Beast Gunner - Archetypes - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder 2nd Edition Database (2024)

Beast Gunner

Legacy Content

Source

Characters with a Home Region of Arcadia have access to all archetypes from Chapter 3 with the exception of fireworks technician and demolitionist.

The art of creating the weapons most commonly referred to as “beast guns” is truly ancient, with the first iterations of the weapons created on the continent of Arcadia well over 10,000 years ago. This means that beast guns predate all other forms of firearm crafting in Arcadia, even the legendary star guns, whose secrets have been lost to the ages. The tradition of designing beast guns has persisted throughout Arcadia well into the modern era, though it has become increasingly rare as the proliferation of classic firearms and the prestige associated with star guns has allowed more people access to equivalent destructive power without the intense requirements behind crafting a beast gun. However, beast gunners remain virtually unknown outside of Arcadia.

The art of bonding to a beast gun and gaining the full magic of a beast gunner is an extended ritual with multiple steps, beginning with the hunt. A person seeking to bond to a beast gun typically does so with a brand new weapon made after they hunt down the creature themselves. This involves telling the story of the hunt, the beast, and the weapon created from the hunted creature. Finally, the weapon is carefully modified and tailored to ensure a proper bond between the beast gun and the prospective beast gunner. However, it's also possible to bond to an heirloom beast gun passed down through the generations by adding symbolic fresh components from the same kind of creature, after performing the same ritual hunt necessary to forge a new weapon with the intent of establishing a bond.

To perform the ritual the prospective beast gunner must first plan a hunt to slay the creature corresponding to the beast gun, whether they wish to bond with a brand new beast gun or establish a link to an old beast gun. Typically, these ritualized hunts can include up to five assistants plus hunting beasts like canines or birds who help corner the beast and bring it down. If the assistants are significantly more powerful than the hunted creature, or if there are so many assistants the creature never stood a chance at survival, the magic simply fails during the bonding process and the hunt and organic materials are wasted, usually much to the shame and chagrin of the hunter. The same doesn't apply if the prospective beast gunner hunts the creature alone, even if they are significantly more powerful than the creature, such that the creature never stood a chance against them in a one on one fight.

You're one of those who successfully completed the hunt and bonded with your prized weapon. Now, you seek to discover the hidden depths that others who think they know how to use beast guns can only imagine.

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 149 ^2.0
Some archetypes allow other feats beyond those in their entry. These are typically class feats, such as fighter feats that represent certain combat styles. The list of additional feats includes the feat's name, its level, and the page number where it appears. You can take the feat as an archetype feat of that level, meaning it counts toward the number of feats required by the archetype's dedication feat. When selected this way, a feat that normally has a class trait doesn't have that class trait.

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Beast Gunner Dedication Feat 6

Legacy Content

UncommonArchetypeDedicationMagical
Source
Archetype

Prerequisites trained in

and

; expert with at least one type of firearm, you own a beast gun and have slain the type of creature associated with your beast gun in a fair hunt (see above)

You've bonded to your beast gun and unlocked the first hints of its hidden potential. You treat all beast guns as martial firearms when determining your proficiency with them, even beast guns that are normally advanced weapons. You can change your bonded beast gun to another beast gun you own each day during your daily preparations, as long as you've previously performed a ritual hunt associated with the new beast gun.

The beast gun also acts as a conduit, drawing out and amplifying any latent or active magic power you have. You learn to cast spontaneous spells and gain the Cast a Spell activity. You gain a spell repertoire with one cantrip of your choice, from either the arcane or primal spell list. You choose this cantrip from the common spells on your chosen spell list or from other spells you have access to on the list. This cantrip must require a spell attack roll. You're trained in spell attack rolls and spell DCs for arcane or primal spells, whichever of the two traditions you chose. Your key spellcasting ability for these spells is either Charisma or Intelligence, chosen when you take this feat.

If you already cast arcane or primal spells from spell slots, you learn one additional cantrip from that tradition. If you're a prepared caster, you can prepare this spell in addition to your usual cantrips per day; if you're a spontaneous caster, you add this cantrip to your spell repertoire.

You also gain Spellsling.

Spellsling [three-actions] Requirements You're wielding your bonded beast gun; Effect You Cast a Spell that takes 1 or 2 actions to cast and requires a spell attack roll. The effects of the spell do not occur immediately but are imbued into the beast gun you're wielding. Make a Strike with that beast gun. Your spell flies with the ammunition, using your attack roll result to determine the effects of both the Strike and the spell. This counts as two attacks for the purposes of determining your multiple attack penalty, but you don't apply the penalty until after you've completed resolving the attack and spell.

Special You can't select another dedication feat until you've gained two other feats from the beast gunner archetype.

Basic Beast Gunner Spellcasting Feat 8

Legacy Content

Archetype
Source
Archetype

Prerequisites

You've unlocked the first secrets of beast guns, granting you the power of their synergistic magic.You gain the basic spellcasting benefits. Each time you gain a spell slot of a new level from this archetype, add a spell of the appropriate spell level to your repertoire, either a common spell of your chosen tradition or another spell of that tradition you've learned or discovered.

Call Gun Feat 8

Legacy Content

ArchetypeConjurationMagicalTeleportation
Source
Archetypes

,

Prerequisites

You build a powerful magical connection with a chosen gun or crossbow, gaining the ability to conjure it directly to your hand from any distant location. During your daily preparations, choose a single crossbow or firearm. Until your next daily preparations, you can use the Call Gun action to call the gun to your hand.

Call Gun [one-action] (conjuration, magical) Effect You hold aloft a free hand and call the firearm or crossbow you chose during your daily preparations into your hand. As long as the weapon you chose is on the same plane, it appears in your hand.

Drain Vitality [one-action] Feat 10

Legacy Content

ArchetypeMagicalNecromancy
Source
Archetype

Frequency once per minute
Prerequisites

Requirements You're wielding your bonded beast gun.

You draw out the bestial magic energy within your bonded beast gun to fortify yourself, purge ongoing harm, and bolster your life force with a sheath of swirling life essence. You gain temporary Hit Points equal to your level and attempt a flat check against any ongoing persistent damage, using the DC appropriate for particularly effective assistance. Using this ability depletes the magic within your bonded beast gun, preventing you from using any of its activated abilities until the end of your next turn.

Expert Beast Gunner Spellcasting Feat 12

Legacy Content

Archetype
Source
Archetype

Prerequisites

You've learned the deeper secrets of beast guns, making you an expert in the magic they grant you. You gain the expert spellcasting benefits.

Controlled Bullet [two-actions] Feat 16

Legacy Content

ArchetypeEvocationMagical
Source
Archetype

Frequency once per day
Prerequisites

You create a direct magical connection with your beast gun, allowing you to guide the beast gun's next shot by taking control of the projectile directly, steering it through the air, and swerving and veering it to continue to hit target after target. Make a beast gun Strike against a creature within the first range increment. On a hit, the shot tears through the target and continues toward another target you can see. You make a Strike against this new target. The new target must be no farther from the previous target than a distance equal to the beast gun's range increment. For example, the new target must be within 150 feet of the previous target when attacking with a drake rifle. On a hit, you can direct the bullet toward a new target.

You can continue to make Strikes against new targets in this same way until your attack misses, at which point your shot dissipates. You can't make a Strike against a target you already attacked during this use of Controlled Bullet, but you can otherwise continue to make attacks against valid targets until you miss. Each attack counts toward your multiple attack penalty, but don't increase your penalty until you've made all your attacks.

Master Beast Gunner Spellcasting Feat 18

Legacy Content

Archetype
Source
Archetype

Prerequisites

You've learned the final truth of beast guns, making you a master in the magic they grant you. You gain the master spellcasting benefits.