Hey everyone! I was thinking about alternative weapon choices and was wondering if their was a class or something that allowed bombs as a main source of damage?
What kind of bombs? Magical ones, physical ones? I'm not sure if a bomb would class as a ranged weapons since it is typically carried by e.g. air planes or missiles...
The physical bombs like the ones you throw. like grenades essentially. like the character would have a belt covered in flasks that when they hit the ground or are light ablaze they go boom!
There are a number of ways you can go, but they might not be exactly what you are hoping for.
The PHB has alchemist fire and acid flasks for sale in the regular equipment. They are not super strong, and they cost quite a bit. But your DM might let you make them much cheaper if you are proficient in Alchemist tools.
There is the Alchemist subclass of the Artificer. It is probably the weakest of their subclasses, but it has some interesting stuff. The Artificer encourages you to reflavor all of their spells to look like your inventions. I've played an Alchemist that made every 'spell' by crushing herbs and things to make volatile concoctions in clay pot grenades. It's all just flavor, but it was a lot of fun.
If that isn't strong enough, there are the other Artfifcer subclasses that you might like better.
If you and your DM are very comfortable reflavoring things, you could basically use any class. You could say a Wizard spell is a bomb. Or a barbarians javelin. Or a ranger's bow.
But if you want rules already written for attacks that intended as bombs, there aren't a ton of options. I hope these help inspire you though! Good luck it sounds fun
The physical bombs like the ones you throw. like grenades essentially. like the character would have a belt covered in flasks that when they hit the ground or are light ablaze they go boom!
Not specifically, no. But consider reflavoring the alchemist or artillerist artificer. The artificer has to use artisan tools to "craft" it's spells.
To do this literally without reflavoring will require DM permission and a ton of GP (bombs are expensive).
The physical bombs like the ones you throw. like grenades essentially. like the character would have a belt covered in flasks that when they hit the ground or are light ablaze they go boom!
Not specifically, no. But consider reflavoring the alchemist or artillerist artificer. The artificer has to use artisan tools to "craft" it's spells.
I played an armorer artificer in a one-shot that was basically just Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, and reflavored a lot of his spells (shatter, grease etc.) to involve tossing "gourd bombs"
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Have you considered using the Fighter/Gunslinger? It has an option to use a "Mortar" style fire arm (link here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/fighter#Gunslinger), that could then be supplemented by the aforementioned acid flasks, alchmist fire etc.
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The physical bombs like the ones you throw. like grenades essentially. like the character would have a belt covered in flasks that when they hit the ground or are light ablaze they go boom!
Not specifically, no. But consider reflavoring the alchemist or artillerist artificer. The artificer has to use artisan tools to "craft" it's spells.
To do this literally without reflavoring will require DM permission and a ton of GP (bombs are expensive).
Props to the only post so far noting that bomb is an actual piece of equipment, but yeah a starting PC would have to explain how they can afford them.
Outside of the Artificer, a more mundane approach to a bomber is to allow/grant a fighter proficiency with Alchemist tools (maybe in place of one of the fighter skill options, and use the XGTE rules for "making smoke" or "starting fire" with those tools as a basis for bomb making (will probably need some DM price setting I don't know if the XGTE RAW would be any more affordable than buying bombs), and take thrown weapon fighting style, allowing the bomb, acid vials and alchemist fire to be used as thrown weapons (I forget whether they technically have the thrown property or not). Battle Master and reworking Arcane Archer for thrown weapons instead of arrows might be fun.
Chapter 9 of the DMG has info about explosives of various types so you might want to point your DM to that section for some basic types of explosives and how to cost them etc. These do have a certsain modern slant to them so they may want to tinker with them a bit.
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* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
The physical bombs like the ones you throw. like grenades essentially. like the character would have a belt covered in flasks that when they hit the ground or are light ablaze they go boom!
Not specifically, no. But consider reflavoring the alchemist or artillerist artificer. The artificer has to use artisan tools to "craft" it's spells.
To do this literally without reflavoring will require DM permission and a ton of GP (bombs are expensive).
Thanks I really like this idea. reflavor like fire bolt or something into bombs.
The physical bombs like the ones you throw. like grenades essentially. like the character would have a belt covered in flasks that when they hit the ground or are light ablaze they go boom!
Not specifically, no. But consider reflavoring the alchemist or artillerist artificer. The artificer has to use artisan tools to "craft" it's spells.
To do this literally without reflavoring will require DM permission and a ton of GP (bombs are expensive).
Thanks I really like this idea. reflavor like fire bolt or something into bombs.
This is the way to go. Introducing homebrew or trying to get the DM to give you expensive consumables or making a convoluted build that stays as true to item descriptions as possible but kinda sucks are all going to present different problems for you. But right now with no rules changes you can make a bomb specialist simply through reflavoring. Cantrips and spells can absolutely be reflavored as bombs and in the case of artificer that kind of thing is actively, officially encouraged. Just do that. It can be fun to run through your spell list and think of ways to describe each one as a type of bomb.
Get DMs permission to swap the damage type to fire or magical bludgeoning, and then maybe take Sorcerer for metamagic to modify those "bombs" on the fly.
Hey everyone! I was thinking about alternative weapon choices and was wondering if their was a class or something that allowed bombs as a main source of damage?
What kind of bombs? Magical ones, physical ones? I'm not sure if a bomb would class as a ranged weapons since it is typically carried by e.g. air planes or missiles...
I believe Pathfinder had a bomb class, but there isn't one for 5e. The closest you're going to get is spells like Fireball.
The physical bombs like the ones you throw. like grenades essentially. like the character would have a belt covered in flasks that when they hit the ground or are light ablaze they go boom!
There are a number of ways you can go, but they might not be exactly what you are hoping for.
The PHB has alchemist fire and acid flasks for sale in the regular equipment. They are not super strong, and they cost quite a bit. But your DM might let you make them much cheaper if you are proficient in Alchemist tools.
There is the Alchemist subclass of the Artificer. It is probably the weakest of their subclasses, but it has some interesting stuff. The Artificer encourages you to reflavor all of their spells to look like your inventions. I've played an Alchemist that made every 'spell' by crushing herbs and things to make volatile concoctions in clay pot grenades. It's all just flavor, but it was a lot of fun.
If that isn't strong enough, there are the other Artfifcer subclasses that you might like better.
If you and your DM are very comfortable reflavoring things, you could basically use any class. You could say a Wizard spell is a bomb. Or a barbarians javelin. Or a ranger's bow.
But if you want rules already written for attacks that intended as bombs, there aren't a ton of options. I hope these help inspire you though! Good luck it sounds fun
You could try a thrown weapon fighter tossing around alchemist fire, etc.
It would be really ineffective, but some groups might go for it.
Not specifically, no. But consider reflavoring the alchemist or artillerist artificer. The artificer has to use artisan tools to "craft" it's spells.
To do this literally without reflavoring will require DM permission and a ton of GP (bombs are expensive).
I played an armorer artificer in a one-shot that was basically just Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, and reflavored a lot of his spells (shatter, grease etc.) to involve tossing "gourd bombs"
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Have you considered using the Fighter/Gunslinger? It has an option to use a "Mortar" style fire arm (link here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/fighter#Gunslinger), that could then be supplemented by the aforementioned acid flasks, alchmist fire etc.
Props to the only post so far noting that bomb is an actual piece of equipment, but yeah a starting PC would have to explain how they can afford them.
Outside of the Artificer, a more mundane approach to a bomber is to allow/grant a fighter proficiency with Alchemist tools (maybe in place of one of the fighter skill options, and use the XGTE rules for "making smoke" or "starting fire" with those tools as a basis for bomb making (will probably need some DM price setting I don't know if the XGTE RAW would be any more affordable than buying bombs), and take thrown weapon fighting style, allowing the bomb, acid vials and alchemist fire to be used as thrown weapons (I forget whether they technically have the thrown property or not). Battle Master and reworking Arcane Archer for thrown weapons instead of arrows might be fun.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
PS to previous post....
Chapter 9 of the DMG has info about explosives of various types so you might want to point your DM to that section for some basic types of explosives and how to cost them etc. These do have a certsain modern slant to them so they may want to tinker with them a bit.
Thanks I really like this idea. reflavor like fire bolt or something into bombs.
This is the way to go. Introducing homebrew or trying to get the DM to give you expensive consumables or making a convoluted build that stays as true to item descriptions as possible but kinda sucks are all going to present different problems for you. But right now with no rules changes you can make a bomb specialist simply through reflavoring. Cantrips and spells can absolutely be reflavored as bombs and in the case of artificer that kind of thing is actively, officially encouraged. Just do that. It can be fun to run through your spell list and think of ways to describe each one as a type of bomb.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Reskinning Acid Splash would be the best cantrip bomb for two adjacent enemies. Then Ice Knife, Shatter, Fireball, etc...
Get DMs permission to swap the damage type to fire or magical bludgeoning, and then maybe take Sorcerer for metamagic to modify those "bombs" on the fly.