Spellslinger

The self-learned gunslinger-wizards of the Black Desert, who blaze a trail into tomorrow at any cost

Slinger's Lip

A technique burned into the Zeitgeist of all slingers past and future, the 'Slinger's Lip' is a technique that evolved as a way to combat the most common side effect of a Spellslinger's haphazard and slapshod magical training - that being a unique form of Lockjaw known as "Slingjaw" where Spellslingers, often self-taught and self-trained, pulse their magical energy through their entire bodies instead of only through their magical circuits when casting such that the energy coursing through their lips and teeth prevents them from opening their mouths, locking their teeth and jaw shut. To combat this, Spellslingers make a habit of keeping a small objects colloquially known as "Slingpicks" made of natural materials in their mouth at all times(Typically a toothpick, though many also take to the habit of smoking instead) to act as a 'grounding rod' so their own magical circuits do not paralyze their jaw muscles and teeth in place when casting(And for older slingers, so that their jaws, shot through by decades of casting, are not permanently welded shut).

"Come out with your hands up, Joe - we have the place surrounded, there's no way out this time!"
"Well, well...a full battalion and a crawler jus' for me? Ain't no one ever told ya that it's rude to disrespect yer elders, boy? Ain't nothin' here but a 90 year old pile of meat that's jus' bout' in the grave, anyhow. Ain't this sum kinda waste'a yer fancy ironite resources...?"
"Don't give me that! Old or not, you're still a wanted man - and your arrest will set an example to the rest of your pathetic kind! I have my orders, Joe - and they're for you to stand trial!"
"...will it, now? Mmmm...ain't no putting that varmint back in its cage, ifn' ya ask me...my time's jus' bout' finished. Next generation's risin' quick, eh? Secret's already out, after that stunt I pulled at San Vigorda."
"Ah, so the doddering old fool does remember something! You slew good men at San Vigorda, you outlaw trash - fathers and brothers! You'll answer for that, in this life or the next - for now, you're coming with us to stand trial in a proper Ironite Court!"
"...don't I know it. Only natural I'm damned for what I've done...thing is, yer not the one who'll judge my soul, pardner. 'sides, ol' Joe's still got some kick in his fingers yet, I reckon...do run along before he sends ye packin'."
"The threats of a three-fingered nonagenarian whose jaw fused tight thirty years ago don't scare me in the slightest - not with this battalion at my back, and not with this crawler staring you down! So go ahead, Joe! Give me the pleasure of hauling your shattered corpse back to Lumisterra!"
"...i'll take that wager. Ol' Joe's got enough fuel in the tank for one final draw - me against tha crawler there. How 'bout it?"
"...you're insane. You'd quickdraw against a Smogger Crawler ...? ....fine. If that's how you wanna play."
"...bein' insane's part o' the territory for a Spellslinger. We're brought inta this world wit' nothin' - an' we leave wit' nothin'. Dust is our only birthright - pain our only promise. But the future's lookin' bright...next generation's a good one. Back in my day, we didn't know 'bout Slingjaw till we'd all gotten it so bad we could barely talk. Each generation learns somethin'. Passes it on. Betters tha next. We'll build back all that we've lost since the times of the Wizard-Kings - wit' dust and rust. We'll get it right one day - in this life, or the next. I won't be there to see it - but someone will. They'll walk the trails I've blazed, and carry on my will into tomorrow. For a boy born in the dustbowl who never thought he'd see nine, let alone ninety....that's good enough."
"..."
"...so draw, ya big sunovabitch."

— The last recorded words of the infamous Spellslinger 'Smokem Joe' during his botched capture which resulted in his death as well as the complete destruction of ATAC-12("Hardly knew 'er")

This is a modified and re-balanced version of the Spellslinger Archetype for the Wizard Class in the Pathfinder First Edition TTRPG. The flavor text and abilities of this class are listed below. As an additional note, In campaign settings that abide the 'Guns Everywhere' gun rarity described in the Firearms section of the Pathfinder First Edition Rules, GMs may rule that Spellslingers may instead gain Gun Training as per the Gunslinger Class ability instead of the Gunsmithing feat.

Knowledge. Power. All the secrets and inner workings of the cosmos laid bare within their libraries and at their fingertips - all these and more were the calling and the birthright of the ancient Sorcerer-Kings and Wizard-Tyrants that once called the lands of Numiastra home in the days before and shortly following The Skyfall Calamity, when they wove spells that freely tore apart and sculpted reality like clay, draining entire leylines to fuel their rituals that changed the world at a whim. Now, however, those halcyon days are but a memory - no longer do prospective wizards dream of towers, nor of grand rituals nor libraries stuffed to burst with the knowledge of their forebears, accumulated over untold generations. Their towers torn down, their rituals destroyed, and now with only the greatest and most ancient wizards yet possessing of the true knowledge of their craft, the wizards of yore on Numiastra turned to the only place on the continent that they could - the only place that did not hunt them as heretics, nor eagerly hunt them as food for undead armies; The Black Desert. There, the wizards of yore sought refuge in the sands, and even as their bloodlines and potential degraded over countless generations, their descendants sought the dream they once shared - and pursued it relentlessly, even as the legacies of the ancient Sorcerer-Kings faded into rust and dust. Now, only the Spellslingers remain - self-taught magicians who, much like the scrap guns they favor, wield knowledge cobbled together from a thousand different sources, learning the lessons of failure and passing that learned wisdom down to the next generation so that, one day, they might recover all that was lost; That they might one day reclaim their birthright, and the power they once wielded to shape the world. For now, though? For now, they settle with rust, dust, and steel - augmenting what they lack in formal training with the power of powder and the beauty of the guns that use it.

Arcane Gun (Su)

At 1st level, the Spellslinger gains the Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Firearms) feat - in settings where guns are commonplace, they may instead gain the Weapon Focus and Martial Focus feats as bonus feats ignoring prerequisites. In addition, a Spellslinger selects either one or two Firearms to be his Arcane Guns - these guns, though they function as normal firearms in the hands of others, are jury-rigged and haphazardly enchanted items possessed of ridiculous designs and cantankerous spirits which allow the Spellslinger to both fire normal projectiles as well as magical energy through them. If a Spellslinger chooses to have only one Arcane Gun, spells fired through it that require an attack roll have a x3 critical hit multiplier to represent a clearer focus that Spellslingers who divide their attention between two guns cannot replicate. A Spellslinger can add additional magic abilities to his Arcane Guns as if he has the required Item Creation Feats and if he meets the level prerequisites of the feat.
A Spellslinger can cast all of his spells through his Arcane Gun(s) - though spells that generate Bursts, Spreads, and similar types of AoE's must be accompanied by a ranged attack roll to "fire" the spell at a target square(Running the risk of misfire as usual) from which it then originates as normal(This square must be within the spell's usual range). All other spells(Ranged attacks, cones, lines, rays, etc) originate from the barrel of the Spellslinger's Arcane Gun(s) as normal.
However, there are fundamental dangers involved in these dangerous techniques - if any of the attack rolls for spells fired out of the barrel of the Spellslinger's Arcane Gun result in a natural 1 and thus would misfire, the Arcane Gun gains the broken condition as normal. However, if it would gain the broken condition while already broken, the gun explodes in a catastrophic magical explosion centered on a corner of the Spellslinger's square(Spellslinger's choice) that deals 1d6 force damage per level of the spell that was cast(If no misfire radius is listed in the gun's description, assume 5ft radius for 1 handed guns and 10ft for 2 handed guns). If the spell has an elemental descriptor, the burst deals that damage type instead(Or a random type if it has multiple such descriptors). The spellslinger gets no save against this burst, but others may make a Reflex Save to halve the damage(DC based on the spellslinger's DEX).
A Spellslinger can attune his Arcane Guns at the start of each day. That attunement lasts until the Spellslinger attunes to a new gun, even if a formally attuned gun is destroyed.
This ability replaces Arcane Bond.

Scrapsmith

At 1st level, the Spellslinger gains the Gunsmithing feat and a battered gun that is identical to the gun a Gunslinger gains at first level. If the spellslinger chooses the ability to attune two arcane guns, he still starts with only one battered gun. Like a Gunslinger, a spellslinger can use the Gunsmithing feat to restore his battered gun. In addition, by spending an hour of work tinkering with a Firearm, a Spellslinger can add a Scrap Quality(See The Ironite Armory for more info on Scrap Guns) to the chosen firearm in order to augment the gun in one of the following ways - a Spellslinger may remove one such quality that had been added previously(Not one that is listed in the base gun) in an identical manner(Which removes the augment added by adding the Scrap Quality). Each augment may only be applied once to a given firearm - they do not stack unless explicitly mentioned in the augment's description below.

• Increase the Firearm's Damage die by one step. Stacks with GM approval.
• Increase the Firearm's Range by 15ft. Stacks.
• Reduced the Firearm's Weight and Physical Size by half, granting its wielder a +6 on all sleight of hand checks to conceal it.
• Add 1d4 damage of an elemental type of your choosing to the weapon's base damage(Multiplied on a critical hit). Stacking this augment increases the damage die of an existing elemental type OR adds a new type at 1d4.
• Increase the Firearm's Critical Threat Range by 1. Requires two Scrap Qualities added to add.
• Add the scatter quality to the weapon. Requires two Scrap Qualities added to add.
• Add some additional effect to the gun of the Spellslinger's own design. Requires a variable number of scrap abilities depending on the effect desired and with GM approval.

Scribe Shell

At 1st level, a Spellslinger gains Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat - however, the Spellslinger's slapshod magical training prevents them from creating normal scrolls. Instead, the scrolls a Spellslinger creates must be inscribed in spent spell casings - which can then be used as smoking arcane scrolls more commonly known as "Shellscrolls" by Spellslingers of the Wild South. These 'Shellscrolls', though they are similar to traditional scrolls, function differently than them in the following ways:

• Shellscrolls do not require users to have the spell on their class list, the requisite ability score, or be the correct type of caster(Arcane or Divine).
• To be used, Shellscrolls need merely be loaded into a suitable firearm and fired as a normal bullet to be "cast", as the energies needed to use them are wholly stored within the shell upon its creation.
• However, the trade off for the ease with which Shellscrolls can be used is their notorious volatility - if the attack used to 'fire' a Shellscroll would result in a misfire, the gun immediately explodes as per the Arcane Gun ability above regardless of its broken status.

This ability replaces Scribe Scroll.

School of the Slinger

Whether due to the rigor and care required to walk the path simply not allowing for traditional study, the absence of traditional schooling materials, or some other reason, Spellslingers do not possess knowledge of the traditional Arcane Schools of Magic. Instead, they train in and come to master the techniques handed down by their forebears, who walked the path of the Spellslinger in the generations who came before - blazing the trails that they now walk. The Spellslinger instead gains the 'School of the Slinger'(Described below), gaining the abilities at the appropriate levels. This training prevents the slinger benefitting from opposition schools or specialized schools, and they do not gain any additional spell slots or other benefits of the Arcane School ability.
However, in tradeoff, a Spellslinger gains unique drawbacks of their own - his spell attack rolls and DCs suffer a -4 penalty and the range of spells that do not require an attack roll or do not have a DC(Or are beneficial spells that are harmless if saved) are halved when not wielding his Arcane Gun(s) as the Spellslinger's arcane skills are not fully developed enough to cast as "true wizards" might. Finally, Spellslingers must choose one school of magic that they cannot cast spells belonging to while they are not wielding their Arcane Gun to represent a school of magical knowledge they have simply never encountered, are completely inexperienced and inept at, etc.
This ability replaces arcane school.

Bonus Feats

At 5th level, the Spellslinger adds the Amateur Gunslinger, Arcane Strike, Spell Cartridges, and Infused Spell Cartridges feats to the list of feats they can take with their wizard bonus feats.
This ability alters the Wizard's Bonus Feats.

SCHOOL OF THE SLINGER

Mage Bullets (Su)

At 1st level, a spellslinger is adept at transferring spell energy into his arcane gun attacks. As a swift action, he can sacrifice a spell and transform that energy into a weapon bonus equal to the level of the spell sacrificed on a single barrel of his firearm. With that weapon bonus the spellslinger can apply any of the following to one of his Arcane Guns: enhancement bonuses (up to +5) and dancing, defending, distance, flaming, flaming burst, frost, ghost touch, icy burst, merciful, seeking, shock, shocking burst, spell storing, thundering, vicious, and wounding. An arcane gun gains no benefit from having two of the same weapon special abilities on the same barrel. The effect of the mage bullets ability lasts for a number of minutes equal to the level of the spell sacrificed, or until this ability is used again to assign the barrel different enhancements.

Flamin' Fingers (Ex)

At 2nd Level, a Spellslinger's mastery over the techniques handed down from their forebears by word of mouth has given them the unique ability to treat all spells they cast from their Arcane Gun as being under the effects of the Still Spell Metamagic - as they have learned to substitute the required arcane gestures and movements with stylish gun twirls and practiced finger twitches.

Slinger's Lip (Su)

At 3rd level, each time after a Spellslinger casts a spell, the small item between their lips(See the Slinger's Lip sidebar) accumulates and stores small portions of the magical energy expended - gaining one spellcharge(Plus additional charges for each additional spell level added to the spell via metamagics). At 1st level, a Spellslinger's Slingpick can carry up to 3 charges. For each charge a Slingpick gains, the Spellslinger in question gains a stacking +1 profane bonus to all saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities - however, the Spellslinger increases the misfire value of their Arcane Gun(s) by an amount equal to the number of charges in their Slingpick as the pick's intense arcane energies(Which often result as glowing smoke pouring from the pick) interfere with the gun's enchantments. If a Spellslinger's Arcane Gun misfires, their Slingpick has a % chance to be destroyed equal to 10 * the number of charges in the pick. As a swift action when casting a spell, a Spellslinger can drain charges from their pick to activate the following abilities:

• Add an amount to the spell's DC equal to the charges drained.
• Add a metamagic feat they know to the spell without increasing its casting time or spell level by expending charges equal to the metamagic's adjusted spell level multiplied by 3.

At 6th level and every 6 afterwards, a Spellslinger's Slingpick can hold 3 additional charges. If a Spellslinger's Slingpick is ever destroyed, they are silenced until they can spend a full-round action taking out a replacement and wrenching their jaw open enough to insert it.

Skin that Smokewagon (Ex)

At 6th level, a Spellslinger has learned how to best ride the line of catastrophe when wielding his explosive arts - whenever a Spellslinger's wielded firearms would misfire, the triggering attack no longer misses automatically as a result of the misfire. Additionally, a Spellslinger can choose to activate one of the following abilities during a misfire:

• Feelin' Lucky?: Immediately upon rolling a misfire and before the attack roll is resolved against the target, the Spellslinger forces the target to call the results of a coin flip - if the target calls the coin flip correctly, the attack automatically hits the Spellslinger instead with empowered damage(+50%). The Spellslinger, at their discretion, can give the target one chance to change their answer once the coin flip is made but before the results are revealed. If they call it incorrectly, the attack automatically hits the target with either empowered damage OR with the added effect of automatically clearing the broken condition that the misfire would have added.
• Divert the Flow: The Spellslinger, sensing their gun is about to cataclysmically malfunction, spits out their Slingpick and destroys it to prevent their Arcane Gun from breaking or detonating by using the Slingpick to interrupt the cascading arcane energies, physically jam their gun to prevent a misfire, etc. The Spellslinger must have a Slingpick in use with at least one charge to use this ability.
• Slinger's Tango: Utilizing a unique quickstep technique said to have roots in the ancient art of quickening, the Spellslinger utilizes the force of the misfire to take a free 5ft step. The Spellslinger may move further than this, but for every free 5ft increment they move beyond the first 5ft, they push their Arcane Gun to its very limits - running a cumulative risk of 10% per 5ft moved of the gun suffering an immediate, additional misfire - causing a detonation and ending the movement. The spellslinger may move no more than their total base land speed with a single activation of this trait. If this trait is used when the gun would misfire while already broken, the additional misfire chance is replaced by adding one die to the resulting explosion for each additional 5ft traveled.
• Dance, Varmint!: Expertly directing the chaotic energies of the misfire in ways that only a Spellslinger could, the Spellslinger directs part of the misfire's charge towards the feet and ankles of any other target within the triggering gun's first range increment - forcing them to reflexively take a 5ft step to any open, adjacent square of their choosing.
• C'mon, Baby: Taking advantage of the roiling and chaotic arcane energies of the misfire to 'ride the lightning', the Spellslinger drains a number of charges from his Slingpick to cast a spell whose level is equal to or less than the number of charges expended down the Gun's barrel as if it were quickened - however, there is a 10% chance per charge expended that the gun immediately detonates as a result(Or, if the misfire would already cause a detonation, double the damage dice and empower the detonation).
• Our Last Dance: Steeling themselves with iron will and fatal certainty, the Spellslinger pours their all into one final, cataclysmic shot - ensuring that the misfiring attack does maximized damage and automatically hits the target, but automatically does the same amount of damage to themselves as well. If this misfire would result in a Gun Explosion, the detonation's damage is added to the shot and dealt only to the Spellslinger and the Target instead of in a burst as normal. Otherwise, the triggering gun's misfire range is increased by 10 until the Spellslinger spends time cleaning the gun as if it had the broken condition(If the gun already has the broken condition, they are treated as separate and each requires a distinct action).

Homebrew Feats for the Spellslinger Class

Slingpick Snipe

Prerequisites: Slinger's Lip Ability, Character level 5th
Effects: By spitting out your Slingpick as an immediate action when a spell is cast that would target you or include you in its area whose level is less than or equal to the number of charges in the pick, you can cancel and negate the spell - destroying the Slingpick in the process.
A technique first pioneered by the most legendary Spellslinger of the previous generation - a man known only as 'Smokem Joe' - this technique requires monstrously fast reflexes and intense concentration from its user - as the techniques involves charging the wielder's slingpick with a finely-tuned blend of magical energies and spitting it out at high speeds to disrupt and shatter an incoming spell using methods similar to those used to cancel out soundwaves with resonant frequencies, sending the spell and the spat Slingpick into a resonance cascade that ultimately destroys both.

Machine Spirit Spell (Metamagic)

Prerequisites: Arcane Gun Ability
Effects: When a spell modified by this metamagic is fired from an Arcane Gun, its range is altered to become the range of the gun instead of the spell's listed range, though it must still be delivered to the target creature or square by a successful firearm attack.
Level Increase: +1 (an empowered spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.)
With a bit of practice, some training, and a deep bond with the violent and cantankerous machine spirit of their Arcane Gun(s), a Spellslinger can offer up a spell to their gun to allow it to gain enhanced range - often accompanied by a trigger phrase spoken aloud by the Spellslinger as a mental shortcut to help their Arcane Gun(s), in the words of the first Spellslingers, 'Sing that violent song'.