Gunmetal duelist

Gunmetal duelists are about two things. Damage, and improving the weapon you use to dish out that damage. This puts them as a combination of ranger and artificer with a focus on jerry rigging and 'ah, it'll work' solutions. They do not learn spells in the same way a normal ranger would. Instead, every level, they learn one new mechanism recipe.

This is not properly balanced. Homebrew as needed to suit your table.

 

Favored fighter

Once per turn, when you hit your favored enemy with an attack roll, you roll an additional dice of damage. When rolling a crit, you double both the base damage and the additional damage, resulting in four times normal damage. This can only be done with a weapon you are proficient with. If the weapon you are using has a modification, it applies to the additional damage as well, unless it is 'Elemental dispenser', which only applies when upgraded to 'Greater Elemental dispenser'.

At 7th level this increases to twice per turn and at 14th level this increases to three times per turn.

This can affect bonus action attacks and opportunity attacks as well.

Upgrade crafting

You are able to enhance your weapons to improve their damage, magical abilities, range, or usability. To modify a weapon you require time, and parts. Owning and having proficiency with the appropriate toolkit (i.e. woodcarving for a bow) allows you to halve the time and reduce the part requirements by 1. This cannot reduce the needed parts to 0. Only one toolkit can be used per modification. A modification does not need to be fully completed in one go and may be worked on over multiple rests. Magic parts cannot be removed through toolkits.

There are 5 kinds of parts, each with their own cost and weight. All parts except magical can be found in general equipment stores.
General (Wood, glass, nails) - 0.5gp 3lbs
Bow/Longbow (Flexible wood, string) - 2gp 5lbs
Crossbow (Tensile strings, metal, components) - 5gp 6lbs
Gun (Metal plating, rivets, components) - 10gp 10lbs
Magic (Rare gems, enchantment, powerful focus) - 500gp 1lbs

The amount of time it takes to make each modification is written down. Until level 11, you may only make modifications as part of a long rest. You must still spend half the time of the rest not working on modifications to still gain benefits from the rest. You can modify any weapon, including the weapons of your party members, provided it fits the description of the upgrade. For each modification applied to a weapon, increase the weapon's weight by 1lbs. Ammunition is modified at the cost of 1 modification per 10 ammo, and does not increase in weight.

You may remove any number of modifications from a weapon on a short or long rest by spending 10 minutes per modification with the weapon. You recover 1 part of your choice per modification disassembled in this way, and at level 11, you recover all parts.

Additionally, as part of this feature, gain proficiency in one artisans tool of your choice

Choose weapon modifications from the list below. If a Modification is listed as 'Greater' or 'Superior' you will need the earlier version of that modification first. Adding a 'Greater' or 'Superior' Modification replaces the effects of the earlier modification they do NOT stack.

It is recommended you keep track of which modification(s) are on which weapon using (Customize - Notes)

Add enchantment

Requirements: Unenchanted and unmodified weapon
Parts needed: Magic
Artisan tool requirement - N/A
Time taken - 4 hours

Target weapon becomes a +1 version of that weapon, becoming a magical weapon. It cannot receive any other modifications as long as it has this ability.

This ability also allows you to turn a +1 enchanted weapon into a regular weapon.

 

Auto-waterer

Requirements: Flammable weapon, any armour
Parts needed: General, General, Crossbow, Crossbow
Artisan tool - Tinkerer
Time taken - 10 hours

The weapon, character, armor and any allies within 5ft, cannot be set alight by non-magical fires, and have advantage to avoid magical fires *(This affects being set on fire, not fire damage). As an action, you may water a 5ft by 5ft area to grow crops, put out a fire, or just make a puddle. Weapons or armor with this effect must be refilled weekly with a liquid to function.

Brutal attachment

Requirements: Any melee weapon
Parts needed: General, General, General, General.
Artisan tool requirement - Smith's tools or Woodcarver's tools
Time taken - 12 hours

When landing an attack with this weapon, it deals one additional dice of damage. Reduce all attack rolls made with this weapon by 1

 

Double shot loading

Requirements: Crossbow, any light weapon with "Loading" feature
Parts needed: Crossbow, Crossbow
Artisan tool - Weaver or Tinkerer
Time taken - 2 hours

The weapon can carry an additional shot allowing you to make up to two attacks as part of an action, bonus action or reaction

 

Elemental dispenser

Requirements: Any Weapon or Spell casting focus
Parts needed:  General, Magic (if Weapon) Magic, Magic (If Focus)
Artisan tool requirement - N/A
Time taken - 6 hours

Choose any element of damage that the weapon cannot currently deal. The weapon can now deal that damage. When making an attack roll, you choose the kind of damage you want to deal, and the weapon's normal damage is replaced by the elemental damage. Additional damage, such as explosive arrows or bleed from 'Shattering shots' is unaffected. If the weapon is a ranged weapon, it only applies elemental damage to the first shot fired each turn.

If a spellcasting focus was selected, once per turn, a spellcaster may turn any spell's elemental damage into a different kind of damage. The spell deals 1 dice less damage when changed in this way.

Explosive ammunition

Requirements: Thrown weapon or ammunition
Parts needed:  Bow, Gun (If arrow or javelin)/Crossbow, Gun (If bolt)/ Gun (If bullet or dagger) - (Per 10 ammunition)
Artisan tool requirement - Weaver's tools (If thrown weapon). Leatherworker's tools or Mason's tools (If ammunition)
Time taken - 10 minutes - (Per 10 ammunition), 30 minutes (Thrown weapon)

By adding an explosive satchel onto any pre-made ammunition, it now packs twice the punch

Ammunition modified by this effect deals double damage to buildings, and deal an additional die of bludgeoning damage. Ammunition modified by this effect is destroyed when used. Thrown weapons modified by this effect are not destroyed, but become unusable until repaired. This modification must be re-added to an item every time it successfully detonates.

If used alongside Retrievable ammunition, the explosive deals half damage, but the weapon is never destroyed, and the modification is never removed.

Extended magazine

Requirements: Crossbow, any light weapon with "Loading" feature
Parts needed: General, Crossbow, Crossbow, Crossbow, Gun
Artisan tool - Weaver or Tinkerer
Time taken - 8 hours

The weapon can carry up to 6 shots, but all ammunition for the weapon now weights twice as much. Due to the jerry-rigged magazine, when a natural 1 is rolled, the magazine fully empties, regardless of how many shots remained.

Folding attachment

Requirements: Weapon must not have the 'heavy' or 'two-handed' property
Parts needed: General, Bow, Bow, Crossbow
Artisan tool requirement - Weaver's tools or Tinkerer's tools
Time taken - 10 hours

The weapon becomes attached to a backpack, armguard or similar, allowing it to be equipped/unequipped by command. While attached to a target, it cannot be removed against their will unless they are unconscious or dead. It takes 1 minute to take off or put on. The target may swap weapons as a free action, provided one of the weapons has this modification, and may interact with items as a bonus action as long as it is equipped to them. If the item has the 'light' property, it is also considered hidden while unequipped in this way. If the item has the 'reload' property, it can be reloaded as a free action provided the target has enough ammo.

 

Greater Brutal attachment

Requirements: Any Melee Weapon
Parts needed: General, General, General, General, General, General, General.
Artisan tool requirement - Smith's tools or Woodcarver's tools
Time taken - 24 hours

Whenever you land an attack with this weapon, roll an additional die of damage. If an affect would apply advantage to your attack, you can choose to remove that advantage, and instead, apply advantage to your damage roll.

When you start your turn with less than half of your maximum hitpoint remaining, and this is the only weapon you have with the 'Greater Brutal attachment', you can, as an action, automatically crit against the nearest enemy (the attack automatically lands, and you roll double the damage die). Doing this will destroy this modification, make the attacker (you) take half the damage and make this weapon unusable until repaired.

Greater Elemental dispenser

Requirements: Any Weapon or spellcasting focus
Parts needed:  General, General, Magic, Magic
Artisan tool requirement - N/A
Time taken - 12 hours

Choose any element of damage a weapon cannot currently deal. The weapon can now deal that damage, and whenever it deals that damage, it deals 1 extra damage. When making an attack roll, you choose the kind of damage you want to deal, and the weapon's normal damage is replaced by the elemental damage. Additional damage is unaffected. When damaging your favored enemy, you can choose to change the additional die of damage to elemental damage.

If a spellcasting focus was chosen, a spellcaster may turn any spell's elemental damage into a different kind of damage.

Greater Improved distance

Requirements: Target must be proficient with the weapon or Arcane focus
Parts needed: Bow, Bow, Gun, Gun
Artisan tool requirement - Carpenter's tools or Tinkerer's tools
Time taken - 12 hours

If the weapon is a melee weapon, its distance increases by 10ft. If the weapon is a ranged weapon, its distance increases by 50ft/100ft

If the weapon is an arcane focus, spells cast through the focus increase their range by 5ft if touch or 20ft if ranged. The area of an area of effect spell is not changed, unless it originates from the user, in which case it improves by 10ft.

 

Greater Secretive Storage

Requirements: Weapon, up to 3 Thrown weapons, up to 10 ammunition
Parts needed:  General, General, General
Artisan tool requirement - Leatherworker's, Cobbler's, Smith's, Jewler's or Woodcarver's tools (depending on where you will hide the weapon)
Time taken - 8 hours

Making major adjustments, you work to build a hiding spot for a weapon anywhere on your person. The weapon can be hidden as a bonus action, and checks to pretend you are unarmed always succeed, provided the target has not seen your weapon. You may draw the weapon and attack with it, as a bonus action. Once per combat, you may draw and attack with a thrown weapon from your secretive storage, as a free action.

It does not take an action to draw a thrown weapon from Secretive storage. When using ammunition from Secretive storage, you may make 1 attack as part of the reload action.

Hooks

Requirements: Weapon capable of opportunity attack, target has proficiency with the weapon
Parts needed: General, Gun, Gun
Artisan tool requirement - Carpenter's tools, Smith's tools
Time taken - 4 hours

By adding small, curved blades over part of the weapon, it becomes capable of restraining a fleeing opponent.

When you succeed on an opportunity attack, the target is considered grappled by you until your next attack or their next turn. If your next attack is a grapple, you have a +2 to the Athletics check.

Additionally, you may add your proficiency bonus a second time when rolling an opportunity attack with a modified weapon

 

Improved distance

Requirements: Simple weapon without the 'thrown' property
Parts needed: General, Bow, Bow
Artisan tool requirement - Carpenter's tools or Woodcarver's tools
Time taken - 6 hours

If the weapon is a melee weapon, it improves its range by 5ft. If the weapon is a ranged weapon, it improves its range by 20ft/60ft

Piercing ammunition

Requirements: Any ranged ammunition, thrown weapons
Parts needed: General, Bow/Crossbow/Gun. - (Per 10 ammunition)
Artisan tool requirement - Woodcarver's tools (If bow or javelin)/ Tinkerer's tools (If crossbow)/ Smith's tools (if gun or dagger)
Time taken - 20 minutes - (Per ammunition)

When you make a ranged attack with a weapon or ammo modified by this effect, it does not stop upon hitting a target. Each target behind the first must make a dexterity saving throw or take half the total damage, rounded down of the target before. Targets who dodge take no damage, but do not stop the weapon's movement. (6 damage on first target, 3 on second, third dodges, fourth takes 1 damage, fifth takes 0 damage) Additional effects of the ammunition apply to all targets. Once the damage of the weapon reaches 0, or the weapon reaches its maximum range, the ammunition stops moving.

In addition, weapons enhanced by this effect always deal 1 additional force damage. If used alongside 'Shattering shots' only the first target is affected by bleed, but the bleed damage becomes both the force damage and the piercing damage. If used alongside explosive shots, anything within 5ft of the first target takes the explosive damage.

 

Point-blank bowstring

Requirements: Bow, crossbow or longbow
Parts needed: General, Bow/Crossbow.
Artisan tool requirement - Weaver's tools
Time taken - 1 hour

When making a ranged weapon attack while a hostile creature is within 5ft, you do not have disadvantage.

Reduces the maximum range of the weapon by 5ft/15ft

 

Reflective weapon

Requirements: Nonmagical melee weapon the target is proficient with or nonmagical shield the target is proficient with
Parts needed: General, Gun, Gun, Magic
Artisan tool requirement - Jewler's tools, Glassblower's tools
Time taken - 12 hours

The weapon is coated in a particular arrangement of curved glass and gems, causing it to reflect magic. When taking the dodge action while carrying a modified weapon, all magical attacks have disadvantage against you. Once per turn, when a magical attack misses when the target is you, or you succeed on a save against a spell, you may reflect the spell as a reaction. The caster of the spell must succeed on the spell's save, or resist the spell's attack roll, or they become affected by the spell. If the spell has an effect that benefits the caster (Such as Vampiric touch's healing) that effect does not happen. If the spell deals damage, it deals half as much damage. Only one reflection can be made per spell.

 

Retrievable ammunition

Requirements: Thrown weapon or ammunition
Parts needed: General, Bow (If arrow or javelin)/Crossbow (If bolt)/ Gun (If bullet or dagger) - (Per 10 ammunition)
Artisan tool requirement - Weaver's tools (If thrown weapon). Leatherworker's tools or Mason's tools (If ammunition)
Time taken - 10 minutes - (Per 10 ammunition), 30 minutes (Thrown weapon)

By making a string-based mechanism to the back of the javelin or knife, it becomes retrievable. By hardening the components of the ammunition, it becomes easier to find.

Thrown weapons after being tossed can be instantly added back to the inventory as part of the same action. If they hit, and do not have the light property, you may also pull the hit target towards you by 5ft. The target may resist this with a contested Strength check using athletics. When you attack a tiny or small object with a thrown weapon modified in this way, you may also add the object to your inventory.

Ammunition modified by this effect is always retrieved after combat, provided you spend 1 minute looking for it. If an effect, ability or spell would destroy the ammunition, it must first succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC, and on a failure, the ammunition is unaffected.

 

Sawed-off barrel

Requirements: Gun with 'Shortened barrel' modification
Parts needed: General, Gun, Gun, Gun
Artisan tool requirement - Smith's tools
Time taken - 2 hours

The weapon has been modified for close quarters combat only. The weapon can no longer fire outside of its normal range. When aiming at a target within 10ft, the attack has advantage. Enemies being within 5ft of you cannot impose disadvantage. In addition, the weapon's maximum range is reduced by 10ft.

 When attacking an enemy within 5ft, the attack deals 1d4 additional force damage

 

 

Secretive storage

Requirements: Weapon with the 'Small' property, up to 3 Thrown weapons, up to 10 ammunition
Parts needed:  General
Artisan tool requirement - Leatherworker's, Cobbler's, Smith's, Jewler's or Woodcarver's tools (depending on where you will hide the weapon)
Time taken - 2 hours

Making subtle adjustments, you work to build a hiding spot for a weapon anywhere on your person. The weapon can be hidden as a bonus action, and checks to pretend you are unarmed are made with advantage. You may draw the weapon and attack with it, as one action.

It does not take an action to draw a thrown weapon from Secretive storage. Secretive storage functions like a quiver for ammunition

Shattering shots

Requirements: Thrown weapon or ammunition, not bullet
Parts needed:  General, General - (Per 10 ammunition)
Artisan tool requirement - Glassblower's kit
Time taken - 10 minutes - (Per 10 ammunition), 30 minutes (Thrown weapon)

The weapon's point is replaced by a glass arrowhead that shatters into lethal splinters on hit. On hit, the target takes 1 slashing damage in addition to the weapon's damage, and begins to bleed. Until the bleeding is stopped the bleeding damage will double every turn, at the end of the creature's turn, starting at 1. A creature can roll a DC 10 medicine check, stopping the bleeding on itself or an ally within 5ft, as an action. Creatures immune to slashing damage cannot bleed.

If used alongside Explosive ammunition, the bleed damage starts at 1d4+1, and the weapon is destroyed on use. The bleed damage can only be applied once and the ammo deals 1 less damage until repaired of 'Shattering shots' is re-added. Weapons enhanced by shattering shots function as normal after shattering, but can no longer apply bleed.

Shortened barrel

Requirements: Gun
Parts needed: General, Gun
Artisan tool requirement - Smith's tools
Time taken - 1 hour

Shortening the barrel promotes closer-range combat. Ranged attacks while an enemy is within 5ft do not impose disadvantage. Ranged attacks against an enemy within 5ft deal an extra 1 force damage.

Reduces the maximum range by 10ft/30ft

 

Streamline

Requirements: Any Weapon
Parts needed: General, General
Artisan tool requirement - Smith's tools, Weaver's tools or Woodcarver's tools.
Time taken - 2 hours

• Turn an improvised weapon into a club, short sword, javelin or 10 arrows/bolts
• Remove the 'Heavy' property from a weapon
• Change a 'Two-handed' Weapon into a 'Versatile' one
• Add Finesse to any weapon
• Make any weapon 'Light'

After applying any of these effects, except the first one, reduce the weapon's hit and damage by 1 for each effect applied.

Super defender

Requirements: Shield
Parts needed: General, Gun, Gun, Magic
Artisan tool - Smith, Mason or Tinkerer
Time taken - 72 hours

Whoever carries this shield can choose to make Strength or Constitution saves instead of Dexterity saves. This shield doubles in weight, gains the 'heavy' property and checks to remove or steal the shield are made with advantage.

Superior Elemental dispenser

Requirements: Any Weapon or Spell casting focus
Parts needed:  General, General, General, Magic, Magic, Magic
Artisan tool requirement - N/A
Time taken - 24 hours

Choose any element of damage that the weapon cannot currently deal. The weapon can now deal that damage, and whenever it deals that damage, it deals an additional die of damage. When making an attack roll, you choose the kind of damage you want to deal, and the weapon's normal damage is replaced by the elemental damage. Additional damage is unaffected. You may replace the additional attack die's damage from favored enemy with two die of elemental damage.

If a spellcasting focus was selected, a spellcaster may turn any spell's elemental damage into a different kind of damage. The spell deals 1 dice extra damage when changed in this way.

Superior Improved distance

Requirements: Any weapon or an arcane focus
Parts needed: Bow, Bow, Crossbow, Gun, Magic, Magic, Magic
Artisan tool requirement - Carpenter's tools, Tinkerer's tools
Time taken - 18 hours

If the weapon is a melee weapon, it improves its range by 15ft. If the weapon is a ranged weapon, it improves its range by 100ft/300ft. 

If the weapon is an arcane focus, spells cast through it have improved range. Touch spells improve by 10ft. Ranged spells improve by 50ft. Area of effect spells improve by 5ft if originating from range (The range is already improved by 50ft) and improve by 30ft if originating from the user. Spells with a range of self can also target allies within 5ft.

 

Superior Reflective weapon

Requirements: Melee weapon the target is proficient with or shield the target is proficient with
Parts needed: General, General, General, General, General, Magic, Magic
Artisan tool requirement - Glassblower's tools, Jewler's tools, 
Time taken - 24 hours

When you take the dodge action, spell have disadvantage against you, and you have advantage on saving throws against spells. Once per turn, when a spell misses you or you succeed against a spell's save, you may reflect the spell. The caster of the spell must roll to attack against themselves or succeed on their own save. On a failure, they are hit by the spell and you (the reflector) are treated as the caster. Any effects of the spell (Vampiric touch's healing) affect you, but damage is done as though they inflicted it and cannot be buffed by your abilities or allies. There is no limit on the number of Superior Reflective weapons that can deflect one spell.

 

Surreal accuracy

Requirements: Any weapon
Parts needed: General, General, Bow, Crossbow, Gun, Magic
Artisan tool requirement - N/A
Time taken - 24 hours

Once per day when you miss with this weapon, you may choose to hit instead. Until you use this feature, the weapon deals 1 damage on miss.

Telescopic sight

Requirements: Ranged weapon that is not thrown
Parts needed: General, General, General
Artisan tool requirement - Glassblower's tools
Time taken - 3 hours

When making a ranged attack beyond your weapon's normal range, you may add half your perception modifier to the attack roll, provided you can see the target. The attack is still made with disadvantage.

 

 

Vanquisher attachment

Requirements: Any weapon
Parts needed: General, General, Bow, Crossbow
Artisan tool - Tinkerer
Time taken - 4 hours

When defeating a creature with this weapon, you may either:
Make an attack against all enemies in range, with disadvantage, or,
Move up to half your movement without triggering opportunity attacks.

Spell gunner

You move quickly and effectively with your weapons, so much so that you can use them even while casting a spell.

During a long rest you may make one of your weapons a ranger spell casting focus for you, in addition to being a weapon.

Whenever you spend an action or bonus action casting a spell, you may make one attack as part of the action. The attack is made with disadvantage, and if it is a ranged attack, it must be made within the weapon's normal range.

At 15th level, the attack is no longer made with disadvantage, it can be made at any range and can be made when casting a spell as a reaction.

Part efficiency

Your ability to collect parts has progressed once more, allowing you much greater powers of modification.

You may modify weapons on a short rest. When you disassemble a weapon you created, regain all the parts used to make it, instead of one.

You take one less part to modify a weapon always, which cannot reduce to 0.

After combat, you may examine the environment with an INT (Investigation) check.

0-5: nothing
6-16: 1d6 General parts
17-20: 1d4 Bow parts
21-25: 1d4 Crossbow parts
26-30: 1d4 Gun parts
31+: 1 Magical part

Modifications beyond

Any weapon modified by you can be modified an additional time.

Requirements: Must have been modified by you at least once
Parts needed: General, General, General, Magic, Magic, Bow (If wood)/ Gun (If metal)
Artisan tool requirement - N/A
Time taken - 8 hours

A weapon modified in this way has a permanent +2 to attack and damage, and is treated as a magical weapon when calculating resistance. This bonus can stack with magical weaponry, allowing for +5 weapons. In addition, the weapon cannot be destroyed or have its damage reduced except by a spell of 8th level or higher.