College of Clockwork

These bards are driven by curiosity and an urge to create, to improve and to innovate. They are avid collectors of miscellaneous bits and pieces that might seem like useless junk to others but that just might be of use in the next little invention. Some shards of broken crystal might yet make the light of a candle dance across the room like sunrays in a glade helping an audience feel just like being there. Clockwork Bards delight in deploying their inventions in ways that entertain, or enhance their performances and all the better when those inventions can help make daily life a little easier or even help in some small way in the heat of battle.

Bonus proficiencies & tools

Engineering (int)
Invention (wis)
Fabrication (dex)

Tinkerer tools

Gadgeteer

At level 3 Clockwork Bards gain the benefit of the Tinker gnome ability as listed under rock gnomes (see players handbook) if they aren’t already a rock gnome. Each invention takes one day to create and costs 100gp or equivalent.

Each gadget creation is tiny in size and is quite fragile with only 1d4 hp per level (of the bard that created it). Clockwork creations, “gadgets” can function until damaged up to 50% of their total hp.  They only require once daily maintenance that can be achieved during a short rest to retain normal function unless damaged, in which case a long rest is required to make repairs.

Each of these gadgets features a non-magical function (music box, produce tiny flame or sparks, make a sound, etc) and can also be imbued with the magic of one cantrip that is known to the bard. Each invention is custom made for the specific cantrip and cannot be imbued with any other cantrip. The cantrip can only be used once before needing to recharge (requires a short rest). The bard can have up to 3 small gadget inventions at level 3 with an additional one at levels 6, 9, 12 and 15.

Clockworker

At level 6 the bard can create a small size clockwork servitor. This requires access to a workshop and one week of the bard’s time as well as 1000gp (or equivalent) in materials.  Much in the style of a familiar the clockwork servitor aids the bard in their work. Assisting with bardic performances, inventions, doing some lifting, carrying and holding as well as being able to cast some cantrips that it has been charged with in advance. The servitor can only follow very simple directions such as “hold this, put that there, bring me such and such tool, open that door” etc. though the Bard is loath to put their creation in the path of significant danger as it represents an investment of time and is an example of craftsmanship that they are quite proud of. If a servitor is completely destroyed its creator will become distressed and their ability to perform may be impaired (DM to adjudicate).

The servitor has 1d6 hp per level of the bard that created it. The servitor needs a long rest every 24hour period in order to function normally. If it is not allowed to rest it will be reduced to movement actions only. The servitor is a non-combatant, though if its creator becomes unconscious or incapacitated the servitor will seek to remove him/her from immediate danger to the nearest place of safety (the previous room, out of arrow range etc, basically not very far). The servitor may also use gadgets and cantrips in the same way as smaller gadget inventions but can include one gadget and cantrip per level of spell that the Bard can cast (e.g. 3 gadgets and 3 cantrips at level 6). The Bard may only have one clockwork servitor at any time.

Technologist

At level 14 the bard can create a medium size clockwork companion that is semi-autonomous. The companion takes one month to create and costs 10,000gp or equivalent. The companion can follow more complex instructions and uses its limited intelligence to be as helpful as possible to its creator. The companion has 1d8 hit points per level of its creator. Similar to a servitor, If a clockwork companion is completely destroyed its creator will become distressed and their ability to perform may be impaired (DM to adjudicate). Aside from its spell casting ability the companion is non-combatant but can help with performances and other mundane tasks.

The companion has the capability to hold and cast spells that the bard can cast (it has a number of gadget slots and the same amount of spell slots equal to the spell level of its creator) (ie, if its creator can cast seventh level spells the construct could cast 1 seventh level spell or 3 second levels and a first level and so on). The clockwork companion can be in whatever form that the Bard decides at the time of its creation but will retain that form forever more. Clockwork servitors and companions can move over standard terrain at a speed that matches that of the bard. Unlike a servitor, a companion can be designed to use standard movement and/or one other form of movement. If the companion has been designed to use a mode of movement that is not standard; flight, swimming, climbing, tunnelling, etc, the additional movement mode replaces one spell slot that it could otherwise hold and cast. (Note: a non-swimming clockwork companion can still go in water, it will just move along the bottom and may be at risk of rusting – will need a long rest worth of maintenance to dry out before normal functioning can resume)

The clockwork companion is an upgrade/replacement for the clockwork servitor, the bard may only have one servitor OR companion at any given time (but not one of each until level 20 and beyond).