Post by Orsyn on Feb 2, 2015 3:24:17 GMT
Given that the Advanced Class Guide for Pathfinder was notoriously poorly edited, I wanted to offer a revision of the existing Bolt Ace archetype for review.
The base class can be found here, and the original Bolt Ace here. I will highlight my revisions and reasoning behind them.
Bolt Ace
Weapons and Armor Proficiency
Bolt aces are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all crossbows. They are proficient with all light armor.
This modifies the Gunslinger's base weapon and armor proficiencies.
Reasoning: The original bolt ace retained its firearms proficiency, while leaving exotic crossbows (including the hand crossbow) to be picked up via feats.
Grit (Ex)
A bolt ace regains grit when she scores a critical hit or deals a killing blow with any kind of crossbow. This ability modifies the grit class feature.
Rapid Reloader
At 1st level, a bolt ace gains Rapid Reload with a crossbow of her choice as a bonus feat.
This ability replaces gunsmith.
Reasoning: The original bolt ace still begins play with a free firearm of choice, and still receives the feat to craft them. This replaces those abilities, putting it strictly worse than the musket master ability of the same name.
Deeds
A bolt ace can perform the following deeds with a crossbow instead of a firearm: gunslinger initiative, pistol-whip, dead shot, targeting, bleeding wound, death's shot, and stunning shot.
The bolt ace swaps the following deeds.
Sharp Shoot (Ex): At 1st level, a bolt ace can resolve an attack against touch AC instead of normal AC when firing a crossbow at a target within its first range increment. Performing this deed costs 1 grit point.
This deed replaces deadeye.
Vigilant Loading (Ex): At 1st level, as long as a bolt ace has at least 1 grit point, she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when loading a crossbow.
This deed replaces quick clear.
Shooter's Resolve (Ex): At 3rd level, a bolt ace can spend 1 grit point when making a crossbow attack as a standard action and ignore the effects of concealment (though not total concealment) and cover (other than total cover) against that shot.
This deed replaces utility shot.
Distracting Shot (Ex): At 7th level, a bolt ace can spend 1 grit point and choose to miss a target that she could normally attack within her range with a crossbow attack. When she does, the target loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) for 1 round.
This deed replaces startling shot.
Vigilant Shooter (Ex): At 11th level, as long as a bolt ace spends 1 grit point when she does so, she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when firing a crossbow.
This deed replaces expert loading.
Inexplicable Reload (Ex): At 11th level, loading a crossbow becomes unthinking and automatic for a bolt ace. As long as she has at least 1 grit point, she always starts each round of combat (even a surprise round) with her crossbow loaded. Also the amount of time needed to reload a crossbow decreases by one step: a standard action becomes a move action and a move action becomes a free action.
This deed replaces lightning reload.
Editor's Note:The original action economy of this deed was standard to move, move to swift, swift to free, and free to non-action. This revised version has be adjusted to be on-par with the action economy of Rapid Reload and the musket master's Fast Musket.
Pinning Shot (Ex): At 15th level, the bolt ace can spend 1 grit point while shooting a crossbow and attempt to pin down its target with the bolt. If the crossbow attack hits, it pins the target to a nearby object, to a wall, or to the ground, entangling and staggering the target. While pinned by the bolt, the target cannot move out of its space until it takes a standard action to free itself from the pinning bolt, except by means of teleportation.
This deed replaces menacing shot.
Crossbow Training (Ex)
Starting at 5th level, a bolt ace can select one specific type of crossbow, such as hand crossbow or heavy crossbow. She gains a bonus on damage rolls equal to her Dexterity modifier with that crossbow. Furthermore, when she scores a critical hit with that type of crossbow, her critical multiplier increases by 1 (a x2 becomes a x3, for example). Every 4 levels thereafter, she can pick a different type of crossbow, gaining the bonus damage and increased critical multiplier with that type of crossbow as well.
This ability replaces gun training.
The base class can be found here, and the original Bolt Ace here. I will highlight my revisions and reasoning behind them.
Bolt Ace
Weapons and Armor Proficiency
Bolt aces are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all crossbows. They are proficient with all light armor.
This modifies the Gunslinger's base weapon and armor proficiencies.
Reasoning: The original bolt ace retained its firearms proficiency, while leaving exotic crossbows (including the hand crossbow) to be picked up via feats.
Grit (Ex)
A bolt ace regains grit when she scores a critical hit or deals a killing blow with any kind of crossbow. This ability modifies the grit class feature.
Rapid Reloader
At 1st level, a bolt ace gains Rapid Reload with a crossbow of her choice as a bonus feat.
This ability replaces gunsmith.
Reasoning: The original bolt ace still begins play with a free firearm of choice, and still receives the feat to craft them. This replaces those abilities, putting it strictly worse than the musket master ability of the same name.
Deeds
A bolt ace can perform the following deeds with a crossbow instead of a firearm: gunslinger initiative, pistol-whip, dead shot, targeting, bleeding wound, death's shot, and stunning shot.
The bolt ace swaps the following deeds.
Sharp Shoot (Ex): At 1st level, a bolt ace can resolve an attack against touch AC instead of normal AC when firing a crossbow at a target within its first range increment. Performing this deed costs 1 grit point.
This deed replaces deadeye.
Vigilant Loading (Ex): At 1st level, as long as a bolt ace has at least 1 grit point, she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when loading a crossbow.
This deed replaces quick clear.
Shooter's Resolve (Ex): At 3rd level, a bolt ace can spend 1 grit point when making a crossbow attack as a standard action and ignore the effects of concealment (though not total concealment) and cover (other than total cover) against that shot.
This deed replaces utility shot.
Distracting Shot (Ex): At 7th level, a bolt ace can spend 1 grit point and choose to miss a target that she could normally attack within her range with a crossbow attack. When she does, the target loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) for 1 round.
This deed replaces startling shot.
Vigilant Shooter (Ex): At 11th level, as long as a bolt ace spends 1 grit point when she does so, she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when firing a crossbow.
This deed replaces expert loading.
Inexplicable Reload (Ex): At 11th level, loading a crossbow becomes unthinking and automatic for a bolt ace. As long as she has at least 1 grit point, she always starts each round of combat (even a surprise round) with her crossbow loaded. Also the amount of time needed to reload a crossbow decreases by one step: a standard action becomes a move action and a move action becomes a free action.
This deed replaces lightning reload.
Editor's Note:The original action economy of this deed was standard to move, move to swift, swift to free, and free to non-action. This revised version has be adjusted to be on-par with the action economy of Rapid Reload and the musket master's Fast Musket.
Pinning Shot (Ex): At 15th level, the bolt ace can spend 1 grit point while shooting a crossbow and attempt to pin down its target with the bolt. If the crossbow attack hits, it pins the target to a nearby object, to a wall, or to the ground, entangling and staggering the target. While pinned by the bolt, the target cannot move out of its space until it takes a standard action to free itself from the pinning bolt, except by means of teleportation.
This deed replaces menacing shot.
Crossbow Training (Ex)
Starting at 5th level, a bolt ace can select one specific type of crossbow, such as hand crossbow or heavy crossbow. She gains a bonus on damage rolls equal to her Dexterity modifier with that crossbow. Furthermore, when she scores a critical hit with that type of crossbow, her critical multiplier increases by 1 (a x2 becomes a x3, for example). Every 4 levels thereafter, she can pick a different type of crossbow, gaining the bonus damage and increased critical multiplier with that type of crossbow as well.
This ability replaces gun training.