Base Class: Artificer
“Where others see nightmares, I see design potential.”
— Serik the Graftwright, First Disciple of the Monsterfather
As a Monsterwright, you delve into the forbidden intersections of science, alchemy, and anatomy. Drawing on the blueprints of monsters and legends, you create living weapons of your own design—fused from flesh, bone, and story. Your Monstrous Companion acts as both a battlefield ally and a canvas for your disturbing artistry, while your ability to graft traits onto others makes you an architect of evolution. Whether you're a mutagenic savant or an unsettling genius, your work speaks through claws, eyes, and teeth.
Tool Proficiency
3rd-level Battle Smith feature
You gain proficiency with leatherworker's tools and alchemist's supplies. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice.
Monsterwright Spells
3rd-level Battle Smith feature
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Battle Smith Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Battle Smith Spells
| Artificer Level | Spell |
|---|---|
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3rd |
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5th |
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9th |
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13th |
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17th |
Trait Grafts
3rd Level Monsterwright Feature.
You can graft one monstrous trait from the Monstrous Traits Table onto your Monstrous Companion during a long rest.
- At 3rd level: 1 trait
- At 9th level: 2 traits
- At 15th level: 3 traits
- At 9th level, you may also change grafts during a short rest
You may also graft one trait onto a willing non-companion creature during a long rest. Non-companions may only have one graft at a time. The grafting process is painful:
- The recipient takes 1d6 + 4 slashing damage and 1d6 + 4 psychic damage and the psychic damage cannot be healed until the next long rest.
- They must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw; on a success, they take half damage. All damage may be healed as normal
You may only perform one graft operation per long rest (add, remove, or change). This improves to once per short rest at 9th level.
Monstrous Traits Table
|
Trait Name |
Effect |
|
Chitinous Plating |
+1 AC while not wearing heavy armor |
|
Razor Claws |
You gain a natural melee weapon (finesse, 1d8 slashing) |
|
Abyssal Eyes |
Darkvision 90 ft; advantage on sight-based Perception checks |
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Barbed Spines |
When hit by a melee weapon, attacker takes 1d4 piercing damage |
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Sticky Tendrils |
Climb speed 10 ft; can grapple as a bonus action |
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Split Maw |
Once per turn, add 1d6 psychic damage to a melee weapon attack |
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Burrower’s Talons |
Burrow speed equal to half your walking speed |
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Horrid Shriek |
Once per day as a bonus action, frighten one creature within 10 feet (WIS save, lasts 1 min; save at end of each turn ends it) |
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Venom Glands |
Once per short rest, poison a target for 1 minute (CON save at end of each turn ends effect) |
Monstrous Companion
3rd-level Monsterwright feature
Your craft has borne you a monstrous companion. It’s friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the Monstrous Companion stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the creature’s appearance. Its appearance has no affect on game mechanics or statistics.
In combat, the companion shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move, attack, and use its reaction on its own. If you are incapacitated, the companion can take any action to defend you.
If it has died within the last hour, you can use your leatherworker's tools and alchemist supplies as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The monstrous companion returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.
At the end of a long rest, you can reconfigure your monstrous companion if you have leatherworker's tools and alchemist's supplies with you. If you die, the companion will follow your allies around but won't obey any commands it doesn't want to.
MONSTROUS COMPANION
Medium monstrosity
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 6 times your monsterwright level + your proficiency bonus (the companion has a number of Hit Dice [d8s] equal to your artificer level)
Speed 40 ft.
Saving Throws Str+2 plus PB, Con +2 plus PB
Skills Athletics +2 plus PB, Acrobatics +1 plus PB × 2
Damage Immunities Psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses tremorsense 20 ft., passive Perception 15 + (PB × 2)
Languages understands the languages you speak
Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus
Alert. The companion gets a +5 on perception checks.
Actions
Special attacks based on monstrous traits. Your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: based on trait + PB damage.
Extra Attacks: The companion gets an extra attack per action when you reach artificer level 9, and a third when you reach artificer level 15.
Flesh Consumption. The monstrous nature of your companion allows it use its action to bite. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d8 + PB piercing damage. On a hit, it can heal itself equal to your artificer level + your intelligence modifier hit points.
Mythic Surge
5th-level Monsterwright feature
Once per turn, when your Monstrous Companion or a grafted creature hits with a weapon attack, you may force the target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus).
- On a failed save, choose one condition: Poisoned, Frightened, or Paralyzed
- The condition lasts until the end of your next turn
You may use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).
Monstrous Refinement
9th-level Monsterwright feature
- Your Monstrous Companion can now have two traits
- You may now add, remove, or change grafts during a short rest
- Once per day, you may create a Monstrous Clone:
- Lasts 1 hour
- Uses the Homunculus Servant stat block
- Has 1 trait from the Monstrous Traits Table
- Your Monstrous Companion gains an additional attack (2 attacks per action)
Monstrous Overload
15th-level Battle Smith feature
You have reached the apex of biological artifice. Your Monstrous Companion now makes three attacks when it takes the Attack action.
Once per long rest, you may use a bonus action to activate one of the following Overload Modes, which last 1 minute:
Overgrowth
Your companion grows into a towering abomination.
- Size increases to Large
- At the end of each of its turns, it gains temporary hit points equal to your artificer level
- While transformed, it makes only two attacks per turn (not three)
Spawnstorm
Your companion splits into three Lesser Spawn:
- Each spawn has the same AC and HP as the companion
- Each makes 1 attack per action and has 1 trait
- They act on your initiative
- After 1 minute (or if all are destroyed), the original companion reforms
Trait Cascade
You trigger a wave of mutation across your allies.
- All creatures with a graft gain:
- +1 additional trait
- +1d6 psychic damage on melee attacks
- Immunity to the frightened condition
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