Holy Gun (Paladin Archetype)

Not all paladins are knights in shining armor. Holy guns roam the world, searching for evil. And where they find it, they put it down.

## **Weapon and Armor Proficiency**

Holy guns are proficient with firearms in addition to their standard proficiencies, but they lose proficiency in heavy armor.

## **Black Powder Priest**

At 1st level, a holy gun receives Amateur Gunslinger, and Gunsmithing as bonus feats; and a battered gun identical to the one gained by the Gunslinger at level 1.

In addition, the Holy Gun gains the Grit class feature, identical to a Gunslinger’s, and may use their CHA modifier in place of WIS to determine the size of their Grit reservoir, as well as any Gunslinger Deeds normally based on WIS.

Finally, the Paladin may treat their Paladin levels as Gunslinger levels for the purposes of feat prerequisite qualification.

*This ability replaces Detect Evil and Divine Health.*

## **Divine Deed**

At 2nd level, the holy gun gains the Smiting Shot deed listed below. This deed works and interacts with grit the same way as gunslinger deeds, but only the holy gun can use it. If the holy gun also has levels in gunslinger, she can spend grit points from that class to use this deed.

### **Smiting Shot (Su)**

A holy gun can spend 1 grit point when making a single attack; making the attack a Smiting Shot. If the target of a Smiting Shot is evil, the holy gun adds her Charisma bonus and her paladin level to the damage of the firearm attack. If the target of the Smiting Shot is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage increases to the Charisma modifier plus 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, the smiting shot automatically bypasses any DR the creature might have. In addition; a Paladin may also spend two grit points as part of a full-attack action, to make all firearm attacks made for 1 round become Smiting Shot(s). Only one creature can be subject to the bonus damage from Smiting Shot in a given round, meaning any shots split between multiple evil targets using a full-attack Smiting Shot, would only deal bonus damage to the first target.

*This ability replaces Smite Evil.*

## **No Mercy**

A Holy Gun may select a single Gunslinger deed in place of a mercy as they gain levels, beginning at 6th Level and onwards. They may use their paladin level -4 as their effective Gunslinger level for purposes of prerequisite qualification. They must make this decision each time a new Mercy would normally be gained ( 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level). This deed must be selected as soon as the Mercy would normally be unlocked, and cannot be changed once selected.

*This ability alters Mercies*

## **Black Powder Bond**

At 5th level, a holy gun forms a bond with her deity. This functions as the paladin's divine bond ability, except the bond, must always take the form of a firearm. In addition to the listed abilities, a holy gun can add the distance, reliable, or seeking special abilities to her weapon, but she cannot add the defending or disruption of special abilities.

*This ability alters the paladin’s divine bond.*

## **Holy Shot (Ex)**

At 20th level, a paladin becomes a conduit for the power of his or her god. They gain DR/10 (Evil).

In addition, when the Paladin first hits an evil outsider with a Smiting Shot; the target is also subject to a Banishment spell, using the Paladin's HD in place of a caster level.  (DC 10 + ½ Paladin Lv + CHA mod). A successful save makes a target immune for 24 hours.

Finally, whenever he or she uses channel energy or lay on hands to heal a creature, she heals the maximum possible amount.

*This ability replaces Holy Champion.*