Magic is the old way of the world, and technology, like gunpowder seems to be the new way of things. There are practitioners of both schools, who, combining the two, come to an easy balance of technology and arcane. All gun mages are arcane casters of some skill, and all focus on flame and light, the better to use their abilities.

Becoming a Gun Mage
Many gun mages begin their careers as wizards or sorcerers, and often they multiclass as fighters in order to meet their prerequisites. Swashbucklers also become drawn to the path of the gun mage, and can be found in large numbers. The flashy magic that they cast appeals to them.
    Gun mages must have a good balance of mind and body. They must have a high Dexterity to make good use of their firearms, and high mental facilities (usually either Intelligence or Charisma) to power their magic.
    Hit Die: d6.

Requirements
    Base Attack Bonus: +5.
    Skills: Concentration: 5 ranks, Craft (gunsmithing) 5 ranks.
    Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (any firearm), Weapon Focus (any firearm).
    Spells: Arcane caster level 5th.

Class Skills
The gun mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex) and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Gun mage abilities focus on spellcasting, specifically combining it with firearms or gunpowder. By expending gunpowder, they can improve their spells, or they can channel spells through their guns. In addition, they turn their firearm into a mystic companion, able to assist them in their travels.
    Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Gun mages do not gain proficiency in any weapons or any type of armor.
    Spellcasting: Beginning at 2nd level and every second level there after, the gun mage gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic or item creation feats, hit points beyond those she receives from the prestige class, and so on), except for increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a task mage, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
    Gunpowder Trickery (Su): Starting at 1st level, a gun mage learns some of the secrets of gunpowder and how it can be used to enhance the effects of some spells. Any spell enhanced with gunpowder trickery must deal damage and have the fire, light or sonic descriptor. Each spell cast can only have one gunpowder trickery effect placed on it.
    At 1st level, the gun mage can expend 3 oz of gunpowder as a material component to cause the targets of the spell to become dazed for 1 round. Any targets can make a Will save equal to the spells save DC to negate this effect.
    At 5th level, the gun mage can expend 6 oz of gunpowder as a material component to increase the spell's damage by 1 point of fire damage per die.
    At 6th level, the gun mage can expend 12 oz of gunpowder as a material component to deal an additional 1d6 points of sonic damage to all targets of the spell.
    Mystic Firearm (Su): At 1st level, a gun mage performs a series of complicated rituals upon a firearm they possess, that must already be at least a +1 magic weapon. The ritual takes 24 hours and requires 100 gp worth of materials. Once a gun mage is bound to a weapon, they gain special abilities as per the Mystic Firearm Progression table (see below). A gun mage can only have one mystic firearm at a time. If the ritual is performed more than once, the older of the two mystic firearms loses its abilities immediately. A gun mage can only create a mystic firearm from a type of firearm they possess the Weapon Focus feat for.
    Channel Spell (Su): At 3rd level, a gun mage learns to channel any spell with range of ranged touch through their mystic firearm. Instead of making a ranged touch attack to deliver the spell, the gun mage makes a ranged attack with their mystic firearm, dealing normal damage with their weapon in addition to casting the spell.
    At 7th level, the gun mage can channel any spell with the range of touch through their mystic firearm in the same manner.
    Gunpowder Infusion (Su): At 10th level, the gun mage can infuse his spells with the essence of gunpowder, causing them to become volatile. A spell can be turned into a gunpowder spell just like any metamagic feat. This can only be applied to spells that deal damage. Upon reaching its target, a gunpowder spell explodes with force. The target must make an opposed Strength check against a DC equal to the 5 + spell level + the gun mage's relevant spellcasting ability score. If the target fails, they are pushed back 5 feet. For each five points the target is short of meeting the DC, they are pushed back another 5 feet. A spell prepared in this manner takes up a spell slot 2 levels higher than normal.

Mystic Firearm
    Mystic Firearm Ability Descriptions: All mystic firearms have special abilities (or impart special abilities to their masters) depending on the master's gun mage level. The abilities given on the table are cumulative.
    Intelligence: The mystic firearm has a small amount of Intelligence which it uses to help it communicate with the gun mage.
    Bonus Damage (Ex): The mystic firearm is magically enhanced and deals extra damage according to the table below. This bonus applies regardless of whether the gun mage is using the mystic firearm as a ranged weapon or if they are using the butt as a melee weapon.
    Alertness (Ex): The mystic firearm sharpens the gun mage's senses. While the mystic firearm is within reach, the gun mage gains the Alertness feat (page 89 of the Player's Handbook).
    Sighted (Ex): While the mystic firearm does not have eyes or ears, it does have the ability to sense its environment as well as any creature with normal vision and hearing. A mystic firearm's sighted range is 40 feet.
    Telepathic Link (Su): The gun mage has a telepathic link with his mystic firearm when it is within arm's reach.
    Dark Sighted (Ex): If the gun mage is of 5rd level or higher, his mystic firearm develops darkvision to a range of 40 feet. This ability extends to magical darkness like that created by the darkness spell.
    Hungry Muzzle (Ex): Once the gun mage becomes 9th level, the mystic firearm can manipulate itself slightly to better assist the gun mage. Reloading the mystic firearm now takes a move action. If the gun mage possesses the Rapid Reload feat, then reloading the mystic firearm is a free action.

• Class Struggles
• Origins of the PCs
• More 1600s Campaign Supplementary Material