Artificer (Revised 1.3)

A gnome sits hunched over a workbench in room cluttered with every sort of tool, carefully drawing the final lines to an intricate rune. With a crackling hum of arcane energy, the completed rune flares with power, and she watches with a smile of pride as the golem comes to life and stands.

A troll growls in hunger as it looms over a dwarf, who slides a long, metal tube from a holster at his belt. With a thundering boom, a gout of energy erupts from the tube, and the troll's growls turn into shrieks of panic as it turns to flee.

With a thunderous crash of energy a figure lands in the middle of the battlefield. As the smoke clears, a towering presence stands amidst the war-torn battlefield clad in glowing mechanical platemail. The glowing visor swivels to inspect the wreckage. It raises a gauntlet, and lightning crackles forth.

Makers of magic-infused objects, artificers are defined by their inventive nature. Like wizards, they see magic as a complex system waiting to be decoded and controlled through a combination of thorough study and investigation.

Artificers, though, focus on creating marvellous new magical objects. Spells are often too ephemeral and temporary for their tastes. Instead, they seek to craft durable, useful items.

Creating an Artificer

When creating an artificer character, think about your character's background and drive for adventure. Does the character have a rival? What drove your character down the path of being an artificer? Is it about curiosity and invention, or about the power the item brings? Did you character learn from another artificer, or receive a vision or flash of inspiration to learn their craft?

Quick Build

You can make an artificer quickly by following these suggestions. Place your highest ability score in Intelligence, followed by Dexterity. If you plan to take the Cannonsmith or Gadgetsmith specialization, make Dexterity your highest ability score instead. Second, choose the Guild Artisan background.

Class Features

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per artificer level
• Hit Points at 1st: Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per artificer level after 1st

Artificer Specialization

At 1st level, you focus your craft on a particular specialization: Cannonsmith, Gadgetsmith, Runesmith, Warsmith, or Wandsmith each of which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 3rd, 5th, and 14th level.

Magic Item Analysis

Starting at 1st level, your understanding of magic items allows you to analyze and understand their secrets. You know the artificer spells detect magic and identify, and you can cast them as rituals.

Tool Expertise

Starting at 2nd level, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses any of the tool proficiencies you gain from this class.

Spellcasting

As part of your study of magic, you gain the ability to cast spells at 2nd level. The spells you learn are limited in scope, primarily concerned with modifying creatures and objects or creating items.

Specialization Upgrade

Your expert craftsmanship allows you to improve your Specialization's Wondrous Item with new attributes.

Starting at 3rd level, choose an upgrade from the list at the end of your specialization. The features and properties of your Specialization's Wondrous Item permanently improves in that way.

You apply an additional upgrade to your Specialization's Wondrous Item at 5th, 7th , 9th , 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th and 19th level. You cannot apply an upgrade more than once, unless the upgrade's description says otherwise. Upgrades cannot be replaced or changed, besides as described in the specialization.

In any case that Specialization allows the upgrade to be swapped out, Upgrades must always be selected as if the Artificer is the level they were when they got that Upgrade slot. For example, if you replace your Thundercannon and reselect all your upgrades at as a 5-th level Artificer, you could select one 3rd level upgrade and one 5th level upgrade, you would not be able to select two upgrades that both had a prerequisite of 5th level artificer.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Superior Attunement

At 6th level, your superior understanding of magic items allows you to master their use. You can now attune to up to four, rather than three, magic items at a time.

Wondrous Items Proficiency

At 7th level, your familiarity with the workings of magical items means that you can ignore class based restrictions on attuning to magical items.

Improved Magical Crafting

At 10th level, your experience in creating your own wondrous invention makes you more adept at crafting a magic item than a normal spellcaster. Creating a magic item takes you half the time it would normally take.

Additionally, you can make 1 hour of progress toward crafting a magic item, scroll, or potion during a long rest.

Wondrous Item Recharge

Starting at 10th level, you can recharge a magic item that has has charges, as long as those charges can only be used to cast spells. To restore charges, you perform a ritual that takes one minute and expends a spell slot of equal or higher level then a spell slot level of a spell cast by the item. The number of charges restored to the item is equal to the number of charges required to cast that spell using the item once.

Study of Magic

At 11th level, your proficieny in the workings of magic has become so great you can cast detect magic and identify at will. Additionally, you have advantage on all Intelligence (Arcana) checks to understand the workings of magical traps, effects, or runes.

Wondrous Items Mastery

Starting at 18th level, a magic item that would take an action to activate instead takes a bonus action.

Soul of Artifice

At 20th level, your understanding of magic items is unmatched, allowing you to mingle your soul with items linked to you. You can now attune to five, rather than four, magic items at a time. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws per magic item you are currently attuned to.

Artificer Specializations

Thundermonger

At 3rd level, you've developed the arcane engineering skill to upgrade your Thundercannon to deliver its shots with greater force.

Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 thunder damage to one creature you hit with an Attack using Thunder Cannon. After discharging this bonus damage, the you cannot deal this bonus damage again until the start of your next turn.

This extra damage increases by 1d6 when you reach certain levels in this class: 5th level (2d6), 7th level (3d6), 9th level (4d6), 11th level (5d6), 13th level (6d6), 15th level (7d6), 17th level (8d6), and 19th level (9d6).

Devastating Blasts

Beginning at 5th level, when you miss an attack with your Thunder Cannon, the target still takes half of the bonus damage from Thundermonger.

Elemental Swapping

Starting at the 14th level, when you take the attack action with your Thunder Cannon you can adjust the firing chamber, causing any bonus damage granted by Thundermonger to deal Fire, Cold, Acid, or Lightning damage instead of Thunder damage. Alternatively, you can consume a Vial of Holy Water to cause your next Thundermonger bonus damage to deal Radiant Damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence Modifier, regaining all uses on a long rest.

Cannonsmith Upgrades

Integrated Magazine

Your Thunder Cannon holds 2 rounds at a time, allowing you to attack twice before a bonus action reload is required.

Essential Tools

At 1st level, you've mastered the creation of the essential reusable tools of surviving the battlefield as a Gadgeeter. You have the following items:

• Grappling Hook. As an attack or as an action, you may target a surface, object or creature within 20 feet. If the target is Small or Smaller, you can make a Grapple check to pull it to you and Grapple it. Alternatively, if the target is Medium or larger, you can choose to be pulled to it, this does not grapple it.
• Smoke Bomb. As an action, you can use this to instantly cast Fog Cloud on yourself.
• Shock Generator. As an action, you can use this to cast Shocking Grasp.

Additional Upgrade

At 3rd level, you've mastered the essential tools begun to tinker with ways to expand your arsenal. The number of upgrades you have for your class level is increased by one.

The number of additional upgrades you get increases to two more than the class table at 5th level.

Recycle Gadgets

Starting at the 3rd level, during a long rest and taking effect when you complete it, you can disassemble your gadgets and create different ones. When you do this, remove any upgrade you would like, and pick a new upgrade its place. You still must select upgrades that are valid for the level you gained the upgrade at (e.g. at 7th level, you can only have one upgrade that has a prerequisite of 7th level).

Additionally, if a gadget is destroyed, you can use this feature to recreate it for materials with 20 gold pieces.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Combat Gadgets

Beginning at the 14th level, when you take the attack action, you can replace an attack with using any gadget that requries an action to use.

Additionally, any weapon gadgets you have created gain a +2 to their attack and damage rolls.

Gadgetsmith Upgrades

Fire Spitter. You create a gadget that creates a quick blast of fire. As an action, you can cast Aganazzar's Scorcher with this gadget, but the gadget cannot be used again until you complete a short or long rest.

Runecraft

At 1st level, you gain the ability to Runecraft items. At the end of a Long Rest, you can place up to two runes on nonmagical items. The number of items increases to 3 runes at 5th level Artificer, 4 runes at 9th, 5 runes at 13th, and 6 runes at 17th.

These runed items grant the following benefits only to you. A weapon or piece of armor can have multiple Runes active on it, a piece of jewelry can only have a single Rune active on it at a given time.

• Rune of Ability. A piece of jewellery or armor with this Rune grants grants a +1 to an Ability Score of your choice, as well as the maximum for that score while it is active.
• Rune of Flametongue. A melee weapon inscribed with this Rune deals 1d6 bonus fire damage. This spell's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level Artificer (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
• Rune of Protection. A piece of jewellery or armor with this Rune grants +1 to armor class. At 5th level Artificer it grants +1 to all Saving Throws as well.
• Rune of Regeneration. A piece of jewellery or armor with this Rune allows you to recover health equal to your Artificer level when you take a short rest.
• Rune of Recovery. A piece of jewellery with this Rune allows you to recover Spell Slots equal to or less than quarter your Artificer level (rounded up) during a short rest. For example, you can recover a 1st level spell slot if you're 1st level artificer, and two 1st level spells slots or a 2nd level at level if you're a 5th-level artificer.
• Rune of Enhancement. A weapon inscribed with this Rune gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. The bonus increases to +2 at 9th level, and increases to +3 at 17th level.
• Rune of Vorpal Force. A weapon inscribed with this Rune deals all damage dealt with it as Force damage.

• Rune of Warding. A piece of armor inscribed with this Rune generates a shield of temporary hitpoints equal to you Artificer level. These temporary hitpoints are refreshed when you take a short or long rest.

These effects fade at the end of your next long rest. You can be effected by only a single instance of any given rune.

Warforged Golem

At 3rd level, you have attained the forging skill, arcane knowledge, and mastery of rune magic to create a Warforged Golem. This golem is controlled by a magic Runed Pendant:

The Warforged Golem obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative, though it doesn't take an action unless you command it to. On your turn, you can verbally command the construct where to move (no action required by you) and take the Help or Attack action. It has Proficiency in Simple Weapons.

Your Warforged Golem's Proficiency increases when yours does. Additionally, it gains 5 hit points for every level in Artificer you gain. If the golem is killed, it can be returned to life via normal means, such as with the revivify spell.

In addition, over the course of a long rest, you can repair a slain servant if you have access to its body. It returns to life with 1 hit point at the end of the rest. If the servant is beyond recovery, you can reproduce the construct exactly as it was, with four days of work (eight hours each day) and 1,000 gp of raw materials.

Warforged Golem

Medium Construct, unaligned

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• Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 10 + (5 per Artificer Level)
• Speed 25ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	4 (-3)	5 (-3)	1 (-5)

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• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities exhaustion, charmed, poisoned
• Senses passive perception 7
• Languages Understands creator’s languages, but cannot speak

Actions

Attack Protocol. Slam: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 1d4 + 2

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Iron Fortress. Prerequisite: Stabilization You increase the size and durability of your golem’s frame. Your Warforged Golem now counts as full cover for those adjacent to it and it cannot be moved against its will while in contact with a floor.

Standing About In Fancy Magic Armor

How closely you model your suit to what a more typical set of plate armor might look like can vary, but in all but the settings here flashy magical items are most common place, a mech suit will tend to stand out.

Consider how this might effect interactions with the inhabitants of the world - some may be in awe, some may form devious schemes, and some may see a threat.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Reactive Plating

Beginning at 14th level, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while wearing your Mechplate. In addition, you can use your reaction when hit by an attack to reduce the damage of that attack by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.

Mechplate Upgrades

Expanded. Prerequisite: Fully upgraded Powered Limbs. Incompatible with Collapsible.

You enlarge your Mechplate, turning it into a piloted suit. Your size category when wearing the armor increases by one, and you have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

Recall. Prerequisite: 15th level.

When not being worn you can hide your Mechplate in a pocket dimension. As an action on your turn you can magically summon the armor and don it. You can use a bonus action to return the armor to the pocket dimension.

While in the pocket dimension the armor cannot be affected by other abilities and cannot be interacted with in any way.

Spellmanaul

At 3rd level, you have a Spellmanaul containing three 1st-level wizard evocation Spells of your choice. Your Spellbook is the repository of any non-Artificer spell you know.

You cannot prepare these spells and these spells do not count against your spells known, but when you level up, you can choose to take one the spells from your Spellmanaul as a spell known replacing a choice from the Artificer spell list, at which point you can cast it as normal. You can choose to scribe any Artificer spell you can cast into the Spellmanaul.

The Wands you craft from your Specialization Upgrade select spells from this Spellmanual.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

Each time you gain a artificer level, you can add one wizard Spells of your choice to your Spellmanaul for free. Each of these Spells must be of a level for which you have Spell Slots, as shown on the Artificer table.

On your adventures, you might find other Spells that you can add to your Spellmanaul. For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gold pieces.

Wands Akimbo

Starting at 5th level, when you use your action to cast a spell using a Wand, if you are holding your Blasting Rod in your other hand, you can cast the Blasting Rod's cantrip with it as bonus action, picking either the same target or a different target.

Additionally, you can draw or stow two wands when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.

Masterwork Wands

Starting at 14th level, If you use a wand you made to cast a concentration spell, as long as you continue to hold the wand you have advantage on checks to maintain concentration on that spell.

Additionally, when you create a wand that causes spell damage of fire, cold, acid, thunder, or lightning damage, you can choose a different damage type for the spell when cast by that Wand.

Wandsmith Upgrades

Articer Spell List

Change Log