Trap Maker

A Trap Maker specializes in using objects and magical effects to produce various hazards on a battlefield. Trap Makers tend to to like to play with their enemies and watch as their stealthily laid traps dismantle the enemy bit by bit.

Tool Proficiency

When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with cartographer's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Trap Maker Spells

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

3rd Level: Alarm, Ensnaring Strike

5th Level: Find Traps, Maximilian's Earthen Grasp

9th Level: Erupting Earth, Slow

13th Level: Banishment, Hallucinatory Terrain

17th Level: Conjure Voley, Wall of Force

 

Hidden Hazard

When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways:

• You gain proficiency with the Stealth skill.
• Medium armor does not impose disadvantage on you for your Dexterity (Stealth) checks

Improbable Machinations

At 3rd level you have learned how to make a magical map which includes topography and the ability to track both ally and enemy movements on it. This map shows you a 100 foot by 100 foot, centered on you, display of the active battlefield for you to observe a fight with. Using this map you can deploy your devious traps.

Using cartographer's tools or thieves' tools, you can take an action to magically create a number up to your Intelligence modifier of improbable machinations within a 60 foot cube centered on yourself. A tiny improbable machination can be held in one hand.

Once you create a set of improbable machinations, you can not do so again until you finish a long rest or until you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. You can have only one set of machinations at a time and can’t create more while your other machinations are present. All of the machinations disappear after 1 hour. You can dismiss them early as an action. Once a machination is used it disappears unless otherwise stated in the machination's description.

When you create the machinations, you can determine which machinations you create. Choose which machinations from the options on the Improbable Machinations table. On each of your turns, you can take a bonus action to manually activate one of your machinations if you are within 60 feet of it. As part of the same bonus action, you can direct the machination to adjust its positioning up to 10 feet.

Attract Metal

When a creature, of your choosing, is within a 20 foot sphere of this machination you can use your reaction to activate the Attract Metal Trap. Any creature holding anything metal must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or the metal object they are holding is ripped from their hands and is magnetically pulled towards the machination. On a successful save attacks with metal weapons have disadvantage within the sphere.

Any creature wearing metal must also make a saving throw, heavy armor makes the saving throw with disadvantage, against your spell save DC or be pulled towards and attached to the machination. On a successful save the creature is reduced to half speed within the sphere. At the start of a creature's turn who is attached to the machination they must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 4d6 lightning damage and half as much on a successful save. As an action a creature can attempt to pull either themselves or their equipment away from the machination making an Athletics check against your spell save DC. On a success they or their equipment are freed and on a failure they waste their action attempting to free themselves or their equipment. The machination has an AC of 16 and hit points equal to three times your Artificer level.

At 10th level the electrical pulse discharged is at a higher voltage. The machination now does an added 4d6 lightning damage.

Chain Ballista

When a creature, of your choosing, passes your Chain Ballista within 40 ft you can use your reaction launch a barbed spear attached to a chain at that creature. Make a ranged spell attack at the creature, on a hit the creature takes 4d8 piercing damage and is grappled. At the start of each of the creature's turns it must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or take 2d8 piercing damage and be dragged 10 feet per round towards the machination. The Chain Ballista is magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. The machination has an AC of 16 and hit points equal to three times your Artificer level. It is immune to poison and psychic damage and all conditions. Once the Chain Ballista has fired once it cannot be fired again.

At 10th level you have learned how to better hinder your opponent's movements using your Chain Ballista. Now, before the Strength saving throw at the start of each of the creature's turns it must first make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed Constitution save the creature takes 2d8 lightning damage as an electric charge shoots through the metal chain. The creature is also stunned until the start of its next turn. On a successful save the creature takes half damage.

Clutching Force

When a creature, of your choosing, touches a spot you have marked with your Clutching Force machination the creature must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC as a magical force pulls down on it from the machination. On a failure, the creature take 10d10 force damage and is paralyzed until the start of their next turn. On a successful save the creature takes half damage and its movement speed is reduced by half until the end of its next turn. If the creature failed first save, until it successfully saves from the effect of the machination its speed is halved and takes 2d10 force damage at the start of each turn. At the end of each turn the creature may make a saving throw to end the effects of this machination. This machination counts as 2 of the possible machinations you can create.

Explosives

When a creature, of your choosing, touches a spot you have marked with an Explosive you can use your reaction to detonate it with a pillar of fire. All creatures with a 15 foot cube of the detonation must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 4d10 of fire damage or half as much on a successful save.

At 10th level your Explosives gain potency after mixing in different compounds in with the accelerants. After the initial saving throw the creature must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or take 4d10 force damage and be knocked away and prone in a random direction 15 feet from the blast. On a successful save the creature takes half damage and resists being knocked back.

Flash Bomb

When a creature, of your choosing, touches a spot you have marked with a Flash Bomb trap you can use your reaction to detonate it with a blinding light. All creatures within 10 feet of the the detonation must make Constitution saving throws against your spell save DC or be blinded. At the end of each of their turns, a creature can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success the blinded condition ends.

At 10th level you have found magical phosphorescent compounds that cause the Flash Bomb to burn brighter and more intensely. Any creature that failed the initial saving throw now takes 4d10 radiant damage or half as much on a successful save.

Hallucinatory Lure

When a creature, of your choosing, is within 15 feet of the Hallucinatory Lure as a reaction you can choose to activate this machination causing a distracting image accompanied by appropriate sounds to distract and possibly goad a creature into moving towards the illusion. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, on a failure the creature moves in the direction of the illusion which can provoke opportunity attacks. The creature returns to its senses after it takes its full movement following the illusion and wastes its action and bonus action interacting with the illusion. On a successful save, the attacks against the creature have advantage until the end of your next turn as it is distracted by the illusion. This machination remains usable an amount of times equal to your your spellcasting modifier before it breaks. If a creature saves from this effect it can not be affected by a Hallucinatory Lure for the next 24 hours. If a creature failed a previous save they have advantage on saving from the effect of the machination.

Necrotic Haze

When a creature, of your choosing, touches a spot you have marked with your Necrotic Haze trap you can use your reaction to engage the trap and have continuous puffs of deadly fumes pour out of the machination. Every creature in a 15 foot sphere of the machination at the start of their turn must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 8d10 necrotic damage and spend their action retching and reeling. Creatures that don't need to breathe or are immune to necrotic damage automatically succeed on this saving throw. On a successful save the creature takes half damage and can take their action normally. The machination has an AC of 16 and hit points equal to three times your Artificer level. This machination counts as 2 of the possible machinations you can create.

Net Trap

When a creature, of your choosing, moves within 15 feet of your Net Trap you may use your reaction to launch a 10 foot by 10 foot chain net at them. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or be restrained until they make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC to get out of the net. The net has an AC of 16 and hit points equal to 3 times your Artificer level. Once the net is launched from the machination it can no longer shoot any more nets.

At 10th level you learn how to arc electricity through the metal chains. When a creature is ensnared by the Net Trap at the start of each of their turns they must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 4d8 Lightning damage or half as much on a successful save.

Phantasmal Phobia

When a creature, of your choosing, comes within 10 feet of a spot you have marked with your Phantasmal Phobia machination you can use your reaction to engage the trap causing it to project an image and or sound of some horror that you have programmed into the machine. Every creature in a 20 ft cone of the machination must make a Intelligence saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure any affected creatures is <condition>frightened</condition> of you, they must use their full movement and take the Dash action this turn in the exact opposite direction of the Phantasmal Phobia machination. This movement does provoke attacks of opportunity. On a successful save a creature is <condition>frightened</condition> of you but may use its movement and action regularly. At the end of each turn a creature may make a Intelligence saving throw and on a success the frightened condition ends. Once this machination is used it cannot be used again.

Piercing Whistler

When a creature, of your choosing, is within 10 feet of your Piercing Whistler you can activate it as a reaction. The machination starts to emit a high-pitched oscillating tone that is distracting and painful. If a creature starts its turn within 10 feet of the Piercing Whistler the creature must make a Constitution saving throw or take 6d6 thunder damage and lose concentration. On a success, a creature takes half damage and is able to maintain concentration. The Piercing Whistler is a small construct and has an AC of 16 and hit points equal to three times your artificer level it is immune to poison and psychic damage it is also immune to being poisoned, paralyzed, or stunned. This machination counts as 2 of the possible machinations you can create.

Pit Trap

When a creature, of your choosing, touches a spot you have marked with a pit trap machination you can use your reaction to excavate up to a 20 foot deep hole. A creature must succeed a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet fallen and are knocked prone. On a save the target is only knocked prone landing 5 feet adjacent in the direction it was originally moving. The pit trap remains on the battlefield as a hazard.

At 10th level your pit trap becomes more dangerous. As part of the same reaction as the first if any creature fell into your pit trap you can choose to have the hole cave in on them. Creatures in the pit must make a Strength saving throw or take 6d6 bludgeoning damage, or half as much damage on a successful save, and they begin to suffocate. Creatures may attempt to crawl out of the pit but can only move one foot for every five feet of movement.

Poison Caltrops

When a creature of your choosing, moves within 10 feet of your Poison Caltrop trap you may use your reaction to cause the trap to release shooting poison drenched caltrops up at the creature and into the air. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or take 2d4 piercing damage and 2d4 poison damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. The caltrops then fall in a 15 foot cube centered on the creature. Any creature that starts its turn in or enters the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or take 1 piercing damage and 1 poison damage. Until the creature regains at least 1 hit point, its walking speed is reduced by 10 feet. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn't need to make the saving throw. The caltrops remain on the battlefield as a hazard.

At 10th level the caltrops you use are silvered and strengthened. The caltrops now overcome magical resistance and deal 2d4 more piercing damage. Poison you use is now much more refined and deadlier. The poison damage is increased and deals 2d4 more poison damage as and if a creature fails either of the saving throws listed above then an added effect on a failed save is the creature becomes afflicted with the <condition>poisoned</condition> condition.

Shifting Panel

When a creature, of your choosing, touches a spot you have marked with your Shifting Panel machination the creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or be transported to a harmless demiplane for up to one minute. While in the demiplane it is incapacitated and at the end of the creature's turn it may repeat the saving throw. On a success the creature reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.

Every turn a creature is trapped within the demiplane the machination counts down until the minute expires. If a creature escapes the demiplane before the minute runs out the same or another creature can be trapped for the remainder of the time. The Shifting Panel has an AC of 16 and hit points equal to three times your artificer level it is immune to poison and psychic damage it is also immune to being poisoned, paralyzed, or stunned. This machination counts as 2 of the possible machinations you can create.

Shocking Barricade

When a creature, of your choosing, is within 5 feet of a spot you have marked with a Shocking Barricade as a reaction you can trigger the machination. A small machine pops out of the ground and projects a 15 foot sphere of arcing electricity centered on the machination trapping any creature within the sphere. If a creature attempts to move through the Shocking Barricade they must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or else they take 8d8 lightning damage, are unable to escape the Shocking Barricade, and are stunned until the end of their next turn. On a successful save they take half damage,may leave the Shocking Barricade, and are not stunned. If a creature is too large to contain within the barricade then they automatically make the saving throw. The Shocking Barricade is a magical object with an AC of 15 and hit points equal to four times your Artificer level. The Shocking Barricade is immune to poison damage, psychic damage, and all conditions. This machination counts as 2 of the possible machinations you can create.

Startling Ambush

At 5th level, you know how to surprise your enemies and take advantage of their confusion. You can use theives' tools to make your machinations and spells more deadly by adding extra stopping power to their effects.

When a creature is forced to make a saving throw against any of your improbable machinations or spells that do damage, as long as you are hidden from them, add your Intelligence Modifier to the damage of the machination or spell.

Designed Chaos

Starting at 9th level, your control over the unexpected on the battlefield grows:

• When you use a machination that causes a saving throw, you can adjust the snare so that it only traps the intended target. You can pick an amount of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) per short rest to save from all effect of a machination.
• Even if your plan does not go as you intended you have contingencies set up in case. If a creature made a saving throw, whether they passed or failed, against one of your machinations in a round, they make the next saving throw in that round against any of your machinations or spells at disadvantage.

Improved Improbable Machinations

Starting at 15th level your Improbable Machinations are now more devious and advantageous than ever:

• Any machination that has an Armor Class gains a +3 bonus to it.
• You can interact with two of your machinations with the same bonus action.
• All of your machinations have 10 feet added to their triggering ranges.