User:Askewnotion/Gun Mage
Created by Askewnotion
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Charisma determines how powerful a spell a gun mage can cast, how many spells the gun mage can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. To cast a spell, a gun mage must have a Charisma score of 10 + spell’s level. A gun mage gets bonus spells based on Charisma. The Difficulty Class of a saving throw against a gun mage’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the gun mage’s Charisma modifier. Charisma and Intelligence are both important for many of the gun mage’s class skills (see below).
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The gun mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Craft (small arms) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str). See the PHB for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: Gun Mage (GM)
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Arcane focus, Bond with magelock pistol, Spellcasting, Caster shells |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Reinforcing runes |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Cast rune bullet |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Bonus Feat |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +5 | |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Armored Casting (Light) |
| 8th | +6 | +2 | +6 | +6 | |
| 9th | +6 | +3 | +6 | +6 | |
| 10th | +7 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Bonus Feat |
| 11th | +8 | +3 | +7 | +7 | |
| 12th | +9 | +4 | +8 | +8 | |
| 13th | +9 | +4 | +8 | +8 | |
| 14th | +10 | +4 | +9 | +9 | |
| 15th | +11 | +5 | +9 | +9 | Bonus feat |
| 16th | +12 | +5 | +10 | +10 | |
| 17th | +12 | +5 | +10 | +10 | |
| 18th | +13 | +6 | +11 | +11 | |
| 19th | +14 | +6 | +11 | +11 | |
| 20th | +15 | +6 | +12 | +12 | Bonus feat |
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A gun mage is proficient with all simple weapons. Additionally, a gun mage is proficient with all pistols. Gun mages are proficient with light armor, but not with any shields.
Arcane Focus: A gun mage is capable of channeling arcane magic through a pistol. With a functioning pistol, the gun mage always has the arcane focus necessary to cast his spells. He can also make due without inexpensive material components, though any component worth 100 gp or more must be supplied by the gun mage.
Additionally, any ray spells cast by the gun mage are focused through the barrel of his pistol, allowing him to use his pistol ranged attack bonus (and any ensuing bonuses from Weapon Focus or other feats) to determine the ranged touch attack bonuses for resolving the ray spell. Unfortunately, normal pistols are not built to withstand the arcane forces channeled in this way by a gun mage. For every two spell levels cast through the pistol or every one spell level of caster shell shot from the pistol, it loses one point of hardness, rounding up for odd level spells. When the pistol’s hardness reaches 0 it is destroyed, consumed by the arcane forces channeled through it. A common pistol has a hardness of 10 and 5 hit points. This damage only applies to ray spells and spells linked to rune bullets and caster shells. Magelock pistols are immune to this damage.
Bond with Magelock Pistol: A gun mage is capable of bonding with the strange metal used to create magelock pistols. Doing so takes a full day and uses up alchemical materials costing 100 gp. The bonded weapon becomes an extension of the gun mage, and while many gun mages carry a second, third or even fourth pistol, not all of them can bond to multiple magelock pistols. A gun mage can only bond to a number of magelock pistols equal to his Charisma ability modifer.
Spellcasting: Gun mages cast arcane spells like sorcerers, but they have their own spell list (provided below). Gun mages are limited in the number of spells they can cast per day and the number of spells they can learn according to Section 5: Spells Per Day and Section 6: Spells Known, respectively. The gun mage casts these spells without needing to memorize them beforehand or keep a spellbook. The gun mage’s pistol can substitute as an arcane spell focus for any spell requiring a focus. Gun mages receive bonus spells for high Charisma, and to cast a spell a gun mage must have a Charisma score at least equal to 10 + the level of the spell. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a gun mage's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the gun mage's Charisma modifier.
Caster Shells: Gun mages have the ability to transfer some of ther spells per day into rune bullets, creating caster shells. When a gun mage does this, the spell placed into the rune bullet activates whenever it hits it's target.
Caster shells are created at the beginning of the day and the process takes 1 minute for every spell level put into the caster shells. The rune bullets remain caster shells for 24 hours. The maximum number of spell levels that can be used to make caster shells is equal to your level as a gun mage. 0 level spells count as 1/2 a spell level for the purpose of making caster shells.
Reinforcing Runes: As a gun mage’s power begins to grow, he learns arcane secrets for reinforcing his pistols to withstand some of the punishment of channeling magical energies, increasing the hardness or hit points of the pistol. For every 50 gp in materials and one day spent carefully carving runes into a pistol, the gun mage can increase the pistol’s hardness by 1 point to a maximum hardness of 15. For every 100 gp and one day’s time, the pistol’s hit points can be increased by 1 point to a maximum of 16. These reinforcing runes stack with the bonuses to a bonded magelock pistol.
Cast Rune Bullet: At 3rd level, the gun mage learns how to craft special bullets that channel spell energy. When firing a rune-cast bullet, the gun mage can, as a free action, channel a spell into the bullet. If the bullet hits its target, it does an additional +1d6 force damage per level of the spell channeled into the bullet. Cantrips only add +1d3 damage.
In addition, upon reaching 6th level, the gun mage’s rune-cast bullets are treated as having a +1 enhancement bonus when spell levels are channeled into the bullet, allowing it to overcome resistances to non-magical weapons, as well as dealing the additional damage bonus. This bonus increases by +1 for every 6 levels in the gun mage class; +2 at 12th level, +3 at 18th level.
Casting rune bullets is a very intensive process, requiring molten and powdered metals and meticulous spellwork. Casting rune bullets requires a properly equipped gunner’s kit and the appropriate skill check (see Craft [small arms] in Feats & Skills). The material cost, in addition to the standard pistol charge cost, is 1 gp for each rune-cast bullet, which are regularly lead and gold shavings or dust—indispensable for its conductive properties. Once the lead is liquefied, the gold is sprinkled into the molten metal and, as the rounds cool, manifests as flecks. Thereupon the caster etches his signature mark—a runic glyph—with gold shavings onto the bullet. This mark acts as the receiving point for the gun mage’s spells, and the flecks carry the spell throughout the bullet.
Gun mages normally are able to cast and etch 5 bullets per hour, but the cost is exacting and requires focus. Every hour after the first, a gun mage must make a Concentration check (DC 12). If the check fails, the gun mage is fatigued and must wait a full day before attempting to cast more bullets. Magnifying glasses and superior etching tools can lower this DC at the DM’s discretion.
Etching the very precise runes is meticulous, especially difficult on the eyes even under the best lighting. A bleary eyed gun mage takes a temporary penalty of -1 to all ranged touch attacks per hour spent casting rune bullets. These points are recovered at a rate of 1 point every 2 hours provided the gun mage is no longer etching runes.
Bonus Feat: Every five levels, a gun mage gains a bonus feat. These must be chosen from the following list: any Metamagic feat, Combat Casting, Combat Loading (Improved Combat Loading), Dodge (Mobility), Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Craft [small arms]), Spell Focus (Greater Spell Focus), Spell Penetration (Greater Spell Penetration), Weapon Focus (pistol).
Armored Casting (Light): With a great deal of practice on the part of the gun mage they learn how to limit their somatic gesture on their spells while holding a pistol. While holding a pistol, the character incures no spell failure chance while wearing light armor.
Spells per Day
| Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1st | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2nd | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3rd | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4th | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| 5th | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 6th | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 7th | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 8th | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 9th | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 10th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - |
| 11th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
| 12th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - |
| 13th | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - |
| 14th | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - |
| 15th | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - |
| 16th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 17th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 19th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 20th | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Spells Known
| Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1st | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2nd | 5 | 2* | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3rd | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4th | 6 | 3 | 2* | - | - | - | - |
| 5th | 6 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| 6th | 6 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| 7th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2* | - | - | - |
| 8th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 9th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 10th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2* | - | - |
| 11th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
| 12th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
| 13th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2* | - |
| 14th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - |
| 15th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - |
| 16th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2* |
| 17th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 18th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 19th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 20th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
* Provided the gun mage has a high enough Charisma score to have a bonus spell of this level.
0 level— arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, electric jolt, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance
1st level— arcane bullet, burning hands, cause fear, change self, charm person, chill touch, color spray, endure elements, expeditious retreat, feather fall, tenser's floating disk, grease, hold portal, jump, mage armor, magic missile, magic weapon, obscuring mist, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, ray of clumsiness, ray of enfeeblement, ray of flame, shield, shocking grasp, silent image, sleep, spider climb, targeting ray, true strike
2nd level— alter self, bear's endurance, blast of force, blindness/deafness, blur, bull's strength, cat's grace, combust, continual flame, darkness, darkvision, daylight, eagle's splendor, flaming sphere, fog cloud, glitterdust, tasha's hideous laughter, hold person, invisibility, knock, levitate, locate object, minor image, mirror image, protection from arrows, pyrotechnics, rainbow beam, ray of ice, ray of sickness, ray of stupidity, ray of weakness, resist elements, saltray, scare, see invisibility, shatter, silence, sound burst, sting ray, suggestion, tongues, web
3rd level— blink, confusion, deep slumber, dispel magic, displacement, emotion, explosive runes, fear, fireball, fly, gaseous form, greater disrupt undead, greater magic weapon, gust of wind, haste, hold person, invisibility sphere, keen edge, lightning bolt, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, protection from elements, ray of dizziness, rust ray, shrink item, sleet storm, slow, stinking cloud, suggestion, vampiric touch, water breathing, wind wall
4th level— bestow curse, charm monster, confusion, contagion, dimension door, dominate person, emotion, enervation, evard's black tentacles, fear, fire shield, fire trap, hold monster, ice storm, improved invisibility, minor creation, minor globe of invulnerability, modify memory, ray deflection, ray of deanimation, remove curse, otiluke's resilient sphere, shout, solid fog, stoneskin, wall of fire, wall of ice, wraith
5th level— bigby's interposing hand, bolts of bedevilment, break enchantment, cloudkill, cone of cold, dominate person, feeblemind, greater dispelling, hold monster, leomund's secret chest, lucent lance, magic jar, major creation, mind fog, permanency, prismatic ray, sending, stone shape, telekinesis, teleport, wall of force, wall of iron, wall of stone
6th level— acid fog, antimagic field, antimagic ray, chain lightning, circle of death, death bullet, contingency, disintegrate, eyebite, flesh to stone, bigby's forceful hand, globe of invulnerability, greater dispelling, mass haste, mass suggestion, otiluke's freezing sphere, project image, ray of light, repulsion, ruby ray of reversal, stone to flesh
The Gun Mage's Magelock Pistol
While the gun mage is capable of many spectacular feats with any firearm, he is most impressive when he holds a bonded magelock pistol in his hand. This is a very special sort of firearm. Every budding gun mage seeks to possess at least one of these weapons. The magelock is of dwarven make, created from rare metals in a casting process refined by elite Rhulic craftsmen and have properties attuned to, for lack of a better term among the dwarves, “the haphazard sorceries of manfolk.” Gun mages who have polished their magical abilities are adept at weaving spells into and through these weapons for an assortment of fantastic effects, and once a gun mage has bonded with a magelock, it is as if the weapon becomes a physical extension of its master.
As the master’s levels in the gun mage class increase, the magelock pistol also increases in power. However, levels of sorcerer, wizard, warcaster, or any other arcane spellcasting class do not stack for purposes of determining the master’s level unless the class specifically states that it does stack for determining levels for a bonded magelock pistol.
If the bonded pistol is destroyed, the master must attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15). If the saving throw fails, the master loses 200 experience points per class level. A successful saving throw reduces the loss to half of that amount. However, a master's experience point total can never go below zero as the result of the destruction of a bonded pistol.
| Gun Mage Level | Hardness | Hit Points | Special |
| 1-2 | +1 | +2 | Alertness, Spell Link |
| 3-4 | +2 | +4 | Ranged Touch |
| 5-6 | +3 | +6 | Touch |
| 7-8 | +4 | +8 | Sighting Link |
| 9-10 | +5 | +10 | Call Pistol |
| 11-12 | +6 | +12 | |
| 13-14 | +7 | +14 | Scry |
| 15-16 | +8 | +16 | |
| 17-18 | +9 | +18 | |
| 19-20 | +10 | +20 |
Hardness: As a gun mage increases in level, his bonded magelock pistol becomes more durable. A standard magelock pistol begins with a hardness of 10; this increases by +1 for every two levels of the pistol’s master.
Hit Points: A standard magelock pistol has 8 hit points. As its bonded master increases in level, the pistol’s hit points increase by +2 for every two levels of the pistol’s master.
Alertness: The touch of cold, magelock steel serves to sharpen its master's senses. While the magelock pistol is touched, its master is treated as having the Alertness feat.
Spell Link: Due to the magic channeling and absorbing properties of the metals used to craft magelock pistols, any personal spell cast by the master will also affect the pistol. The pistol must be within 5 feet at the time. If the spell’s duration is other than instantaneous, the spell stops affecting the pistol if it is moved farther than 5 feet away from its master. The spell's effect will not be restored even if its master retrieves the pistol before the spell’s duration would have ended. The master and magelock pistol can share spells even if the spells do not normally affect items. For example, Roderick casts mirror image on himself, creating four images. As long as his pistol remains within 5 feet of Roderick it has four images as well, making it more difficult for his opponents to target both Roderick and his precious magelock pistol.
Ranged Touch: If the master is 3rd level or higher, the magelock pistol can be used to deliver ranged touch spells. When the master casts a ranged touch spell, the rune-cast bullet in the chamber is designated as the "toucher." (The master must be holding the pistol at the time of casting.) The ranged touch spell can then be delivered as a ranged touch attack. If the attack would also succeed as a normal ranged melee attack, pistol damage is also applied to the attack. As normal, if the master casts another spell, the touch spell dissipates.
Touch: If the master is 5th level or higher, the magelock pistol can be used to deliver touch spells at range. This is handled exactly as the Ranged Touch ability.
Sighting Link: Due to the magical nature of the magelock metal and the bond that has been forged between the pistol and its master, with a successful Concentration check (DC 15), the master of 7th level or higher can see as if looking out from his pistol’s sights (or the end of the barrel if it has no sights), instead of using his own eyes. This enables the master to aim the pistol without looking, allowing for some spectacular trick shots.
Call Pistol: At 9th level, the master gains the ability to summon his magelock pistol to his hand. When separated from his pistol, with a successful Concentration check (DC 18) the master can cause his pistol to fly into his hand so long as it is not gripped by another and can be seen by its master. This ability is a move equivalent action, though a gun mage with the quick draw ability can call his pistol as a free action.
Scry: If the master is 13th level or higher, the master may scry on his pistol (as if casting the spell scrying) once per day. This is a spell-like ability requiring no material components or focus that allows the gun mage to see his bonded pistol and its surroundings if they are ever separated.
