Artificer
Base Class: Artificer

"Do you really believe that just because you said I couldn't...that I actually wouldn't?! Let me tell you something, chief. My hands have always been mired in the pitch-black soot of a hard day's work; my soul was tempered in the flames of my craft for as far back as I can remember. I could measure my whole day by the chime of the hammer strokin' steel and the churr of the bellows hummin' in my ears like the sweetest lilting lullabye. So don't you—or your crew of literal mother****ers—ever try to tell me what me, this here brain, and these two capable hands can come up with...you got that?"

— Hoshimaru Dalca, Weaponeer Artificer

 

If You Build It, They Will Come

You have never been one to let others dictate precisely what you are capable of. Regardless of your race, background, or walk of life, you have always aspired for two things: the freedom to think and the freedom to make. You may have always held a smithing hammer in your hand, or perhaps it was simply a calling that found its way to you later in life and changed you for the better—but you know one thing is certain. The Forge is waiting for you. From an early age, you've always had ideas, blueprints, you called them.

You dreamed of concepts and scrawled them out onto any open parchment you could find, and when the time came to pair your sterling intellect with some good old-fashioned elbow grease, you didn't back down from the challenge. You are a blacksmith at heart, but beyond that, you are a true innovator who aims to marry your love of the craft with an undying thirst for adventure—as well as testing the gadgets you've sculpted with the utmost care. You, dear intrepid tradesman, are a Weaponeer! An artificer who specializes in areas of weapon craft, aiming to etch your logo and brand into the pages of history. Everything you build, whatever its purpose, proves secondary to how it can be wielded, thrown, exploded, or otherwise brought into the fray with visceral results. 

You may be a tinkerer or simply a handyman who fixes things. However, you've made clockwork ballerinas that, for some reason, doubled as throwing stars. Every mop you've repaired, you've added a modified to have a hidden sword within. And, no matter how many times your clients have inquired (or begged you to cease), you just can't seem to resist the allure of incendiary teddy bears, just in case a child finds themselves in need of clearing a dungeon or two during bonding time with dear old mommy and daddy. Kooky as they all claim you to be, none dare discredit your prowess, and more still seek you out for your wares.

However, something stirs in you and refuses to settle; you know that you're far from finished. Your true goal is still at hand. Thousands of years from now, you aim to be that person others speak of when they find an innocuous-yet-powerful new sword lingering at the bottom of a haunted crypt; when they pick up the blade and marvel at all it does, you want to be that mythical figure they're thinking about when they wonder who-in-the-world created this damned thing? You, who began this journey with merely your ideas, a quill, and some paper, will someday create a weapon that will shake the very foundations of heaven and make the gods cringe in their misgivings at the fact that they gave your kind any modicum of intelligence at all. 

Of course, by then, it'll be all but too late to do anything about it, wouldn't it? People will be swinging your wondrous little toys into the gods' faces before they utter a word of contrition besides...

 

A Trusty Weapon Is All You Need

Modular Weaponeers are known for bringing their thirst for innovation into the fold via a highly specialized weapon that only they truly know how to wield optimally. While they'll gladly allow others to commission them, their primary focus will always be on furthering the development of their passion project: their Trusted Weapon. Weaponeers piece together a signature weapon the likes none have ever dared to dream of—but almost always find themselves seeing in their nightmares after having been on the business end of it. Fusing years of arcane study with budding technological advancements (and a bit of savvy intuition here or there), these maverick artificers are particularly known for their penchant for destructive weaponry, and a common philosophy for them is to bring an arsenal into virtually every situation that could call for one, even menial tasks. 

  

Tool Proficiency

3rd-level Weaponeer 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.

 

Arcane Recovery

You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by studying your tools. Once per day, when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your artificer level (rounded up).

For example, if you’re a 4th-level artificer, you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either a 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots.

 

Combat Ready

3rd-level Weaponeer feature

Your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways:

  • You gain proficiency with martial weapons.
  • When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.

 

Spell Reconfiguring

When you find a spell written down, like a scroll or a spellbook, you can spend 30gp per spell level, and take two hours, to tinker with your tech and work out how to replicate it. You replace one of your current spells with the new one.

If you see someone cast a spell you want within the last 24 hours, you can make an Arcana check with a DC equal to 8 + the spell's level. If you make the check, you can spend 60gp per spell level, and take two hours, to experiment with your tech until you get the right setup to replicate it. You replace one of your current spells with the new one.

 

Weapon Modules

3rd-level Weaponeer feature

Arcane Propulsion Vents

Your tinkering enables you to retrofit your Trusted Weapon with arcane propulsion systems that enhance attacks made with it.

  • Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack, you can move it 5 feet to an unoccupied space, provided the target is no more than one size larger than you.
  • You can choose to, instead, use a bonus action to Rampage and attempt knocking a creature prone with the follow-through from your previous attack.

At 6th-level, you become an absolute source of peril to downed opponents. You gain the ability to Maim creatures that are in the prone condition. Hitting them with an attack from your Trusty Weapon in this way, the creature must pass a constitution saving throw or become paralyzed for 1d4 turns. You can use this twice per long rest and gain one additional use at 15th level.

 

Audio Displacers

Your tinkering has allowed you to create prosthetic arms that wear your enemies down, capable of hammering them with powerful percussive blasts of sound.

  • Both of your arms count as a magic melee weapon with the finesse and light properties, dealing 1d8 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
  • You may use Intelligence instead of Strength for athletics checks.
  • Once per turn, when you hit a target with a melee weapon attack, you can can use Sound Garden to imbue the attack with an additional effect: the target takes an extra 1d6 thunder damage. Alternatively, when you use the Thunderclap cantrip or Thunderwave spell, Sound Garden allows you to cast it in a 30 foot line instead of a radius.
  • You can freely manipulate sound waves around you, allowing you to mimic sounds and voices.
  • As a reaction, when you see or hear a creature within 30 feet of you casting a spell requiring a verbal component, you can expend a charge of Audio Slave and attempt to interrupt the creature in the process of casting a spell using Silence spell on it without having to use a spell slot. Make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a success, you manage to cast the Silence spell before the creature can cast; the creature's spell fails and has no effect. When you use this ability, you may choose a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one creature) to remain unaffected. You can use this ability 2 times per long rest.

 

Blast Carronade

Your cunning mind for artifice has allowed you to build a portable two-handed cannon that can be used at both close-quarters and at range.

  • This weapon can be used as a cudgel and counts as a martial melee weapon with the heavy and two-handed properties, dealing 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
  • As an action, you may use Sabot Shot to fire a specialized sabot at a creature within 60 feet of you, which does 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit. Upon impact, the sabot attaches itself immediately to the affected creature. On its turn, the affected creature can make a strength saving throw (athletics) to attempt to remove it and drop it at its feet. Upon being removed and dropped by a creature hit with Sabot Shot, the sabot activates and transforms into a Minewalker (unless two are already present).

    You may use a bonus action to verbally activate any inactive sabots to transform remotely. The Minewalker takes its turn in initiative immediately following your own. Using a bonus action, it can be verbally commanded to detonate two turns after activation, dealing 3d12 fire damage in 15 foot sphere. It can only be detonated if you have advantage on that turn. A flammable object hit by this explosion ignites if it isn't being worn or carried. Expended sabots or Minewalkers that have not been detonated can be retrieved. You may have only two active Minewalkers at a time.

The Minewalker's detonation damage increases by one die when you reach 5th level (4d12), 11th level (5d12), and 17th level (6d12).

 

Chainlink Blade

Your tinkering has given you the understanding to equip your weapon with a motorized Chainlink Blade.

  • After you hit with an attack, you can use your bonus action to rev the Chainlink Blade's engine and deal an additional 1d8 slashing damage.
  • Creatures hit with your Chainlink Blade bleed out; a creature takes 1d4 damage on each of its turns for 3 turns or until the wound is healed. You can use this 3 times per long rest.

At 9th level, you learn Lantan Chainlink Massacre. Whenever you reduce a creature's hit points to 0 that is bleeding out on your turn, you can rev the Chainlink Blade again on another creature on the same turn without expending a charge or having to have attacked it prior. If you have already revved your Chainlink Blade on this turn, you do not need a bonus action to rev it again in this way. At 15th level, bleed-out damage die increases to 3d4.

 

Coldfire Displacers

Your tinkering has allowed you to create prosthetic arms that wear your enemies down, siphoning and displacing the heat from their very surroundings with every frigid strike.

  • Both of your arms count as a magic melee weapon with the finesse and light properties, dealing 1d8 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
  • You may use Intelligence instead of Strength for athletics checks.
  • As a bonus action, you can use Cold Snapping to siphon heat and deal an extra 1d6 cold damage, but only if you have taken the attack action on that turn.
  • When you use an attack or cast a spell that would do fire damage you can expend a charge of Cold/Fire Displacement to transmute it to cold damage instead.

At 6th level, you learn Flashfreeze Cryonic. As an action, you activate the Coldfire Displacers on your forearms and begin rapidly siphoning the heat from in front of you in a 60-foot cone. Each creature that begins or ends its turn within this space must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. An affected target's speed is halved, it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can't use reactions. The area of effect becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute before beginning to thaw. While in this area, an affected target's speed is halved, it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can't use reactions. On its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of the creature's abilities or magic items, it can't make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.

If the creature attempts to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the spell doesn't take effect until the creature's next turn, and the creature must use its action on that turn to complete the spell. If it can't, the spell is wasted.  A creature killed by this becomes a frozen statue until it thaws. The area of effect becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute.

This attack's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 11th level (5d8) and 17th level (6d8).

 

Gas-powered Drill

Your tinkering has given you the insight to remodel your Trusted Weapon with a motorized drill function, spinning the weapon-head for additional combat effectiveness.

  • Your Trusted Weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19–20
  • If you score a critical hit, the creature must succeed a constitution save (against your spell save DC). On a failed save, you reduce their AC by 2 (this can only affect the same creature once).

At 6th level, you gain a burrowing speed equal to your walking speed.

At 12th level, you may now score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.

 

Gas-powered Sheath

Your tinkering has allowed you to craft a specialized sheath that accelerates your strikes. When unsheathing your blade, specialized chambers expel compressed gas that jettisons your blade outward.

  • You gain advantage on any creature you have not yet attacked in combat, using a technique called Flicker, drawing your blade and attacking in the same action at lightning speed.
  • Your weapon gains the finesse property.

At 6th level, the Flicker technique evolves under your growing mastery of it. You gain a number of charges equal to your proficiency bonus, provided you resheathe your blade, allowing you to use it against one creature previously struck by it per charge.

 

Shifting Vine

Your tinkering has crafted an unusual martial weapon, a Shifting Vine, which combines the properties of both a whip (reach/finesse) and a blade.

  • You can freely shift your weapon between sword or whip-like form.
  • You can use a bonus action to use a special martial technique, Crack Snap, to attempt to grapple or disarm a creature.
  • You may use your intelligence modifier in place of strength when attempting to grapple this way.

 

Type Tuner System

Your tinkering has developed a personal field-emitter device to attune your weapon to the various damage types you receive.

  • The Type Tuner System captures the energy signature of incoming attacks. You can use a reaction to immediately attune yourself to deal the damage type you receive when hit by an attack and have resistance to the triggering damage type until the start of your next turn.
  • Your weapon's damage type remains changed to this until you use the Type Tuner System again or use a bonus action to clear its presets. You cannot store new damage types without an empty preset slot.
  • You can use this with any weapon you are wielding.
  • When dealing damage to creatures that have a vulnerability to your damage type, your Canister Carbine deals 1d8 extra damage.

At 9th level, you gain the ability to simultaneously store two damage types and choose which to attack with or replace.

 

Trusted Weapon

3rd-level Weaponeer feature

Your tinkering has borne you a Trusted Weapon that utilizes your very finest artifice, which is a +1 martial magic weapon only you can optimally utilize. Your Trusted weapon serves as your spellcasting focus. During a short or long rest, you can spend up to 1-hour building or modifying weapons you find with specialized modules. You can select one of the following (follow links and add the chosen weapon to character sheet):

At 7th level, you become knowledgeable enough with magic weapons that you can learn to modify ones that you come across into Trusted Weapons (providing they match weapon types, Rumble Gauntlets and Coldfire Cesti can use flail or longsword stats but do not gain the versatile property). 

 

Arcane Propulsion Vents

Your tinkering enables you to retrofit your Trusted Weapon with arcane propulsion systems that enhance attacks made with it.

  • Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack, you can move it 5 feet to an unoccupied space, provided the target is no more than one size larger than you.
  • You can choose to, instead, use a bonus action to Rampage and attempt knocking a creature prone with the follow-through from your previous attack.

At 6th-level, you become an absolute source of peril to downed opponents. You gain the ability to Maim creatures that are in the prone condition. Hitting them with an attack from your Trusty Weapon in this way, the creature must pass a constitution saving throw or become paralyzed for 1d4 turns. You can use this twice per long rest and gain one additional use at 15th level.

 

Audio Displacers

Your tinkering has allowed you to create prosthetic arms that wear your enemies down, capable of hammering them with powerful percussive blasts of sound.

  • Both of your arms count as a magic melee weapon with the finesse and light properties, dealing 1d8 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
  • You may use Intelligence instead of Strength for athletics checks.
  • Once per turn, when you hit a target with a melee weapon attack, you can can use Sound Garden to imbue the attack with an additional effect: the target takes an extra 1d6 thunder damage. Alternatively, when you use the Thunderclap cantrip or Thunderwave spell, Sound Garden allows you to cast it in a 30 foot line instead of a radius.
  • As a reaction, when you see or hear a creature within 30 feet of you casting a spell requiring a verbal component, you can expend a charge of Audio Slave and attempt to interrupt the creature in the process of casting a spell using Silence spell on it without having to use a spell slot. Make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a success, you manage to cast the Silence spell before the creature can cast; the creature's spell fails and has no effect. When you use this ability, you may choose a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one creature) to remain unaffected. You can use this ability 2 times per long rest.

 

Blast Carronade

Your cunning mind for artifice has allowed you to build a portable two-handed cannon that can be used at both close-quarters and at range.

  • This weapon can be used as a cudgel and counts as a martial melee weapon with the heavy and two-handed properties, dealing 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
  • As an action, you may use Sabot Shot to fire a specialized sabot at a creature within 60 feet of you, which does 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit. Upon impact, the sabot attaches itself immediately to the affected creature. On its turn, the affected creature can make a strength saving throw (athletics) to attempt to remove it and drop it at its feet. Upon being removed and dropped by a creature hit with Sabot Shot, the sabot activates and transforms into a Minewalker (unless two are already present).

    You may use a bonus action to verbally activate any inactive sabots to transform remotely. The Minewalker takes its turn in initiative immediately following your own. Using a bonus action, it can be verbally commanded to detonate two turns after activation, dealing 3d12 fire damage in 15 foot sphere. It can only be detonated if you have advantage on that turn. A flammable object hit by this explosion ignites if it isn't being worn or carried. Expended sabots or Minewalkers that have not been detonated can be retrieved. You may have only two active Minewalkers at a time.

The Minewalker's detonation damage increases by one die when you reach 5th level (4d12), 11th level (5d12), and 17th level (6d12).

 

Chainlink Blade

Your tinkering has given you the understanding to equip your weapon with a motorized Chainlink Blade.

  • After you hit with an attack, you can use your bonus action to rev the Chainlink Blade's engine and deal an additional 1d8 slashing damage.
  • Creatures hit with your Chainlink Blade bleed out; a creature takes 1d4 damage on each of its turns for 3 turns or until the wound is healed. You can use this 3 times per long rest.

At 9th level, you learn Lantan Chainlink Massacre. Whenever you reduce a creature's hit points to 0 that is bleeding out on your turn, you can rev the Chainlink Blade again on another creature on the same turn without expending a charge or having to have attacked it prior. If you have already revved your Chainlink Blade on this turn, you do not need a bonus action to rev it again in this way. At 15th level, bleed-out damage die increases to 3d4.

 

Coldfire Displacers

Your tinkering has allowed you to create prosthetic arms that wear your enemies down, siphoning and displacing the heat from their very surroundings with every frigid strike.

  • Both of your arms count as a magic melee weapon with the finesse and light properties, dealing 1d8 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
  • You may use Intelligence instead of Strength for athletics checks.
  • As a bonus action, you can use Cold Snapping to siphon heat and deal an extra 1d6 cold damage, but only if you have taken the attack action on that turn.
  • When you use an attack or cast a spell that would do fire damage you can expend a charge of Cold/Fire Displacement to transmute it to cold damage instead.

At 6th level, you learn Flashfreeze Cryonic. As an action, you activate the Coldfire Displacers on your forearms and begin rapidly siphoning the heat from in front of you in a 60-foot cone. Each creature that begins or ends its turn within this space must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. An affected target's speed is halved, it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can't use reactions. The area of effect becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute before beginning to thaw. While in this area, an affected target's speed is halved, it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can't use reactions. On its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of the creature's abilities or magic items, it can't make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.

If the creature attempts to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the spell doesn't take effect until the creature's next turn, and the creature must use its action on that turn to complete the spell. If it can't, the spell is wasted.  A creature killed by this becomes a frozen statue until it thaws. The area of effect becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute.

This attack's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 11th level (5d8) and 17th level (6d8).

 

Gas-powered Drill

Your tinkering has given you the insight to remodel your Trusted Weapon with a motorized drill function, spinning the weapon-head for additional combat effectiveness.

  • Your Trusted Weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19–20
  • If you score a critical hit, the creature must succeed a constitution save (against your spell save DC). On a failed save, you reduce their AC by 2 (this can only affect the same creature once).

At 6th level, you gain a burrowing speed equal to your walking speed.

At 12th level, you may now score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.

 

Gas-powered Sheath

Your tinkering has allowed you to craft a specialized sheath that accelerates your strikes. When unsheathing your blade, specialized chambers expel compressed gas that jettisons your blade outward.

  • You gain advantage on any creature you have not yet attacked in combat, using a technique called Flicker, drawing your blade and attacking in the same action at lightning speed.
  • Your weapon gains the finesse property.

At 6th level, the Flicker technique evolves under your growing mastery of it. You gain a number of charges equal to your proficiency bonus, provided you resheathe your blade, allowing you to use it against one creature previously struck by it per charge.

 

Shifting Vine

Your tinkering has crafted an unusual martial weapon, a Shifting Vine, which combines the properties of both a whip (reach/finesse) and a blade.

  • You can freely shift your weapon between sword or whip-like form.
  • You can use a bonus action to use a special martial technique, Crack Snap, to attempt to grapple or disarm a creature.
  • You may use your intelligence modifier in place of strength when attempting to grapple this way.

 

Type Tuner System

Your tinkering has developed a personal field-emitter device to attune your weapon to the various damage types you receive.

  • The Type Tuner System captures the energy signature of incoming attacks. You can use a reaction to immediately attune yourself to deal the damage type you receive when hit by an attack and have resistance to the triggering damage type until the start of your next turn.
  • Your weapon's damage type remains changed to this until you use the Type Tuner System again or use a bonus action to clear its presets. You cannot store new damage types without an empty preset slot.
  • You can use this with any weapon you are wielding.
  • When dealing damage to creatures that have a vulnerability to your damage type, your Canister Carbine deals 1d8 extra damage.

At 9th level, you gain the ability to simultaneously store two damage types and choose which to attack with or replace.

 

Extra Attack

5th-level Weaponeer feature

You can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

 

Heart of the Forge

5th-level Weaponeer feature

Your soul burns with the spirit of genesis, yearning to craft and strike while the irons are hot. Your passion for metalcraft has brought you to the apex of understanding your craft, engendering the ability to set up a forge with even the minutest preparation and supplies. Moreover, your understanding of your particular trade allows you to get more done with less, cutting your production times by half of the time it would require others with a fully-assembled staff.

Additionally, you have gained sufficient understanding of artifice and magic item design to be able to start crafting your own weapons. You may spend an amount of time as determined by the rarity of the item, detailed in the table below, to craft a magic item from supplies and components you possess. Such items must be weapons. At your DM's discretion, crafting certain items may require specific magical components from certain monsters or environments (such as a Flame Tongue requiring lava to quench the blade, or may require specific conditions, such as steeping a mace in holy water for three days as part of the process to create a Mace of Disruption).

 

Item Rarity

Time to Create

Common

4 hours

Uncommon

2-3 days

Rare

1 week

Very Rare

2-3 weeks

Legendary

1 month

 

You must be familiar with a magic weapon to be able to successfully create your own. You can become familiar with a magic item by spending three days, with four hours a day, studying the magical and physical design of the weapon. If you are currently attuned to the item, you need only spend one day studying the weapon. If you have been attuned in the past, but are not currently attuned, you need only spend two days.

 

Flash of Dispersion

9th-level Weaponeer feature

You have discovered a new way to use your artifice. Whenever you deal damage using your Trusted Weapon, you may use up to 2 charges of Flash of Genius and add the number to the damage roll.

 

Optional Feature Selections

9th-level Weaponeer feature

At 9th level, you gain the options of a portable forge you build into a personalized vehicle known as a Mobile Fortress—or—Secondary Function, the ability to adapt your Trusted Weapon even further with secondary features. You can find either of these under the OPTIONAL FEATURES MANAGER tab beneath your class selection.

 

Mental Giant

15th-level Weaponeer feature

You briefly come in contact with the source of innovation, and it forever changes your outlook on what you believe is possible to do with your own two hands. Ascribing to the age-old adage that knowledge truly is power, you open your mind to infinite possibilities. Your Intelligence score increases by 4. Your maximum for this score is now 24.

Previous Versions

Name Date Modified Views Adds Version Actions
Weaponeer
10/9/2023 7:41:40 AM
139
0
--
Coming Soon
Weaponeer
12/15/2023 8:45:09 PM
139
0
--
Coming Soon
Kadavere

Comments

Posts Quoted:
Reply
Clear All Quotes