The Virologist

Virologists are masters of organic chemistry and cellular manipulation. While other Artificers build steel titans, you build microscopic ones. You view the battlefield as a petri dish, and your enemies as the host.

Tool Proficiency

When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Alchemist’s Supplies and Poisoner’s Kits. If you already have these proficiencies, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice.

Virologist Spells

Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared. These count as Artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of spells you can prepare.

PDS

Pathogen Delivery System (PDS)

At 3rd level, you craft a specialized Delivery System (a modified blowgun, a wrist-mounted sprayer, or a chemical launcher). It counts as a simple ranged weapon with a range of 30/90 feet.

When you hit a creature with an attack from your PDS, or as an action to spray a 10-foot cone, you can apply one of your Active Strains:

• Hemophilic Strain: The target takes $1d4$ necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns for 1 minute as their blood fails to clot. It can repeat the Con save at the end of its turns.

• Myalgic Strain: The target's muscles seize. Its speed is halved and it cannot take Reactions until the end of its next turn.

• Ocular Strain: The target's eyes cloud with rapid bacterial growth. It is Blinded until the start of your next turn.

You can use these strains a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Bio-Inorganic Synthesis

At 5th level, you've learned to infect even the "uninfectable."

• Your strains and spells ignore resistance to Poison and Necrotic damage.

• Constructs and Undead are no longer immune to your "Disease" effects, as you've developed corrosive sub-strains that eat through metal and necrotic tissue alike.

Adaptive Antibodies

At 9th level, your experiments on yourself have yielded results.

• You gain resistance to Poison and Necrotic damage.

• As a reaction when you or a creature within 30 feet takes damage, you can deploy a Protective Flora. The target gains resistance to that damage instance and $2d6 + \text{Intelligence modifier}$ temporary hit points.

Apex Pathogen

At 15th level, you have perfected the "Perfect Virus." When you use your PDS, you can choose to trigger an Outbreak.

• The initial target takes an extra $4d10$ necrotic damage.

• The virus becomes highly contagious: any enemy that starts its turn within 10 feet of the infected target must succeed on a Constitution save or suffer the same strain effects.

• You can use this Outbreak once per long rest, or by expending a 4th-level spell slot or higher.