Oh it's not so bad to have crossbows for a couple levels. The first two level ups come rather quickly in general.
On a side note if you want a little flexibility a couple bard levels can give you some useful utility spells. Had an idea for a pirate gunslinger that had the bard spells for life on a boat, mostly support things/concentration.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
If you want to use guns at level 1, you're going to have to either start as an Artificer with the DM allowing firearm proficiency, or you're going to have to be a Variant Human/Custom Lineage character and take the Gunner feat from Tasha's to have proficiency (Gunner will eventually become mostly redundant/useless if you become a Gunslinger-subclass fighter, which grants firearm proficiency and has the reload property instead of loading). So, if you are 100% determined to be a Reborn or Genasi, you're going to have to start as an artificer with DM permission to have firearm proficiency from being an artificer.
Beyond this, there's not much I can do to help with the build unless you specify more what you have in mind. If you want to be a tinker who creates their own guns and uses magic to enhance them, you're probably best off playing a Battle Smith Artificer. Your Steel Defender can go and protect your party-members while also help keeping enemies away from you, and you can stay back and shoot them. Recommended feats are Sharpshooter (of course), Gunner, and Fey-Touched (to get Hex or Hunter's Mark).
I hope this helps.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
If you're willing to go Variant Human with the Gunner feat straight from level 1, you can also do a lot of good with the Battle Master. You can emulate nearly all of the Gunslinger's Trick Shots, and with fewer drawbacks overall (misfiring and jamming).
The Gunner feat is still a little useful after taking the Gunslinger subclass because you can shoot people at close range, but Piercer, Sharpshooter, Martial Adept, Lucky and Alert are all good options too. Firearm Specialist is nice after you gain firearms proficiency. Just make sure you discuss these with your DM beforehand to see if they would be allowed in the campaign. Artificer also works, but you'd be stunting your Fighter progression by multiclassing. To explain why you aren't proficient with firearms in the beginning you could always roleplay Fighter levels 1 and 2 as being a gunsmith's apprentice or spending your downtime with tinker's or smith's tools trying to perfect a "better hand crossbow." Just make sure your Dex is high.
You could go lvl1artificer then you have access to firearms straight off and go into fighter after this alternatively you can speak with your dm and go fighter and take proficiency in firearms by taking a feat e.g gunner. Or there is hawkes gunslinger class which is UA. There are a bunch of other feats and gunslinger stuff in this sourcebook.
So, I recently had the Idea to make a gunslinger-type character for lvl 1 to unknown levels. I would really like suggestions on how to build them.
Edit: they are going to be reborn or fire-genasi
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One flaw with the gunslinger subclass is that you're not able to use guns until you're level 3. And you're starting at level 1.
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this is a problem
I am a conjurer, but the only thing I can summon is disappointment
Status: schools started, so weekday posting is limited.
I'm a member of the "oops I accidentally destroyed someone's brain cult"
I might be losing it at the rate of the heat death of the universe.
Extended Sig
yes
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXVIII?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
I'd personally recommend the Middle Finger of Vecna Gunslinger class courtesy of Mage Hand Press, it's really well balanced for the most part.
Mystic v3 should be official, nuff said.
Oh it's not so bad to have crossbows for a couple levels. The first two level ups come rather quickly in general.
On a side note if you want a little flexibility a couple bard levels can give you some useful utility spells. Had an idea for a pirate gunslinger that had the bard spells for life on a boat, mostly support things/concentration.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
If you want to use guns at level 1, you're going to have to either start as an Artificer with the DM allowing firearm proficiency, or you're going to have to be a Variant Human/Custom Lineage character and take the Gunner feat from Tasha's to have proficiency (Gunner will eventually become mostly redundant/useless if you become a Gunslinger-subclass fighter, which grants firearm proficiency and has the reload property instead of loading). So, if you are 100% determined to be a Reborn or Genasi, you're going to have to start as an artificer with DM permission to have firearm proficiency from being an artificer.
Beyond this, there's not much I can do to help with the build unless you specify more what you have in mind. If you want to be a tinker who creates their own guns and uses magic to enhance them, you're probably best off playing a Battle Smith Artificer. Your Steel Defender can go and protect your party-members while also help keeping enemies away from you, and you can stay back and shoot them. Recommended feats are Sharpshooter (of course), Gunner, and Fey-Touched (to get Hex or Hunter's Mark).
I hope this helps.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
this helps
I am a conjurer, but the only thing I can summon is disappointment
Status: schools started, so weekday posting is limited.
I'm a member of the "oops I accidentally destroyed someone's brain cult"
I might be losing it at the rate of the heat death of the universe.
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AlumniIf you're willing to go Variant Human with the Gunner feat straight from level 1, you can also do a lot of good with the Battle Master. You can emulate nearly all of the Gunslinger's Trick Shots, and with fewer drawbacks overall (misfiring and jamming).
The Gunner feat is still a little useful after taking the Gunslinger subclass because you can shoot people at close range, but Piercer, Sharpshooter, Martial Adept, Lucky and Alert are all good options too. Firearm Specialist is nice after you gain firearms proficiency. Just make sure you discuss these with your DM beforehand to see if they would be allowed in the campaign. Artificer also works, but you'd be stunting your Fighter progression by multiclassing. To explain why you aren't proficient with firearms in the beginning you could always roleplay Fighter levels 1 and 2 as being a gunsmith's apprentice or spending your downtime with tinker's or smith's tools trying to perfect a "better hand crossbow." Just make sure your Dex is high.
You could go lvl1artificer then you have access to firearms straight off and go into fighter after this alternatively you can speak with your dm and go fighter and take proficiency in firearms by taking a feat e.g gunner. Or there is hawkes gunslinger class which is UA. There are a bunch of other feats and gunslinger stuff in this sourcebook.
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/443924/The-Gunslingers-Arsenal?term=Gunslingers