Demolitionist

Where other artificers craft delicate enchantments or enduring constructs, demolitionists engineer controlled destruction: volatile compounds, arcane charges, and precisely calibrated detonations designed to reshape the battlefield. To a demolitionist, an explosion is not chaos—it is a tool, as exacting as any blade or spell.

Whether employed as military engineers, daring saboteurs, or independent tacticians, demolitionists excel at turning terrain into a weapon. A well-placed charge can halt an advancing force, collapse a fortified position, or create a moment of perfect opportunity. Their genius lies not in the size of the blast, but in when and where it occurs.

Level 3: Explosive Ordinance + Imbued Charges

 Explosive Ordinance (Core Resource)

After a long rest, you create a number of Explosive Charges equal to:

Proficiency Bonus + Intelligence modifier

You regain all expended charges when you finish a long rest. Type of Ordinance must be chosen at the time of creation.

You can deploy a charge as:

• Thrown (action or bonus action at 5th level)
• Planted Trap (action or bonus action at 9th level)

Thrown Charge (Action)

• Range: 60 ft
• Dex save

Effect (choose on throw):

 

• Concussive: 3d6 thunder + push 10 ft

• Incendiary: 3d6 fire in 10 ft circle last 1 minute

• Flash: Blinded until end of next turn (Con save negates)

 

Planted Charge (Trap Mode)

You place a charge in a space within 5 ft.

• Lasts: 1 minute
• Invisible to creatures unless they pass Investigation vs your spell DC

Trigger (your choice):

Creature enters the space

Bonus action remote detonation

Arcane Imbuement Charges

You can convert some of your Explosive Ordinance into Imbued Charges.

During a short or long rest, choose a number of charges equal to:

Intelligence Modifier

These become Imbued Charges, each storing a spell you know or an artificer spell on your list that:

 

• Has a casting time of 1 action or less

• Targets one creature or an area

• Is of a level you or a party member can cast (or lower)

 

How it works:

When you create the imbued charge:

• You “cast” the spell into the device without expending the spell slot
• The spell is held inside the charge

When triggered (thrown or trap):

• The stored spell is released from the charge as part of the same trigger
• The spell originates from the charge’s location

Level 5: Specialty Path + Tactical Scaling

At 5th level, you choose a Demolition Specialty. This defines your playstyle.

You also gain:

• Explosive damage increases to 4d6
• You can throw a charge as a bonus action (once per turn)

Launcher Integration

Using a wand, rod, firearm, or crossbow:

• Range increases to 120 ft
• Charges gain +1d6 damage if enemy is 30 ft away

Demolition Specialties (Pick One)

Siege Expert

You turn explosives into raw destructive force.

Features:

• Your explosive damage ignores resistance to fire and thunder damage
• Structures take double damage from your charges
• When you hit 3+ creatures in one explosion, add +2d6 damage

Identity: battlefield breaker, anti-fortification specialist

Saboteur

You focus on stealth, traps, and delayed chaos.

Features:

• Creatures have disadvantage on Investigation checks to detect your traps
• You can set a trap as a bonus action
• When a trap triggers, you may move 10 ft without provoking opportunity attacks

Identity: ambush architect, guerrilla controller

Battlefield Controller

You prioritize control over damage.

Features:

• Creatures that fail saves against your charges have their speed reduced by 10 ft until end of next turn
• You can choose to reduce damage by 2d6 to instead impose disadvantage on targets next d20 roll
• Your traps last 10 minutes instead of 1

Identity: zoning, tempo control, tactical denial

Level 9: Trap Mastery

You gain:

• You can maintain a number of active planted traps equal to your Intelligence modifier
• Placing a charge becomes a bonus action
• Regain Intelligence modifier charges on a short rest
• Ordinance damage is increased by 1d6

Tactical Minefield

Now it gets interesting.

New Payloads:

Cryo Charge

• Cold damage
• Speed reduced to 0 until end of next turn(Dex Save)

Adhesive Charge

• Restrained until end of next turn(Str save)

Disruption Charge

• Deals force damage
• Target has disadvantage on next attack roll

 

Overload Charge (1/Long Rest)

A massive controlled detonation:

• Large radius (20 ft)
• 12d6 damage (Dex save half)
• Choose damage type: fire, thunder, or force

Additional effect (choose one):

• Knock prone
• Create difficult terrain zone

Level 15: Battlefield Architect

Chain Detonation

When a charge detonates, you can use your reaction to trigger another charge’s placed within 30 ft of a triggered charge. Total extra triggered charges cannot exceed your proficiency bonus.

-Ordinance base damage is increased by 1d6. Total is now 6d6