Spellslinger

This version 0.1 of the Spellslinger is a first draft published to gather feedback. It has not been reviewed for clarity and balance and has not been fully playtested. I welcome all feedback but I do not recommend playing this subclass in a campaign until version 1 is released.

 

Spellslingers are swashbuckling gadgeteers who believe every problem has a clever solution, and no solution is more clever than a crossbow or dagger that shoots lightning and fire. 

These Artificers specialize in the creation of Magic Triggers, small mechanisms built into a weapon that imbue it with magical, spell-like abilities. These tools that marry clockwork and smithing, magic and steel, form and function are thought to be the purest form of artifice, and Spellslingers take great pride in their art. At higher level, Spellslingers can carry a full arsenal of daggers, rapiers, pistols or hand crossbows and cycle through them to pepper their opponents with frost, fire and lighting. The typical Spellslinger often becomes a traveling duelist to put their weapon to the test, or follows a life of adventuring to find new challenges to overcome with their sharp wits and quick fingers. They feel most at home on the road amongst rogues and swashbucklers who can see the value in their precise tools and the power they pack.

 

This artificer subclass includes references to spells that are not part of the D&D Basic Rules that can be found in the Player's Handbook and Xanathar's Guide to Everything. If you do not have access to these publications, use the Alternative Spellslinger Spells optional rule instead.

Tool Proficiency

3rd-level Spellslinger feature

You gain proficiency with smith's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice.

Spellslinger Spells

3rd-level Spellslinger feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Spellslinger Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare. You can use either INT or DEX as your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Some spells below are not part of the D&D Basic Rules and can be found in the Player's Handbook and Xanathar's Guide to Everything. If you do not have access to these publications, use the Alternative Spellslinger Spells optional rule instead.

Spellslinger Spells

Artificer Level	Spell
3rd	Hunter's Mark, Zephyr Strike (XGtE)
5th	Cloud of Daggers (PHB), Flame Blade
9th	Conjure Barrage (PHB), Hypnotic Pattern
13th	Dimension Door, Fire Shield
17th	Steel Wind Strike (XGtE), Swift Quiver (PHB)

Spell Weapons

3rd-level Spellslinger feature

You've acquired the skills needed to develop the blueprints to a special gadget that can enhance your weapons with spell-like abilities. When you first gain this feature, choose an option from the Magic Trigger list. When you gain an Artificer level, you can replace one of your known magic triggers with a different one. You can choose a second magic trigger at 9th level and a third at 15th level.

As an action, you can attach a magic trigger to a weapon with the [Tooltip Not Found] or finesse properties you touch to turn it into a Spell Weapon, provided you have smith's tools in hand. You can create a number of Spell Weapons equal to your proficiency modifier. If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest weapon loses this effect, and then the new one is applied. Attaching a new magic trigger to a Spell Weapon removes the original effect and applies the new one instead.

You gain the following benefits while wielding one of your Spell Weapons:

• You are proficient with this weapon while wielding it.
• You can use this weapon as a spell focus for your Artificer spells.
• While wielding the weapon, you can use an action to activate the Magic Trigger's ability. All Magic Trigger spell attacks and save DCs use Dexterity as your Spellcasting modifier instead of Intelligence.
• Spellsinger class abilities and effects used with ammunition Spell Weapons do not require ammo, but regular weapon attacks still do.

All other properties of the weapon still apply as usual. Magical weapons or weapons enhanced with an Artificer Infusion can also be turned into Spell Weapons, so long as they meet the other requirements. Other creatures can wield and use your Spell Weapons, but do not gain any of its benefits as a Spell Weapon and can't activate their abilities.

Boom Trigger

Boom Triggers are typically metal plates and springs attached to a sword's pommel, a bow's limbs or a crossbow's barrel. On activation, Boom Triggers release the springs and slam the plates in a thunderous noise to imbue your weapon with magical thunder and grant it the Booming Burst ability. 

Booming Burst blows a target in melee range with ominous thunder. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 + your Dexterity modifier thunder damage and is enveloped in booming energy until the start of your next turn. If the target willingly moves 5 feet or more before then, the target takes 1d8 thunder damage, and the effect ends.

Booming Burst's damage increases when you reach certain levels. At 5th level, the melee attack deals an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target on a hit, and the damage the target takes for moving increases to 2d8. Both damage rolls increase by 1d8 at 11th level (2d8 and 3d8) and again at 17th level (3d8 and 4d8).

Flame Trigger

Flame Triggers are typically a miniature set of pistons or offset gears attached to a sword's blade, a bow's string or a crossbow's barrel. On activation, Flame Triggers vibrate at high speed to imbue your weapon with magical flames and grant it the Flame Bolt ability. 

Activating this Magic Trigger overheats your weapon to shoot out a mote of fire at a creature or object within 120 ft. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 fire damage, + your Dexterity modifier. A flammable object hit by this attack ignites if it isn't being worn or carried.

Flame Bolt's damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10) and 17th level (4d10).

Frost Trigger

 Frost Triggers are typically an array of crystals and lenses attached to a sword's hilt, a bow's sight window or a crossbow's sight. On activation, Frost Triggers align the crystals and lenses to imbue your weapon with magical cold and grant it the Beam of Frost ability.

Beam of Frost supercools your weapon to shoot a frigid beam of blue-white light toward a creature within 60 ft. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, it takes 1d8 + your Dexterity modifier cold damage, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.

The spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Shock Trigger

Shock Triggers are typically clawed spikes protruding from a sword's guard or a bow or crossbow's limbs. On activation, Shock Triggers attract ambient static charges to imbue your weapon with magical lighting and grant it the Shocking Clasp ability. 

Shocking Clasp charges your weapon to deliver a shock to a creature in melee range. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 + your Dexterity modifier lightning damage, and it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn.

Shock Trigger's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8) and 17th level (4d8).

Thorn Trigger

Thorn Triggers are typically metallic vines wrapped around a sword's hilt and blade, a bow's limbs or a crossbow's stock. On activation, Thorn Triggers animate the vines to imbue your weapon with magical thorns and grant it the Thorn Swipe ability. 

Thorn Swipe animates your weapon to create a long, vine-like whip covered in thorns that lashes out at your command toward a creature within 30 ft. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier piercing damage, and if the creature is Large or smaller, you pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you.

Thorn Swipe's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6) and 17th level (4d6).

Zap Trigger

Lightning Triggers are typically a set of rotating dials embedded in a sword's handle, a bow or crossbow's grip. On activation, Lightning Triggers resonate with magnetic forces to imbue your weapon with magical lighting and grant it the Zapping Lure ability. 

Zapping Lure charges your weapon to create a lash of lightning that strikes a creature within 15 feet of you. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 + your Dexterity modifier lightning damage, and must make a Strength saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Dexterity modifier. On a fail, the target is pulled up to 10 feet in a straight line toward you.

Zapping Lure's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8) and 17th level (4d8).

Extra Attack

5th-level Spellsinger feature

You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can use a Spell Weapon's magic trigger ability in place of one of those attacks as long as the other attack is made with the same weapon.

Overload Weapon

9th-level Spellslinger feature

You can magically overload your Spell Weapons to use one of the following abilities:

Hyperdeflection. overload your Spell Weapon to parry an attack with a burst of magic. When a creature within 5 ft of you or you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to increase the target's AC by 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier until the start of their next turn. You must be holding a melee Spell Weapon to trigger this ability.

Autobarrage. Overload your Spell Weapon to shoot a volley of magic shots. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn or use a Spell Weapon ability, you can use the same weapon to shoot two magic projectiles as a bonus action. Make a ranged weapon attack for each projectile. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 damage of the same damage type as the Spell Weapon's ability. You must be holding a ranged Spell Weapon to use this ability.

After being overloaded, the weapon's magic trigger breaks. You can't activate this Spell Weapon's ability or benefit from its other Spell Weapon effects until you take an action to repair it with your smith's tools. All overloaded Spell Weapons are automatically repaired during a short or long rest.

You can use Overload Weapons a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Improved Spell Weapons

15th-level Spellslinger feature 

Your magic triggers have become fine tuned works of art and your superior craftsmanship grants them new abilities:

• You can now add, remove or change a magic trigger on a weapon as a free action.
• When you make a weapon attack with a Spell Weapon, you can change all damage from the attack to the damage type of the weapon's magic trigger ability.
• If your Spell Weapon is also improved by an artificer infusion, it grants an additional +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it.
• Once per day, you can immediately repair all your overloaded Spell Weapons as a bonus action.