Mechanical Ascendant

"Flesh is weak. It falls to illness, it becomes infested or unwell. The cold cripples, the heat destroys. Why exist in the realm of the living, when the mechanical is pure, and certain?"

~ Ascendant Halcyon

Beyond Flesh

There comes a point where the body succumbs to all manner of ailment - broken bones, scarification, or age. The Mechanical Ascendance Artificer seeks to replace their mortal form with metal, and intends to replace their frail, failing forms with mechanical instruments of varying potency. The end-goal is to achieve immortality via mechanisation, usuall by replacing key components of themselves, such as their hands, legs, chest, and eventually, their mind. In doing so, they become more adept at surviving, adapting, and overcoming even the worst of odds.

Rejecting Mortality

As the Mechanical Ascendance Artificer improves, they are emboldened by their past endeavours. What good is a hand if it remains connected to the body, when it could easily serve as a scouting device? What good are legs if they cannot provide means of traversing longer distances or jump further gaps? What good are the eyes, ears, and tongue if they cannot process more than a few languages? Going into the Mechanical Asendance means to eventually become wholly mechanised - this means completely configuring oneself beyond the realms of a humanoid shape or figure, or augmenting oneself to no longer be fully mortal.

Upgrade Imperative

3rd-Level Mechanical Ascendant feature

Any Medium Armour that states "You have disadvantage on Stealth Rolls" no longer grants disadvantage with Stealth. You also gain proficiency in tinker's tools. If you already have this tool proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Reject the Flesh

3rd-Level Mechanical Ascendant feature

The initial pursuit for any Mechanical Ascendant is experimentation with less-crucial components of their body. Once per long rest, you can replace one of your hands with an option from the Hand Augments list, or both of your legs with one options from the Leg Augments list, provided you have tinker's tools in hand.

If your DM permits, you may have both of your hands replaced with two of the same OR two differing options from the Hand Augments list below.

Hand Augments List

• Detachable: You attach a remote-controlled component to the back of your detachable hand. As an Action, you can detach your hand. It becomes a Tiny Creature with a 20ft movement speed. It counts as a Familiar similar to Find Familiar, with the addition of having Spider Climb. Whilst it is detached, you cannot make Melee Attacks or take Opportunity Attacks. It takes an Action to re-attach it.
  
• Rocket: You attach a chain to the back of your hand. As an Action, you can propel your fist up to 10ft forward and make an Unarmed Strike Attack. If you successfully hit, you deal damage equal to your current proficiency bonus. The target must also make a Strength Saving Throw or be knocked back 5 feet. It returns to you after this attack.
  
• Extendable: You attach a long, magical, flexible wire to the back of your detachable hand. As an Action, you can detach your hand and control it. It operates similar to Mage Hand, with the addition of having a carry weight equal to your own current carry weight. While it is detached, you can choose to make an Unarmed Strike, but it will not grant Flanking, and is considered a Tiny Object.
  

Leg Augments List

• Spring-Loaded: You replace the muscles and sinew with spring-loaded pistons. As an Action, you  gain an extra 10ft of Movement Speed, and can jump an extra 5ft higher. In addition, you do not take no fall damage when falling from heights up to 30ft. You may use this Action per your proficiency bonus.
  
• Sturdy: You anchor your legs down with great hunks of lead. You cannot be pushed, pulled, knocked back, or become prone by any physical means.
  
• Hooked: Your digits become sharp hooks that dig into the ground. You can climb up any sturdy surface without assistance or checks, provided you are not over-encumbered. You no longer suffer the effects of being Restrained.
  

Knowledge is Power

5th-Level Mechanical Ascendant feature

Having found confidence in replacing your appendages with mechanical implements, you now decide to go for more delicate components of your form. You can choose to replace your Eyes, Ears, or Mouth from one of the following Sensory Augments from the Sensory Augments list below, provided you still have your tinker's tools.

When making Perception checks, you may choose to add 1d4 to your Perception checks. You may use this per your proficiency bonus per short rest.

At the 7th-level, you may choose to select another Sensory Augment.

 

Sensory Augments (5th-Level)

• If you choose to replace your Eyes, you can read all languages (translated into whichever language you are most familiar with). If you do not already have it, you gain Darkvision up to 60ft, and cannot be blinded.
  
• If you choose to replace your Ears, you can comprehend all languages (transalted into whichever language you are most familiar with). In addition, as an action, you can remove one of your mechanical ears and place it in any location up to 100ft, and continue listening through it, and cannot be deafened.
  
• If you choose to replace your Mouth, you can speak all languages (the language which you are most familiar with is translated into foreign tongue). In addition, you can replace the 1d4 bonus to Perception checks with either a Persuasion, Performance, or Deception check, and cannot be silenced.
  

 

Sensory Augments list (7th-Level)

• If you choose to replace your Eyes, you can read all languages (translated into whichever language you are most familiar with). If you do not already have it, you gain Darkvision up to 60ft, and cannot be blinded.
  
• If you choose to replace your Ears, you can comprehend all languages (transalted into whichever language you are most familiar with). In addition, as an action, you can remove one of your mechanical ears and place it in any location up to 100ft, and continue listening through it, and cannot be deafened.
  
• If you choose to replace your Mouth, you can speak all languages (the language which you are most familiar with is translated into foreign tongue). In addition, you can replace the 1d4 bonus to Perception checks with either a Persuasion, Performance, or Deception check, and cannot be silenced.
  

 

Potent Protocols

9th-Level Mechanical Ascendant feature

With more and more of your body becoming mechanical, you wager now is the time to bring about changes internally. Provided you still have your tinker's tools, once per long rest, you endeavour to replace parts of your anatomy with mechanical components. At the DM's discretion, you may make a DC 15 Medicine Check to succeed. Failing this check will mean waiting until another long rest to succeed.

Internal Upgrades

• You replace your heart with a Reanimation Protocol. If you should be brought to 0HP or below, you automatically revive at 1HP. You also no longer suffer from the effects of being frightened.
• You replace your lungs with Mechanical Bellows. You permanently gain the effects of waterbreathing and can no logner suffocate.
• You replace your stomach with a Nutritional Processor. You no longer need to consume food or water to survive, and gain an additional 1d8 (or 5) + Con Mod HP permanently.
• You replace your liver with a Immunity Optimizer. You become immune to poison, disease, and weakness. If your DM permits, you can no longer be affected by consumption of alcohol, regardless of strength.

The Grand Design

15th-Level Mechanical Ascendant feature

You have become ardent in your belief the machine will save you. You have laid out designs, plans, and sketches of your grand ascendance - and the hour is close at hand. Soon, you will overcome the frailties of your mortal form. You need the final enhancements in-place, then you will truly overcome - and in doing so, the doors to immortality will open to you.

You may replace your skin, muscles, or bones from the Bodily Augments list.

In addition, for every level leading to the 20th, you may choose one additional Sensory Augment or one additional Internal Augments from previous levels, until you have replaced everything.

If your DM permits, you may also graft additional Hands Augments to your form, up to a maximum of 4 arms/hands. You may choose where these arms/hands come from.

At the 20th-level, you create an Immortality Engine and one Intelligence Module.

Bodily Augments

• You replace your skin with Plated Alloys. You become resistant to Cold, Fire, Necrotic, Psychic and Radiant damage. You are counted as wearing Heavy Armour for all necessary checks.
• You replace your bones with Adamantine Supports. You can no longer become Paralyzed by physical means. You become resistant to Bludgeoning and Piercing damage. If you took the Detachable Hand Augment, it gains your AC, and its HP becomes 1/2 your current total. It may now also wield weapons per your relevant proficiencies. You no longer take falling damage up to 80ft.
• You replace your muscles with Elastic-Alloy Cables. Your movement and swimming speed becomes double your current speed, and your jumping height doubles. You gain advantage on Athletics checks. You no longer suffer the effects of Petrification.

Immortality Engine

20th-Level Artificer bonus feature

This replaces the Artificer's "Soul of Artifice".

The hands and legs. The eyes, ears, and tongue. The heart, liver, lungs, and stomach. The flesh, bones, and muscles. It's all together. The final obstacle to overcome... is the mind. It is the last part of you that remains organic - and despite it being the engine that has made such ingenious designs, it is now obselete. It, too, must be replaced.

Provided you still have your tinker's tools, you move to replace your brain with a mechanical simulacrum of self. You create an Immortality Engine Wondrous Item, complete with a Intelligence Module for preserving your genius.

Whilst your Immortality Engine has one of your Intelligence Modules, it retains all of your memories, knowledge, and experience. This may be transferred to any mechanical object or creature, and you become that creature with all its abilities and statistics, save for Intelligence Modifier and personality, which will always be your own.

If the Immortality Engine is destroyed, you may still be resurrected through one of your Intelligence Modules, provided it is not destroyed by a DC25 Arcana Check.

It takes Adamantine worth 25,000gp to generate a new Immortality Engine.