The Elona+ Gunner class is an alternative ranged combatant to the Archer class, with less generalized skills than the tailoring or riding an archer has for the more dungeon-oriented lock picking and disarm trap, as well as the obvious change from bows and dexterity to firearms and perception. The skills besides firearm that gunners have are generally thief-like, also allowing for an alternative thief that focuses upon ranged combat.
The Elona+ gunner starts with an additional hidden feat that gives a 5% chance to fire two ranged attacks whenever you shoot once. This works for any ranged attack, whether they are firearm-based or not. This is an additional chance that will trigger independently of any attributes your equipment has giving an extra ranged attack.
Race/Class Builds[]
Straight Combat Gunner[]
As a strict ranged combatant, the gunner is capable of doing a lot of damage as a simple ranged fighter, easily destroying many enemies both close and long range. Shotguns and (later) the special action Zero Shot allow for close range enemies to deal major damage, with many long range options like sniper rifles, laser guns, and machine guns. Elona+ also has a larger array of firearm-skill-based precious weapons than other types of weapons, benefiting any character that chooses the class.
Hoard ammo with Special Ammunition properties. You can swap out ammo in a single turn, and spam it liberally, if necessarily, if you have extra ammo items. Stamina becomes a major concern for such characters, however. Stamina-restoring items are rare, so Will and Constitution are important.
For race choices:
- Yerles are an obvious choice for the most "pure" gunners - they grant a bonus to firearm that let someone have a small, but present advantage in accuracy even from the earliest portions of the game. Training weapon skills at the lower ranks, however, is fairly easy, so this is a very short-term bonus. The longer-term benefit of Yerles come down mostly to their skill points.
- For players who want to play either as strict ranged combatants, or branch into material-gathering and item crafting skills, Juere is a potent racial choice for a gunner. They have better Dexterity, Perception, (both of which are important gun stats,) and even Charisma than any other race, which can afford a new player an extra meat shield to keep the tougher monsters occupied while you stay at optimal range.
Magic Gunner[]
Rather than take Magic Device, a gun mage can make far greater use of magical buffs like Mist of Frailness, Mist of Darkness, Mist of Silence, Hero, and/or Speed at the start of battle against the tougher bosses, rather than just gluing the 'f' key down and hoping your stats are enough. Wizards have a critical flaw in never being able to rely exclusively on magic, due to MP limits and Spell Stock problems. A gunner with a magic-inclined race shoots two birds with one bullet by giving magic-users solid ranged skills that can rely upon debuffing spells for support.
- An Elea has all the magic skills the Gunner lacks, and is missing only Literacy, which Gunner has, itself.
- A lich is ironically tied for the best perception, and has good dexterity, as well. They have high Mana for more MP than other races, so their only major drawbacks are a low Charisma and Life score.
- Fairy characters will need to learn literacy, but have the evasion bonus and resistances that add up to considerable long-term advantages, especially to ranged attackers, (although they will also be significantly more difficult early on trying to get a gun they can wield safely,) and have a good build to go as a mage-ranged-thief.
Craft Gunner[]
Lock Picking and, to a lesser extent, Disarm Trap are standard adventuring skills, although you'll need to pick up Pickpocket (or play as a fairy to get it from your race) along with Detection to get all the essential dungeon spelunking utility skills. Fishing and Mining go along well to get additional resources.
Jeweler is considered the most advantageous crafting skill early on, for its scrolls of Change/Superior Material granting even early-game characters powerful weapons. Alchemy grants players Potions of Potential if they can supply the materials (for which, they probably need Fishing).
- For the crafting skills, Juere again have the significant advantage of gaining bonus materials at gathering points. (You will need the gathering skills, such as detection to really make use of them, however.)
- Fairies, again, start with pickpocket, and for all their flaws, have a well-rounded set of advantages, with magic and gathering bonuses and great attributes for ranged combat and magic alike.
God Choice[]
- The most obvious choice for the strict gunner is to worship the gun-centric Mani of Machine by going to the cyber dome and praying at its altar. This gives you a bonus to Perception and Firearms, an important attribute and skill for gunners.
- Lulwy of Wind, is also an excellent choice for the combat-centric gunner for the same reason an archer would want to worship her: she offers a bonus to perception, but also that all-important speed attribute. (In fact, without the riding skill, a gunner might need Lulwy's bonus speed more than an archer.) Her black angel is also considered a superior pet to the android. The Elona+ android is rather different, but in vanilla Elona, it is strictly inferior.
- Kumiromi of Harvest is surprisingly conducive to gunnery. He offers a bonus to Perception and Dexterity, and his Elona+ passive bonus is to restore stamina, so you can fire off more special ammo. His skill bonuses benefit gathering and crafting types: Gardening, especially, is one of only a few ways to reliably grant bonuses to attribute potential, as well as grow miracle equipment like guns, at a farm.