Trapper

Artificers who follow the Trapper specialty treat every battlefield like a workshop floor, quickly turning tools, terrain, and a spark of magic into lethal snares. They prefer to win fights before blades ever cross—pinning enemies in place, forcing bad choices, and punishing reckless movement with hidden hazards. A Trapper’s creations range from simple hunting devices to invisible arcane traps that bloom into explosions or choking poison clouds at the perfect moment. Whether protecting allies during a retreat or setting the stage for a decisive ambush, Trappers thrive when they can shape the encounter on their terms.

Level 3: Tools of the Trade

You gain the following benefits.

Dungeon Delver. You gain advantage on checks to find and disarm traps and you have resistance to the damage dealt by traps.

Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with Smith’s Tools and the Poisoner’s Kit. If you already have one of these proficiencies, you gain proficiency with one other type of Artisan’s Tools of your choice (or with two other types if you have both).

Utility Crafting. When you craft a magical item that is not armor, a weapon, shield, wand, potion, or spell scroll, the amount of time required to craft it is halved.

Trapper Spells

When you reach an Artificer level specified in the Trapper Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Trapper Spells

Artificer Level	Spells
3	Entangle, Grease
5	Web, Cloud of Daggers
9	Glyph of Warding, Wind Wall
13	Hallucinatory Terrain, Wall of Fire
17	Animate Objects, Mislead

Tactical Traps

Once on each of your turns, you can use tinker’s tools and take the Magic action to create a trap from the Traps table in an unoccupied space on the ground you can see within 30 feet of you. The trap lasts for 1 minute or until it is triggered.

You can have a number of traps active at once equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). If you create a trap when you are already at this limit, your oldest trap that hasn't been triggered is destroyed.

A trap triggers when a creature enters the trap’s area for the first time on a turn. The creature must succeed on the saving throw specified in the trap’s description against your spell save DC or suffer the trap’s effects. A triggered trap is destroyed after the duration of its effect.

You can create a number of traps equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. You can also expend a spell slot (no action required) to regain a number of uses equal to the slot’s level, up to your Intelligence modifier.

 

Traps

Trap	Area	Effect
Hunting Trap	5 ft. square	A creature that triggers the trap must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take piercing damage equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier and have its speed reduced to 0. A creature can use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. A failed check deals 1d4 piercing damage to the trapped creature.
Ball Bearings	5 ft. square (10ft square)	The trap scatters ball bearings in a 10-foot square centered on the trap. A creature that triggers the trap must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 bludgeoning damage and fall prone. A creature that enters into the area for the first time or ends its turn there must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or have the Prone condition.
Caltrops	5 ft. square (10 ft square)	The trap lets out caltrops in a 10 ft square centered where you placed the trap. The area becomes Difficult Terrain for the duration. When a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 2d4 Piercing damage for every 5 feet it travels. The caltrops last until the end of the triggering creatures next turn.
Oil	5 ft. square	The trap ignites slick oil. The triggering creature takes fire damage equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. The oil burns for 2 rounds. While burning, a creature that enters the area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there takes fire damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.

Level 5: Trapped Escape

Trapped Escape. You always have Misty Step prepared. When you cast Misty Step, you can create one trap you know within 5 feet of the space you left (in an unoccupied space). The trap lasts for 1 minute or until triggered.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Multi-Trap. When you use the Magic action to create a trap using Tactical Traps, you can create two traps as part of the same action, expending only one use of Tactical Traps. You must place both traps within range, and each must be in an unoccupied space.

Level 9: Improved Traps List

You gain the traps in the Improved Traps table. In addition, the traps you create are invisible.

A creature that comes within 5 feet of an invisible trap must succeed on a Wisdom (Perception) check against your spell save DC to notice it (no action required). A creature within 10 feet of the trap can also take the Search action to make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC, revealing the trap on a success.

Also, the range of your Tactical Traps increases to 60 feet.

Improved Traps

Trap	Area	Effect
Explosive	5 ft. square (10 ft radius)	When triggered, each creature in a 10-foot radius must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d6 force damage. The triggering creature has disadvantage on this saving throw.
Poison	5 ft square (15 ft radius)	A cloud of poisonous gas spreads in a 15-foot radius and lasts until the end of the next round. The triggering creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 2d8 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of its next turn. A creature that enters the cloud for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn.

Level 15: Masterful Trapper

You gain the following benefits.

Mind Trap. You can cast Mental Prison without expending a spell slot and without preparing the spell, and you can do so without somatic components. Once you cast it this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Trapped Attack. When you hit a creature with an attack, you can create one trap you know in an unoccupied space on the ground within 5 feet of that creature. (The trap lasts 1 minute or until triggered, as normal.) You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. This feature doesn’t expend uses of Tactical Traps.

Enhanced Multi-Trap. When you use Multi-Trap, you can create up to three traps as part of the same action instead of two.