Artificer specialty: Machine Knight V1.5
A heavily armed warrior on a clockwork steed, there exists a breed of artificers who utilize their mechanical contraptions to augment their own combat prowess. Typically clad in heavy mechanized plate, the artificer wades through the battlefield, deflecting blows left and right and striking with arcane fury.
More worried about individual achievement than in creating enduring works of art, the lawful yet pragmatic attitude of such characters has earned them the moniker of “machine knight”.
Machine Knight Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Machine knight Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
When you cast the 'find steed' or 'find greater steed' spells with this feature, the type of the summoned creature is "construct" instead of the type listed in the spell, as you're constructing a mechanical ally.
| Artificer level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Compelled duel, Thunderous smite |
| 5th | Aid, Find steed |
| 9th | Blinding smite, Aura of vitality |
| 13th | Fire shield, Find greater steed |
| 17th | Circle of power, Banishing smite |
Machine knight's training
When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in several ways:
• You gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.
• You gain proficiency in your choice of smith’s tools or leatherworker’s tools. If you already have these proficiencies, then you gain proficiency in one set of artisan’s tools of your choice.
• 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.
• You learn two cantrips, choosing each one from the artificer or wizard spell lists and they count as artificer spells for you but do not count towards the number of cantrips you can know. These extra cantrips can only be cantrips capable of dealing damage or that belong to the abjuration school. Whenever you gain a level in this class you can replace one of these cantrips with another that fulfills the conditions written in this feature.
Machine Armor
Also, at 3rd level, you learn how to modify a set of armor to make it into a special suit of machine armor. At the end of a long rest you can touch one set of armor that you’re proficient with, you must have smith’s tools with you if it’s heavy or medium armor and leatherworker’s tools if it’s a suit of light armor in order to modify it this way.
If you already had a set of machine armor, then it reverts to its previous state. Your armor has a number of charges equal to your intelligence modifier and regains them all when you finish a long rest. You can use the charges to activate different effects:
reactive plating
as a reaction to taking fire, acid, cold, lightning or thunder damage you can expend a charge to cast "absorb elements" as a first level spell without spending a spell slot or providing components.
arcane shielding
as a reaction to getting hit by an attack you can expend a charge to increase your armor class by an amount equal to your intelligence modifier until the start of your next turn. This includes the triggering attack, potentially causing it to miss.
supercharger
Whenever you roll damage for weapon attack or a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action you can expend a charge to add 2d6 force damage to the roll.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level you can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn.
Machine Armor Adept
At 9th level you learn to implement certain improvements to your machine armor that make it better at offence and defence. You gain the following benefits while wearing it:
• Your machine armor now regains all charges whenever you finish a short or long rest.
• your supercharger now adds 2d8 force damage instead.
Machine Armor Master
Finally, at 15th level you perfect your machine armor down to the last details. You gain the following benefits while wearing your machine armor:
• your supercharger now adds 2d10 force damage instead.
• Whenever you roll initiative and have no charges in your armor remaining you regain 1 charge
special thanks to: overdrive2000 and LordMalyx for help in balancing this subclass