As an artificer, you are adept with items. As an Animist, you are in tune with the nature and spirit of those items. 

An animist sees more than just the object, they see the potential and the soul of both the creator and the creation within. Fusing the two together to be something special.

Channeling

Level 3 Animist feature 

As a spiritualist, you have learned to channel Essence, remnants of spiritual energy that lingers in places. 

Your access to this is represented by a total amount of essence. Your level determines the amount of essence you have. Your essence regathers after a long rest.

You may use essence to fuel your spiritual abilities. The use of essence unlocks the Channel Dice, a d6 at level 3, that empowers you and represents the strength of your connection. This die changes as you gain levels, a d8 at level 9 and a d10 at level 15.

Free of Charge

3rd-level Animist feature

If you are attuned to an item that has charges, you may spend an essence to use the item's effect without expending one of those charges. If the item allows for the use of multiple charges, this only applies to the first charge spent.
For example, if you have a wand of magic missiles, you may only use this feature to activate the effect as though you had used one charge. Casting at a higher level requires full use of charges.

You may do this a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier per long rest. 

 

Spirit of Animation

5th-level Animist feature

You know how to bring to life the inanimate. When you finish a long rest, you can spend an essence to animate a melee weapon, shield or armor. You may only have one item animated at a time, and the animation lasts for 8 hours. You cannot animate a sentient item.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Spirit of Animation: Armor

You may spend an essence to animate your armor. While your armor is animated, whenever you make a Dexterity or Strength based ability check you may spend an essence to add roll a channel die and add the total to the roll.

Spirit of Animation: Shield

You may spend an essence to animate a shield. While animated, it hovers within 5 feet of you.

Whenever you are hit by an attack, you may use your reaction to spend an essence to roll your channel die and add the total to your AC, potentially turning it into a miss.

 

 

Spirit of Animation: Weapon

You may spend an essence to animate a melee weapon. While animated, it hovers within 10 feet of you. You may attack twice with it when you take the attack action on your turn.

Once per turn when you make an attack with the animated weapon, you may spend an essence and add a channel die to either the attack or damage roll. You may only do this before learning the outcome of the roll.

Object Anima

9th-level Animist feature

You learn to read the past of an object. You may spend an essence and focus on an object for 10 minutes. After focusing you may learn the events that surrounded an object in the past 24 hours. You learn who was the last to hold or wield the object, what events occurred within 10 feet of the object, and brief insight into the nature or use of an object - though in great detail.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. 

Fortunate Bond

15th-level Animist feature

You have spent enough time unearthing the spirit within items, that it becomes second nature for you. As an action, you may target a melee weapon another creature is wielding, and choose either embolden or indifference. 

The wielder makes a Charisma save against your spell save DC. On a failure, the weapon awakens to one of the choices, whose effects are outlined below. The effects last for 1d4 rounds.

Embolden. The weapon becomes more keen in the wielder's hands. The wielder attacks with advantage, and adds half your Intelligence modifier rounded up to the attack roll.

Indifference. The weapon seems to wilt to the wielder's touch. Attacks are made with disadvantage, and on a hit damage is reduced by 1 channel die.