Artificer, 7th Variant (5e Class)
Artificer
Crouching on a stone outcropping, a halfling braces a sleek metal pole against her shoulder, looking down the barrel toward the center of the orc encampment. As soon as the chief's headdress peaked out from the tents, a loud boom echoes from her hiding spot as the back of the orc chieftain's head explodes.
Running into the alleyway, an elf throws a sack of sticky goo over his shoulder, letting it explode and cover the entrance to his escape route. The pair of guards chasing him stop just short of the black goop, as the elf climbs to the rooftops with the help of his metallic bear.
Ironing out a set of robes with her runearm, a gnome sits at the corner of a corridor, slowly imbuing her companions clothes with a protective enchantment. Despite the inconvenience of sitting in the damp darkness barely clothed, he'll thank her later when her magic saves his head.
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 marvelous new magical objects. Spells are often too ephemeral and temporary for their tastes. Instead, they seek to craft durable, useful items.
Cunning Inventors
Every artificer is defined by a specific craft. Artificers see mastering the basic methods of a craft as the first step to true progress, the invention of new methods and approaches. Some artificers are engineers, students of invention and warfare who craft deadly firearms that they can augment with magic. Other artificers are alchemists. Using their knowledge of magic and various exotic ingredients, they create potions and draughts to aid them on their adventures. Alchemy and engineering are the two most common areas of study for artificers, but others do exist. All artificers are united by their curiosity and inventive nature. To an artificer, magic is an evolving art with a leading edge of discovery and mastery that pushes further ahead with each passing year. Artificers value novelty and discovery. This penchant pushes them to seek a life of adventure. A hidden ruin might hold a forgotten magic item or a beautifully crafted mirror perfect for magical enhancement. Artificers win respect and renown among their kind by uncovering new lore or inventing new methods of creation.
Intense Rivalries
The artificers’ drive to invent and expand their knowledge creates an intense drive to uncover new magic discoveries. An artificer who hears news of a newly discovered magic item must act fast to get it before any rivals do. Good-aligned artificers recover items on adventures or offer gold or wondrous items to those who possess items they are keen to own. Evil ones have no problem committing crimes to claim what they want. Almost every artificer has at least one rival, someone whom they seek to outdo at every turn. By the same token, artificers with similar philosophies and theories band together into loose guilds. They share their discoveries and work together to verify their theories and keep ahead of their rivals.
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 is the character’s relationship with the artisan or artificer who taught the basics of the craft? Talk to your DM about the role played by artificers in the campaign, and what sort of organizations and NPCs you might have ties to.
- Quick Build
You can make an Artificer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom or Dexterity. Second, choose the guild artisan background. Third, choose the prestidigitagion and shocking grasp cantrips as spell toys, along with the 1st-level spells alarm, burning hands, and cure wounds as spell tools.
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 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Artificer level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light and medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, Hand crossbow, Heavy crossbow
Tools: thieves’ tools
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose three from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Performance, Religion, and Sleight of Hand
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a handaxe and a light hammer or (b) any two simple weapons
- a light crossbow and 20 bolts
- (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
- thieves’ tools, a dungeoneer’s pack, and one set of tools you are proficent with.
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Spell Toys | Spell Slots | Spell Slot Level | Total Wounderous Inventions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | +2 | Artificer Specialization, Magic Item Analysis, Invention magic | 2 | 1 | 1st | - |
2nd | +2 | Tool Expertise, Wonderous Inventions | 2 | 2 | 1st | 2 |
3rd | +2 | Arcanic Construction | 2 | 2 | 2nd | 2 |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 2 | 2nd | 2 |
5th | +3 | Superior Attunement | 3 | 2 | 3rd | 3 |
6th | +3 | Artificer Specialization feature | 3 | 2 | 3rd | 3 |
7th | +3 | - | 3 | 2 | 4th | 4 |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 2 | 4th | 4 |
9th | +4 | - | 3 | 2 | 5th | 5 |
10th | +4 | Artificer Specialization feature | 4 | 2 | 5th | 5 |
11th | +4 | Mystic Tool(6th level), Superior Attunement | 4 | 3 | 5th | 5 |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 5th | 6 |
13th | +5 | Mystic Tool(7th level) | 4 | 3 | 5th | 6 |
14th | +5 | Artificer Specialization feature | 4 | 3 | 5th | 6 |
15th | +5 | Mystic Tool(8th level) | 4 | 3 | 5th | 7 |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 5th | 7 |
17th | +6 | Mystic Tool(9th level) | 4 | 4 | 5th | 7 |
18th | +6 | - | 4 | 4 | 5th | 8 |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 5th | 8 |
20th | +6 | Soul of Artifice | 4 | 4 | 5th | 8 |
Artificer Specialization
At 1st level, you chose an Artificer Specialization. Choose between the Alchemist, the Gunsmith, the Life Mechanic, and the Eldritch Crafter, which are all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Magic Item Analysis
Starting at 1st level, your understanding of magic items allows you to analyze and understand their secrets. You can cast the artificer spells detect magic and identify as rituals without a spell tool. You don’t need to provide a material component when casting identify with this class feature. Additionally, artificers ignore all restrictions on magic item attunement for any non-artifact magic item. At 11th level, you can create magic items quicker than most. If you are working on creating a magic item, spell scroll, spell tool or potion, you can half the time it takes to create the item.
Invention Magic
Your practice with magic and tinkering with small objects allows you to cast spells through specialized tools. These tools can resemble any form you choose. They will replace all spell components that lack a gp cost.
- Spell Toys
You build special little toys that you can use to cast a cantrip from the Artificer spell list. You start with two at 1st level, and you build additional toys of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Spell Toys column of the Artificer table. Each toy allows you to cast an artificer cantrip, chosen when the toy is created. These toys are bonded to you and will reappear on your person after at least 1 minute if you drop any of them or give any of them to another creature if you so choose. This ability will function even if you or the spell toy is inside an area that prevents teleportation, such as an anti-magic field or an area affected by the spell Mordenkianen's Private Sanctum. A spell toy weighs at least 2 ounces and can be made of any mundane material. Your spell toys can look however you want, but you must be able to give a reasonable explanation as to how it allows you to cast the spell. For example, for the cantrip shocking grasp, you could create a small metal disk attached to a leather cord that wraps around your hand, and for the cantrip mending you could create a sewing needle that can move through any material to mend it. Work with your DM for ideas on your spell toys. These objects are not magical, rather they function as a focus through which you channel your own magic. Spell toys are immune to damage. These objects magically stay in the condition you require for their use.
- Spell Slots
The Artificer table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are of the same level. To cast one of your artificer spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest. For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.
- Spell Tools
Artificers use special devices called spell tools to channel their magic and cast spells. These devices replace all verbal, somatic, and material components. If a spell requires a component that has a gp cost or is consumed by the spell, you must provide that component when you cast the spell. A spell tool weighs at least 2 ounces per spell level and can be made of any mundane material. Your spell tools can look however you want, but you must be able to give a reasonable explanation as to how it allows you to cast the spell. For example, for the spell cure wounds, you could create a glove imbued with healing magic, and for the spell dragon's breath, you could create a vial with a strange liquid in it that casts the spell when sipped from. Work with your DM for ideas on your spell tools. Your tools are magical, as they function as a focus through which you channel your magic. Each has 10 hit points and an AC of 10. It only becomes unfunctional when it reaches 0 hit points. You can repair all your unbroken tools to full hit points over a short or long rest. These objects magically stay in the condition you require for their use.
- Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
At 1st level, you gain three spell tools of 1st level spells from the Artificer spell list. Each time you gain an artificer level, you can add one spell tool for an artificer spell of your choice to your collection of spell tools. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what is shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level, as shown on the Artificer table.
- Preparing Spells
Before you can cast a spell, you must attune to it's associated spell tool. You attune to a set of artificer spell tools that you have on your person by infusing a bit of your magical power with them. To do so, choose a number of artificer spells from your collection of spell tools equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your artificer level(minimum 1) (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level equal to or lower than the level of your artificer spell slots. Once you have attuned to a spell tool, it is bonded to you, and every part of it will reappear on your person after at least 1 minute if you drop it or give it to another creature if you so choose. This only functions for any spell tool you have attuned to. You can change which spell tools you are attuned to when you finish a long rest. Attuning to new spell tools doesn't take all that long: at least 1 minute for every 2 spell tools. These attunements do not count toward your magic item attunements.
- Crafting Spell Tools
During some downtime, you can craft new spell tools, if you have access to enough materials. By spending one day and 500gp per spell level, you can choose another spell from the artificer spell list to add to your collection of spell tools. The new spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what is shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level, as shown on the Artificer table. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell tool to master its use, as well as the more refined materials you need to craft the final design. Once you have spent this time and money, you can attune to the spell tool just like your other spell tools. This cannot be done with spell toys.
- Replacing Lost Spell Tools, Creating Backups, and Finding Spell Tools
If you lose a spell tool, or if one of your spell tools is destroyed, you can replicate it over a long rest by spending 50gp per spell level. This cost represents the refined materials needed to complete the spell tool. If you have a spell tool, and you want to create an identical one to it as a backup incase you lose it, you can spend 1 hour and 10gp per spell level to create a backup. If you have two spell tools for the same spell on your person when you attune to your spell tools, you must choose which one is attuned. You cannot attune to two spell tools of the same spell. If you find a spell tool on your adventures, you can tinker with it to master its use over a long rest. Afterward, you can attune to it as you would your other spell tools.
- Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your artificer spells since you cast your spells through magically imbued items you have crafted. 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 an artificer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
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. You now also learn new tool proficiencies at half the time and cost.
Wondrous Inventions
At 2nd level, you gain the use of magic items that you have crafted. Choose two items from the list of 2nd-level items below. Crafting an item is a difficult task. When you gain a magic item from this feature, it reflects long hours of study, tinkering, and experimentation that allowed you to finally complete the item. You are assumed to work on this item in your leisure time and to finish it when you level up. You complete another item of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class: 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level. The item you choose must be on the list for your current artificer level or a lower level. These magic items are detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. If an item you craft from this feature is destroyed in some way, you can craft another of the same type without special materials, as you know the formula for any item you craft with this feature. See the Restoring Wonderous Inventions table for construction time and cost. You cannot gain more than 8 items from this feature. You can craft any item you gain from this feature again using the rules for crafting magic items in the Dungeon Master’s Guide or Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
2nd level: bracers of archery, cap of water breathing, driftglobe, goggles of night, helm of comprehending languages, immovable rod, ring of swimming, ring of jumping, sending stones
5th level: alchemy jug, lantern of revealing, rope of climbing, wand of magic detection, wand of secrets
7th level: bag of beans, bag of holding, chime of opening, dimensional shackles, gem of brightness
9th level: boots of striding and springing, decanter of endless water, folding boat, Heward’s handy haversack, robe of useful items
12th level: brooch of shielding, broom of flying, eyes of minute seeing, hat of disguise, slippers of spider climbing
15th level: eyes of the eagle, gloves of missile snaring, gloves of swimming and climbing, portable hole, ring of mind shielding, wings of flying
18th level: apparatus of kawalish, iron flask, ring of spell turning, well of many worlds
Rarity | Time | Cost | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Uncommon | 1 workweek | 100gp | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rare | 5 workweeks | 1,000gp | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Very Rare | 13 workweeks | 5,000gp | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Legendary | 25 workweeks | 10,000gp | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arcanic ConstructionAt 3rd level, the research and mastery of your craft allow you to produce a mechanical invention to assist you in your occupation. Choose either Mechanical Servant or Runearm.
You build a robotic servant to help you. The servant is a construct that obeys your commands without hesitation and functions in combat to protect you. Though magic fuels its creation, the servant is not magical itself. You are assumed to have been working on the servant for quite some time, finally finishing it during a short or long rest after you reach 3rd level. Select a Large or Smaller Humanoid, Beast, or Monstrosity with a challenge rating of 2 or less that lacks a fly speed. The servant uses that creature's game statistics, but it can look however you like, as long as its form is appropriate for its statistics. It has the following modifications: • It is a construct instead of its original creature type. • It can’t be charmed. • It can’t be feared. • It is immune to psychic damage. • It is immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition. • It gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet if it doesn’t have it already. • It understands the languages you can speak when you create it, but it can’t speak. • It replaces the creature's proficiency bonus with yours. • It has a number of hit dice equal to the number of hit dice you have. It gains a hit dice whenever you gain one, which does increase it's hit points. The die for it's hit dice is a d10. You also add it's form's Constitution modifier times the number of hit dice it has to it's hit points. • If you are the target of a melee attack and the servant is within 5 feet of the attacker, you can use your reaction to command the servant to respond, using its reaction to make a melee attack against the attacker. The servant obeys your orders to the best of its ability. In combat, it acts on your initiative, and you determine its actions and decisions. If you are incapacitated or absent, your servant acts on its own. If the servant is killed, it can't be returned to life via normal means, such as with the revivify spell. If you have access to the body, over the course of a long rest you can repair a slain servant for 1000GP. It returns to life with 1 hit point at the end of the rest. Spells that restore hit points, such as cure wounds, that would not normally affect a construct can affect the servant. During a short rest, it can spend hit dice if you are conscious and willing to fix it up. If the servant is beyond recovery, you can build a new one with one week of work (eight hours each day) and 1,000gp of raw materials.
You build a gauntlet inscribed with runes that fits over your entire forearm. You are assumed to have been working on the runearm for quite some time, finally finishing it during a short or long rest after you reach 3rd level. It can look however you want, but its base function is the same. You have proficiency with any unarmed strike you make with the gauntlet, you can use your Intelligence for the attack instead of your Strength, and it deals 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier force damage instead of the normal unarmed strike damage. This damage increases when you reach certain levels. At 7th level, the dice increases to 1d6, at 13th level, it increases to 1d8, and at 18th, it increases to 1d10. A runearm can also function as your artificer spellcasting focus for any spell of 5th level or lower, as long as you have crafted the spell tool for the spell you want to cast, and have that spell tool attuned to you. This allows you to cast artificer spells without the appropriate spell tool on your person. A runearm also supplements an artificer's magical capabilities. When you gain your runearm, choose two cantrips from the Wizard spell list. You can cast those cantrips from your runearm if you have it equipped. You use your Artificer spellcasting ability to cast these spells. Additionally, the runearm allows you to cast one additional spell of 1st to 5th level that you have made a spell tool for from it without using a spell slot. When cast in this way, the spell is of it's lowest level version instead of using your spell slot level. After using this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest. If you lose your runearm or it is destroyed, you can build a new one with one week of work (eight hours each day) and 1,000gp of raw materials. Any creature other than you that attempts to use your Runearm automatically fails, as it's magic is attuned to you and you alone. Ability Score IncreaseWhen 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. Superior AttunementAt 5th 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. At 11th level, this limit increases to five magic items. Mystic DeviceAt 11th level, you craft an especially powerful spell tool called a mystic device. Choose one 6th-level spell from the artificer spell list as this device. You can use your device to cast it's spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again. These devices follow the same rules for components as your spell tools. At higher levels, you gain more mystic devices of your choice that can be used in this way: one 7th-level spell at 13th level, one 8th-level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You gain an associated device for each one. You regain all uses of your Mystic Device feature when you finish a long rest. A mystic device weighs at least 2 pounds.
You can create more mystic devices through a long and tedious process of trial and error involving magic items. By spending one workweek, 1000gp per spell level, and a magic item based on the spell level, found on the Mystic Device Magic Item Cost chart, you can choose another spell of 6th level or higher from the artificer spell list to have as a mystic device. You must have another mystic device of the same level as the one you wish to create. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the mystic device to master its use, the more refined materials you need to craft the final design, as well as the permanent magical energy from a magic item needed to power the device. The magic item is destroyed in the process of making the mystic device. Artifacts cannot be used in this process. Your mystic devices can look however you want, but you must be able to give a reasonable explanation as to how it allows you to cast the spell.
When you are attuning to spell tools, you can also attune to a number of mystic devices equal to the number of mystic devices you have gained from level increases. You cannot attune two mystic devices with associated spells that are of the same spell level. These do not count toward the number of spell tools you can attune to, nor toward your magic item attunements. Once you have attuned to a mystic device, it is bonded to you, and every part of it will reappear on your person after 1 minute if you drop it or give it to another creature. This only functions for any mystic device you have attuned to. Mystic devices are immune to damage. These objects magically stay in the condition you require for their use.
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