Artificer Speciality - Bullet Caster
The magic of artifice is often interlinked with that of science. Firearms are on the cutting edge of such scientific advancements, but to an artificer they are just another vector for their spells and magic. Utilising special bullets, the Bullet Caster uses their specially crafted pistol to unleash their magic on the battlefield, using magical projectiles that penetrate past enemy defenses.
Tool Proficiency
When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with smithing supplies supplies.
Bullet Caster Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Bullet Caster spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Bullet Caster Spells
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Chaos Bolt, Guiding Bolt |
| 5th | Heat Metal, Melf's Acid Arrow |
| 9th | Fireball, Stinking Cloud |
| 13th | Sickening Radiance, Storm Sphere |
| 17th | Cloudkill, Contagion |
Personal Pistol
At 3rd level you create a personal pistol for yourself that fires your spell-infused bullets. Imbued with your magic, it is useless in anyone else's hands. While it retains the statistics of a pistol, you do not need to purchase bullets for this - these are made by yourself at the end of a long rest in an adequate quantity for any day's use.
Your pistol's magic lets you use your intelligence score instead of strength or dexterity for attack and damage rolls with it. Its normal and maximum range are both set at 90ft. Even when not bearing one of your Infusions it can be used as a spellcasting focus for you.
If you lose your pistol, you can create a new one by spending a short or long rest using your smithing supplies to do so.
Special Shot
At 3rd level you can create a number of special bullets equal to your proficiency bonus. These are fired as normal as part of an attack, but if they hit they have additional effects, as detailed on the table below. You can choose which Special Shots to create but can only have one of each available at a time.
If all your Special Shots have been expended, you can create more as an action by expending a spell slot.
| Name | Effect |
|---|---|
| Piercer | On a hit the target's AC is reduced by 1d4+1 until the end of your next turn. |
| Anti-Spell Shot | On a hit the target loses a spell slot of a level equal or lower than your proficiency bonus, starting from the highest available. |
| Force Round | The shot deals Force damage instead of its normal damage type and pushes the target back 10ft. |
| Burst Shot | On a hit creatures adjacent to the target take half as much damage as the initial target. |
| Table-Turner | If the target has a higher AC than you, you gain a bonus to the attack roll and damage rolls equal to the difference between the two. |
| Bad Luck | On a hit, the next d20 roll the creature on their turn is made with disadvantage. |
Firing a special shot must be decided before you make the attack roll. If you miss, the shot is still expended. You regain one expended shot on completion of a short rest, and all expended uses on completion of a long rest.
Spell Bullet
From 5th level once per turn when you fire your Personal Pistol you can choose to imbue it with an artificer spell you know that has a casting time of 1 action, expending the appropriate spell slot. Instead of the spell's normal range, it instead uses your pistol's attack range, allowing you to deliver short range spells at a distance.
If the attack hits and the spell uses an attack roll, it deals normal weapon damage with the full spell's effects to the target. If it misses, the spell still hits, though only does half its usual damage, with no weapon damage.
If the spell requires a saving throw then hitting with the pistol shot causes the struck target to take normal weapon damage and subtract your proficiency bonus from their initial saving throw. If the attack misses, the spell still takes effect and the saving throw is made as normal.
If the spell targets a point, it must be centred on the target of the attack, and otherwise takes effect as normal. For instance, you could shoot a fireball at a target with your Spell Bullet. If you miss, the Fireball still detonates centred on the target creature, but if you hit then not only does the fireball take effect but the target also takes 1d10 piercing damage and has their saving throw reduced by your proficiency bonus.
You can combine a Special Shot with a Spell Bullet.
Imbue Pistol
From 5th level you've learned to extra the magical properties of other items into your pistol. You can transfer the properties of a magical weapon to your pistol by completing a four hour ritual. This destroys the original magic item. You can purge the existing magic from your pistol by completing another four hour ritual, allowing you to consume another item to enchant it once more.
Dragonfire Blast
From 9th level you learn how to quickload a defensive shot of fiery smoke. As a reaction to being attacked by a melee attack you can unleash this against your attacker. This deals 1d6 fire damage to the attacking creature and leaves a cloud of smoke around you that increases your AC by +3 until the start of your next turn.
Deflection Shot
From 9th level when you are targeted by a ranged attack roll you can use your reaction to fire a quickshot to deflect it. If your attack roll is equal to or higher than the opponent's shot, the attack deals no damage to you. If you surpass their attack roll by 5 or more, you deflect the attack back to the originating creature, using your attack roll to determine if it hits.
Snap Hit
At 9th level as a bonus action on your turn you can make a melee weapon attack against an adjacent creature with the butt of your pistol. If this hits, it deals no damage, but instead prevents them from taking opportunity attacks against you this turn.
Jury-Rig Weapon
From 15th level you learn how to apply some of your pistol knowledge to your ally's melee weapons. At the end of a long rest you can add bits and pieces to one melee weapon (be it magical or otherwise) and pack it with five Special Shots of your choice (but no more than one of each type), which the wielder can use on attacks. Unlike normal Special Shots, they do not have to be declared before making the attack roll, and can be activated after confirming a successful hit.
The modifications to the weapon are only temporary though, and they fall apart either once the five Special Shots are expended or at the end of a long rest. Unlike normal Special Shots these cannot be replenished b expending spell slots.