Gun Chemist

Simple alchemists may dabble in explosives, but for the rare gun chemist, a firearm’s barrel is his crucible.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

Gun chemists are proficient with all simple weapons, firearms, and light armor.

This replaces the gun chemist’s weapon and armor proficiencies.

Alchemical Ordnance (Su)

A gun chemist is adept at using his know-how to infuse his ammunition with volatile chemicals and his own magical reserves. When loading a firearm, he can infuse the ammunition as a free action. The compounds are unstable, and if not fired within a number of rounds equal to the gun chemist’s Intelligence modifier (though no sooner than the end of his next turn), the alchemical ordnance becomes inert and loses its additional effects; he can still fire the firearm as normal. Each day, the gun chemist can infuse a number of pieces of alchemical ordnance equal to his class level + his Intelligence modifier, and he can fire no more than one piece per round.

Alchemical ordnance deals damage as normal, plus an amount of fire damage equal to 1d6 + the gun chemist’s Intelligence modifier. The damage of the gun chemist’s alchemical ordnance increases by 1d6 points at every odd-numbered class level (this bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit or by using feats such as Vital Strike). The explosive nature of alchemical ordnance causes the attack— both the firearm’s base damage and the alchemical ordnance’s additional damage—to deal full damage to swarms of any size. If the gun chemist uses alchemical ordnance to make a scattering shot with a weapon with the scatter quality, each creature in the area instead takes additional fire damage equal to the alchemical ordnance’s minimum damage (so if the alchemical ordnance would deal 2d6+4 points of fire damage normally, it deals only 6 points of fire damage with a scattering shot).

The gun chemist’s alchemical ordnance functions safely only in weapons he wields. If anyone but a gun chemist attempts to fire a firearm loaded with alchemical ordnance that is not yet inert, the firearm’s misfire value increases by 4.

If the firearm would explode as the result of such a misfire, the explosion deals additional fire damage equal to that of the alchemical ordnance.

Alchemical ordnance is treated like an alchemist’s bomb for the purpose of discoveries, though such discoveries ignore any effects associated with a bomb’s splash damage or radius unless the gun chemist also applies the exploding bullet discovery (see below). A scattering shot modified by a discovery applies additional effects as though affected creatures were caught in the splash damage of a bomb rather than subject to a direct hit. The DCs of saving throws associated with alchemical ordnance are equal to 10 + half the gun chemist’s alchemist level + the gun chemist’s Intelligence modifier.

This replaces bombs.

Gunsmith

A gun chemist gains a battered gun identical to the one gained by a 1st level gunslinger, as well as the Gunsmithing feat (including the ability to restore his battered gun as if he were a gunslinger). As a standard action, the gun chemist can expend one use of his alchemical ordnance to remove the broken condition from a single firearm he is currently wielding, as long as that condition was gained from a misfire.

This replaces Brew Potion and Throw Anything.

Discoveries

A gun chemist selects alchemist discoveries as normal. He can also select from the discoveries below, which are unique to the gun chemist. Discoveries marked with an asterisk (*) do not stack, including with other alchemist discoveries marked by an asterisk that modify bombs. Only one such discovery can be applied to an individual alchemical ordnance.

Chemical Stability: When firing an alchemical ordnance, the gun chemist reduces the misfire value of the firearm by 1 (minimum 0) and ignores any increased misfire value from using an alchemical cartridge.

Exploding Bullet*: The gun chemist’s alchemical ordnance splashes adjacent targets as though it were a splash weapon, dealing the alchemical ordnance’s minimum additional damage to other creatures caught in the splash (Reflex half ). A gun chemist must be at least 4th level before selecting this discovery.

Fast Ordnance: A gun chemist with this discovery can fire more than one piece of alchemical ordnance as part of a full attack. A gun chemist must be at least 8th level before selecting this discovery.

Cartridge Savant (Ex)

At 2nd level, a gun chemist can make optimal and highly efficient use of alchemical cartridges, such as flare cartridges. If the gun chemist fires such an alchemical cartridge and it allows a saving throw to negate or reduce the cartridge’s effect, the saving throw’s DC increases by 1 (to a maximum DC of 22). The DC increases by an additional 1 at 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter (to a maximum of 7 higher at 20th level). When a gun chemist fires an alchemical cartridge that deals a type of damage in place of a firearm’s normal damage (such as a dragon’s breath cartridge), he can increase the damage dealt by an amount equal to his Intelligence modifier.

This replaces poison resistance.

Repeat Fire (Ex)

At 6th level, a gun chemist gains Rapid Reload as a bonus feat and must select a type of firearm.

If he already has this feat, he can instead gain one combat feat for which he qualifies.

This replaces swift poisoning.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Player Companion: People of the Wastes © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Logan Bonner, John Compton, Nathan King, Luis Loza, Christopher Wasko, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.

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