Pilot

His hands firmly grasping the controls of the steel behemoth, the clanging of swords and shouting of commands reverberated through his creation's steel hull as the pilot pulled a lever, breathing life into the construct. A robotic voice echoed through the machine's helm:

"All systems operational. Welcome back, pilot."

An artificer who specializes as a Pilot operates a unique type of vehicle known as a strider. The strider is a hulking apparatus which combines protection and transportation into one imposing feat of artifice. The artificer can bulwark for their allies and lay on the hurt all while remaining unscathed within the frame of their strider.

Thank you to u/TheGooseQuill on Reddit for creating this subclass idea.

Pilot's Guide to Striders

Entering & Piloting your Strider

Your strider features a hatch which you can open to enter it. This grants you access to its helm, where your strider's controls are located. To enter your strider, it and you must meet the following criteria:

Boarding Criteria

• Your strider has at least 1 hit point.
• Your strider does not have a pilot operating it already.
• You are not larger than Medium.
• You retain a humanoid shape.

If these criteria are met, you may board your strider, which follows the rules for mounting a creature (page 198 of the Player's Handbook).

Piloting a Strider

After boarding your strider, you may use your object interaction to assume control of it. After doing so, the following occurs:

• You assume its game statistics (see the Strider Stat Block) but do not inherit your strider's damage and condition immunities for yourself. You retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores as well as their respective skill and saving throw proficiencies. You also retain any senses you possess, such as darkvision.
• While piloting your strider, it can use your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws or its own, whichever number is higher.
• When a creature provokes an opportunity attack from your strider, you can use your reaction to make one Strike or Strider Weapon attack against that creature.
• You retain the ability to cast spells, and can use your strider as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells.
• While piloting your strider, you can make any spell you cast that targets only you also target your strider.
• You assume the strider's current hit points and Hit Dice.
• While piloting your strider, you have total cover from effects originating outside it.

Exiting & Maintaining your Strider

Exiting your strider is done manually or automatically through either its hatch or the ejection seat upon its destruction. Exiting the strider is done as follows:

Exiting your Strider

• You may exit the strider as a bonus action, reappearing in an available space of your choosing within 5 feet of it.
• Alternatively, when the strider is reduced to 0 hit points, you are ejected, reappearing in an available space of your choice within 15 feet of it. When you are ejected, any excess damage beyond that which reduced the strider to 0 hit points is carried over to you. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce you to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.
• When you exit your strider, you return to the number of hit points you had before you entered the strider, unless you have taken damage between then.
• The strider is considered unconscious after you exit it.

Maintenance

If the mending spell is cast on the strider, it regains 2d6 hit points. If the heat metal spell is cast on it for the duration of the mending spell, heat metal does no damage to the strider and instead heals additional hit points equal to the damage otherwise dealt.

Repairing a Destroyed Strider

A strider is destroyed when it is reduced to 0 hit points, after which it must be repaired by using smith's tools, raw materials which are consumed worth 300 gp, and a 1st-level spell slot or higher to return it to full hit points over the course of an hour, provided you are within 5 feet of it. When you reach certain levels in this class, the value of raw materials doubles: at 5th level (600 gp), 9th level (1,200 gp), and 15th level (2,400 gp).

Pilot Spells

3rd-level Pilot feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Pilot Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare. ,

Pilot Spells

Adaptive Power

3rd-level Pilot feature

Your ingenious wit can adapt to critical situations. This wit is represented by your Adaptive Power dice, which are each a d6. You have a number of these dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and they fuel various protocols related to your strider, which are detailed in its stat block as Adaptive Power (AP).

Some of your protocols expend the Adaptive Power die they use, as specified in a protocol's description, and you can't use a protocol if it requires you to use a die when your dice are all expended. You regain all your expended Adaptive Power dice when you finish a long rest.

Strider Frame

3rd-level Pilot feature

When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you become a pilot — the capable operator of a strider; a hulking apparatus which combines protection and transportation into one imposing feat of artifice. The strider is a Large construct. See the strider stat block for its game statistics which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) and Intelligence ability modifier (INT) in several places. See the Pilot's Guide to Striders for the mechanics regarding your strider. You determine the strider's appearance; your choice of aesthetics have no effect on its mechanics nor statistics. Additionally, you gain proficiency with vehicles (land, striders) and smith's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

At the end of a long rest, you can create a new strider if you have smith's tools with you, raw materials which are consumed worth a number of gold pieces as per Repairing a Destroyed Strider, and expend a 1st-level spell slot. If you already have a strider from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The strider perishes 24 hours after you die.

Augmented Frame

5th-level Pilot feature

Your strider can attack twice, instead of once whenever it takes the Attack action on your turn. Additionally, you obtain the experience to augment your strider; choose one frame and three augments to add onto your strider. Your strider can only have one frame at a time. The options available to you are detailed at the end of the subclass description. Whenever you reach a level in this class, you can choose one of the frames or augments you know and replace it with another frame or augment that you could take at that level.

Strider Adept

9th-level Pilot feature

You may further customize your strider, choose two new augments to add onto your strider. Additionally, your strider's weapon attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Furthermore, you and your strider are branded with a sigil of conjuration magic. As an action, you can expend two Adaptive Power dice to choose a space within 30 feet of you. Your strider vanishes from its current location, so long as it is on the same plane of existence as you, and reappears in the nearest unoccupied space of your chosen location, along with anything it was carrying.

Signature Strider

15th-level Pilot feature

You may further customize your strider, choose two new augments to add onto your strider. Additionally, you may choose one of three signature options available to you, detailed below.

Automation Module "Ghost in the Machine"

Your strider gains autonomous control of its functions as a result of this installation, gaining sentience in the process. Your strider's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores become 12 (+1) and it can now speak the languages you know. Additionally, it gains the following benefits:

• Your strider gains blindsight out to a range of 30 feet and no longer goes unconscious when you cease piloting it.
• Your strider can move and act on its own, although its primary objective will always be to protect you.
• You can command your strider on your turn using a bonus action. If you do not issue a command, it will try to protect you to the best of its ability.
• Any augments that allow your strider to cast spells can be used autonomously by it twice per short rest.
• When you are piloting your strider and miss with a weapon attack, your strider slightly adjusts the attack, adding a 1d4 bonus to the attack roll, potentially turning the miss into a hit.

Combat Certification "Legion of One"

You have completed the necessary training to thrive while without your strider. While you are not piloting your strider and are wearing light armor, you gain the following benefits:

• Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.
• You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
• Creatures have disadvantage on opportunity attacks made against you.
• Whenever you jump, you can use your bonus action to propel yourself a number of feet further, out to a maximum number of feet equal to 5 times your proficiency bonus.

Nomad Helm "Bigger on the Inside"

Your strider's helm is augmented to function as a mobile base for you and your companions through the installation of the nomad helm - a dome-shaped extradimensional space with a radius of 30 feet, sporting the necessary features for you and up to six others to cook, eat, and sleep.

As an action, a creature can use half their movement to enter or exit the nomad helm. Aside from the included sleeping quarters, kitchen, and dining table, additional furniture can be added to the nomad helm, provided that you install them yourself. You determine the aesthetic of its interior, such as its furniture, temperature, and humidity. Creatures residing inside the nomad helm cannot be detected from outside the strider through nonmagical means. If your strider is destroyed, any objects left inside the nomad will remain there until the strider is repaired, or will be carried over to a new strider should you choose to make one.

Augments & Frames

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The following augments and frames are available to you. If an augment or frame has prerequisites, you must meet them in order to take it. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class. Some augments require enemies to make a saving throw. These augments use your Spell Save DC for the saving throw.

"Dragon" Frame

Prerequisite: 9th-level

The Dragon is outfitted with thunderous thrusters which grants your strider resistance to thunder and lightning damage and a flying (hover) speed equal to its walking speed.

"Ghost" Frame

Prerequisite: 7th-level

The shimmering Ghost allows your strider to momentarily teleport short distances. As a bonus action, your strider vanishes from its current location and reappears in the nearest occupied space of your choice within 15 feet immediately after, along with anything it was carrying.

"Knight" Frame

Prerequisite: 7th-level

The offensive Knight drastically improves your strider's martial capabilities. As part of the augmentation process, your strider may now wield weapons. Over the course of a long rest, you can alter a nonmagical weapon, transforming it into its appropriately-sized variant for your strider. Through this process, it becomes a Strider Weapon.

Strider Weapons

Strider weapons' larger size allows them to hit harder than their regularly-proportioned counterparts. A strider weapon deals an additional damage die worth of damage. For example, a strider-fitted glaive would deal 2d10 slashing damage, and a strider-fitted maul would deal 3d6 bludgeoning damage. A strider weapon uses your spell attack modifier to hit and adds your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll.

"Kraken" Frame

The Kraken comes equipped with the means for subaquatic travel. As a result, your strider gains a swimming speed equal to its walking speed, and has sufficient air for creatures inside it to survive in oxygen-deprived environments for a number of days equal to your proficiency bonus. Additionally, as part of the augmentation process, your strider is outfitted with two claw-like appendages which allows your strider's Strike attack to grapple targets on a hit (escape DC equal to your spell save DC).

"Ogre" Frame

The groundborne Ogre improves on the base strider model by granting it increased speed and improved suspension. Your strider's movement speed increases by 5 feet, it ignores difficult terrain, and it cannot be knocked prone or moved along the ground against its will.

Abnegation Protocol

When an enemy creature within your strider's reach that you can see attacks an ally, you can use your reaction to force that enemy to make the attack, and any subsequent attack, against your strider instead until the end of the creature's turn.

Alternating Current / Direct Current "Thunderstruck"

Prerequisite: "Dragon" Frame

An electrical-discharge circuit is installed on your strider's chassis. While piloting your strider, you can cast the lightning bolt spell, even when you do not have it prepared, and without expending a spell slot or needing spellcasting components.

You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Blast Shield Module "Punch & Judy"

When your strider hits an enemy with a melee weapon attack, it gains temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier. The temporary hit points are doubled when this attack is made with the strider's Strike attack.

CQB Drop Module "Shock and Awe"

Prerequisite: "Ghost" Frame

When your strider reappears in a chosen location, enemies within 5 feet of it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 3d6 thunder damage. Enemies that fail the saving throw by 5 or more are knocked prone. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half damage.

Critical State Protocol "Out with a Bang"

Prerequisite: 9th-level

The amount of gold needed to repair and create a strider is reduced by half.

Additionally, as a reaction or when your strider is reduced to 0 hit points, you are ejected to an available space within 60 feet of the strider, rather than 15 feet. Afterwards, you can choose how many rounds, if any, it takes for your strider to self-detonate (maximum of 10 rounds). This detonation creates the delayed blast fireball spell, centered on your strider. Afterwards, your strider is destroyed until you create a new one at the end of a long rest.

Emergency Repair Module "Second Phase"

Your strider can use a bonus action to expend a number of Hit Dice up to your Intelligence modifier to restore hit points with.

Flame Propellant "Firebreather"

A flame-spitting apparatus is installed on your strider's chassis. While piloting your strider, you can cast the burning hands spell (2nd-level version) as part of the Attack action, even when you do not have it prepared, and without expending a spell slot or needing spellcasting components.

You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Galvanized Plating

Prerequisite: 9th-level

Your strider's hull is coated with an oxidation-proof layer, which grants your strider immunity to acid and necrotic damage.

Gyroscope Module "Tightrope"

Prerequisite: 7th-level artificer, Noise Suppressant "Bugbear" feature

Your strider gains proficiency in Dexterity saving throws, using your proficiency bonus. Additionally, when your strider is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction for your strider to take no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, as the effect does not compromise the integrity of your strider's hull.

Heat Sink "Stovetop"

Your strider gains resistance to fire damage. Additionally, when your strider takes fire damage, any creature that hits it with an attack within 5 feet of it before the end of your next turn takes fire damage equal to your Intelligence modifier plus your proficiency bonus.

Improved Alloys

Prerequisite: 7th-level

Your strider's hull is replaced by a more hardy variant. As a result, you may add your Intelligence modifier to the damage reduction of your strider's Steel Hull feature.

Improved Distributors

Prerequisite: "Ogre" Frame

Your strider can use the Dash and Disengage action simultaneously as a bonus action. You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Improved Haptic Sensors

Prerequisite: 9th-level

Your strider is outfitted with full-body haptic sensors, granting you greater feedback. While piloting your strider, you gain an extra reaction. That reaction can be used only to make an opportunity attack or any reaction related to your strider (Recalibrate, Abnegation Protocol, Critical State Protocol, Gyroscope Module, or Reactive Plating)

Noise Suppressant "Bugbear"

Your strider's Dexterity score increases by 7 and it no longer suffers disadvantage on all Dexterity ability checks.

Precision Ranged Targeting "Marksman"

A magical missile-launching apparatus is installed on your strider's chassis. While piloting your strider, you can cast the magic missile spell (2nd-level version) as part of the Attack action, even when you do not have it prepared, and without expending a spell slot or needing spellcasting components.

You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Precision Tooling "Legerdemain"

Your strider is equipped with a specialized multi-tool that can emerge to perform delicate tasks. While piloting your strider, you can cast the mage hand spell, even when you do not have it prepared, without needing spellcasting components. This version of the spell can also pick locks and disarm traps at range, using your Intelligence for any check required.

Reactive Plating "UN-0 Reverse"

The strider is outfitted with special armor which stores elemental magic. While piloting your strider, you can cast the absorb elements spell (2nd-level version), even when you do not have it prepared, and without expending a spell slot or needing spellcasting components.

You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Shock Harpoon "Manticore"

Your strider is equipped with a ballista which can fire at and subsequently reel in targets. As an action, make a ranged spell attack against a target within 60 feet of you. On a hit, the target takes 3d8 piercing damage plus lightning damage equal to your Intelligence modifier plus your proficiency bonus. When you hit a target, you can pull them 15 feet towards you as part of the same attack.

Sonar Module "Humpback"

Prerequisite: "Kraken" Frame

While piloting your strider, you gain blindsight out to a range of 30 feet, and cannot be surprised.

Weapon Protocol: Cleave

Prerequisite: "Knight" Frame

Once per turn, when your strider hits a target with a weapon that deals slashing damage, the target and each enemy within a 15-foot cone of your strider must make a Dexterity saving throw or take additional slashing damage equal to your Intelligence modifier plus your proficiency bonus and have their speed reduced by half until the start of your next turn.

Weapon Protocol: Skewer

Prerequisite: "Knight" Frame

Once per turn, when your strider hits a target with a weapon that deals piercing damage, the target and each enemy within a 10-foot line originating from target must make a Constitution saving throw or take additional slashing damage equal to your Intelligence modifier plus your proficiency bonus and until the start of your next turn, it has disadvantage on all attack rolls.

Weapon Protocol: Tremble

Prerequisite: "Knight" Frame

Once per turn, when your strider hits a target with a weapon that deals bludgeoning damage, the target and each enemy within 5 feet of it must make a Strength saving throw or take additional bludgeoning damage equal to your Intelligence modifier plus your proficiency bonus and be moved up to 10 feet to an unoccupied space, provided that it is no more than one size larger than you.