Still Not Done With PF1: The Ki-Slinger Archetype for Pathfinder First Edition (Patreon)

It all began with a typo, "Pathfinder Fist Edition." Then I thought about that a little, and listed some options beyond that being an Oops, All Monks campaign.

And, no shock, people wondered how I'd make an unarmed combat archetype for the gunslinger which is, like it says on the tin, focused on guns. But deeds are actually a fascinating class of options, and grit can be a lot of fun, and neither of those sets of rules needs to be locked behind adding guns you your feudal fantasy.

Now, I am beginning to think of this campaign idea as Punchfinder.

Ki-Slinger (Gunslinger Archetype) You do not use guns. Instead, you have STUDIED guns, and learned the martial art of the explosive punch, extreme penetration, flash, burn, and quick draw. You have internalized these concepts into your ki, and can deliver them through the mere touch of a finger. You don't need guns. You are a gun... metaphorically speaking.

(I tend to be pretty forgiving about what light armor looks like, so players can have the character aesthetic they prefer. Image by warmtail.)

Ki Attack: You can focus your own ki to transmit damage not through force of your blow, but by the focus of your spirit. This allows you to deliver the power of punch with the soft touch of just a finger, ignoring barriers such as armor.

As long as you have at least a single point of grit, your unarmed melee attacks are touch attacks and add your Wisdom bonus, rather than your Strength modifier, to your attack roll. This does not apply to natural attacks. Because ki attack is a specific fight technique, incompatible with the core of many other unarmed styles, it also does not apply to any attack that has had its damage improved by the class feature of a class other than ki-slinger (for example, it does not apply to attacks dealing greater damage due to levels in brawler or monk).

All references to firearm attacks in your grit and deeds are changed to ki attack. For example, the grit effects of critical hit with a firearm and killing blow with a firearm are now critical hit with a ki attack and killing blow with a ki attack. Your deeds only modify or benefit your ki attack, and can never be ranged attacks.

You are considered to have a ki pool for purposes of prerequisites. Anything that requires the expenditure of points from a ki pool or modifies the size of your ki pool instead expends or applies to your grit points. You can still take feats and abilities that modify your grit points. You add half your ki-slinger class level to the number of grit points you start with each day, and to your normal maximum number of grit points.

You receive Improved Unarmed Combat as a bonus feat.

This replaces proficiency with all firearms and gunsmith, and modifies deeds and grit.

Deeds: The Ki-Slinger has several unique deeds.

Ki Blast: At 1st level as a standard action, the ki-slinger can make a ranged touch attack, with a range increment of 10 feet. This attack does untyped damage equal to 2d6 + 1/2 the ki-slinger's level (minimum +1). Any effect the ki-slinger has that can be added to an unarmed attack (such as Stunning Fist) can also be added to a ki blast. This costs 1 grit. This replaces the deadeye deed.

Spiritual Focus: At 1st level, anytime the ki-slinger takes an action that would normally provoke an attack of opportunity from 1 or more creature, the ki-slinged can expend 1 grit for the action to not provoke. This replaces Quick Clear.

Ki-Slinger Initiative: As long as the ki-slinger has at least 1 grit point, they gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks, and threaten the area around them and can make attacks of opportunity with unarmed attack before they take their action in a surprise round. This replaces Gunslinger's Initiative.

Ki-Whip: After a successful unarmed attack, the ki-slinger can expend 1 grit make a combat maneuver check to knock the target of the unarmed attack prone. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. This replaces Pistol Whip.

Expert Strikes: At 11th level whenever the ki-slinger rolls a 1 on an attack roll with unarmed strikes, they can expend 1 grit to reroll the attack. If the second attack roll is also a 1 the ki-slinger can expend another grit for another reroll, and so on. This replaces Expert Loading.

Kip-Up: At 11th level, while the ki-slinger has at least 1 panache point, they can kip-up from prone as a move action without provoking an attack of opportunity. They can kip-up as a swift action instead by spending 1 grit point. This replaces Lightning Reload.

Ki Attack Training: Beginning at 5th level, you gain a bonus on your ki attack damage equal to your Wisdom bonus. The base damage for your ki attack is now calculated as the unarmed damage of a monk with a class level 8 less than your ki-slinger level. (This is not considered having its damage improved by the class feature of a class other than ki-slinger--your ki attacks are still touch attacks.) This replaces all gun training.