#Defender Gunslinger (or Archer/Crossbowman)
Basic Concept
A character that focuses mainly on using Defend Interrupt Actions in combat, utilizing a ranged weapon they crafted themselves. (Flavor) They accomplish this by shooting extremely fast before the attacker can finish pulling off their attack, and thus either causing it to go off target or only partially hit.
In addition, they are dealing morale or non-lethal damage to wear down the opponent at the same time, with a specialty of using a bright flash on impact to blind them and reduce their threat to allies and self.
With a focus crafting later to make ammunition to help be even more effective at disabling threats.
Key Parts of the Build
- Artisan [Perk] - Engineering for building the guns (or bows/crossbows) and ammo @ Wealth Level 2
- Pacifist [Flaw] - To explain why they don’t shoot first (this isn’t as needed)
- Low Defenses - If you are the focus of an attack, more likely to trigger a Defend Interrupt
- Battlefield Retribution [Feat] - Able to deal damage back to attacker with Defend Interrupt
- Battlefield Punisher [Feat] - Blinded Bane, so if 10+ over the Attacker’s roll auto deals blinded bane
- Craft Extraordinary Item I [Feat] - to make special ammo
- Sentinel [Feat] - To be able to defend more than once
- Defensive Reflexes [Feat] - Gain more advantage to Defend Interrupt Actions
- Bolster [Boon] - Advantage 1 to Agility on self
Other Feats to Consider
- Fast Draw - Flavor for pulling out weapon quickly and firing quickly, but also for loading in special ammo
- Longshot - Double range for being able to defend and attack if needed
Considerations
Click each to expand
Why Craft Extraordinary Item I?
You could easily skip doing the Craft Extraordinary if you didn’t want to worry about that, and having to spend Attribute Points in Logic (as I did, or Creation if you choose). You might have another person that can craft or maybe able to quest or buy the items in your campaign. This simply allows you to create the items (with GM approval) on your own, the bullets requiring just 8 hours of downtime in a day.
Why Artisan Perk?
This allows you to start the game with the special revolvers (or bow or crossbow), as well as being able to craft the basic ammo for your weapons if you aren’t in a place where you can simply purchase.
[details=Why low Defenses?]This is actually important, because you might end up provoking targets. Even if you don’t, you are only able to do a Defend Interrupt Action on a successful attack roll against you or an ally.
If your Defenses are too high, you won’t get the chance to potentially afflict a bane on the enemy and lessen their resolve to keep fighting (lowering their HP).[/details]
[details=Why Blinded Bane for Battlefield Punisher?]I was really considering between Incapacitated, Stunned,
and Blinded. Incapacitated is nice, except once it has been resisted, the target is immune. Stunned is good for action economy control, especially if they fail to resist. I liked Blinded the best b/c it makes the target easier for allies to hit before they have their turn against to attempt to resist, and then heavy disadvantage if they try and attack after failing the resist roll. It can be afflicted each round as well.[/details]
Why so long for Defensive Reflexes Feat in the build?
Through the Artisan Perk, you are able to effectively get 3 levels of Defensive Reflexes by building your own weapon, which allows other interesting feats to be gotten first to augment the build. Then later you can start to stack up the Defensive Reflexes.
The Weapons
[details=Blunt Force Trauma Revolvers]Short Range, Defensive III, Slow
Wealth Level: 2
Banes: Blinded, Stunned, Incapacitated
Revolver: A specially designed 8 shooter, dubbed to be “non-lethal” as it shoots “blunted” bullets, and flares brightly. It has a quick load chamber on the side to put in a special shot quickly when needed.
Hand Crossbow: A specially designed crossbow to shoot “non-lethal” bolts that are “blunted”, igniting a phosphorous compound upon firing that flashes brightly after impact.[/details]
[details=Extraordinary Upgraded Blunt Force Trauma Revolvers]Same Base Weapon
###Version 1
Wealth Level: 3
Potent Bane: Blinded, Stunned, & Incapacitated (+1 WL for each)
Damage Type: Fire (+0 WL)
###Version 2
Wealth Level: 3
Restoration 7: d20+2d10 roll for Restoration Boon (+3 WL)
Damage Type: Forceful (+0 WL)
###Explanation
The guns have been further modified so they are even more accurate. However instead of making the weapon deadlier, it allows the wielder to be more precise with where they hit the target for purposes of inflicting banes, and thus harder for targets to shake off the banes.
The chamber for bullets has been set to spin with a pleasant sound, it tends to calm the mind and reassure allies (restoration).
Each revolver has the ability to have certain “valves” opened to cause the ammo to fire off slightly differently. One causes the explosion of the bullet to fire to also be surrounded by that flame, while another causes the bullet to be far more forceful in its impact (damage types of fire and forceful).
[/details]
[details=Black Bullets]This requires the user to be familiar with the bullets uses. By firing it in a variety of ways,
you can get different effects to happen.
Augmenting, Expendable, Entropy 5
Wealth Level: 3
Mechanically what it means
This adds a bane the item can inflict (see below) to any successful hit. So upon going over the targets Attack Roll with a Defend Interrupt (via Battlefield Retribution) or doing a Bane Attack successfully, you can inflict one of the banes listed below in addition. The item gets used up, and you have to do a Move action to prepare it (loading the bullet through the quick load side chamber).
Where/how you aim
- Fear (so fast)
- Fatigued (broken rib)
- Deafened (loud)
- Demoralized (amazing shot)
- Immobile (calf shot)
- Persistent Damage (Bleeder/Fire)
- Sickened (Gut shot)
- Silenced (Throat shot)
- Slowed (Chest Shot)
[/details]
[details=WL 2 Bullet variations of Black Bullet]Each of the effects from the black bullet can be made at a WL 1 or 2 cost, the difference being each bullet can only do the 1 thing, instead of choosing. Instead of listing each item, I’ll just list the example so that you can see how it is done.
-
Fear Ammo (WL 2)
-
Augmenting (+1 WL)
-
Expendable (-1 WL)
-
Fear 5 (+2 WL)
-
Demoralizing Ammo (WL 1)
-
Augmenting (+1 WL)
-
Expendable (-1 WL)
-
Demoralized 3 (+1 WL)
-
Persistent Damage Ammo (WL 2/3)
-
Augmenting (+1 WL)
-
Expendable (-1 WL)
-
Persistent Damage 4 (+2 WL)
-
Persistent Damage 6 (+3 WL)
[/details]
##Defender Gunslinger - Level 1
Mary “Lights Out” Mackenzie
Gunsmith that built a “non-lethal” hand cannon (8-shot revolver) that shoots “blunted” bullets that flare brightly upon impact, usually blinding the target.
##Attributes
- 5 Agility
- 2 Logic
- 3 Fortitude
- 3 Will
- 3 Presence
- 2 Perception
- 1 Learning
##Feats - Battlefield Retribution
- Battlefield Punisher (Blinded)
- Fast Draw (could do longshot here and Fast Draw later)
##Defenses - Guard - 18
- Heavy Leather Trenchcoat (Medium Armor +2)
- Revolvers (Defensive +1)
- Toughness - 16
- Resolve - 16
Speed - 30’
Hit Points - 28
Wealth - 2
##Favored Actions
-
Reactionary Defense Shot [Defend Interrupt Action]
- Agility vs Attack Roll against Self or Ally
- Range - 50’, 100’ @ disadvantage 1, 150’ @ disadvantage 2
- Special - Advantage 3 from weapon
-
Lights Out [Bane Attack (Blinded 5)]
- Agility vs Guard
- Range - 50’, 100’ @ disadvantage 1, 150’ @ disadvantage 2
- Special - Advantage 1 from weapon
-
Temple Shot [Bane Attack (Incapacitated 5)]
- Agility vs Guard
- Range - 50’, 100’ @ disadvantage 1, 150’ @ disadvantage 2
- Special - Advantage 1 from weapon
-
Blunt Force [Bane Attack (Stunned 4)]
- Agility vs Guard
- Range - 50’, 100’ @ disadvantage 1, 150’ @ disadvantage 2
- Special - Advantage 1 from weapon
-
Finger Shot [Bane Attack (Disarmed 3)]
- Agility vs Guard
- Range - 50’, 100’ @ disadvantage 1, 150’ @ disadvantage 2
-
Deafening Roar [Bane Attack (Provoked 5)]
- Agility vs Guard
- Range - 50’, 100’ @ disadvantage 1, 150’ @ disadvantage 2
-
I(or You) can do this [Boon Invocation (Bolster 3)]
- Presence vs Challenge Rating 16
- Range - 25’
-
Don’t stop now, keep pushing! [Boon Invocation (Heal 3)]
- Presence vs Challenge Rating 12/14/16
- Range - 25’
-
I know first aid [Boon Invocation (Heal 2)]
- Presence vs Challenge Rating 12/14
- Range - 5’
-
Has it come to this? [Damaging Attack (Projectile)]
- Agility vs Guard
- Range - 50’, 100’ @ disadvantage 1, 150’ @ disadvantage 2
- Special - will only do this in extreme situations, and even then, highly unlikely
###Links
For leveling up, depending on how quickly you get to Wealth Level 3, you might wait to get Craft Extraordinary until level 5 (whereas I grabbed it at Level 3). In place, grab Longshot & Defensive Reflexes I. However, you can craft some of the WL 2 ammo as soon as you grab Craft Extraordinary and have Logic 4.
Level 1
Level 3
Level 5
Level 7
Level 9
###Inspirational Pictures
