The Gunslinger class by third party Dungeons and Dragons publisher Mage Hand Press has just dropped on DnD Beyond, giving a brand new option for 5e players to pick at character creation.
This DnD class makes you a devastating ranged damage dealer and is ideal for players who like firearms in their fantasy. It comes with six subclasses, including a Secret Agent that plays a bit like a DnD Rogue, a Trick Shot who can ricochet bullets through cover, and a Spellslinger who – you guessed it – has access to spellcasting.
The gunslinger was originally released in Mage Hand’s much larger 5e expansion, Valda’s Spire of Secrets, in 2021, but – while a few DnD races and other character options from the book are on DnD Beyond – this is the first time a complete class has been available on the platform. As of February this year, the gunslinger has also been updated to the 2024 ruleset, incorporating features like DnD Weapon Masteries.
Quickly skimming the two versions of the class (the basic rules can be found free online at Mage Hand’s website) the differences between old and new seem fairly minor – mainly the reordering or renaming of certain class features.
One big change I did spot, however, is that the 2024 Gunslinger doesn’t ever seem to specify that you have to actually be using a firearm for its features. Perhaps the restriction is hidden in the subclasses, but from what I could tell, there’s no reason you couldn’t use this class with a regular old-fashioned bow and arrow.
One thing that’s a little odd about this release is that it only has six subclasses, whereas the original version had a staggering 16. Fair enough, you might think, maybe they haven’t adapted the rest to 2024’s rules yet. But that’s not the case, as new versions of the Gun Tank and Pistolero – two subclasses that aren’t in the DnD Beyond package – are freely available on the publisher’s website. Still, six subclasses is more than the vanilla 2024 options currently have, so I suppose I can’t complain.
The fact WotC has put an individual class up for sale on its store is also a tad confusing, given that just last year it removed players’ ability to purchase content piecemeal, and stated fans would have to buy DnD books in full. We’ll have to keep an eye out and see whether this is a one-off, or a sign of a larger trend.
The Mage Hand Gunslinger class is available for purchase for $15. I have to say, that does seem a little steep for one class. Obviously, having DnD Beyond functionality is a massive boon, but I can’t overlook the fact that – if you’re happy enough with the old rules – you can pick the whole of Valda’s Spire of Secrets up in PDF form for $30.
Do you prefer DnD settings with or without firearms? Let us know on our Discord. You should also check out our DnD character creator guide and the best alternative DnD character sheets.
Source: Wargamer
