While every Artificer tinkers with merging arcane magic and mechanical devices, an Archanomechanist specializes in using their knowledge of the arcane and the mechanical arts to assemble a device that can augment their own physical capabilities. This device—known as an archanomecha, or mech—enables the Archanomechanist to readily engage in physical combat, with the archanomecha providing the strength for their blows and helping to shield them from harm.

Archanomechas vary greatly in appearance and form. Some are built like a hulking automaton, but with the addition of a cockpit canopy containing a control panel of buttons and levers. Others are archanomechanical suits of power armor, whose movements mimic those of the wearer and enhance them with archanomechanical force.

Tool Proficiency

When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, 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.

Archanomechanist Spells

Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Archanomechanist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Archanomechanist Spells

Artificer Level	Spell
3rd	burning hands, shield
5th	branding smite, scorching ray
9th	fireball, lightning bolt
13th	greater invisibility, vitriolic sphere
17th	cone of cold, immolation

Battle Hardened

When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with mechanically assisted combat have paid off and you gain proficiency with martial weapons. You also learn the mending cantrip, which doesn’t count against your number of cantrips known.

Archanomecha

By 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you an archanomecha, or "mech", which is a construct you can verbally command, or mount and control directly. You determine the archanomecha's appearance: it may have a fully enclosed chassis with a canopy atop with a seat and control panel, or it may be a hollow, close-fitting, archanomechanical suit of power armor; your choice has no effect on its game statistics. However it is formed, it contains a space (referred to as its cockpit) which is the same size as you, from which it can be controlled by a creature (referred to as its pilot). It is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See this creature’s game statistics in the archanomecha stat block.

Might of the Master

Your archanomecha has hit points equal to five times your level in this class + your Intelligence modifier + the mech’s Constitution modifier. Its skill and saving throw bonuses increase by 1 whenever your proficiency bonus increases. When you reach 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level in this class, you can increase one of your archanomecha's ability scores of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can’t increase your mech's ability scores above 20 using this feature.

Cockpit

The archanomecha has an interior space the same size as you, referred to as its cockpit. If the cockpit is unoccupied, any creature of this size or smaller which is within 5 feet of the mech can mount it and enter the cockpit by spending half their movement. While inside the cockpit, a creature has half cover from any threats external to the mech. Use the rules for mounted combat (see "Mounted Combat" in chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook) unless otherwise stated. When a hostile creature mounts the archanomecha, the mech can use its reaction to shake the creature off. The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

Pilotable

When you enter the cockpit of your archanomecha, you immediately take control of it (no action required). Any other humanoid creature mounted inside the cockpit of the archanomecha can spend their action to attempt to gain control of the mech. The creature must succeed on an Intelligence check with DC equal to 12 + your Intelligence modifier. On a success, the creature assumes control of the mech until the creature dismounts or is incapacitated. A creature controlling the mech from within its cockpit is referred to as its pilot. A pilot can not wield a shield or weapon while controlling the mech.

Archanomechanical Arms

The archanomecha has two arms. The primary arm can wield any simple or martial melee weapon which does not possess the two-handed property. The secondary arm can wield any melee weapon which possesses the light property. Its unarmed strikes deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + its Strength modifier. When a pilot commands the archanomecha to make an attack using a weapon with which the pilot is proficient, add the pilot's proficiency modifier to the attack roll, in addition to the mech's Strength modifier. Use the mech's Strength modifier for its weapon damage rolls.

Combat

With a pilot. The archanomecha shares initiative count with the pilot and takes its turn at the same time as the pilot. The archanomecha can take any action listed in its stat block in addition to those listed in the "Actions In Combat" section in chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook. While it is being piloted it can also take a bonus action, using one of the options indicated in its stat block. However, the archanomecha can take an action, bonus action, and reaction only at the cost of its pilot's action, bonus action, and reaction, respectively. If the mech wields or carries an item which requires attunement, it gains the specified magical benefits of the item only if the pilot has attuned to the item.

Without a pilot. The archanomecha shares initiative count with you and takes its turn at the same time as you. You can verbally command the archanomecha where to move (no action required). The only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to verbally command it to take the Repair action described in its stat block or the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action. While it lacks a pilot, the mech can take one action and reaction each round, but no bonus action. If the mech wields or carries an item which requires attunement, it gains the specified magical benefits of the item if you have attuned to the item.

The archanomecha can take at most one action, bonus action, and reaction per round of combat, even if its controller changes during a round of combat.

Mendable

If the mending spell is cast on the archanomecha, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The archanomecha returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.

At the end of a long rest, you can create a new archanomecha if you have your smith’s tools with you. If you already have an archanomecha from this feature, the first one immediately perishes.

Spellcasting Focus

While you are piloting your archanomecha, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells. When you cast spells in this way, spells which would originate from the caster originate from the mech instead. When you cast a spell which affects all creatures within an area except for the caster, such as thunderclap, they affect neither you nor the mech.

Once you reach 11th level, you may use your Spell-Storing Item feature to store a spell in your mech. When a spell is stored in the mech, its pilot can use their action to produce the effects of the spell. If the spell requires concentration, the pilot must concentrate on it.

Share Spells

When you use your archanomecha as a spellcasting focus and cast an artificer spell targeting yourself, you can choose to have the spell also affect your mech.

Archanomechanical Infusions

Some artificer infusions which affect items can also be used to infuse your archanomecha. If you know one of these infusions, listed below, you can use it to infuse your archanomecha. If you imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, the archanomecha counts towards the number of objects you can infuse. An archanomecha can bear no more than one magical infusion at a time.

• Enhanced Arcane Focus. When using the archanomecha as a spell focus, you gain a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls. In addition, you ignore half cover when making a spell attack through your archanomecha. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class.

• Enhanced Defense. The archanomecha gains a +1 bonus to its Armor Class. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class.

• Resistant Armor. The archanomecha has resistance to one of the following damage types, which you choose when you infuse it: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder.

Tip: Adding your archanomecha to your character sheet

To add your archanomecha to your character sheet in dndbeyond, do the following:

1. Add the archanomecha homebrew monster to your collection.
2. Navigate to your Archanomechanist character sheet. Refresh the page if it was open before you added the archanomecha to your collection.
3. Go to Extras > Manage Extras.
4. Choose category "Battle Smith Defender".
5. Untick the checkbox "Filter Using Battle Smith Defender Rules".
6. Type archanomech into the search box, and click Add next to the appropriate entry.

Adding your archanomecha in this way will ensure its maximum hit points and skill proficiencies scale up automatically as your character advances in level. Unfortunately, the Ability Score Increase for your archanomecha can't be implemented in dndbeyond, and you will have to keep track of those yourself.

Archanomechanical Inventor

You are always striving for ways to improve your archanomecha.

When you reach 5th level, you develop two designs which can be used to improve your mech, choosing from the Archanomechanical Designs section at the end of this subclass's description. You learn two additional designs of your choice when you reach 9th level, and two more once you reach 15th level.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the archanomechanical designs you learned with a new one.

Prodigious Inventor

When you reach 9th level, you learn two additional designs for your archanomecha.

Prolific Inventor

When you reach 15th level, you learn two additional designs for your archanomecha.

Archanomechanical Designs

The archanomechanical designs are presented below, in order of prerequisite level. If a design specifies a minimum artificer level, you can’t learn such a design until you are at least that level in this class.

When you learn a new archanomechanical design, you can incorporate it into your archanomecha the next time you complete a long rest, provided you have your smith's tools with you. You can integrate all the designs you know into the same archanomecha.

Each design you know is optional, and can be omitted from your archanomecha if you choose not to utilize it. For example, if you know the Giant Mech design, you can choose whether to build a giant archanomecha or a standard archanomecha.

Extra Mech Attack

When you spend your action to command your archanomecha to make a weapon attack, it can make two attacks instead of one.

Reinforced Plating

Your archanomecha gains a +1 bonus to its Armor Class. The bonus increases by one when you reach 9th level (+2), 13th level (+3), and 17th level (+4) in this class.

Secure Cockpit

Any creature mounted inside the cockpit of your archanomecha has advantage on saving throws against being dismounted, and three-quarters cover from external threats.

Spellcannon Attachment

Whenever you cast an artificer spell using your archanomecha as a spellcasting focus, you gain a bonus of 1d8 to one of the spell’s damage rolls.

Agile Mech

Prerequisite: 9th level
You can create an agile archanomecha.

• The speed of your archanomecha increases to 40 feet.
• Its Dexterity score increases by 4, and Strength decreases by 2.
• It can wield ranged weapons in one or both arms, and it can wield a two-handed weapon if it uses both its arms to do so.
• The DC of its Shake Off reaction increases by +2 (to 16).

If you also know the Giant Mech design, you can choose to create an agile giant archanomecha instead.

Enhanced Repair

Prerequisite: 9th level
When the mending spell is cast on your archanomecha, or it uses its Repair action on itself, it recovers additional hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). Also, your archanomecha can use its Repair action once more each day.

When you reach 15th level in this class, you gain one further use of the archanomecha's Repair action.

Giant Mech

Prerequisite: 9th level
You can create a giant archanomecha.

• The size of your archanomecha increases from Medium to Large.
• Its Strength and Constitution scores increase by 1, to a maximum of 21.
• It can wield any melee weapon in its primary arm, and any weapon without the two-handed property in its secondary arm.
• The damage of its unarmed strike increases to 1d8 + its Strength modifier.
• The cockpit of the giant archanomecha is elevated 10 feet off the ground. If a creature piloting the mech is dismounted, they fall 10 feet (1d6 bludgeoning damage). Melee combatants at ground level need at least a 10-foot reach to directly engage with a creature inside the cockpit.
• The DC of the archanomecha's Shake Off reaction increases by +2 (to 16), and its damage increases to 2d6.

If you also know the Agile Mech design, you can choose to create an agile giant archanomecha instead.

Self-Destruct

Prerequisite: 9th level
As a bonus action, you can verbally command the archanomecha to detonate if you are within 60 feet of it. Doing so destroys the mech and forces each creature within 20 feet of it to make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 3d8 force damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. Any creatures inside the cockpit of the mech automatically fail the saving throw.

Shocking Strike

Prerequisite: 9th level
When your archanomecha hits a target with a weapon attack or unarmed strike at your command, you can channel electrical energy through the attack. The target creature makes a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes an additional 2d8 lightning damage and is stunned until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't stunned. The target has disadvantage on the save if they are wearing armor made of metal.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 15th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.

Mega Mech

Prerequisite: 15th level, Giant Mech
You can create a mega archanomecha.

• The size of your archanomecha increases from Large to Huge.
• Its Strength and Constitution scores increase by 1, to a maximum of 22.
• It can wield any melee weapon in either of its arms.
• The damage of its unarmed strike increases to 2d4 + its Strength modifier.
• The cockpit of the mega archanomecha is elevated 20 feet off the ground. If a creature piloting the mech is dismounted, they fall 20 feet (2d6 bludgeoning damage). Melee combatants at ground level need at least a 20-foot reach to directly engage with a creature inside the cockpit.
• The archanomecha's Shake Off reaction affects all creatures attempting to mount it until the start of its next turn, and its damage increases to 3d6. The creature triggering the reaction has disadvantage on their save.

If you also know the Agile Mech design, you can choose to create an agile mega archanomecha instead.

Recurrent Memory Module

Prerequisite: 15th level
Your archanomecha's Intelligence score increases by 2.

If you have used your Spell-Storing Item feature to store a spell in your archanomecha, as a bonus action you can verbally command it to use its action to produce the effect of the stored spell whenever it does not have a pilot. If the spell requires concentration, the archanomecha must concentrate on it.

If a pilot of your archanomecha commands it to produce the stored spell and the spell requires concentration, they can choose whether to use their own concentration or the archanomecha's concentration.

Invulnerable Plating

Prerequisite: 17th level
Your archanomecha gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.