is a way to insert linebreaks that doesn't have you manually hitting enter at about where you want the line to end?
The forum autowraps text, or you could theoretically enclose the text in a table of appropriate size- I'm just not sure why you would ever do that.




I said this wrong. I only noticed it now that it isn't what I meant... You dont have to use both rounds of Hex Ammunition at the same time as a simultaneous dual-weilded attack... you can do it one right after the other as a full-attack or you can even fire the other one on a subsequent turn for whatever reason. Any suggestions on how to clarify it.

It just folds into TWF.



They are meant to be able to apply buffs this way. Did I forget to put in the part about "winging" the target? That is still the intent. The bullet does damage seperate from the spell/hex it is charged with. This is to make it a bit more distinct from the spellslinger wizard archetype. That's basically why they don't have to make the saving throw against the spell. Applying a buff in this way can cause them damage. But the bullet itself doesn't have to actually hit them. Just beat their touch AC to apply the spell. This is mostly in there as a bit of goof if someone feels a desire to get a bit silly. As for the healing spells not being able to prepare Hex ammunition... that's because you may end up causing more damage than you do healing it. I grant applying healing spells to the ammunition would be useful against undead but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Trust me, you won't deal more damage than you heal(A blunderbuss deals 1d8 damage... cure moderate wounds heals at least 2d8+3 damage). I wasn't sure whether applying beneficial spells was something you want, due to the healing exclusion.

It's a pretty common houserule to say that people can allow attacks to hit them if they like. This interacts somewhat strangely with levels of success like you have here, though- what do you think of the Bullet Witch being able to decide to deal no damage with Hex Ammunition?


I actually just added that as a part of the nature of the gun rod, adding enchantments the way a wizard's bonded object works but without the requirement to be in possession of it to cast spells without making a concentration check. I removed it because I was actually worried it would be overpowered and maybe somewhat redundant with hex ammunition. Think I should add it back?
Without enchantments, the bullets become irrelevant at high levels, and the archetype just turns into a way of delivering



It is intended that they be able to do exactly that, actually. As long as the gun is available... and the GM approves mainly because he determines if the gun would be available or not. These were just a few small examples. Any advice on how to phrase it in order to better carry that intent? Hell, if its a modern campaign and the GM approves I have no problem with the player turning the Cannon form into an Abrams... as long as someone knows how to drive it.
Give me a bit to work out wording for Hex Bullets.

Revised Hex Ammunition rules, renamed to Hex Bullets because it's easier to type:



Hex Ammunition: Beginning at 3rd level, a Bullet Witch is able to prepare Hex Bullets, spells or hexes imbued into bullets. In order to do so, a Bullet Witch consumes a single unit of ammunition appropriate for the current form of her Gun Rod, and expends a use of a hex or witch spell which targets a single creature or area emanating from a point. Once imbued in this way, it remains active until expended, the Gun Rod changes form, the Bullet Witch casts a spell, or until it is dismissed to create a new Hex Bullet. Creating a Hex Bullet requires an action determined by the current form of the Gun Rod- a standard action by default.

A Bullet Witch may maintain a number of Hex Bullets as determined by the current form of her Gun Rod- one bullet per point of capacity. If they have a a Gun Rod form which includes multiple weapons at once (such as the dual Pistols form), sum the capacities of all forms currently active. If they create a Hex Bullet in excess of this amount, they must choose a Hex Bullet to dismiss.

When the bullet is fired at a creature or square, the attack roll is resolved as normal for a firearm, but if the attack roll hits the touch AC of the target, even if the attack missed, the spell is also automatically discharged, targeting the creature or square.

In all other ways, the Hex Bullet is a normal bullet, and must be loaded and fired in the normal ways.


Dropping the "letting go ends the bullet" thing because it seems unnecessary, also because it's a little screwy with cannons.
Covers loading the weapon, covers multiple attacks in the case of pistols (they function as normal), I think it's what you're looking for.



I actually did call Hex Ammunition by individual names in the specific entries for the firearm forms originally. Hex Bullets, Hex Pellets, Hex Grapeshot, etc. Cannon is called Hex Rounds though for dignities sake. The generalized term was used to replace all of these. Think I should change it back?
I'd stay away from multiple names- I just like Hex Bullets as a name. Could apply to any of them.



Yeah, this is intentional. Although I based this off of Microsoft's "Bullet Witch" game I did not want this to be a Gunslinger that can use hexes or just a gestalt class. This is still a witch with the primary function of casting spells. The guns just augment the way they CAN deliver their hexes and spells by giving them a different option. I don't think they should actually be able to enchant the Gun Rod since it is already a magic item outside of the wizard bonded item emulation which we seem to be in agreement about. It is a gift from their patron, after all. Any advice on how to clarify this?

Due to accuracy falloff, the guns themselves essentially become irrelevant at high levels, becoming primarily only useful to deliver spells at range or against multiple creatures/targets. Due to reload time, they basically become a first-turn alpha strike which can deal a number of spells quickly, but their actual damage is irrelevant.


Glad the stuff I added clarified how the class could handle misfires. They are nasty and unpleasant, especially since the ritual to replace the Gun Rod if it is destroyed is the same as a normal witch's familiar. This is intended to be a bit of a game of roulette.
Cool.


One last question to ask before I end this post. Has it gotten too long and thus requires a spoiler tag in order to shorten it? Thanks for your input. Glad to see that the class presentation is improving and getting closer to what I intend.
Nah. It's all your content, it's non-spammy, should be fine. The linebreak thing is a bit irritating, though.

Shishoka
2017-04-26, 12:29 PM
I did the line breaks manually because I didn't know how to word wrap.

aimlessPolymath
2017-04-26, 12:38 PM
The forum does it for you.

Shishoka
2017-05-05, 01:27 PM
Ok... once more my noob is showing. I can't figure out how to make it word wrap. :smallfrown:

Shishoka
2017-05-08, 11:46 AM
Ok, I think I'm just about finished tweaking it.

PATRON - A Bullet Witch cannot choose the "Healing Patron Theme." This alters Patron.

GUNSMITH - The Bullet Witch gains the Gunsmithing feat and treats Craft(firearms) as a class skill. This replaces cantrips (although the Bullet Witch gains arcane mark, detect magic, and read magic and can cast them as first level spells).

WEAPON PROFICIENCY (firearms) - The Bullet Witch gains Exotic Weapons Proficiency (firearms) as a free bonus feat at level 1.

WITCH'S WEAPON (Ex) - At 1st level a Bullet Witch's strange bondes to the patron they serve takes the form of a weapon known as the Gun Rod, with the ability to be changed into multiple forms as the Bullet Witch grows in power. This weapon is considered of masterwork quality and counts as a magic weapon for all purposes with an aura of transmutation with a caster level equal to the Bullet Witch's level in all its forms. Unlike a normal witch's familiar the Gun Rod grants no skill bonuses save the +1 masterwork bonus to attack rolls.

GUN ROD - The Gun Rod is a magical weapon connected to the Bullet Witch's patron that has the ability to change into multiple forms. This weapon has an aura of transmutation equal to the witch's level in Bullet Witch. The Gun Rod has a hardness of 20 and 70 hitpoints. Anyone other than the Bullet Witch who attempts to use this Gun Rod takes a -4 non-proficiency penalty even if they are proficient with the form the Gun Rod is currently in. For specific details on the Gun Rod's forms refer to the following table and individual descriptions.

GUN ROD FORMS:



form
dmg (s)
dmg (m)
dmg (l)
critical
range
misfire
capacity
weight
type
special
crew
aim
load
speed


Staff
1d4/1d4
1d6/1d6
-
x2
-
-
-
4 lbs.
B
-
-
-
-
-


Musket
1d10
1d12
-
x4
40 ft.
1-2 (5 ft.)
1
9 lbs.
B and P
-
-
-
-
-


Blunderbuss
1d6
1d8
-
x2
Special
1-2 (10 ft.)
1
8 lbs.
B and P
scatter
-
-
-
-


Pistols (x2)
1d6
1d8
-
x4
20 ft.
1 (5 ft.)
1
4 lbs.
B and P
-
-
-
-
-


Culverin
2d6
2d8
-
x4
30 ft.
1 (10 ft.)
1
40 lbs.
B and P
scatter
-
-
-
-


Cannon
-
-
6d6
x4
100 ft.
1 (20 ft.)
1
6000 lbs.
B and P
-
2
1
3
10 ft.




Staff - This form of the Gun Rod is 5 feet long and visually similar to a quarterstaff although with a metal grip at its center; anyone who saw this form would be able to note the difference with more than a glance. As a Staff the Gun Rod is able to be prepared with a hex or touch spell as a swift action and deliver it as a standard action with a melee attack or a melee touch attack.


Musket - The first form available that the Gun Rod can assume is that of a Musket at level 1. Preparing one round of ammunition for the Musket as a Hex Bullet takes a standard action.


Blunderbuss - At 2nd level the Bullet Witch gains the ability to transform the Gun Rod into a Blunderbuss. As a Blunderuss the Gun Rod fires in a 15-foot cone when firing pellets and has a 10-foot range increment when firing a buller. Preparing a bullet or a handful of pellets as Hex Ammunition takes a standard action. This replaces the Bullet Witch's hex gained at 2nd level.


Pistols - At 6th level the Gun Rod gains the form of two pistols which can be dual weilded with all apropriate penalties for weilding two weapons. The Bullet Witch is able to prepare Hex Ammunition for both Pistols at once (one for each Pistol) with a single hex or spell. This requires a move action. This enables the Bullet Witch to load and fire Hex Bullets at two targets seperately up to the Pistol's maximum range increments. These attacks do not need to be made the same round, so long as nothing happens that would cause the Hex Ammunition to be permanently lost before it is used. If the Bullet Witch drops one of the Pistols, is disarmed, or otherwise loses possession of one or both Pistols then the Hex Ammunition in the lost Pistols is treated as normal bullets. If only one Pistol is lost and the Bullet Witch retrieves it before the bullet is fired or they cast another hex or spell then the bullet regains its status as Hex Ammunition. If the Bullet Witch loses possession of the other Pistol before retrieving the lost one then both bullets revert to normal and must be removed and prepared as Hex Ammunition again. Should someone else fire one of the Bullet Witch's Pistol then that Pistol's Hex Ammunition is lost and that bullet functions as normal, but the other Pistol's bullet maintains its status as Hex Ammunition seperately.

A Pistol that is permanently lost requires the spell make whole to be restored or the ritual to replace the Gun Rod be performed. This replaces the Bullet Witch's hex gained at 6th level.


Hand Culverin - At 10th level the Bullet Witch gains the ability to transform the Gun Rod into a Hand Culverin. Preparing grapeshot for the Culverin as Hex Ammunition as a full round action. This replaces the major hex normally granted at level 10.


Cannon - At 18th level the Gun Rod can be transformed into a Cannon. The Cannon is a standard large size siege weapon and comes mounted on a gun carriage capable of being hooked up to a limber, horse, or any hitch capable of accepting a cannon mount. The Cannon forms fully assembled, waiting only to be loaded. Cannon balls cost 30 gp. each and weigh 25 pounds. Appropriate Hex Ammunition can be prepared as a full round action and loaded as normal for a cannon. Unlike other forms loading a cannon often requires a crew or magical assistance to do so in a timely manner and forces the Bullet Witch to frequently lose contact with the Gun Rod. When the Gun Rod is in its Cannon form the Bullet Witch only needs to remain within a 60-foot radius of the Cannon to maintain the Hex Round. Should the Bullet Witch step outside this radius the Hex Round reverts to a normal cannon ball and would have to be removed and prepared as Hex Ammunition again or fired as a normal round. This replaces the Bullet Witch's Grand Hex at level 18.

Advanced Gun Rod - At level 20 in replace of their major hex a Bullet Witch can choose to take the ability to alter their Gun Rod's individual forms to any other similar weapon when they change forms. These altered forms can be any firearm available in the game (with GM's approval). A few examples follow:


Pistols can instead assume the form of Dragon Pistols or Revolvers.


A Musket can instead assume the form of a Double Barrel Musket or Rifle.


A Blunderbuss can instead assume the form of a Shotgun or Double Barrel Shotgun.

A Gun Rod can change between its forms as a swift action. When changing forms any ammunition the Gun Rod is loaded with is destroyed and damage sustained in one form carries over to the next. This damage is repaired when next the Bullet Witch prepares spells unless the damage caused the Gun Rod to be broken or destroyed.

A broken Gun Rod can be repaired by using the Gunsmithing feat or or the Craft (firearms) skill against a Craft DC of 25 and a base cost equal to that of the most expensive firearm that the Gun Rod can currently turn into, or with spells such as mending. The sole to this is if the Gun Rod obtains the broken condtion from a misfire. Should one of the Gun Rod's forms obtain the broken condition from a misfire that form will retain the broken condition until the Bullet Witch can dedicate the time to remove it using the Gunsmithing feat or by using the Craft (firearms) skill.

A destroyed Gun Rod can be restored using an appropriate spell such as make whole (although without their Gun Rod the Bullet Witch will be unable to cast such spells themselves). Lacking the help of another spellcaster, or in the event that the Gun Rod is lost, a Bullet Witch can replace the Gun Rod in the same manner that a lost or dead familiar. After 1 day they can perform a special ritual that costs 500 gp per witch level (levels in other witch classes stack with levels in Bullet Witch when determining this cost) and requires 8 hours to complete.

Enchantments - A Bullet Witch is able to add enchantments to their Gun Rod using their known hexes and spells. The following abilities can be bestowed upon their Gun Rod: bane, defending, disrupting, distance, flaming, flaming burst, frost, ghost touch, icy burst, merciful, seeking, shock, shocking burst, thundering, vicious, and wounding. In addition several witch's hexes can grant the Gun Rod special abilities.


Cauldron - The witch's Gun Rod transforms into a cauldron that they can use to brew potions. A handy little ability for the witch on the go.


Flight - The Bullet Witch is able to bestow their Gun Rod with the ability to fly, allowing it to be used as a broom of flying.


Witch's Hut - A Bullet Witch with the Witch's Hut[I/}] hex is able to grant their Gun Rod legs as per the hex, allowing it to walk under the 7Bullet Witch's Command.

Other hex's may be able to grant additional abilities to their Gun Rod at the GM's discretion.

[I]Store Spells - A Bullet Witch's Gun Rod stores all of the spells that they know as per the Witch's Familiar ability. The Bullet Witch's Gun Rod begins play storing three 1st level spells of the witch's choice as well as arcane mark, detect magic, and read magic as 1st level spells. The Bullet WItch also selects a number of additional 1st level spells equal to their Intelligence modifier to store in their Gun Rod.

At each new witch level the Bullet Witch adds two new spells of any level or levels that they can cast (based on their highest witch level) to their Gun Rod. The Bullet Witch can also add spells to their Gun Rod through the same special ritual as a normal witch with minor alterations. See ADDING SPELLS TO A GUN ROD for details.

In order to prepare spells a Bullet Witch must commune with their their Gun Rod each day in a ritual of polishing and otherwise maintaining the weapon for one hour.

Hex Ammunition (Su) - Beginning at 3rd level a Bullet Witch is able to prepare a number of rounds of ammunition equal to the maximum capacity of the Gun Rod's current form as Hex Ammunition, ammunition charged with the Bullet Witch's hexes or spells. When the Gun Rod is in its staff form the Bullet Witch is able to prepare only one round of ammunition for any of the forms their Gun Rod can assume. The Bullet Witch must have the appropriate ammunition for their Gun Rod's form to prepare and use it as Hex Ammunition and must have an eligible hex or spell available to cast on the ammunition. The Hex Ammunition allows the Gun Rod to deliver hexes and spells to targets as long as they are not healing spells. The hex or spell used to prepare the Hex Ammunition dissipates and is lost if another spell or hex is cast or another round of Hex Ammunition is prepared before the previous Hex Ammunition is used. If the Bullet Witch changes the form of their Gun Rod then the round of ammunition it is loaded with is destroyed and the hex or spell used for the Hex Ammunition is lost. A Bullet Witch must be in contact with their Gun Rod to activate or use this ability. Should the Bullet Witch not be in contact with their Gun Rod for any reason then the Bullet Witch cannot prepare Hex Ammunition. Should the Bullet Witch lose contact with their Gun Rod then the ammunition reverts to normal and must be removed and prepared as Hex Ammunition again or fired as a normal round. The two exceptions to this are the Pistols form and the Cannon form. Refer to those forms for the specific details.

Attacks made using Hex Ammunition are resolved as normal but the spells or hexes used in its creation is applied to the target against its touch AC. Should the attack roll fail but still beat the target's touch AC then the Hex Ammunition is considered to have "grazed" the target. The ammunition itself deals no damage but the spell or hex that the ammunition is charged with succeeds and is resolved against the target according to its mechanics.

Loading Hex Ammunition follows the rules appropriate for whatever form the Gun Rod is in.

This replaces Witch's Familiar.

ADDING SPELLS TO A GUN ROD - A Bullet Witch gains new spells in three ways.

Spells Gained at a New Level: Whenever the Bullet Witch gains a new level, they may add two spells from the witch's spell list to their Gun Rod. The two free spells must be of spell levels that they can cast.

Teaching to/Taught by a Familar: A Bullet Witch's Gun Rod has no mind of any kind and as such cannot learn spells from someone else's familiar in the way that a normal witch's familiar can. Rather, the Bullet Witch learns the spell and stores the knowledge in her Gun Rod. Other than the Bullet Witch taking the place of their familiar the ritual is unchanged and requires the Bullet Witch to spend one hour per level of the spell being taught in communion with the other witch's familiar. At the end of this time whoever is learning the spell, either the Bullet Witch or the other witch's familiar, must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If the check succeeds the spell is learned and can be utilized the next time the witch prepares spells. If the check fails, the attempt to learn the spell has failed and whoever was learning the spell cannot try to learn that spell again until the witch has gained another rank in Spellcraft. Most witches dislike the idea of leaving their familiar alone with another witch for any period of time but if they can be convinced they will likely require a spell of equal or greater level in return for this service. Convincing another witch to leave their familiar alone with the Bullet Witch can require additional costs to be negotiated between them.

Learn from a Scroll: A Bullet Witch can learn new spells from scrolls and store them in their Gun Rod. This process takes 1 hour per level of the spell to be learned, during which time the scroll is burned and its ashes used to create a special oil or polish that is rubbed on the weapon. This process destroys the scroll. At the end of this time, the witch must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If the check fails, the process went awry in some way and the spell is not learned, although the scroll is still consumed. Spells cannot be stored in any other weapon by the Bullet Witch in this way.