Desperado

Some warlords take to the way of the gun, and find that their daring personalities and devil-may-care attitude to danger is well suited to the black smoke and thunderous crack of the gunfight.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The desperado is proficient with with simple and martial weapons, and with firearms. They are proficient with light armor and with bucklers.

This alters the warlord’s weapon and armor proficiencies.

Trick Shot Training (Ex)

A desperado adds Tempest Gale to his list of available disciplines and gains Sleight of Hand as a class skill.

This alters the warlord’s maneuvers.

Gunfighter (Ex)

Daring Acts

With the GM’s approval, a desperado can regain grit by performing daring acts. As a general rule, a daring act should be risky and dramatic. It should take a good deal of guts, and its outcome should have a low probability of success. If it is successful, the desperado regains 1 grit point. Before attempting a daring act, the player should ask the GM whether the act qualifies. The GM is the final arbiter of what’s considered a daring act, and can grant a regained grit point for a daring act even if the player does not ask beforehand whether the act qualifies.

At 1st level, a desperado gains his choice of a blunderbuss, musket, or pistol. His starting weapon is battered, and only he knows how to use it properly. All other creatures treat his gun as if it had the broken condition. If the weapon already has the broken condition, it does not work at all for anyone else trying to use it. This starting weapon can only be sold for scrap (it’s worth 4d10 gp when sold). The desperado also gains Gunsmithing as a bonus feat, and can upgrade this gun to masterwork quality for 300gp and one day of work, as if he were a gunslinger. In addition, he gains Amatuer Gunslinger as a bonus feat. He uses his desperado initiation modifier instead of his Wisdom modifier to determine the maximum amount of grit points he can have.

This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 1st level.

Fan the Hammer (Ex)

A desperado’s hands are lightning-quick, and he seemingly seemingly draws, fires, and reloads his weapons on pure instinct. At 2nd level, a desperado gains Rapid Reload as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites, and applies that feat to any firearm he wields. At 5th level, a desperado can reload a two-handed firearm as if it were a one-handed firearm, and a one-handed firearm as if it were a hand or light crossbow. At 9th level, a desperado no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when firing or reloading his firearm.

This replaces tactical presence.

Daring Grit (Ex)

Through determination, verve, or otherwise dumb luck, a desperado is capable of forcing incredible feats of daring and skill through their own tenacity. In game terms, grit is a fluctuating measure of a desperado’s ability to perform incredible actions in combat. Starting at 5th level, at the start of each day, a desperado gains a number of grit points equal to his desperado initiation modifier (minimum 1). His grit goes up or down throughout the day, but usually cannot go higher than his desperado initiation modifier (minimum 1), though some feats and magic items may affect this maximum. A desperado spends grit to accomplish deeds (see below), and regains grit in the following ways:

Critical Hit with a Firearm: Each time the desperado confirms a critical hit with a firearm attack while in the heat of combat, he regains 1 grit point. Confirming a critical hit on a helpless or unaware creature or on a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the desperado’s character level does not restore grit.

Killing Blow with a Firearm: When the desperado reduces a creature to 0 or fewer hit points with a firearm attack while in the heat of combat, he regains 1 grit point. Destroying an unattended object, reducing a helpless or unaware creature to 0 or fewer hit points, or reducing a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the desperado’s character level to 0 or fewer hit points does not restore any grit.

When the desperado gains this ability, his Amatuer Gunslinger feat is immediately traded for the Extra Grit feat, as normal. If the desperado already has gunslinger levels, he gains a bonus to the maximum amount of grit he can have each day equal to his desperado initiation modifier, but gains no extra grit at the start of each day.

This ability replaces the remaining tactical presences gained at 5th and 9th levels.

Deeds

Desperados spend grit points to accomplish deeds. Most deeds grant the desperado some momentary bonus or effect, but there are some that provide longer lasting effects. Some deeds stay in effect as long as the desperado has at least 1 grit point. For the purposes of learning and performing deeds and for prerequisites, a desperado’s effective gunslinger level is equal to his class level –4. Unless otherwise noted, a deed can be performed multiple successive times, as long as the appropriate amount of grit is spent to perform the deed. At 5th level and again at 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, and 15th levels, the desperado learns a deed that a gunslinger of his effective gunslinger level could learn. He may select deeds from both the standard gunslinger’s list and those normally only available to specific gunslinger archetypes.

This ability replaces dual tactical presence and warlord’s presence.

Blackpowder Prowess (Ex)

The desperado is a skilled warrior with his chosen firearms and is capable of using them with incredible proficiency. Starting at 5th level, while the desperado maintains a Tempest Gale or Solar Wind stance, he gains a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and combat maneuver checks with using firearms. This bonus increases by +1 at 12th level and again at 19th level.

This ability replaces battle prowess.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Path of War, © 2014, Dreamscarred Press.

Path of War – Expanded, © 2016, Dreamscarred Press.

scroll to top