Gun Skald (Skald/Gunslinger)

While most skalds are trained in the oral traditions, a select few deeply immerse themselves in their tribal lore, enabling them to draw upon the heroic deeds of ages past and bolster themselves in battle. Trained in the use of firearms, the gun skald emulates the ancient deeds of heroes long gone to strike down his foes and pierce their defenses from afar. Through his raging song, he performs these deeds with eloquence while preserving his own heroics in poetic verse. (Original Concept by Lindley Court)

Primary Class: Skald.

Secondary Class: Gunslinger.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The gun skald may select three gunslinger skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal skald class skills. The gun skald gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The gun skald is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all firearms. He is also proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Diminished Spellcasting: The gun skald casts arcane spells drawn from the skald’s spell list, but knows one fewer spell of each spell level. He otherwise learns and casts spells as a skald of equal level.

Scholarly Skald: A gun skald learns to apply his intellect in new ways. He uses his Intelligence to determine the effects of his spells and bonus spells per day, as well as his raging song ability.

Antique Firearm: At 1st level, a gun skald possesses an ancient tribal firearm and gains the gunslinger’s gunsmith ability. This ability replaces scribe scroll.

Raging Song: This is exactly like skald ability of the same name, except that the gun skald gains the following raging songs.

Enhance Weapons (Su): At 1st level, the gun skald can grant a +1 enhancement bonus to the weapons (including ammunition) of allies within 60 feet. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, this enhancement bonus increases by 1. The maximum bonus gained is based upon the number of weapons affected: +5 to one weapon, +4 to two weapons, +3 to three weapons, or +2 to four or more weapons. Fifty pieces of ammunition count as one weapon for this purpose.

These bonuses can also be used to add any of the following weapon special abilities to the weapons enhanced by this ability: dancing, defending, distance, flaming, frost, ghost touch, keen, mighty cleaving, returning, shock, seeking, or speed. Adding these weapon special abilities consumes an amount of bonus equal to the special ability's cost (see Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities). These enhancement bonuses and special abilities overlap with any enhancements or special abilities the weapon already has, though duplicate special abilities do not stack. If an affected weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other special abilities can be.

The bonus and special abilities granted by this raging song are determined when the song begins, and cannot be changed until the raging song ends and another is begun. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. This ability replaces the inspired rage raging song.

Glorious Epic (Su): At 3rd level, a gun skald learns how to truly extol the virtues and prowess of the heroic figures in his epic tales. By performing for 10 minutes and expending 1 round of raging song, the gun skald can influence opinions positively towards a heroic subject of the gun skald's choice. If the subject of the epic attempts a Diplomacy or Intimidate check against anyone who listened to the full performance, he receives a circumstance bonus on that check equal to +1. This bonus increases by +1 at 4th level and every four levels thereafter, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. This ability replaces the song of marching raging song.

Raging Deeds: At 3rd level, a gun skald learns the ancient skaldic poems of heroic legends long past. He gains the gunslinger’s deeds ability, and chooses one 1st level deed. At 5th level and every four levels thereafter, he can select one deed from each subsequent level of deeds, up to 15th level deeds at 17th level. To use a deed, a gun skald must expend a number of rounds of raging song equal to twice the number of required grit points. Deeds that require at least 1 grit point to function instead require at least 2 rounds of raging song. A raging deed only function while a raging song is in effect.

In addition, a gun skald adds the following raging deeds restricted to the Gun Skald multiclass archetype to the list of deeds he can select.

Furious Shot (Ex): At 3rd level, the gun skald can spend two rounds of raging song to make two firearm attacks as a single standard action, but each attacks takes a –4 penalty. This penalty is reduced by 1 at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter, to a minimum of 0 at 17th level.

Studied Aim (Ex): At 3rd level, as a swift action, the gun skald can spend 2 rounds of raging song to gain a bonus on all firearm damage rolls equal to his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1) with all firearm attacks he makes until the end of her turn. If he uses the dead shot deed, he multiplies this bonus by the number of hits he made while rolling the Dead Shot attack.

Heroic Barrier (Su): At 5th level, the gun skald can call upon the spirits of heroes long past to shrug off the most serious of attacks. When the gun skald is wearing light armor and is subject to a critical hit or sneak attack, he can spend 2 rounds of raging song as an immediate action to attempt to negate the critical hit or sneak attack damage. At 5th level, he has a 15% chance of doing so. At 11th level, the chance increases to 25%. At 17th level, the chance increases to 50%. While a gun skald’s barrier does not stack with the fortification armor special ability, it does work in concert with that armor special ability or similar effects, so a gun skald can use this ability even after the armor of fortification has failed to negate the critical hit or sneak attack damage.

Distracting Shot (Ex): At 9th level, a gun skald can spend 2 rounds of raging song and choose to miss a target that he could normally attack within his range with a firearm attack. When he does, the target loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) for 1 round.

Cacophonic Blast (Su): At 13th level, a gun skald can spend 2 rounds of raging song to create a devastating shock wave of energy with his firearm. Once per day, he can discharge his firearm that functions like a horn of blasting (DC = 10 + 1/2 the gun skald's level + his Intelligence bonus). At 17th level, the gun skald can use this deed twice per day and it functions like a greater horn of blasting. Unlike an actual horn of blasting, this deed does not carry the risk of destroying the firearm.

Clipping Shot (Ex): At 13th level, when the gun skald misses with a firearm attack, he can spend 2 rounds of raging song to deal half the damage that attack would have dealt if it were a hit (roll damage normally). He can decide to use this raging deed and spend the rounds of raging song after making the attack. This deed has no effect if the attack used the dead shot deed. The cost of using this deed cannot be reduced with the Signature Deed feat, the edda master class feature, or any similar effect.

Iron Mind (Ex): At 17th level, when the gun skald has at least 2 rounds of raging song and makes a successful Fortitude saving throw against an attack that would deal half damage or have a partial effect, he takes no damage or other effects from that attack. Furthermore, he gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws against fear and mind-affecting effects.

Siege Gun (Su): At 17th level, the gun skald can spend 4 rounds of raging song to shatter massive walls, doors, and other inanimate obstacles by discharging his firearm. This deed works as the shatter spell, except the gun skald can increase the amount of damage and size of the object damaged by taking aim for longer periods. The gun skald can affect objects weighing up to 10 pounds per level, plus an additional 5 pounds per level for each additional round he takes aim. The damage dealt increases by 2d6 per round (to a maximum of 20d6 after 10 rounds). The damage is dealt only after the gun skald discharges his firearm.

This ability replaces spells lost due to diminished spellcasting.

Rage Powers: This is exactly like the skald’s ability or the same name, except that the gun skald can choose an additional gunslinger deeds of a level he has access to in place of a rage power.

Edda Master (Su): At 20th level, a gun skald becomes a master of relaying the ancient heroic legends of his tribe. He gains one 19th level deed from those listed in the gunslinger deeds class feature. He also picks one deed that he has access to and that he must spend rounds of rage to perform. He can perform this deed for 2 fewer rounds of raging song (minimum 0) than usual. If the number of rounds of raging song to perform a deed is reduced to 0, the gun skald can perform this deed as long as he has at least 2 rounds or raging song. If a deed could already be performed as long as he had at least 2 rounds of raging song, he can now perform that deed even when he has no rounds of raging song. In addition, when making a full attack, allies affected by a raging song may make an additional attack each round (as if using a haste effect). This ability replaces master skald.

NEW RAGE POWERS

The following rage power is restricted to the Gun Skald multiclass archetype.

Heralding Blasts (Ex)

The gun skald can use his deeds in a surprise round.

Prerequisites: Gun skald 6, raging deeds class feature.

Benefits: The gun skald chooses a single raging deed he has access to. During a surprise round, the number of rounds of rage you need to expend to use the chosen deed is reduced by two. This rage power can be selected multiple times, but its effects do not stack. Each time it is selected, it applies to a new raging deed.

Table: Gun Skald

Table: Gun Skald Spells Known