Base Class: Artificer
“I don’t miss. The magic makes sure of it.”
Arcane Gunslingers are machinists of extraordinary discipline, merging the precision of a marksman with the artistry of a spellcaster. They treat weapons and magic as extensions of the same principle: every movement is deliberate, every attack executed with perfect timing. Whether engaging from range or up close with a blade, they strike with the same deadly choreography, ensuring no attack is wasted.
Their magic is not flashy for its own sake. Each spell is a part of their performance—a bolt tracing a perfect arc, flames spiraling around a target, or shadows bending to their will. The battlefield itself seems to pause for a moment when an Arcane Gunslinger takes aim, their presence bending fear and reality alike to their command.
Some are solitary, others are part of elite hunters’ guilds, but all carry the same aura: calm, confident, and unnervingly precise. Enemies learn quickly that there is no panic in their strikes, only inevitability. Guns, blades, and magic combine seamlessly, transforming every fight into both a deadly duel and a masterful display of control.
They live by these 5 tenets.
- Never perform unprepared.
- Take the initiative to perform.
- Try to get applause from the audience.
- Wield control of the target's attention.
- Challenge the impossible, even if the final outcome is nothing but an illusion.
Level 3: A Magician's Arsenal
You gain the following benefits.
Master of Weaponry. You gain proficiency with Martial Ranged weapons.
Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with Woodcarver’s Tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of Artisan’s Tools of your choice.
Wand Crafting. When you craft a magic Wand, the amount of time required to craft it is halved.
Level 3: Showtime!!!
Magicians never perform unprepared! You always have certain spells ready; when you reach a level specified in the Tricks table, you thereafter always have the listed tricks prepared. Additionally you learn the following cantrips: Druidcraft, Eldritch Blast, Elementalism, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, Produce Flame, Sacred Flame, Thaumaturgy.
| Artificer Level | TRICKS |
|---|---|
| 3 | Guiding Bolt, Thunderwave |
| 5 | Mirror Image, Invisibility |
| 9 | Call Lightning, Fireball |
| 13 | Ice Storm, Banishment |
| 17 | An Eclipse of Steel, Flame Strike |
Level 3: Eldritch Cannon
You ignore the loading and misfiring property of firearms. You increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20. Your training encompasses both blade and firearm, treating them as expressions of the same principle: precision. When you are wielding a melee weapon and not using a shield, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. You also gain Expertise in Sleight of Hand and can cast Misty Step. Once per turn you may throw a playing card after an attack dealing 1d10+5 Force damage.
Using Smith’s Tools or Woodcarver’s Tools, you can take a Magic action to create a Small or Tiny Eldritch Cannon in an unoccupied space on a horizontal surface within 5 feet of yourself. The cannon’s game statistics appear below. You determine its appearance, including whether you carry it or not (and your choice of legs or wheels, for the latter). It disappears if it is reduced to 0 Hit Points or after 1 hour. You can dismiss it early as a Magic action.
Once you create a cannon, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest or expend a spell slot to create one. You can have only one cannon at a time and can’t create one while you already have one.
Eldritch Cannon
Small or Tiny Object
Armor Class: 18 Hit Points: 5 x your Artificer level (casting Mending on the cannon restores 2d6 Hit Points to it)
Immunities: Poison, Psychic
Activate Cannon (Requires You to Be within 60 Feet of the Cannon). As a Bonus Action, you order the cannon to use the Flamethrower, Force Ballista, or Protector option below; you can direct the cannon to move up to 15 feet before or after that option:
Flamethrower. The cannon blasts fire in a 15-foot Cone. Each creature in that area makes a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 2d8 Fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. Flammable objects in the Cone that aren’t being worn or carried start burning.
Force Ballista. Make a ranged spell attack originating from the cannon at one creature or object within 120 feet of it. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 Force damage, and if the target is a creature, it is pushed up to 5 feet away from the cannon.
Protector. The cannon emits a burst of positive energy that grants itself and each creature of your choice within 10 feet of the cannon a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to 1d8 plus your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).
Level 5: Arcane Firearm
When you finish a Long Rest, you may use Woodcarver’s Tools to inscribe a sequence of carefully practiced sigils into a Rod, Staff, Wand, or Martial Ranged weapon, transforming it into your Arcane Firearm. These sigils are unique to your craft; if you later inscribe them onto a different item, they immediately fade from the previous one. Otherwise, the markings persist indefinitely.
Your Arcane Firearm serves as a spellcasting focus for your Tricks. When you cast an Artificer spell through it, you may roll 2d8 and add the result as a bonus to one damage roll of that spell.
Level 9: Explosive Cannon
Every Eldritch Cannon you create is now more destructive. You gain the following benefits.
Detonate. When your cannon takes damage, you can take a Reaction to command the cannon to detonate if you are within 60 feet of it. Doing so destroys the cannon and forces each creature within 20 feet of it to make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking (3d10) Force damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
Firepower. The cannon’s damage rolls and the number of Temporary Hit Points granted by Protector increase by 1d8.
Level 15: Command of the Stage!
You’re a master at forming well-defended emplacements using your Eldritch Cannon. You gain the following benefits.
Double Firepower. You can now have two cannons at the same time, and you can create two with the same Magic action. (If you expend a spell slot to create the first cannon, you must expend another spell slot to create the second.) You can activate both of them with the same Bonus Action, ordering them to use the same activation option or different ones. You can’t create a third cannon while you have two.
Shimmering Field Projection. You and your allies have Half Cover while within 10 feet of your Eldritch Cannon.
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