Arcane Gunslinger

Wielding rune-etched firearms that fuse ancient arcana with precise engineering, Runeslingers are innovators who defy the traditions of wizardry.

While most wizards weave spells through practiced gestures and whispered incantations, Runeslingers inscribe powerful runes upon bullets and barrels, channeling their magic through meticulously crafted revolvers, pistols, or rifles. For them, the gun is not a mere weapon – it is a focus of will and intellect, a conduit through which arcane might finds new, unorthodox expression.

Scholars of this tradition trace its roots to arcane engineers of lost empires, gunmages who believed that magic and technology were never meant to remain apart. Runeslingers carry that legacy forward, engraving elemental runes into their shots to freeze foes mid-charge, blast them backwards with force-infused bullets, or electrocute armored adversaries with lightning-laced rounds.

This path demands both precise craftsmanship and deep magical knowledge. Runeslingers spend hours calibrating their firearms’ rune channels, crafting specialized ammunition, and experimenting with elemental infusions. Where other wizards spend years mastering a single school of magic, Runeslingers master the art of shaping destructive forces into a single shot fired at the perfect moment.

Some view Runeslingers as reckless mavericks, believing their methods betray the purity of the arcane arts. Others see them as visionaries, forging a future where magic is no longer confined to dusty tomes or cryptic gestures, but carried openly in holstered revolvers that command both respect and fear.

Whether as dueling academicians defending their honor in arcane courts, rune-engineers protecting frontier settlements, or enigmatic bounty hunters wielding revolvers humming with arcane power, Runeslingers reshape the battlefield with every trigger pulled and rune ignited.

Gunslinger’s Armament

Starting when you choose this tradition at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with firearms (as defined by your DM).

You craft or attune to a Gunslinger Focus, a firearm that acts as your arcane focus. This firearm does not use mundane ammunition. Instead, it stores arcane charges, representing rune-etched bullets, which you prepare during a long rest equal to your proficiency bonus + Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

Infused Spell Shots

When you cast a wizard cantrip that requires a ranged spell attack and fire it through your Gunslinger Focus, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll (minimum +1).

Arcane Recalibration

You may use an action to reconfigure your Gunslinger Focus, changing its elemental rune type (fire, cold, or lightning). Until changed, your cantrips fired through it deal damage of that type instead of their normal damage type.

Runic Ammunition

At 6th level, you learn to craft Runic Shots by etching powerful runes onto bullets or cartridges. You can create a number of Runic Shots equal to half your wizard level (rounded up) during a long rest. These shots last until used or until your next long rest.

When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that requires a ranged spell attack through your Gunslinger Focus, you can expend a Runic Shot to imbue the spell with one of the following effects:

• Force Shot. Add 1d6 force damage, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be pushed 10 feet away from you.

• Frost Shot. Add 1d6 cold damage, and the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of your next turn.

• Crackling Shot. Add 1d6 lightning damage. If the target is wearing metal armor or is made of metal, it has disadvantage on the saving throw against the spell, if applicable.

Arcane Ricochet

At 10th level, you can redirect missed shots with supernatural precision. When you miss with a spell attack roll made through your Gunslinger Focus, you can use your reaction to reroll the attack against a different creature of your choice within 30 feet of the original target.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Arcane Deadeye

At 14th level, your marksmanship and runic mastery let you strike where it hurts most.
When you cast a wizard cantrip that requires a ranged spell attack, you score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Additionally, when you roll a critical hit with a spell attack using your Gunslinger Focus, you can roll one additional damage die for the spell.