I have recently created an artificer subclass suited for a campaign set on Innistrad from Magic: The Gathering. Some bizarre and eccentric scientists use geists—the spirits of the dead—as an energy source to conduct strange experiments on living creatures and fuel crazed technological inventions. Necro-alchemists sometimes call themselves geistmages, but different practtioners identify themselves in different ways. What all have in common, however, is their use of elaborate contraptions to capture, bind, and draw the energy from geists.
Artificer Specialty: Necro-Alchemist
Through the study of occult lore and careful experimenting, you have mastered the art of converting the life force of living creatures into power for your bizarre contraptions.
Geist Pack
At 1st level, you create a Geist Pack, portable contraption that converts life force into power for your inventions. A Geist Pack is a metal device worn on the back. Plugged into it are glass canisters in which you store geist energy.
You can use your Geist Pack to absorb a creature's life force at the moment of its death. When a creature within 10 feet of you dies, you may use your reaction to absorb the creature's life force. Doing so gives your Geist Pack 1 charge. Charges are can be expended to use your Geist-Lightning Gun or other abilities you gain at higher levels. Your Geist Pack can never have more charges than your Intelligence score. A creature's life force can't be absorbed if it is a construct or undead that doesn't have the incorporeal movement trait, or if it has an Intelligence score of 5 or lower.
If your Geist Pack is destroyed or lost, you can create a new one over the course of 3 days of work (8 hours each day) by spending 100gp worth of metal, glass, and other materials.
Geist-Lightning Gun
At 1st level, you can convert deceased spirits into a harmful energy referred to by necro-alchemists as "geist-lightning". Geist-lightning can be used to its harmful potential through a specially designed firearm.
Your Geist-Lightning Gun is a ranged weapon with a normal range of 80 feet and a long range of 320 feet that is plugged into your Geist Pack. To use it, you must spend 1 charge of your Geist Pack as an action. Then you must make a ranged attack roll. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 lightning damage.
If your Geist-Lightning Gun is destroyed or lost, you can create a new one over the course of 3 days of work (8 hours each day) by spending 100gp worth of metal, glass, and other materials.
Corpse Infusion
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your Geist-Lightning Gun to infuse corpses with geist energy, temporarily animating the body. By spending 5 charges from your Geist Pack, you can use an action to target a humanoid corpse you can see within 30 feet of you. That corpse becomes a zombie under your control. The zombie acts on its own initiative in combat, obeying your verbal commands and taking the actions you command it to take. The corpse remains animated for 1 minute. When the duration ends, the zombie dies and can't be reanimated for 1 hour. You can't use this feature if you aren't wielding your Geist-Lightning Gun.
Horrific Essence
At 9th level, you can channel the supernatural horror that suffuses geists into a focussed charge of energy. As an action on your turn, you can expend 3 charges from your Geist Pack to channel mind-effecting energy into a point you can see within 30 feet of you. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. A creature that fails the save takes 3d6 psychic damage and is frightened of you for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half the damage and isn't frightened.
Necromantic Hunger
Starting at 14th level, you have modified your Geist-Lightning Gun to use the harm you inflict to supplement your own vitality. When you deal lightning damage with your Geist-Lightning Gun, you gain temporary hit point equal to the damage dealt.
Reap the Living
At 17th level, you gain the ability to use your Geist-Lightning Gun to gain geist energy from the living. As an action on your turn, you can project a life-draining force in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. A creature that fails the saving throw takes 10d8 necrotic damage. A creature that is reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies and gives your Geist Pack 2 charges unless the creature was a construct or undead. A creature that fails the save but isn't killed gives your Geist Pack 1 charge. A creature that succeeds on the save takes half the damage, but still gives your Geist Pack 1 charge if it dies from the damage.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Please give me your opinion on what things you'd like to be changed or whether it is too weak or overpowered.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
I am not enormously familiar with the Artífices itself, but most feature seem balanced to me.
I would probably suggest to shorten the range of the Geist-Lightning gun, as 320 feet is a hell of a lot of ground covered by an attack at lvl 3, imho.
Also, the 17th level feature, while powerful, feels a bit underpowered. I'd suggest to have it grant 1 Geist charge on failed save (with full damage), 2 if the target dies, and 1 on a successful save if the target dies.
Another thing: is there a maximum number of Geist charges the pack can store?
In the Geist Pack entry, I noted that the Geist Pack can never hold more charges than your Intelligence score.
I kind of felt that my Geist-Lightning Gun was ok compared to the Thunder Cannon in the original Artificer class. It had a long range of 500 feet and dealt 2d6 piercing damage.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
In the Geist Pack entry, I noted that the Geist Pack can never hold more charges than your Intelligence score.
Ah, sorry, I must have missed that! Mmmh... it feels a little bit like it's a very high limit at level 1. Might I suggest limiting it to half INT score (therefore an average of 7-8) and maybe allow full INT score at lvl 9 or 14? I am jsut basing this off of other classes having similar resources, like the Sorcerer. Undoubtedly, you'd basically need Geist Charges to effectively use the class, but still having max 14-16 of them might turn out as Necrons (loving nickname, hope you don't mind) going around killing a bunch of critters to fill up the tank and then wrecking havoc for the rest of the session.
I kind of felt that my Geist-Lightning Gun was ok compared to the Thunder Cannon in the original Artificer class. It had a long range of 500 feet and dealt 2d6 piercing damage.
I see your point. As I said, I am not really familiar with the Artificer, so I wasn't aware of that... Honestly it seems extremely OP, but if that was considered acceptable, then I guess the range on your Geist-Lightning Gun is perfectly fine :)
In the Geist Pack entry, I noted that the Geist Pack can never hold more charges than your Intelligence score.
Ah, sorry, I must have missed that! Mmmh... it feels a little bit like it's a very high limit at level 1. Might I suggest limiting it to half INT score (therefore an average of 7-8) and maybe allow full INT score at lvl 9 or 14? I am jsut basing this off of other classes having similar resources, like the Sorcerer. Undoubtedly, you'd basically need Geist Charges to effectively use the class, but still having max 14-16 of them might turn out as Necrons (loving nickname, hope you don't mind) going around killing a bunch of critters to fill up the tank and then wrecking havoc for the rest of the session.
For the Gunsmith, the Thunder Cannon is supposed to be used as a main weapon and you can create bullets for it. The geist lightning gun only gains charges when a creature within 10 feet of you dies. I feel that the charges need to have a high maximum because the charges both power the Geist-Lightning Gun and must be spent to use the class' features for this subclass.
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Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
In the Geist Pack entry, I noted that the Geist Pack can never hold more charges than your Intelligence score.
Ah, sorry, I must have missed that! Mmmh... it feels a little bit like it's a very high limit at level 1. Might I suggest limiting it to half INT score (therefore an average of 7-8) and maybe allow full INT score at lvl 9 or 14? I am jsut basing this off of other classes having similar resources, like the Sorcerer. Undoubtedly, you'd basically need Geist Charges to effectively use the class, but still having max 14-16 of them might turn out as Necrons (loving nickname, hope you don't mind) going around killing a bunch of critters to fill up the tank and then wrecking havoc for the rest of the session.
For the Gunsmith, the Thunder Cannon is supposed to be used as a main weapon and you can create bullets for it. The geist lightning gun only gains charges when a creature within 10 feet of you dies. I feel that the charges need to have a high maximum because the charges both power the Geist-Lightning Gun and must be spent to use the class' features for this subclass.
I indeed see your point, and I would 100% agree was this a basic class, with all its "use" and mechanic gravitating around Gheist Charges (much like a caster's spell slots), but being a subclass, Gheist abilities are not the only thing it can do, as it would still have everything else a normal Artificer is capable of doing.
I do see your point though, so a possible fix to my "feared" critter mass destruction could maybe be to limit the generation of a charge to creatures with CR equal or higher than 1/8 (most critters and "minor" animals have a CR of 0)? Or wording it as non-critters, if you prefer. Otherwise the mechanic can easily be exploited, imho. Unless it was your intention, in which case it's perfectly fine as-is.
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
I'll add a limit that you can only store geist energy from a creature if it has a CR of 1/8 or higher. That way, you don't get power from killing a frog.
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Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
I'll add a limit that you can only store geist energy from a creature if it has a CR of 1/8 or higher. That way, you don't get power from killing a frog.
I think that makes things a bit more balanced.
Should the Artificer ever come out as a basic class (or come back as UA content, getting its way here as well at least for a time) I'd definitely take this subclass into consideration of I ever roll one. Sounds much more interesting that the usual Necromancer (and again, reminds me a lot of the Necrons of Warhammer 40k origin, so that's another plus)
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
I'll add a limit that you can only store geist energy from a creature if it has a CR of 1/8 or higher. That way, you don't get power from killing a frog.
I prefer to require either a certain Int score or at least one language, so that you get power from killing a commoner but not from killing a frog. On second thought, maybe make it require CR 1/8 or higher (or CR 1/4 or higher if it's Tiny), at least one language, Intelligence 5 or higher, or Medium size or larger, so you can get power from killing a commoner, a deer, a myconid sprout, a blood hawk, or a velociraptor, but not a frog or a stirge.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Hello, everyone!
I have recently created an artificer subclass suited for a campaign set on Innistrad from Magic: The Gathering. Some bizarre and eccentric scientists use geists—the spirits of the dead—as an energy source to conduct strange experiments on living creatures and fuel crazed technological inventions. Necro-alchemists sometimes call themselves geistmages, but different practtioners identify themselves in different ways. What all have in common, however, is their use of elaborate contraptions to capture, bind, and draw the energy from geists.
Artificer Specialty: Necro-Alchemist
Through the study of occult lore and careful experimenting, you have mastered the art of converting the life force of living creatures into power for your bizarre contraptions.
Geist Pack
At 1st level, you create a Geist Pack, portable contraption that converts life force into power for your inventions. A Geist Pack is a metal device worn on the back. Plugged into it are glass canisters in which you store geist energy.
You can use your Geist Pack to absorb a creature's life force at the moment of its death. When a creature within 10 feet of you dies, you may use your reaction to absorb the creature's life force. Doing so gives your Geist Pack 1 charge. Charges are can be expended to use your Geist-Lightning Gun or other abilities you gain at higher levels. Your Geist Pack can never have more charges than your Intelligence score.
A creature's life force can't be absorbed if it is a construct or undead that doesn't have the incorporeal movement trait, or if it has an Intelligence score of 5 or lower.
If your Geist Pack is destroyed or lost, you can create a new one over the course of 3 days of work (8 hours each day) by spending 100gp worth of metal, glass, and other materials.
Geist-Lightning Gun
At 1st level, you can convert deceased spirits into a harmful energy referred to by necro-alchemists as "geist-lightning". Geist-lightning can be used to its harmful potential through a specially designed firearm.
Your Geist-Lightning Gun is a ranged weapon with a normal range of 80 feet and a long range of 320 feet that is plugged into your Geist Pack. To use it, you must spend 1 charge of your Geist Pack as an action. Then you must make a ranged attack roll. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 lightning damage.
If your Geist-Lightning Gun is destroyed or lost, you can create a new one over the course of 3 days of work (8 hours each day) by spending 100gp worth of metal, glass, and other materials.
Corpse Infusion
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your Geist-Lightning Gun to infuse corpses with geist energy, temporarily animating the body. By spending 5 charges from your Geist Pack, you can use an action to target a humanoid corpse you can see within 30 feet of you. That corpse becomes a zombie under your control. The zombie acts on its own initiative in combat, obeying your verbal commands and taking the actions you command it to take. The corpse remains animated for 1 minute. When the duration ends, the zombie dies and can't be reanimated for 1 hour. You can't use this feature if you aren't wielding your Geist-Lightning Gun.
Horrific Essence
At 9th level, you can channel the supernatural horror that suffuses geists into a focussed charge of energy. As an action on your turn, you can expend 3 charges from your Geist Pack to channel mind-effecting energy into a point you can see within 30 feet of you. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. A creature that fails the save takes 3d6 psychic damage and is frightened of you for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half the damage and isn't frightened.
Necromantic Hunger
Starting at 14th level, you have modified your Geist-Lightning Gun to use the harm you inflict to supplement your own vitality. When you deal lightning damage with your Geist-Lightning Gun, you gain temporary hit point equal to the damage dealt.
Reap the Living
At 17th level, you gain the ability to use your Geist-Lightning Gun to gain geist energy from the living. As an action on your turn, you can project a life-draining force in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. A creature that fails the saving throw takes 10d8 necrotic damage. A creature that is reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies and gives your Geist Pack 2 charges unless the creature was a construct or undead. A creature that fails the save but isn't killed gives your Geist Pack 1 charge. A creature that succeeds on the save takes half the damage, but still gives your Geist Pack 1 charge if it dies from the damage.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Please give me your opinion on what things you'd like to be changed or whether it is too weak or overpowered.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
I am not enormously familiar with the Artífices itself, but most feature seem balanced to me.
I would probably suggest to shorten the range of the Geist-Lightning gun, as 320 feet is a hell of a lot of ground covered by an attack at lvl 3, imho.
Also, the 17th level feature, while powerful, feels a bit underpowered. I'd suggest to have it grant 1 Geist charge on failed save (with full damage), 2 if the target dies, and 1 on a successful save if the target dies.
Another thing: is there a maximum number of Geist charges the pack can store?
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
In the Geist Pack entry, I noted that the Geist Pack can never hold more charges than your Intelligence score.
I kind of felt that my Geist-Lightning Gun was ok compared to the Thunder Cannon in the original Artificer class. It had a long range of 500 feet and dealt 2d6 piercing damage.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Mmmh... it feels a little bit like it's a very high limit at level 1. Might I suggest limiting it to half INT score (therefore an average of 7-8) and maybe allow full INT score at lvl 9 or 14? I am jsut basing this off of other classes having similar resources, like the Sorcerer. Undoubtedly, you'd basically need Geist Charges to effectively use the class, but still having max 14-16 of them might turn out as Necrons (loving nickname, hope you don't mind) going around killing a bunch of critters to fill up the tank and then wrecking havoc for the rest of the session.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
I'll add a limit that you can only store geist energy from a creature if it has a CR of 1/8 or higher. That way, you don't get power from killing a frog.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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