Powder Mage

A note from the creator: Hi, I'm very new to using the D&D Beyond system for making subclasses. Below is my concept for a subclass but I have not managed to use the number systems to optimize this homebrew for digital character sheets or for the online character creator. Other than that, thanks to Brian McClellan for the insane inspiration, and to all who use this subclass: have fun!

"Taniel paused briefly to check the pistol at his hip. The flintlock was frozen, jammed with snow and ice. The powder still seemed to be dry, though, and the bullet was wedged firmly in place. That was all that mattered for a Marked. He could make his own spark to fire the bullet."
- Promise of Blood, Brian McClellan (p.227)

With a keen eye, the sniper looks down the scope. They know their target is well over 300ft away, and the ball will take a moment to arrive at its destination. In that time, the target may have moved elsewhere.
Burning a little powder, the sniper lets the ball fly but wills it to move faster, pushing it along with the extra force. The throttling ball nails the target dead before the sound of the blast could even be registered by the sniper itself.

As the opposition nears, the Powder Mage unloads one more devastating musket shot, and then draws their sword. Breathing in the gunpowder lingering in the air, the mage's eyes sharpen and muscles toughen, in preparation for the incoming melee.

In a setting where black powder has been discovered, a Marked individual or Powder Mage utilizes a form of sorcery to manipulate and control gunpowder, shaping the direction, magnitude and shape of its resultant blast. A Powder Mage makes a uniquely gifted marksman and capable warrior, assuming they have sufficient powder available.

Further, a Powder Mage can consume black powder to increase their own functions and abilities temporarily, increasing their field of vision, allowing them to see traces of magical energy, and enhancing their abilities of strength and pain tolerance.

 

Marked

When you take this archetype at 3rd level, you become proficient with firearms if you are not already proficient. Additionally, you acquire a Musket and 10 ammunition for it (see the Firearms table under the Gunslinger subclass for Fighter). It's up to you and your DM to discuss the origin of this musket: perhaps it is one you were unprepared to use earlier but now feel ready for, one you hastily construct out of nearby materials, or perhaps you are gifted one by a fellow marksman shortly after taking on this archetype at level 3.  

Additionally, because of your supernatural connection to gunpowder as a Marked, you ignore the Misfire trait of firearms that feature it, such as those in the Firearms table associated with the Gunslinger subclass for Fighter.

Powder Twisting

You have discovered an innate ability within yourself to detect, manipulate, absorb, and even detonate black powder.

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn powdertwists that are fueled by a resource called Powder Charges. 

Powdertwists. You learn three powdertwists of your choice, which are listed at the end of this subclass description. Many powdertwists enhance a firearm attack in some way, though some instead function as alternative actions or bonus actions. You can use only one powdertwist per attack. You learn two additional powdertwists of your choice at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you learn new powdertwist, you can also replace one powdertwist you know with a different one. Some powdertwists require you to have reached a certain level in this class in order to be eligible to choose them.

Powder Charges. You have four Powder Charges. When a Powdertwist mentions a powder charge dice, that dice takes the form of a d6. A powder charge is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended powder charges when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another powder charge at 7th level and one more at 15th level.

If you attempt to use more Powder Charges than you have available, you may still attempt a Powdertwist as if you had spent a Powder Charge, but you will immediately take a level of exhaustion.

Saving Throws. Some of your Powdertwists require your target to make a saving throw to resist the Powdertwist's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Powdertwist save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier 

A Knack for Ammo

When you reach 7th level, your senses have honed allowing you to locate black powder from great distance. You know the precise direction and distance to any gunpowder within a number of feet equal to your 10 times your level in this class, and you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on smell to detect the presence of gunpowder within twice that distance. When you use this feature to successfully detect nearby gunpowder, you are also aware of the approximate amount of powder in that direction (any description like the following would suffice: a loaded musket, a powder keg, a large stockpile, etc.).
Additionally, you can use Powder Charges to construct ammunition for your weapons. After completing a short or long rest and regaining your expended Powder Charges, you may choose to expend up to two Powder Charges to create 1gp worth of nonmagical ammunition per Powder Charge spent for any Firearm. If the amount of ammunition you would gain does not divide evenly, round the result down.
(Consult the Firearms table in the Gunslinger subclass for details regarding the cost of ammunition.)

Magic Sniper

Subconsciously you guide and reinforce every shot you take using your innate magic. Starting from 10th level, whenever you fire nonmagical projectiles with a firearm, they are considered are magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunities to nonmagical attacks and damage. Additionally, you gain a +1 to all ranged attack and damage rolls made with firearms.

Refined Charges

At 15th Level, your Powder Charge dice becomes a d10 rather than a d6. Additionally, your +1 bonus granted by Magic Sniper increases to a +2.

Master of Rifle

From 18th level, you can apply and combine an unlimited number of applicable Powdertwists to a ranged firearm attack, expending Powder Charges as usual for each applied Powdertwist. You may not apply the same Powdertwist more than once to the same attack however.

Master of Powder

Upon reaching 18th level, you no longer require a firearm in order to use ammunition you have stockpiled. When you attack, you can choose to fire a bullet, musket-ball or similar firearm projectile you have on your person without the need for a gun. Attacking in such a manner is considered a ranged spell attack, with a range of 120ft. The spellcasting ability for this feature is Wisdom. On a hit, the attack deals 1d10 piercing damage.
Further, you can apply Powdertwists to these attacks as if they were fired from a firearm. 

Powdertwists

Below is a list of all available Powdertwists for this subclass, organized alphabetically. Note that some require you to have reached a certain level in this class before you can learn them.

Bullet Cloud

Prerequisite: 9th Level

As an action on your turn you may expend 2 Powder Charges and up to 5 pieces of ammunition (normally bullets or musket balls), manipulating the force provided by the exploding powder charges to allow these munitions to float in the air above your head. For the next minute you may use a bonus action in your turns to expend a munition and launch one of these munitions at a target. Make a ranged spell attack (using Wisdom as your spellcasting modifier), dealing Powder Charge dice + Wisdom Modifier piercing damage on a hit.

Any ammunition not used at the end of this minute drops harmlessly to the floor.

Cornering Attack

Prerequisite: 7th Level

When you hit a creature with a ranged firearm attack, you can expend one Powder Charge to attempt to frighten the target. You add the Powder Charge dice to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Curved Shot

As part of a ranged firearm attack, you may expend a Powder Charge to attempt to twist a projectile's trajectory mid-flight. This firearm attack now ignores half-cover and treats three-quarters cover as if it were half-cover. Additionally, you may add a Powder Charge dice to the attack roll.

Dazing Shot

When you make a firearm attack against a creature, you can expend a Powder Charge to attempt to dizzy them. If the attack hits, the target must make a Constitution saving throw, suffering disadvantage on attack rolls on a failure until the end of their next turn.

Disarming Shot

When you make a ranged firearm attack against a creature, you can expend one Powder Charge point to attempt to shoot an object from their hands. On a hit, the creature suffers normal damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw or drop 1 held object of your choice and have that object be pushed 10 feet away from your location.

Floated Snipe

As part of a ranged attack with a firearm, you can expend a Powder Charge to elude the disadvantage of attacking at long range and to double the regular and long ranges of the weapon for this attack.

Hasty Shot

As a bonus action you can expend a Powder Charge to hastily reload (if necessary) and fire a firearm. Make a weapon attack roll as usual for the weapon, however for this particular attack the weapon's damage dice is replaced with a Powder Charge dice, adding the relevant ability modifier as usual to the damage total.

Hollow Point

As a bonus action you may expend a Powder Charge to make all your firearm attacks for this turn magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical weapon damage. Additionally, the first firearm attack that hits this turn deals a Powder Charge dice in extra damage which is of the same type as the weapon's.

Packed Barrell

When you make a firearm attack against a target, you can choose to expend up to 3 Powder Charges to increase the damage of the weapon. The decision to use this Powdertwist - including how many Powder Charges are used - must be decided before rolling for the attack. For each Powder Charge expended in this way, add your Wisdom modifier to the damage roll.

Powder Keg

Prerequisite: 13th Level

 As an action you may expend three Powder Charges to cast the Fireball spell as a third level spell, using Wisdom as your spellcasting ability.

If you learn this Powder Twist, you also learn the Create Bonfire and Fire Bolt cantrips, which can be cast without expending any Powder Charges for as long as you know this Powder Twist. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these cantrips.

Powder Trance

Prerequisite: 7th Level

As an Action you can expend 2 Powder Charges to hone your defensive and offensive capabilities.
For the following minute, you have the following benefits:

- You gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to half your Wisdom modifier (Minimum of 1).
- You gain a bonus to your Armor Class equal to half your proficiency modifier (rounded down).
- Your Passive Wisdom (Perception) and Passive Wisdom (Insight) scores increases by your Proficiency Bonus.
- You can add an amount equal to your Proficiency Bonus to all Wisdom (Perception) checks and Wisdom (Insight) checks.

This trance functions as if concentrating on a spell and can be ended early, however it differs in that you may still cast and concentrate on another spell at the same time.

Repurposed Shot

Prerequisite: 7th Level

Using quick reflexes and some extra powder, you can attempt to salvage an otherwise-wasted bullet. When you make a ranged attack roll with a firearm and miss, you can choose to immediately expend one Powder Charge as a bonus action and reroll the attack roll against a different creature within 60ft of the original target. 

Seeking Shot

Using carefully controlled force provided by a Powder Charge, you can attempt to curve and twist a bullet's trajectory to seek out a hidden or protected target. When you use this option, you don’t make an attack roll for the attack. Instead, expend a Powder charge and choose one creature you have seen in the past number of rounds equal to your Proficiency Bonus. The projectile flies toward that creature, moving around corners if necessary and ignoring three-quarters cover and half cover. If the target is within the weapon’s range and there is a path large enough for the projectile to travel to the target, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes damage as if it were hit by the weapon, plus an extra Powder Charge dice of force damage, and you learn the target’s current location. On a successful save, the target takes no damage, and you don’t learn its location.

Shrapnel Blast

After successfully hitting with a ranged firearm attack, you may choose to expend a Powder Charge to cause the projectile to explode. The target takes the usual weapon damage. Every other creature than the target within 5ft of the target must make a successful Dexterity saving throw. Roll one Powder Charge dice: each creature who failed the Dexterity saving throw takes this amount of damage. This damage is of the same type as the weapon's original type.

Third Eye

Prerequisite: 7th Level

As an action, you may expend a Powder Charge to cast Detect Magic as a first level spell. This casting does not require concentration and lasts for its full duration. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell when casting it using this feature.