Shootist

"Leave the men where they lay They'll never see another day Lost my soul, lost my dream You can't take the sky from me"

- The Ballad of Serenity

""You're about the deadest shot I've ever seen. Where'd you learn to shoot like that?" "Read a book. Came with the gun.""

- Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man

You are a very special kind of weapon specialist: the kind with a gun.

Firearms are rare, expensive, dangerous to use, and considered magic by most right-minded folk. But to you they are the tools of your profession. From holdout pistols to cannons, show you a target and you can hit it.

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Requirements:

Minimum 15 Wits or Agility

Minimum 11 Willpower

Training time: 6 months and a whole lotta bullets

Features and bonuses:

Bonus background: Exposure to technomancy



Skills
Alertness I Firearm Modification apprentice Gunpowder Formulae Hasty Fighting Position Horsemanship (any one) apprentice (if applicable) Insults I -OR- Intimidation I -OR- Glare I Load Firearm (all) Military History apprentice -OR- Literacy (choose one) -OR- Speak (second language) apprentice Quickdraw -OR- Speedload Ranged Weapon (longarm) I Ranged Weapon (pistol) I Reload (choose any two formulae) Select any one lore skill Select any one stance Shoot from the Hip I Weapon Maintenance—all of: Automatic, Breechloader, Handgonne, Muzzleloader, and Repeater


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Level bonuses
 Gunsmoke: Even with smokeless powder (which you probably aren't using anyway) there's still some smoke emitted from the barrel. Combine that with the chaos caused by many sudden frightful noises and invisible instant death. You can use this confusion for a personal smokescreen, as it were. For every round fired for this purpose, increase your armour class by one for the duration of the fight as long as you stay within a few feet of that spot.  Twirl: Also known as gunspinning, you can safely spin a weapon on your finger, even if drawing or reloading it.  I'll Be Waiting for You in Heaven… with a Gun: Spiritual Destruction (as the trait) with bullets Smokeless Powder: You can see targets through smoke, and converse during volleys of gunfire, even cannon. Over the Shoulder: Or under your arm, or whatever; shoot someone behind you without turning around with only a -2 penalty There Was a Time When I'd Have Gotten All Three: +4 initiative, and an additional +6 to initiative when using firearms Always Prepared: All firearms owned are assumed to always be in good repair, cleaned, and loaded. Holdout pistols hidden on your person are not noticeable to a visual search, do not interfere with any action, will not go off accidentally, and your thoughts will not betray their location to a telepath.  Tin Star: Add half your shootist level (rounded up) to social skill checks when you are in, and currently using, a position of authority</li> I Was Aiming at the Horse: By voluntarily going dead last in initiative—even behind crippled zombies on heroin—you gain an attack bonus with a rifle equal to your shootist level for that one shot. This ability only applies during combat, specifically when someone is trying to kill you right back, and may be done once per combat. Shock does not reduce your attack roll while using this ability. </li> One for Each of Ya: Simultaneous aiming with two pistols at two separate targets without additional penalties is now possible. You realize that this does preclude any defences except for dodging, right? Then again, two-gun fu makes your pretty darned hard to flank. </li> Vaya con Dios: You are so damned quick on the draw that you can say some badassed line or catchphrase before you plug 'em, and still get +8 on initiative. This works for even fairly long spiels, even if you are misquoting both Ezekiel 25:17 and Sonny Chiba. </li> Cigar with No Name: Keep a slow-match, punk, or cigarette lit under adverse conditions short of full submersion, and for double its normal burn time. Flipping it up into the air and catching it in your mouth is also possible at this level. </li> Any Trouble, Boy?: "No, old man. Thought I was having trouble with my adding but it's all right now." Immunity to surprise. No matter how intent your concentration on a task, you are perpetually alert and ready to shoot. </li> I Never Used Trick Photography: When drawing pistols from their holsters at the start of a gunfight you gain a special interrupt to shoot first. This level bonus automatically takes precedence over any other interrupt that an opponent might use. Level XV shootists in a showdown would just roll initiative normally against one another. </li> Blaze of Glory: You can automatically hit with any firearm once per battle, using an entire round to aim. The shot goes off in the next round, with a -12 initiative penalty. You automatically do maximum damage; don't bother to roll for that, either. </li> Law of the Gun: Those who live by the gun tend to die by it. You now suffer a -10% to system shock checks when shot, but anyone that you shoot has a -30% to their roll. </li> The Good, the Bad, and the Guy with the Gun: You can permanantly burn a status for a +3 to strike (for a positive or useful status; crap statuses are only +1). Should you die in battle after having used this ability, any remaining statuses posthumously triple. </li> The In-famous El Guapo: Any shootists, technological warriors, technomancers with a gun-type kit, and anyone with at least five total skill levels in any firearm skill in the region automatically succeed on a reputation roll for you. </li> Pocket Bible: Once daily, you can sacrifice an item on your person (not on a horse or in a backpack); it takes the bullet for you. This only applies against ranged weapons, but you can use this after the damage or system shock rolls are determined. </li> Make My Day: A successful Common Sense check gives you an additional round in your gun. It's loaded and ready to fire. You can check a given weapon up to three times per gunfight (whether successful or not) with the usual -2 repeat action penalty. Also, you gain both a daily retest and a forced retest, usable for any die roll. "You've gotta ask yourself a question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"</li> </ol>

Per additional level: Upgrade all firearm skills

Per additional even level: +1 to initiative


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