Artificer Specialist: Gunslinger

by Xyrlian

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  • Art: Character Art owned by Pazio
  • Background: Medieval Street by Sven Dännart

Gunslinger

Gunslinger artificers are masters of engineering, forgers of firearms powered by a combination of science and magic. Brave, clever, and frequently foolhardy, they are often found where the fighting is fiercest.

Tool Proficiency

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

Gunslinger Spells

Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Gunslinger Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Gunslinger Spells
Artificer Level Spells
3rd hail of thorns, thunderwave
5th branding smite, scorching ray
9th crusader's mantle, lightning arrow
13th death ward, fire shield
17th banishing smite, flame strike

Gunsmith

By 3rd level, you forge a deadly firearm using a combination of arcane magic and your knowledge of engineering and metallurgy. When you create your firearm, choose one of the following models: hand cannon, force rifle, or scatter gun.

Your firearm, regardless of model, grants you the following benefits:

  • When you attack with your firearm, you can add your Intelligence modifier, instead of Dexterity, to the attack and damage rolls.
  • You can use the firearm as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells.
  • Your firearm counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage, but it can bear one of your infusions, and the infusion transfers over if you change your firearm’s model.
  • If your firearm calls for a saving throw, you use your Spell Save DC.
  • Your firearm magically produces its own ammunition. The ammunition disappears after it hits or misses.

At the end of a long rest, you can create a new firearm if you have your smith’s tools with you. If you already have a firearm from this feature, the first one immediately breaks.

Firearm Model

Hand Cannon

Your firearm takes the form of a pistol. It counts as a simple ranged weapon, with a normal range of 90 feet and a long range of 300 feet, and it deals 1d6 piercing damage on a hit.

Quickshot. If you take the Attack action on your turn and have advantage on an attack roll with your firearm against one of the targets, you can forgo the advantage for that roll to make an additional weapon attack with your firearm as a bonus action.

Force Rifle

Your firearm takes the form of a rifle. It counts as a simple ranged weapon, with a normal range of 150 feet and a long range of 600 feet. It has the two-handed property, and it deals 1d8 piercing damage on a hit.

Forceshot. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with your firearm, you can deal an extra 1d8 force damage to that target.

Scatter Gun

You firearm takes the form of a shotgun. It counts as a simple ranged weapon, with a normal range of 30 feet and a long range of 120 feet. It has the two-handed property, and it deals 2d4 piercing damage on a hit.

Scattershot. As an action, you can force every creature in a 15 foot cone originating from your firearm to make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes the weapon's normal damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

Extra Attack

At 5th level, you can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Called Shot

At 9th level, when you make attack with your firearm you can choose to target a part of the target creature's body. The attack gains one of the following effects depending on the part of the body targeted. If a creature does not have one of the listed body locations, that part cannot be targeted:

  • Arms: On a hit, the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target drops one object it is holding of your choice. The item is pushed 10 feet directly away from you.
  • Head: On a hit, the target must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage on attacks until the end of its next turn.
  • Legs: On a hit, if the target is Huge or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
  • Torso: The attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
  • Wings: On a hit, the target must make a Strength saving throw if it is flying. On a failed save, the target is knocked prone.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down), but you can do so no more than once on a turn. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Firearm Mastery

By 15th level, your firearm gains additional benefits based on its model, as shown below.

Hand Cannon

Fan the Hammer. If you attack at least two different creatures with your firearm when you take the Attack action, you can make one additional attack with it against a third creature.

Force Rifle

Deadeye. As an action, you fire a shot from your firearm which shoots in a straight line up to 600 feet in a direction you choose, stopping early if it impacts against a solid surface. If the shot would strike a creature, that creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target gains no benefit from half or three-quarters cover for this saving throw.

On a failed save, the shot strikes the target and stops moving. When the shot strikes something, what it strikes takes force damage equal to 4d8 + your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

Scatter Gun

Blast Wave. As an action, you can force every creature in a 15 foot cone originating from your firearm to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 6d4 force damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you.


  • Art: Allister Caine by Andrea Uderzo