The Marauder is the execution-focused subclass of the standalone Gunslinger mod for Baldur’s Gate 3. It dual-wields revolvers and revolves entirely around one mechanic, Marked for Death, which flags enemies for an instant kill once their hit points drop below a threshold. The build below maxes Dexterity, layers on Gambit Point actions, and finishes with medium armor for a durable ranged killer.
Quick answer: Play a Marauder Gunslinger, push Dexterity to 20, take Two-Weapon Fighting at level 2 to dual-wield revolvers, grab Moderately Armoured at level 8 for medium armor, and use Marked for Death plus Carnage to trigger executions and Onslaught.
Race and ability scores
Dexterity is the only stat that matters for accuracy, damage, and initiative, so it climbs from 16 at creation to 20 by the end. Charisma stays at 16 because the subclass scales off it and it covers dialogue checks. Constitution sits at 14 for survivability, and Strength is dumped to 8. A Wood Half-Elf works well as the base race.
| Ability | Level 1 | Level 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 8 | 8 |
| Dexterity | 16 | 20 |
| Constitution | 14 | 14 |
| Intelligence | 10 | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 | 10 |
| Charisma | 16 | 16 |
At level 12 the finished character lands on 86 hit points, an Armour Class of 23, and an initiative bonus of +16. Saving throw proficiencies cover Dexterity and Charisma.
Level 1 to 12 progression
The path stacks Gambit Point actions and ranged upgrades while saving feats for Dexterity and armor. Here is what each level delivers.
| Level | Key gains |
|---|---|
| 1 | Marauder subclass, Marked for Death |
| 2 | Break Away (Disengage), Two-Weapon Fighting style |
| 3 | Gambit Points, Quickload, Trigger-Happy, War-Hardened |
| 4 | Ability Improvement (+2 Dexterity to 18) |
| 5 | Extra Attack |
| 6 | Bullet Rush, Bullet Hell, Trigger-Happier |
| 7 | Dodge ‘n Roll, Evasion |
| 8 | Moderately Armoured (+1 Dexterity to 19, medium armor) |
| 9 | Extra Gambit Point, Marked for Death upgrade, Trigger-Frenzy, Bullet Rain |
| 10 | Bite The Bullet, Shooting fighting style |
| 11 | Extra Gambit Point, Carnage (Onslaught) |
| 12 | Right to Bear Arms (+1 Dexterity to 20, bonus Gambit Point) |
At level 1 you select the Gunslinger class, choose the Marauder subclass, and immediately gain Marked for Death. Base proficiencies cover simple weapons, rapiers, shortswords, hand and heavy crossbows, and light armor.
Level 2 grants Break Away, a bonus-action Disengage that stops movement from provoking opportunity attacks, and the Two-Weapon Fighting style. That style is the reason the build can dual-wield revolvers, because it adds your ability modifier to off-hand shots.
Level 3 unlocks 4 Gambit Points along with Quickload, the Trigger-Happy reaction, and the War-Hardened passive that adds your Charisma modifier to Armour Class when you drop to 40% health or lower. Levels 4 and 8 handle Dexterity growth through Ability Improvement and Moderately Armoured, with the latter also opening up medium armor. Level 12 finishes Dexterity at 20 with Right to Bear Arms, which grants an extra Gambit Point for Quickload.
At level 6, Bullet Hell restores ammunition to all firearms whenever a turn begins, so reloading rarely takes up an action during a standard rotation.
Signature mechanics
Marked for Death
Firearm hits apply Marked for Death. Once a marked target’s hit points fall below the execution threshold, it is instantly killed, unless it is immune to force damage. From level 9 the first hit applies the mark for 3 turns instead of 2.
Trigger-Happy and Trigger-Happier
Trigger-Happy lets you fire a reaction shot whenever an ally damages a marked enemy. Because you dual-wield, that shot comes from your off-hand with no disadvantage. Trigger-Happier, added at level 6, is a weapon action that fires an off-hand shot at a target that is not yet marked. At level 9, Trigger-Frenzy refunds a Gambit Point when either ability misses.
Carnage and Onslaught
Unlocked at level 11, Carnage uses 2 Gambit Points to consume the remaining Marked for Death duration across the battlefield. For each mark it consumes after the first, you gain 1 turn of Onslaught; every affected creature retains 1 turn of Marked for Death. Onslaught grants flat force damage to each firearm attack per turn and gains 2 turns when you score a kill.
Bullet Rain
Bullet Rain, unlocked at level 9, fires 5 attacks spread across up to 8 marked targets. The final attack consumes all remaining Marked for Death turns and deals force damage, but it also uses up all your ammunition, which is where Quickload becomes important.
Recommended Act 3 gear
The medium-armor loadout leans on Armour of Agility to convert your full Dexterity modifier into Armour Class, which is how the build reaches 23 AC alongside the Ring of Protection.
| Slot | Item | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Sarevok’s Horned Helmet | Reduces crit roll by 1, can’t be Frightened |
| Cloak | Cindermoth Cloak | Burns melee attackers |
| Boots | Disintegrating Night Walkers | Misty Step, movement immunities |
| Armour | Armour of Agility | Full Dexterity modifier to AC |
| Ring 1 | Ring of Protection | +1 AC, +1 saving throws |
| Ring 2 | Caustic Band | +2 Acid on weapon attacks |
| Gloves | Helldusk Gloves | +1d6 Fire on weapon attacks |
| Amulet | Amulet of Bhaal | Bleeding on full-HP targets |
| Main Hand | Revolver +1 | Piercing plus acid and fire |
| Off Hand | Infernal Trigger | Enflame, permanent hellfire |
In Act 3, Dammon sells the unique off-hand revolver Infernal Trigger. It has a +2 enchantment and permanent hellfire, along with the Enflame weapon action, which puts up to 4 targets into Rolling Hellfire.
Combat rotation
You know the core loop is working when a marked enemy drops below the execution threshold and dies outright instead of taking normal damage. Bite The Bullet at level 10 backs this up defensively, leaving you at 1 hit point instead of downed if you would otherwise fall, so you can keep shooting and let Onslaught refresh on your next kill.
