Spellslinger (D&D class)

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Unofficial rules compendium

This is a magic gunfighter. Replace the prerequisites with gun skills and improve the base attack and you get a decent shootist class.

A spellslinger is a spellcaster that focuses on casting spells quickly in combat. Their tactic is to cast first and win the fight before its properly begun. Spellslingers are often dueling wizards or champions of magic schools. Elite bounty hunters and lawmen that enforce the law through magic may also want to choose this class.

A grizzled old veteran sometimes take in a younger and quicker pupil and teach the tricks of the trade. But this is not the way most spellslingers are made – simple dedication to and training in speed and tactical magic suffices, often paired with contempt for the learned schools of magic. Most spellslingers are arcane spellcasters. Beguilers, sorcerers, warmages, and specialist evokers make the best and most common spellslingers, but combat-minded clerics and wizards can also join the magic fighting elite. Few clerics choose this path, and those usually work to police the use of magic or assist mundanes in apprehending spellcasters, but they will find that many of their more physical abilities develop poorly. Lesser spellcasters like bards and druids rarely bother.

The spellslinger scorns learning, focusing instead on immediate problems and immediate solutions. They have no time for scholarly pursuits or the deep secrets of high magic. They learn what they must know as combat mages; to know their enemies, see them, hear them and be able to interpret the signs given by enemies and allies alike in order to react quickly and decisively. This gives them a somewhat menacing demeanor, which is actually useful. There is no formal organization among spellslingers, but there is an informal ranking among them; spellslingers keep track of each other, and a surefire way to gain recognition is to out-cast another spellslinger. Duels are sometimes held using such harmless spells as dazzle, just to find who is the fastest. Successful spellslingers have to be at least somewhat intimidating to keep incompetent challengers at bay, and famous spellslingers often have to watch their back for pretenders to their fame who would stalk and slay them just for the notoriety.

Regular spellcasters, especially learned wizards, often hold spellslingers in contempt as vicious brutes. But this contempt is tempered by fear; spellslingers have a well-deserved reputation for short temper with foolish scholars.

Requirements

To qualify as a spellslinger, the character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Spells or spell-like abilities: Caster level 5.

Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes.

Skills: Bluff 2 ranks, Intimidate 2 ranks, Spot 2 ranks

Table: The Spellslinger

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Spellcasting	Special Abilities
1	+0	+0	+2	+0	+1 Spellcaster level	Blast Undead
2	+1	+0	+3	+0	+1 Spellcaster level	Steely Stare
3	+1	+1	+3	+1	+1 Spellcaster level	Fake-Out
4	+2	+1	+4	+1	+1 Spellcaster level	Uncanny Dodge
5	+2	+1	+4	+1	+1 Spellcaster level
6	+3	+2	+5	+2	+1 Spellcaster level	Quick Fingers
7	+3	+2	+5	+2	+1 Spellcaster level
8	+4	+2	+6	+2	+1 Spellcaster level	Evasion
9	+4	+3	+6	+3	+1 Spellcaster level
10	+5	+3	+7	+3	+1 Spellcaster level	Spell Reflex

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the spellslinger prestige class.

Hit Die: d4

Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcane) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis).

Skill points at each level: 2 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The spellslinger gains no additional ability to use weapons or armor. Most disdain mundane weapons entirely.

Spellcasting

A spellslinger continues training in magic as well as her new class abilities. Thus, when a new spellslinger level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of spellslinger to the level of some other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly.

If a character had more than one spellcasting class before she became a spellslinger, she must decide to which class she adds each level of spellslinger for purposes of determining spells per day when she adds the new level.

Blast Undead (su)

A spellslinger that can turn or rebuke undead adds her level as a spellslinger to her level in one class that grants such ability, but only for the purpose of turning/rebuking undead. While rare, cleric spellslingers see undead as just another type of foe to quickly blast. A spellslinger that has no ability to turn undead from another class cannot use this ability.

Steely Stare (ex)

This is most commonly used in fast-cast duels, but can be used anytime two forces are marshalling for a confrontation. Before initiative is rolled, a spellslinger can attempt an opposed Intimidation roll against a single foe within 60 ft. as a standard action. The opponent must not be in combat, but must be aware of the spellslinger. On a success, that opponent's initiative roll suffers a -4 penalty if combat begins in the next minute. Regadless of the outcome the spellslinger must wait a minute before attempting a new steely stare against the same opponent. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

Fake-Out (Ex)

Whenever one of your actions would trigger a readied action by an opponent, you may make a Bluff roll as a free action. This is opposed by your target’s Sense Motive check, but in this case, the target may add its base attack bonus to the roll along with any other applicable modifiers. If you succeed, the opponent cannot trigger his readied action until after you have completed your action.

This is a form of feint, if you have an ability that improves your ability to feint in combat, you can use it with this ability, except that the type of action cannot be modified.

Uncanny Dodge (ex)

A spellslinger can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Quick Fingers (ex)

The spellslinger’s combat reflexes react instantly to danger of all kinds. A spellslingers get to add a +4 bonus to initiative. This stacks with the bonus from Improved Initiative.

Evasion (ex)

If a spellslinger makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, the spellslinger instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the spellslinger is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless spellslinger does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Spell Reflex (ex)

The spellslinger can always act during a surprise round, but the only action she can take if she would normally have been surprised is to cast a spell.

Options

An important aspect of the spellslinger is a lack of magic theory expressed in the Spellcraft skill. If using the option that cross-class skills do not cost extra skill points, spellslinger levels do not count agains the skill rank limit on the Spellcraft skill. If Spellcraft is a class skill for another class you have (as it almost assuredly is), the rank limit is either (3 + character level - spellslinger level) or (3 + character level)/2, whichever is greater.