Shadow Tech

The unsung heroes, the nameless operatives who gather crucial information to turn the tide of impossible battles, these are the Shadow Techs. With the aid of stealthy drones, these cunning crafters stay one step ahead, learning of threats before they strike and preventing the worst from ever happening. Shadow Techs lurk in the darkest places, striking unseen, their presence only known by the aftermath of their work. Many warriors tell tales of war camps raided and enemies left dead with no sign of who, or what, struck them down.

Shadow Tech Spells

Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Shadow Tech Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Level 3: Magic Missile, Hail of Thorns

Level 5: Misty Step, Pass Without Trace

Level 9: Slow, Phantom Steed

Level 13: Greater Invisibility, Confusion

Level 17: Swift Quiver, Conjure Volley

Level 3: Mastering your Craft

When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with smith's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice. Additionally you may also use your bonus action, as you have become accustomed to scouting and stealing about. 

Umbral Piercer

At 3rd level, your mastery of advanced technology and magical enhancements elevates your skill with ranged weapons, granting you proficiency with martial ranged weapons. Additionally, your expertise allows you to modify a weapon with the ranged property using your smith's tools within 30 minutes. This integration of arcane mechanical systems enables you to substitute your Intelligence modifier for both attack and damage rolls when making a ranged weapon attack using the modified weapon. Any weapon modified this way also counts as a spell casting focus for you.

Tactical Scouting Drone

Upon reaching 3rd level, you have made significant advances in creating small and functional equipment. You are now capable of constructing a scout drone during a short or long rest using your smith's tools. You can have only one active drone at a time; creating a new one automatically destroys the previous one. When not in use, the drone can remain concealed on your person in an inactive state.

As a bonus action, you can release the drone from its inactive state. The drone is a tiny construct that can occupy the same space as another creature. It moves and uses its reaction independently but only takes the Dodge action on its turn unless you command it with a bonus action to perform another action, such as those listed in its stat block or the Hide, Help, or Disengage actions. If you are incapacitated, the drone autonomously chooses any action from its stat block. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it. The Scouting Drone returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.

The drone is mentally connected to you through a blend of magic and technology. While it remains within 100 feet of you, you can issue commands mentally, you can use a small control tablet to pull up a visual and auditory feed from the drone, allowing you to see and hear what it perceives. This allows you to maintain awareness of your surroundings while still tracking your drone’s reconnaissance.

(Drone stat block is found in homebrew monsters Tactical Scout Drone)

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Shadowcraft

Starting at 9th level, your arcane mechanical advancements enhance your stealth capabilities, you gain the following benefits:

• Stealth Field: You gain a bonus to your stealth rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier.
• Arcane Silencer: When you make an attack with your Umbral Piercer while you are hidden, you can activate its arcane silencer to ensure that attacking does not reveal your position for the rest of your turn, allowing you to remain undetected. The weapon’s damping mechanisms require time to recharge, limiting how many times it can be used. You can activate the arcane silencer a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Unseen Assault: if you hit a creature that is unaware of your location, due to the “invisible condition” the attack deals an additional 2d6 damage. You may only apply this damage once per turn. (The wording here might sound weird, however, due to the 2024 rules a successful hiding action gives you the invisible condition)

Advanced Tactical Drone (ATD)

At 15th level, your advancements in arcane technology and drone systems grant you unprecedented tactical control. Your drone becomes an even more powerful tool for reconnaissance, stealth, and battlefield manipulation. You gain the following benefits and two additional drone actions:

• Augmented Systems: The drone's speed increases to 60 feet, and the connection range extends to 150 feet, the superb workings of your drone make it a more powerful tool. Additionally, the range of your drone’s Surveillance ability doubles, covering a 30-foot radius.
• Cloaking Field: You can command your drone as a bonus action to emit a cloaking field around itself, rendering it invisible for 10 minutes or until it takes an action. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• Projected Barrier: As a bonus action you can command your drone to project an arcane energy barrier within 30 feet of itself. The barrier forms a shimmering wall, up to 10 feet long, 10 feet high, and 1 inch thick. This wall blocks line of sight but does not impede physical movement allowing creatures and objects to pass through with ease. It appears opaque to enemies, effectively hiding you and your allies. However, you can designate any number of creatures to perceive the wall as transparent, allowing both you and these designated allies to see through it only a slight sheen to designate its location. The barrier lasts for 2 rounds and can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier per long rest.