Iron Kingdoms - Gun Mage
Iron Kingdoms - Gun Mage
Iron Kingdoms - Gun Mage
Description
Gun mages are wild cards, their magic
comes in fits-and-starts, and few truly
understand the strange bond they form with
their pistols. Like sorcerers, gun mages seem
to be born with this talent, but it is one that
requires intense training and practice. Due
to their strong desire to wield pistols and
their hours of training with them, their
magic is more limited than that of the
sorcerer or wizard. However, they are far
better combatants, though their emphasis
on the pistol has limited their knowledge of
other weapons.
Almost all of them have been exposed to
pistols during their childhood and have
formed a strange predilection for the costly
weapons. Instinctively, they begin to
scratch mystic runes into the pistol grip and
along the metal frame and barrel, mystically
reinforcing the pistol for use with their
arcane talent. Through hours of intense
mental focus and training, they form a
strange kinship with the pistol, developing
their own unique, arcane magic that incorporates this firearm. The process by which the gun mage
channels magical energy through the pistol becomes obvious to this gifted individual, and gun mages have
The Gun Mage • A new class for the Iron Kingdoms™ d20 RPG setting Page 1 of 8
a hard time understanding why others find this idea and practice so completely foreign. As the young gun
mage grows and develops, through constant practice he learns the limitations of simple steel and comes to
understand how to reinforce the metal to withstand potent arcane energies. Through this training and
dedication, the pistol becomes an extension of the man.
Many gun mages are loners, misunderstood or feared for the strange powers that they manifest. And this
tendency, coupled with the free-spirited nature of many gun mages, leads them into trouble more often
than not. Some become little more than hired guns or brigands, but others continue to push and develop
their talents. And if they are lucky they find their way, or find someone to take them, to one of the new
military orders that have begun to recruit and train these individuals.
Gun mages are most at home amongst other free-spirited folk. Scholars and bookish sorts tend to be too
stuffy for the gun mage’s liking, and they regularly find themselves at odds with more lawfully minded
persons, such as clerics of lawful deities, paladins, and monks. Wizards, in particular, tend to look
condescendingly on gun mages. They have been heard to say that the gun mage’s reliance on a physical
weapon is a crutch and that they are simply crippled sorcerers, forever in need of a physical focus in order
to manifest their powers. Gun mages, in turn, have been heard to say that their arcane fellows are simply
jealous of their abilities and their intuitive knack for magic.
Adventurers: Many gun mages adventure to test their skill and abilities, for only through constant
training and trial-and-error can one expand his skills and develop the mental focus necessary for this
demanding form of wizardry. They also adventure for profit. Many of them long to feel the cold, weighty
reassurance of the grip of a magelock pistol, for the odd steel of these weapons is well-suited to their form
of magic and are able to withstand greater arcane forces than common steel.
Alignment: Gun mages tend to be free spirits. Their magic is a talent, a passion. It is not the bookish
training common to the wizard orders, or even the intuitive art of the sorcerer. It requires focus and
intense training, but also a quickness of mind and sureness of purpose that only comes from complete
confidence in one’s ability. They tend to be less rigidly ordered and far more chaotic than their arcane
brethren.
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Class Skills
The gun mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration
(Con), Craft (Int), Craft (small arms) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int),
Listen (Wis), Perform (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str). See the PHB
for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
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Class Features
All the following are class features of the gun mage.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A gun mage is proficient with all simple weapons. Additionally, a gun
mage is proficient with all pistols. Gun mages are proficient with light armor, but not with any shields.
Arcane Focus: A gun mage is capable of channeling arcane magic through a pistol. With a functioning
pistol, the gun mage always has the arcane focus necessary to cast his spells. He can also make due without
inexpensive material components, though any component worth 100 gp or more must be supplied by the
gun mage.
Additionally, any ray spells cast by the gun mage are focused through the barrel of his pistol, allowing him
to use his pistol ranged attack bonus (and any ensuing bonuses from Weapon Focus or other feats) to
determine the ranged touch attack bonuses for resolving the ray spell. Unfortunately, normal pistols are
not built to withstand the arcane forces channeled in this way by a gun mage. For every two spell levels
cast through the pistol, it loses one point of hardness, rounding up for odd level spells. When the pistol’s
hardness reaches 0 it is destroyed, consumed by the arcane forces channeled through it. A common pistol
has a hardness of 10 and 5 hit points. This damage only applies to ray spells and spells linked to rune
bullets. Magelock pistols are immune to this damage.
Bond with Magelock Pistol: A gun mage is capable of bonding with the strange metal used to create
magelock pistols. Doing so takes a full day and uses up alchemical materials costing 100 gp. The bonded
weapon becomes an extension of the gun mage, and while many gun mages carry a second, third or even
fourth pistol, not all of them can bond to multiple magelock pistols. A gun mage can only bond to a number
of magelock pistols equal to his Charisma ability modifer.
Spells: Gun mages cast arcane spells like sorcerers, but they have their own spell list (provided below).
Gun mages are limited in the number of spells they can cast per day and the number of spells they can learn
according to Table 1–4: The Gun Mage and Table 1–5: Gun Mage Spells Known, respectively. The gun
mage casts these spells without needing to memorize them beforehand or keep a spellbook. The gun
mage’s pistol can substitute as an arcane spell focus for any spell requiring a focus. Gun mages receive
bonus spells for high Charisma, and to cast a spell a gun mage must have a Charisma score at least equal to
10 + the level of the spell. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a gun mage's spell is 10 + the
spell's level + the gun mage's Charisma modifier.
Reinforcing Runes: As a gun mage’s power begins to grow, he learns arcane secrets for reinforcing his
pistols to withstand some of the punishment of channeling magical energies, increasing the hardness or hit
points of the pistol. For every 50 gp in materials and one day spent carefully carving runes into a pistol, the
gun mage can increase the pistol’s hardness by 1 point to a maximum hardness of 15. For every 100 gp and
one day’s time, the pistol’s hit points can be increased by 1 point to a maximum of 16. These reinforcing
runes stack with the bonuses to a bonded magelock pistol.
Cast Rune Bullet: At 3rd level, the gun mage learns how to craft special bullets that channel spell energy.
When firing a rune-cast bullet, the gun mage can, as a free action, channel a spell into the bullet. If the
bullet hits its target, it does an additional +1d6 force damage per level of the spell channeled into the bullet.
Cantrips only add +1d3 damage.
In addition, upon reaching 6th level, the gun mage’s rune-cast bullets are treated as having a +1
enhancement bonus when spell levels are channeled into the bullet, allowing it to overcome resistances to
non-magical weapons, as well as dealing the additional damage bonus. This bonus increases by +1 for every
6 levels in the gun mage class; +2 at 12th level, +3 at 18th level.
Casting rune bullets is a very intensive process, requiring molten and powdered metals and meticulous
spellwork. Casting rune bullets requires a properly equipped gunner’s kit and the appropriate skill check
(see Craft [small arms] in Feats & Skills). The material cost, in addition to the standard pistol charge cost,
is 1 gp for each rune-cast bullet, which are regularly lead and gold shavings or dust—indispensable for its
conductive properties. Once the lead is liquefied, the gold is sprinkled into the molten metal and, as the
rounds cool, manifests as flecks. Thereupon the caster etches his signature mark—a runic glyph—with
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gold shavings onto the bullet. This mark acts as the receiving point for the gun mage’s spells, and the flecks
carry the spell throughout the bullet.
Gun mages normally are able to cast and etch 5 bullets per hour, but the cost is exacting and requires
focus. Every hour after the first, a gun mage must make a Concentration check (DC 12). If the check fails,
the gun mage is fatigued and must wait a full day before attempting to cast more bullets. Magnifying
glasses and superior etching tools can lower this DC at the DM’s discretion.
Etching the very precise runes is meticulous, especially difficult on the eyes even under the best lighting. A
bleary eyed gun mage takes a temporary penalty of -1 to all ranged touch attacks per hour spent casting
rune bullets. These points are recovered at a rate of 1 point every 2 hours provided the gun mage is no
longer etching runes.
Bonus Feat: Every five levels, a gun mage gains a bonus feat. These must be chosen from the following list:
any Metamagic feat, Combat Casting, Combat Loading (Improved Combat Loading), Dodge (Mobility),
Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on
the Run), Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Craft [small arms]), Spell Focus (Greater Spell Focus), Spell
Penetration (Greater Spell Penetration), Weapon Focus (pistol).
Hardness: As a gun mage increases in level, his bonded magelock pistol becomes more durable. A standard
magelock pistol begins with a hardness of 10; this increases by +1 for every two levels of the pistol’s master.
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Hit Points: A standard magelock pistol has 8 hit points. As its bonded master increases in level, the pistol’s
hit points increase by +2 for every two levels of the pistol’s master.
Alertness: The touch of cold, magelock steel serves to sharpen its master's senses. While the magelock
pistol is touched, its master is treated as having the Alertness feat.
Spell Link: Due to the magic channeling and absorbing properties of the metals used to craft magelock
pistols, any personal spell cast by the master will also affect the pistol. The pistol must be within 5 feet at
the time. If the spell’s duration is other than instantaneous, the spell stops affecting the pistol if it is moved
farther than 5 feet away from its master. The spell's effect will not be restored even if its master retrieves
the pistol before the spell’s duration would have ended. The master and magelock pistol can share spells
even if the spells do not normally affect items. For example, Roderick casts mirror image on himself, creating
four images. As long as his pistol remains within 5 feet of Roderick it has four images as well, making it
more difficult for his opponents to target both Roderick and his precious magelock pistol.
Ranged Touch: If the master is 3rd level or higher, the magelock pistol can be used to deliver ranged touch
spells. When the master casts a ranged touch spell, the rune-cast bullet in the chamber is designated as the
"toucher." (The master must be holding the pistol at the time of casting.) The ranged touch spell can then
be delivered as a ranged touch attack. If the attack would also succeed as a normal ranged melee attack,
pistol damage is also applied to the attack. As normal, if the master casts another spell, the touch spell
dissipates.
Touch: If the master is 5th level or higher, the magelock pistol can be used to deliver touch spells at range.
This is handled exactly as the Ranged Touch ability.
Sighting Link: Due to the magical nature of the magelock metal and the bond that has been forged
between the pistol and its master, with a successful Concentration check (DC 15), the master of 7th level
or higher can see as if looking out from his pistol’s sights (or the end of the barrel if it has no sights),
instead of using his own eyes. This enables the master to aim the pistol without looking, allowing for some
spectacular trick shots.
Call Pistol: At 9th level, the master gains the ability to summon his magelock pistol to his hand. When
separated from his pistol, with a successful Concentration check (DC 18) the master can cause his pistol to
fly into his hand so long as it is not gripped by another and can be seen by its master. This ability is a move-
equivalent action, though a gun mage with the quick draw ability can call his pistol as a free action.
Scry: If the master is 13th level or higher, the master may scry on his pistol (as if casting the spell scrying)
once per day. This is a spell-like ability requiring no material components or focus that allows the gun
mage to see his bonded pistol and its surroundings if they are ever separated.
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circle against chaos/evil/good/ law, nondetection, phantom steed, protection from elements, shrink item, sleet storm, slow,
stinking cloud, suggestion, vampiric touch, water breathing, wind wall
4th level—bestow curse, black tentacles, charm monster, confusion, contagion, dimension door, dominate person, emotion,
enervation, fear, fire shield, fire trap, hold monster, ice storm, improved invisibility, minor creation, minor globe of
invulnerability, modify memory, remove curse, resilient sphere, shout, solid fog, stoneskin, wall of fire, wall of ice
5th level—animate dead, cloudkill, cone of cold, control water, dominate person, faithful hound, feeblemind, greater
dispelling, hold monster, interposing hand, magic jar, major creation, mind fog, mislead, permanency, secret chest, sending,
stone shape, telekinesis, teleport, wall of force, wall of iron, wall of stone
6th level—acid fog, antimagic field, chain lightning, circle of death, contingency, disintegrate, eyebite, flesh to stone, forceful
hand, freezing sphere, globe of invulnerability, greater dispelling, mass haste, mass suggestion, mislead, project image,
repulsion, stone to flesh, transformation
The Iron Kingdoms, The Gun Mage, and all names, places, and things associated are © & TM, Privateer Press, 2003.
The introductory section and the text of the “…In the Iron Kingdoms” section are Privateer Press product identity and considered closed content. “Gun Mage”,
“magelock”, and gun mage artwork are ™ & ©, Privateer Press 2003.
OGL
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Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and
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The Gun Mage, Copyright© 2003, Privateer Press, LLC. Authors Brian Gute, Brett Huffman, Joe Martin, Colin Chapman.
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