Artificer
Base Class: Artificer

A Mechamancer specializes on the creation of mechanical minions. 

Concept
- The idea for this class came from a player of mine who could not decide between playing a Necromancer and a Battlesmith Artificer.
- The current balancing of all the class features is subject to change and will be iterated on during the campaign in consultation with said player.
- There are more Bot Features going to be added in the future - for now it's only a basic subset to start with.
- Instead of emphasizing on combat capabilities, this subclass focuses primarily on providing means to invent creative solutions.
    - If the GM is not welcoming creative solutions, this subclass might not be useful in your campaign.

Feedback
The level 15 class feature Sentient Artifice was mostly received with worry of it being overpowered.
  - Balancing-wise, it's not that different from a new player joining your campaign, which D&D is capable of handling on any level.
  - For the players, it could make a difference though whether one player basically plays two characters (also roleplay-wise)
    - If that's a problem in your campaign, consider making the created Warforged an NPC under the GM's control

Tool Proficiency

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

Battle Ready

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

- You gain proficiency with martial weapons.
- When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.

Bot Creation

By 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you faithful companions, called bots. Each bot is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See the creature’s game statistics in the Basic Bot stat block. You determine the creature’s appearance and whether it has two legs or four and (if it has a flight speed) wings or propellers. Your choice has no effect on its game statistics. When creating a Basic Bot, you also choose one of your known Bot Features for it, which enhances its abilities permanently.

At the end of a long rest, you can create an amount of bots equal to 1 + a fourth of your Artificer level (rounded up) if you have your jeweler’s tools with you, starting with 2 bots on level 3. If you already have bots from this feature, the former ones immediately perish. A bot also gets automatically destroyed if it moves out of your Bot Control Range, which is specified on the bot's stat block.

Bot Features

Starting on 3rd level, you start to invent new features for your bots that enhance their abilities. You start with 2 bot features on level 3 and gain access to one additional feature with each level-up. These new features represent successful experiments of yours.

When creating a bot, choose one of your known bot features. The created bot will have that feature until it's destroyed.

B.O.M.B.

(5th level Artificer)

- Self-Destruction (Action): Each creature in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on this bot's location must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 6d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This bot is evaporated in the process, thus cannot be repaired.
- When this bot's health points drop to 0, Self-Destruction is automatically activated.

E.A.R.

- This bot can perceive audible signals within an audio range of 60 ft.
Perception +4
Passive Perception 14
- Report (Action): This bot telepathically communicates everything it's perceiving within the next 6 seconds to its owner.

E.Y.E.

- Darkvision 60 ft
- Perception +4
- Passive Perception 14
- Report (Action): This bot telepathically communicates everything it's perceiving within the next 6 seconds to its owner.

F.L.I.G.H.T.

- Flight Speed 40 ft
- Interaction (Action): The bot can manipulate an object within its melee range, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. It can't activate magic items or carry more than 10 pounds.

G.H.O.S.T.

(5th level Artificer)

- Invisibility (Action): This bot turns invisible for 6 seconds. 
- Stealth: This bot adds your proficiency modifier to all Stealth skill checks.

H.E.A.L.

(5th level Artificer)

- Attach (Action): This bot attaches itself to a creature within melee range.
- Detach (Action): This bot detaches itself from a creature it's attached to.
- Heal (Bonus Action): A creature this bot is currently attached to regains 1d4 hit points.

M.E.L.E.E.

- Melee Weapon Attack (Action):  +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage
- Attack of Opportunity (Reaction): +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage

R.A.N.G.E.D.

- Ranged Weapon Attack (Action):  +4 to hit, reach 30 ft (60 ft)., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage

R.E.S.I.S.T.

(5th level Artificer)

- This bot is resistant to two damage types of your choice.
- This bot is resistant to one condition of your choice.

S.H.I.E.L.D.

(5th level Artificer)

- Attract Danger (Reaction): If a creature within 10 ft of this bot gets attacked by a ranged or spell attack, this bot can use its reaction to become the target of the attack.
- Block (Reaction): If a creature within melee range of this bot gets attacked by a melee attack, this bot can swap places with the attacked creature, becoming the target of the attack.

S.P.E.L.L.

(9th level Artificer)

- You can use this bot as the point of origin when casting spells.

S.T.A.T.I.C.

(5th level Artificer)

- If this bot deals damage to a creature, that creature's movement speed gets reduced to 0 until your next turn.

Improved Bots

Upon reaching level 5, your strive to always improve your creations has led to the following improvements:

- You are now able to create Improved Bots, which can bear two different bot features, instead of just one.
- You can now use the Create Bot action during short rests. The amount of bots you can have active at the same time is still the same. 

Superior Bots

On level 9, you managed to bring the quality of your bots to the next level:

- You can now create Superior Bots, which can bear up to three Bot Features at once.
- Your bots can now be targeted by your Magical Tinkering and Infuse Item class features.

Perfect Bots

On level 15, your bots have reached perfection.

- You can now create Perfect Bots, which can bear up to four different Bot Features at once.
- Your bots don't need to stay within your Bot Control Range anymore.
- As long as you are on the same plane of existence, you always know exactly where your bots are.

Sentient Artifice

Upon reaching level 15, you are now able to use your magic to imbue non-living objects with an artificial consciousness. 

After finishing a long rest, you can invest materials worth 2000 GP to create a sentient, living Warforged companion. Create a new player character for your companion. You decide about its appearance and its character traits. The race has to be Warforged, but you decide about its class and class features (Multiclassing is not possible). Ability stats have to follow the standard array. The level of that Warforged character equals half your Artificer level, rounded up. 

As long as this Warforged is alive, the amount of bots you can control is reduced by 4. If you already have a Warforged companion when using this ability, the previous one will die immediately.

Previous Versions

Name Date Modified Views Adds Version Actions
9/2/2020 7:23:30 AM
9
1
1
Coming Soon
9/2/2020 12:47:22 PM
22
2
1.1
Coming Soon

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