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Artificer
Covered in soot and dried oil, a wiley gnome torques his wrench a half turn more. With a twist and a grin the heap of metal begins to whir to life, spitting hot fire and boiling steam, rolling straight towards the locked keep door at an ironclad pace. With a booming impact the dragon faced fire breathing machination explodes, rattling the heavy wooden door open.
Bent over a drafting table a slender tiefling with worn, scared, and burnt arms scribbles wieldy. Later in the heat of the moment her plans come together, as she attaches a spring activated contraption to an allies armor. An axe impacts her friend not a moment later, as the contraption coats the swinging bugbear in ice, freezing him in his tracks.
With a few whispered words and focused magical effort, a well-dressed dragonborn wrapped in an academic's cloak imbues a small music box with magic, and slides it across the floor. The shadowy forms of the demons around the corner immediately surround it, intrigued by the tiny ticker. In a moment, it opens with a soft click, ang begins to play a sweet melody. The illusion of dancing succubi float around the singing music box, the demons enchanted by the tune.
Artificers are creators and inventors that find their joy in thinking up new contraptions. They are resourceful, smart and quick. Using scrap metal they can find anywhere, they fashion parts to be used in their mechanisms. Their machines are explosive, protective, confusing and utilitarian, among other things.
Bringers of a New Age
Artificers range widely in personality and techniques, but each has a knack for creativity and the ability to muster a solution when the time calls for it. They lead the way in technology, responsibly or not, furthering progress and their own goals. Each artificer paves their own path, utilizing their own prefered styles and tools to further what is possible. If there is any one thing an artificer wants it is to leave a mark on creation, to weld, wind, or wire an idea so brilliantly it opens the way for new inventions.
Tinkering takes hours of study and work, but it also takes a steady hand. Blueprints must be prepared, parts made, mechanisms dreamed. Some know magic, others make weapons, while others still concoct elixirs, but each is searching for the greatest creation they are capable of.
The Artificer
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Blueprints |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Engineering, Craft Guild | +2 |
| 2nd | +2 | Nimble Coordination | +1 |
| 3rd | +2 | Handy | +1 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | +1 |
| 5th | +3 | Invention | +1 |
| 6th | +3 | Craft Guild feature | +1 |
| 7th | +3 | Expertise | +1 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Handy | |
| 9th | +4 | — | +1 |
| 10th | +4 | Craft Guild feature | |
| 11th | +4 | Magic Item Adept | +1 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Handy | |
| 13th | +5 | — | +1 |
| 14th | +5 | Magic Item Savant | |
| 15th | +5 | — | +1 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Handy | |
| 17th | +6 | Craft Guild feature | +1 |
| 18th | +6 | — | +1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Handy | |
| 20th | +6 | Endless Possibility | +1 |
No Completion Date in Sight
One must be a studious worker to create great trinkets. Whether by willpower or wild nature, torch lit sketches fill your sleepless nights. Ideas appear in your head and must be explored. Any artificer knows that call, the quick dash to find the nearest paper and quill, to capture the moving mind.
Creating a Artificer
When creating an artificer, consider how your character came about their extraordinary talents and their access to so many resources. Why did you seek out invention? Do you have a natural talent or did you study for most of your life? Who taught you, or did you teach yourself?
What caused you to bring your inventions fourth to the public? What informed your style of creation? Some artificers were taught one way, others thought up their own path.
Quick Build
You can make a artificer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity, or Strength if you plan to adopt the Smith Craft Guild. Second, choose the Guild Artisan background. Third, choose the button, mover, shiner, slasher, shooter and windup blueprints.
Class Features
As a Artificer, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- 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
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: Tinker's tools and one set of artisan's tool or other tools.
- Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
- Skills: Choose three from Sleight of Hand, Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Perception, and Performance
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a Handaxe or (b) a Light Hammer and Alchemist's fire
- (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a pistol and 20 bullets
- (a) a Dungeoneer's Pack or (b) a Scholar's Pack
- Leather armor, a set of artisans tools or other tools, a scrap sack, and a Blueprint Manual
Engineering
As a trained crafter of mechanisms, you have a scrap sack containing your blueprints of mechanisms and scrap metal, a hint of your future plans. See chapter M for rules on Mechanisms.
Blueprint Manual
At 1st level, you have a Scrap Sack which holds your blueprint manual containing your mechanism blueprints. Your blueprint manual is a tough leather book with a clasp that holds the instruction on making mechanism you have thought up.
Your Blueprint Manual
The blueprints you add to your manual as you gain levels show your mastery and experimentation, as well as your research and other's ideas you sift through in your spare time. During your travels, you may find other blueprints. You could discover a blueprint sketched on forgotten parchment, or another's worn manual in a hidden workshop.
Copying a Blueprint into the Manual. When you find an blueprint you can add it to your manual if it has a scrap cost you could pay and if you have the time to copy down the exact measurements and notation.
Copying that blueprint into your manual requires transferring the functions of the mechanism, then measuring and remeasuring the marks of the artificer who made it. You must flip through layers and sketches until you understand the way in which it works and how to apply it.
Transcribing the blueprint takes 1 hour and costs 5 gp for each scrap the mechanism costs. The cost represents the inks and graphites needed to record the blueprint. Once you have spent the time and money, you can make the mechanism just like your other mechanisms.
Replacing the Manual. You can copy a blueprint from your own manual into another manual, for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your blueprint manual. This is just like transferring a new blueprint into your manual, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation. You need spend only 30 minutes and 1 gp for each scrap the mechanism costs.
If you lose your manual, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the blueprints that you have into a new manual. Filling out the remainder of your blueprint manual requires you to find new blueprints to do so, as normal.
The Manual's Appearance. Your blueprint manual is a unique collection of parts, with its own style and directory notes. It may be a plain, functional leather binder, a bound studded book you repurposed, or just a loose collection of scribbled reams tied together.
Scrap Sack
Your scrap sack is a simple bag. It has a compartment to hold 3 different sets of tools and room to hold scrap and components. You can buy other bags to replace it if you wish.
Scrap
As an artificer, you carry scrap wherever you go. You can use scrap to construct mechanism prototypes in seconds rather than building perfected mechanisms in hours and days.
You have a scavenge score, which represents how much useful scrap you are able to find and make every day.
Scavenge Score
To build a mechanism prototype you must expend scrap equal to the prototype's scrap cost.
Although scrap is a physical object, you cannot have more of it than your scavenge score. This is because useful scrap is hard to come by and takes time to prepare.
During long rests, you repair your mechanisms and reassemble your scrap. You regain all the scrap that were in your prototypes that were destroyed. Additionally, you can take apart any of your prototypes to regain all of its scrap. You do not regain the scrap that is in your prototypes that are not destroyed or taken apart.
At the end of a long rest, all of your prototypes that are not taken apart regain all hit points and charges. A prototype that is not with your when you take a long rest falls apart, due to not receiving repairs.
Designing Mechanisms
The Blueprints column of the Artificer table shows at what levels you design new mechanism blueprints. To design a mechanism, select parts with a combined base scrap cost equal to or less than your artificer level, and list them in a specific order.
When you gain an artificer level, you can redesign one of the blueprints you already know, removing and adding parts to it until it has a base scrap cost equal to or less than your artificer level.
On your adventures, you might find other blueprints that you can add to your blueprint manual(see the "Your Blueprint Manual" sidebar). Don't forget that you can use your blueprints to create both prototype mechanisms and normal mechanisms.
Making a prototype
Prototype mechanisms are just like normal mechanisms, except they cost scrap instead of gold, can be made and taken apart very quickly, but have a chance to go awry.
To build a prototype you must have two hands free, Tinker's Tools, and a mechanism blueprint. Building a prototype has all the same rules as building a mechanism except it only takes a minute of work for each scrap the prototype costs and it costs your scrap instead of gold (See Chapter M). You can build prototypes during rests.
You can also build a prototype as an action, with some added risks. You make an Intelligence (Tinker's tools) check to build the prototype. The DC to make a prototype is 10 + the Scrap cost. If you fail the Intelligence (Tinker's tools) check, the prototype malfunctions (See chapter M).
Craft Guild
At 1st level, you chose a Craft Guild that you specialize in: Arcane Craft, Makeshift Craft, Enchantment Craft, Smith Craft or Steam Craft, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your Craft Guild grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 11th and 17th level.
Nimble Coordination
Beginning at 2nd level your quick fingers matches your expert mind. As an artificer you can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Search or Use An Object action.
Handy
When you reach 3rd level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you create one set of artisan's tools, and you gain proficiency in them.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 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.
Invention
Starting at 5th level, you can build a prototype which you do not have a blueprint for. You must spend scrap as normal to build it. It can have a final scrap cost up to or less than half your artificer level, rounded down. The prototype is destroyed when finish a long rest. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Expertise
At 7th level, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool.
Magic Item Adept
At 11th level, you can craft magic items using scrap. During a long rest, you may create non-consumable magic items, spending scrap to do so. At the end of the rest, you complete their construction. As long as these items persist, you cannot regain the scrap you spent to create them. You may take any number of these magic items apart during a long rest to regain the scrap you spent to craft them. A magic item you crafted this way falls apart if it is not with you when you finish a long rest.
Magic Item
| Rarity | Scrap Cost |
|---|---|
| Common | 2 |
| Uncommon | 4 |
| Rare | 8 |
Magic Item Savant
Starting at 14th level, when crafting a common, uncommon, or rare magic item, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Endless Possibility
At 20th level, you can use your Invention feature to build mechanisms, not just prototypes. Additionally, mechanisms and prototypes built this way can cost any amount of scrap. Finally, you can use the Invention feature any number of times each long rest.
Craft Guilds
Becoming an artificer requires dedication and a special kind of rascality. Artificers can pick each other out of a crowd with ease, the frizzled hair, the worn hands belonging to an academic, the clanging bags of metal are all telltale signs. One of the greatest joys of an artificer is to teach another their brilliant ideas. In this way, artificers formed artisan guilds, teaching anyone with a knack for knick-knacks.
Arcane Craft
The Magical Guild of Arcane Mechanics spends considerable resources researching how magic can improve contraptions. Gifted youngsters and obsessed artists heavily combine arcane with metal. Contraptionists of this guild are perfectionists, adorning their creations in sheen gold and smooth, curving silver. Most traveling gnome merchants or performers who create mechanisms are part of this Guild.
Spellcasting
When you reach 1st level, you gain the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the wizard spell list.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips: Mending and one other cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn another wizard cantrip of your choice at 6th and 13th level.
Spell Slots. The Arcane Craft Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Arcane Craft Spellcasting
–Spell Slots per Spell Level–
| Artificer Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 2nd | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 3rd | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 4th | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 5th | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 6th | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 7th | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 8th | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 9th | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 10th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 11th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 12th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| 13th | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||||
| 14th | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||||
| 15th | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||||
| 16th | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | ||||||||||||||
| 17th | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | ||||||||||||||
| 18th | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | ||||||||||||||
| 19th | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 20th | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know two 1st level wizard spells of your choice, one of which must be from the conjuration or transmutation wizard spell list. The Spells Know column of the Arcane Craft Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each spell you learn must be chosen from conjuration or transmutation wizard spell list, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be a conjuration or transmutation spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, or 20th level.
Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Spellstone Infusion
At 6th level, you gain the ability to infuse mechanisms with magic. WHile touching a mechanism you can expend a spell slot. Choose a spell you know of a level equal to or less than the level of the spell slot you spent. The spell stays stored in the mechanism until it’s been used. As long a the spell is stored, you cannot regain the spell slot you used to store the spell.
To release a stored spell you can spend an action and choose a mechanism you can see. The mechanism produces the effect of the spell that was stored inside it. The mechanism casts the spell, using your spellcasting ability modifier. If the spell requires concentration, you maintain the concentration.
Awaken
Starting 10th level, you can create a sentient mechanism. When you succed at making a mechanism, you may expend a spell slot. If you do, the mechanism gains its own will. A sentient mechinism has a base Inteligience of 5 and a base Wisdom of 10, loses immunitie to psychic damage, as well as the blinded, charmed, deafened and frightened condition. It gains a passive perception of 10, and can understand the languages you speak. The sentient mechanism acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands.
When your sentient mechanism takes the whir action, it resolves parts effect that are triggered due to the whir action in any order, and may skip any of them. You may activate or deactivate your sentient mechanisms from any range if you are on the same plane of existance.
Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until your sentient mechanism is destroyed.
Improved Infusion
At 17th level, your Spellstone Infusion is improved. When you use your action to release a spell stored in a mechanism, or you finish a long rest, you may spend a spell slot and infuse the mechanism with new a spell you know of a level equal to or less than the spell slot you spent. In addition, you no longer have to be able to see a mechanism to release a spell from it or to maintain concentration on the spell, as long as your are on the same plane of existence.
Experiment Craft
Artificers of the Experimental Guild delve into experimental druidic philosophy, or what we would call science.
Perfectionist
Starting at 1st level, when building an mechanism prototype, you can spend an additional Scrap to gain advantage on your Intelligence (tinker's tools) check to build that mechanism. You cannot use the Quick-Craft feature while also using this feature.
Weaver of the Web
Begining at 6th level, you can be attuned to 4 magical items at a time. The number of magical items you can attune to increases to 5 when you reach 10th level in this class and to 6 when you reach 17th level in this class.
Organized
Starting at 6th level.
Bend the Weave
Weaver of the Web
Begining at 10th level, you can be attuned to 5 magical items at a time. The number of magical items you can attune to increases to 6 when you reach 17th level in this class.
Genius
Starting at 10th level, you have +1 to all Intelligence checks and saving throws for each magic item you are attuned to.
Theoretical Mastery
Starting at 17th level, you can be attuned to 6 magical items at a time. Additionally, you ignore all class, race, spell, and level requirements on attuning to or using a magic item.
Makeshift Craft
FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!!
Bombs, ballistics, mines, missiles, grease and grenades. Throw them all into the canon. Light the fuse and watch that baby rip. Makeshift Crafters are thrill seekers, joy riders and a bit insane. With little regard or self-preservation they charge into battle, smearing black powered on their faces and lighting matches as they go. They won't not build anything, even if it doesn't work. Military Goblin, Orcs and Humans are the most common of these chaotic crafters and Carpenters often take fondly to this zealous craft.
Pyromaniac
At 1st level, you gain resistance to fire damage.
Creative Frenzy
Starting at 1st level, whenever one of your prototypes or mechanisms is reduced to 0 hit points, on your next turn, you can craft a prototype as a bonus action rather than an action.
I'm Sure it's Fine
Beginning at 6th level, whenever you roll on the Prototype Malfunction table, you can roll twice and use either number, or both.
Fixer Upper
Beggining at 10th level, you can reconstruct one nonmagical object—no larger than a 5-foot cube—into another nonmagical object of similar size and mass and of equal or lesser value. You must spend 10 minutes handling the object to transform it. Once you finish you take 3d4 slashing damage.
Packing Heat
Beginning at 17th level, whenever one of your prototypes deals damage, you may lose a number of hit points equal to or less than you level. For every hit point you lose, increase the damage the mechanism dealt by 1.
Weapon Craft
Some do it for fun. Others do it for survival, for family, for kingdom, for glory. A smith's greatest tool is an incredibly strong hand, refined by an incredibly tempered mind. Smiths are hard workers, truly invested in fine, earthly metal work. Dwarves are the most notorious of the Smiths, but there are those born of the forge all over the world. A smith strives to provide for those in their charge, or simply to get by. Makers of weapons, fire, and armor, they are the pillar and bedrock of warfare and society.
Fury of the Forge
At 1st level, due to years crafting weapons and armor, you are strong and durable as any other skirmisher. You gain proficiency in Medium armor, Heavy armor, and Shields.
Forged in Fire
Starting at 1st level, you may change what determines the number of scrap you have to the following:
Scavenge Score
You may only switch it to this if you have Smith's tools and are proficient with them.
Toughened Hide
Starting at 1st level, double the maximum hit points of all mechanisms you build.
War Crafter
Starting at 6th level, when you use an action to build, activate or deactivate a mechanism, you may make one weapon attack.
Weapon Master
Starting at 6th level, you have a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls with weapons you crafted or built, and a +1 AC bonus while wearing armor you crafted or built. This bonus increases to a +2 when you reach 11th level in this class and a +3 when you reach 17th level in this class.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 10th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 17th level in this class.
Weapon Master
Starting at 10th level, you have a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls with weapons you crafted or built, and a +2 AC bonus while wearing armor you crafted or built. This bonus increases to a +3 when you reach 17th level in this class.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 17 level, you can attack three times, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Weapon Master
Starting at 17th level, you have a +3 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls with weapons you crafted or built, and a +3 AC bonus while wearing armor you crafted or built.
Steam Craft
There are always those who push the limits of what's possible. Artificers of the Steam Crafter's guild hold that above all. Progress. Mad scientists and industrial steampunks find a place for efficient new sources of power and ease. Steam Crafters delve into restricted and dangerous inventions, searching for more potent contraptions to create.
Lightning Reflexes
Starting at 2nd level, you can use the bonus action granted by your Nimble Coordination to take the dash action, the dodge action, or using tinker's tools to make a prototype.
Static Energy
Beggining at 6th level, your mechanisms are immune to lightning and thunder damage. Additionally, you can channel the energy of your creations into enemies. Whenever a creature makes a melee attack against one of your mechanisms, you may spend your reaction to give that attack disadvantage. If they hit, the mechanism deals 1d8 lightning damage to the attacker. The damage increases to 2d8 damage at 11th level, and 3d8 at 17th level.
Steam Power
At 10th level, double the movement speed of all mechanisms you build.
Overload
Beginning at 17th level, once per short or long rest you can spend your action to have your mechanisms take the Whir action immediatly. They take the whir action again as normal on their turn.