What would the ideal gunslinger class (if it should be its own class at all) look like...

What would the ideal gunslinger class (if it should be its own class at all) look like? I've looked at a bunch of different setups, including the one from the Critical Role guy, but, in addition to not quite getting the spirit of a gunslinger right, every single one of them has either been overpowered or irredeemably garbage. I just want to play a cowboy, anons. Please help.

I sort of like the idea of a thoroughly medieval gunslinger. A janissary or something like it, rifles as tall as a man, which take a good long time to reload.
I also like it, because it is at least superficially era-appropriate for whatever clusterfuck of a time period that most medieval fantasy is supposed to be set in.

A late 19th-centure cowboy just isn't, and to my mind he never will be.
People did not wear armor in the late 19th century. Accurate rifle fire could happen at distances almost similar to today.

I love cowboys. I desperately want to DM some Dogs in the Vineyard, or even some completely different western fantasy, but I don't want cowboys in my D&D.

Just my personal opinion.

Playing a Janissary actually sounds pretty badass.
You're bound to a certain cause in the same way a paladin is, and in combat you can shoot a high damage shot every two or three turns forcing you to position well and plan ahead.

>not quite getting the spirit of a gunslinger right

Which would be what?

DESU, I feel like the gunslinger's spirit is not really that mechanically specific to need its own representation.

Well, to me, at least, the gunslinger of the wild west (the wild west depicted in movies, that is) is similar to a knight or paladin of the medieval age, but rather than fighting for a king or religion, they are bound strictly by their own moral code, whether that code is good, bad, or neutral. That's what's cool about the wild west setting: it was a time and place in which the way of the land was will instead of god or government.

>Class

That's pretty much just roleplay tho. Why would you need a class for that?

You could maaaaybe squeeze in some sort of paladin that makes its own code and uses a gun. But then that's more Dark tower kind of thing (which is cool I guess).

I disagree for a different reason.

There should be a better Knight Errant representation in most games, and that's what a gunslinger is.

Better than a Paladin?

Or just... a guy who fights and is not a dick? Why the hell does this need mechanics?

>That's pretty much just roleplay tho. Why would you need a class for that?
I don't really, but it would make things more unique and streamlined. One of my partymates is also looking at trying to play a cowboy, so I'm just looking at the different avenues it could take.
>You could maaaaybe squeeze in some sort of paladin that makes its own code and uses a gun. But then that's more Dark tower kind of thing (which is cool I guess).
That's a good alternative that I'll talk with all of them about. the depiction of Roland in the first book is pretty much what I want to emulate

>I desperately want to DM some Dogs in the Vineyard
You should, it's the most fun system to GM I've ever used.

The ranger is the gunslinger without a doubt: knowledge of the outdoors, doubling down on initiative to get that first shot off, survival proficiency, a focus on hunting down crooks that had done them wrong in the past. They're the classic drifter by trade just looking to make their way by and dealing justice on the side. All you need to do is work out how the gun mechanics work with your DM and you're good to go.

I think part of what sets a part of the archetypical ranger from a gunslinger is the one with nature focus. A gunslinger may be a hunter, tracker, and know the land; he's never one with it though. The ranger is so much with nature he masters the beasts rather than befriends or uses them, and is simply more at home with nature vs the gun slinger who is often unwanted or distrusted.

If a gunslinger does not get the highest initiative roll, but rolls atleast half the sum of the top roller, he gets to roll again and uses whatever of his two rolls was the highest(Quick Draw)
Half aim/hit score penalty in return for rolling an attack for every round in the cylinder in a single move(Fan the Hammer)

Balancing can be done through low weapon base damage or reload time for instance

An Archetypical ranger, yes, but that's really being strict to the stereotype. A gunslinger is still 1:1 a ranger in every aspect, he's just not a hippy about it.

A paladin is specifically *not* a knight errant. I’m talking about something playing off the trope, which is something between a fighter, ranger, and bard. Lives off the land, knows a bit of everything, works odd jobs, and fights real well.

Then again, I feel like classes should represent recognized tropes without having to multiclass. In 5e terms it would be kind of like a bard with 5th level spells and more combat abilities with some like the revised ranger’s ability to move across the landscape.

I desperately want to make a fantasy adventure version of Dogs in the Vineyard.

Wilderness guy
Tough as nails
Rides a horse
Shoots guns

I wouldnt have a specific gunsling class but I might want a Duelist class that covers characyers like The Man With No Name or Yojimbo or the European swordsmaster.

I might give them a refreshing pool for use on difficult actions. Called shots, initiative, extra attacks, specific preset defences and readied actions. They could create 'mini spells' by dedicating a number of points to a specific series of actions that will trigger all at once with a high degree of success.

They would get a weapon specilization. They would also have access to skills of slight of hand and all social abilities.

They would be devistating when they have the advantage or in the first few moments of any fight in which they are ready. But have little to do when caught off gaurd or put against a foe who can withstand thier initial tequnice. They would only have average toughness.

Most duelists would die quickly to pride or lack of forsight.

wouldn't be too hard, the setting's not especially tied to the mechanics, the only thing I can really think of is changing the gun specific stuff.

>I desperately want to make a fantasy adventure version of Dogs in the Vineyard.

Literally no changes are required, since guns are just statted the same as any other piece of equipment with an extra die added on. You could just say that an enchanted weapon gets the extra die that a gun normally gets, whereas a regular version of the weapon just uses the base die.