Artificer - Base Class

Duncehack Edition

So who are you?

Just some tosser with an over inflated sense of self importance.

Send verbal abuse via Minds.com

What is the Duncehack?

It emerged from a place of frustration. There's quite a number of areas where 5e could be improved but... it's not going to happen for various reasons.

The Duncehack is my attempt to fix these problems I have. Plan is to go through the whole game - all of it - and homebrew it into the game I think is should have been.

Feel free to disagree with me, but ultimately I think there's no harm in putting my thoughts out there, at the very least if even one DM decides to adopt these rules, then my job is done.

No DM Guild? No OGL Release?

I chafe under binding contracts and both of these are exactly that.

The DM Guild gives you more room to mess with established rules, but basically demands that all be under the service of flagship settings.

The SRD on the other hand gives more room for interesting settings but clamps down extremely hard on what established rules you're allowed to use. Their biggest contention is that they don't want someone to sell a sourcebook that removes the need for core books. Translation: they don't want Pathfinder to happen all over again.

More to the point, both assume money will change hands. I don't want money, I just want Wizards to fix their game.

Groundrules

Groundrules for the Duncehack are as follows:

• No Nerfs: the goal is to bring weaker archetypes on the level of the stronger ones.

• Remove Traps: incentives built into classes and archetypes should provide an active payoff, rather than be the suboptimal choice.

• Frontload Agency, Backend Power: Generally speaking, people like having more options to do things, rather than more raw power. As a design rule: things that feel like core class features, or are defining class mechanics, should happen in the first ten levels, sheer numeric increases in power should come after that.

No money changed hands here

This is a passion project. I want to keep it that way.

I also want to avoid legal issues for self-evident reasons.

No UA?

Too much changes between UA and official release.

The fewer corrections I have the do between UA changes, the better.

Obligatory Natural Crit Plug

http://www.naturalcrit.com/

Someone else made a thing that lets me make homebrews without having to post them on pastebin or something. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

Obligatory /tg/ Plug

The feedback I got from various Anons on this helped me build it into something that wasn't bad and stupid.

I love you all in a way only abused spouse can possibly understand.

No Images?

Needed to get it under 8mb so I could upload it literally anywhere.

So what in Artificer needs fixing?

Artificer isn't bad just... kinda bland given the hype that was surrounding it for so long. The archetypes are cool, admittedly, but the base chassis doesn't really do enough to fill out it's whole 'I am the master of magical items' shtick.

Class Features

As an Artificer, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d8 per Artificer Level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Consitution Modifier
• Hit Points past 1st: 1d8 (5) + Constitution Modifier

Proficiencies

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• Armour: light armour, medium armour, shields
• Weapon: simple weapons, hand crossbows, heavy crossbows, firearms
• Tools: thieves' tools, tinker's tools, one type of artisan's tools of your choice, and a vehicle proficiency of your choice.

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• Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
• Skills: Two of: Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Sleight of Hand.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) scale mail or (b) studded leather armour
• (a) two simple weapons of your choice or (b) a handgun and 10 rounds and a shield
• (a) a crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a longarm and 10 rounds
• thieves' tools and a dungeoneer's pack
• tools of a kind you are proficient in

Longarm?

Covers the vague category of rifles and shotguns. If it's two-handed and you can comfortably fire it standing, it's probably in this category.

Spellcasting

You have studied the workings of magic and how to channel it through objects. As a result, you have gained the ability to cast spells. To observers, you don't appear to be casting spells in a conventional way; you look as if you're producing wonders using mundane items or outlandish inventions.

Tools Required

You produce your artificer spell effects through your tools. You must have a spellcasting focus—specifically thieves' tools or some kind of artisan's tool—in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature. You must be proficient with the tool to use it in this way. See chapter 5, "Equipment," in the Player's Handbook for descriptions of these tools.

After you gain the Infuse Item feature at 2nd level, you can also use any item bearing one of your infusions as a spellcasting focus.

The Magic of Artifice

As an artificer, you use tools when you cast your spells. When describing your spellcasting, think about how you're using a tool to perform the spell effect. If you cast cure wounds using alchemist's supplies, you could be quickly producing a salve. If you cast it using tinker's tools, you might have a miniature mechanical spider that binds wounds. When you cast poison spray, you could fling foul chemicals or use a wand that spits venom. The effect of the spell is the same as for a spellcaster of any other class, but your method of spellcasting is special. The same principle applies when you prepare your spells. As an artificer, you don't study a spellbook or pray to prepare your spells. Instead, you work with your tools and create the specialized items you'll use to produce your effects. If you replace cure wounds with heat metal, you might be altering the device you use to heal—perhaps modifying a tool so that it channels heat instead of healing energy.

Such details don't limit you in any way or provide you with any benefit beyond the spell's effects. You don't have to justify how you're using tools to cast a spell. But describing your spellcasting creatively is a fun way to distinguish yourself from other spellcasters.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the artificer spell list. You also gain the mending cantrip, which doesn't count against your number of known cantrips. At higher levels, you learn additional artificer cantrips of your choice, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Artificer table.

Cantrip Versatility

When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer cantrips you know with another cantrip from the artificer spell list.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Artificer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your artificer spells. To cast one of your artificer spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of artificer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the artificer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of artificer spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your artificer level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level artificer, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of artificer spells requires time spent tinkering with your spellcasting focuses: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your artificer spells; your understanding of the theory behind magic allows you to wield these spells with superior skill. You use your Intelligence whenever an artificer 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.

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• Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
• Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast an artificer spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Magic Item Adept

You have an easier time handling magical items than others. You can be attuned to a common quality magical item, or Artificer Infusion that requires attunement, without taking up one of your attunements. You can attune to an additional common quality magical item or artificer infusion this way at 5th, and 9th levels. You also ignore all class, race, spell, and level requirements on attuning to or using a magic item.

At 10th, 14th, and 18th levels, you can gain an additional magic item attunement.

If you craft a magic item with a rarity of common, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold. You reduce the time and cost to making uncommon quality items at 5th level, rare quality items at 9th, very rare at 13th and legendary at 17th.

The Right Tool for the Job

You learn how to produce exactly the tool you need. You can spend an action to magically conjure a set of artisans' tools of your choice. If you create another set of tools this way, the previous set vanishes.

You are bonded with any tools conjured this way, if it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon those tools as a bonus action on your turn, causing them to teleport instantly to your hand.

Magical Tinkering

At 1st level, you learn how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have tinker's tools or other artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice:

• The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
• Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long.
• The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away.
• A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like.
• The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early.

You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.

Infuse Item

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions. The magic items you create with this feature are effectively prototypes of permanent items.

Infusions Known

When you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn, choosing from the "Artificer Infusions" section at the end of the class's description. You learn additional infusions of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infusions Known column of the Artificer table.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer infusions you learned with a new one.

Artificer Infusions

Artificers have invented numerous magical infusions, extraordinary processes that rapidly create magic items. To many, artificers seem like wonderworkers, accomplishing in hours what others need weeks to complete. The description of each of the following infusions details the type of item that can receive it, along with whether the resulting magic item requires attunement.

Some infusions specify a minimum artificer level. You can't learn such an infusion until you are at least that level.

Unless an infusion's description says otherwise, you can't learn an infusion more than once.

Infusing an Item

Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turning it into a magic item. An infusion works on only certain kinds of objects, as specified in the infusion's description. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item. If you decide to attune to the item later, you must do so using the normal process for attunement.

Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days have passed equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you give up your knowledge of the infusion for another one.

You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column of the Artificer table. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion immediately ends, and then the new infusion applies.

The Right Tool for the Job

Thanks to Anon for pointing out that this needed more work. Ended up going with something more like the Warlock's bladepact, where you conjure the one you want rather than actually bond to a specific set that was made in reality. Also, tool bond.

Magic Item Adept

Common magic items that require attunement usually do utility effects, strength roughly on par with a cantrip or a ritual first level spell. When making them, try not to give them extra damage. Common magic items should give the player options, not power.

It's written as 'additional' rather than just a set number of magic item because of the following changes to magic item attunements (pick one as appropriate to your game).

Scaling the kinds of items you can build into legendary at 17th for two reasons: 1, that's about the level you should see legendary items and 2, you're an Artificer approaching 20th level, you should be the one making that kind of stuff.

The effects of the 14th and 18th level features are rolled into here too.

Magic Item Attunements

Your ability to attune to magical items grows with you. You can attune to a number of magic items equal to your proficiency modifier.

Variant: Limited Attunements

Magic items are rare, and the ability to attune to each is taxing. You can attune to a number of magic items equal to half your proficiency modifier (round down).

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty.

Artificer Specialist

At 3rd level, you choose the type of specialist you are: Archivist, Alchemist, Armourer, Artillerist, or Battle Smith, each of which is detailed at the end of the class's description. Your choice grants you features at 5th level and again at 9th, 15th, and 20th levels.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th 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.

If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.

Tool Expertise

Starting at 6th level, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool.

Flash of Genius

Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to come up with solutions under pressure. When you or another creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an ability check or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Spell-Storing Item

At 11th level, you learn how to store a spell in an object. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one simple or martial weapon or one item that you can use as a spellcasting focus, and you store a spell in it, choosing a 1st- or 2nd-level spell from the artificer spell list that requires 1 action to cast (you needn't have it prepared).

While holding the object, a creature can take an action to produce the spell's effect from it, using your spellcasting ability modifier. If the spell requires concentration, the creature must concentrate. The spell stays in the object until it's been used a number of times equal to twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum of twice) or until you use this feature again to store a spell in an object.

Artificer's Acumen

At 14th level, you regain usage of your Flash of Genius feature on a short or a long rest.

In addition, you can infuse up to one item at the end of a short rest.

Soul of Artifice

At 18th level, you develop a mystical connection to your magic items, which you can draw on for protection:

• You gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws per magic item you are currently attuned to (Maximum of +6)
• If you're reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can use your reaction to end one of your artificer infusions, causing you to drop to 1 hit point instead of 0.

Fighting Style

This is mostly here so that Artificer isn't left behind compared to the other two half casters.

Archivist and Armourer?

Archivist and Gunsmith were abandoned too soon. Armourer is just renamed Gunsmith that also allows for non-guns.

Artificer's Acumen

A little mid-to-late-game quality of life improvement.

Soul of Artifice

It's not that it was a weak capstone by any means. It was just a boring one.

Given I did archetype specific capstones on the other half-casters, figured this should be no different.

Artificer Infusions

Enhanced Arcane Focus

Prerequisites: A rod, staff, or wand (requires attunement)

While holding this item, a creature gains a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls. In addition, the creature ignores half cover when making a spell attack.

The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 11th level in this class and +3 when you reach 17th level.

Enhanced Defense

Prerequisites: A suit of armour or a shield

A creature gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class while wearing (armor) or wielding (shield) the infused item.

The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 11th level in this class and +3 when you reach 17th level.

When you learn this infusion, you can select one of the following options. You may learn this infusion more than once to gain more options.

Repulsion Shield

Prerequisite: Artificer Level 6, Shield (requires attunement)

The shield has 4 charges. While holding it, the wielder can use a reaction immediately after being hit by a melee attack to expend 1 of the shield's charges and push the attacker up to 15 feet away. The shield regains 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn.

Self-Fitting Armour

Prerequisite: A suit of armour

The Armour is donned at the speed of 1 action for light armour, 1 minute for medium armour, and 2 minutes for heavy armour; and doffed at the speed of 1 bonus action for light armour, 1 action for medium armour and 1 minute for heavy armour. The armour will modify itself to accomodate the form of the wearer (i.e. will mold to any extra limbs the character might have, such as wings).

Resistant Armour

Prerequisites: 6th level, A suit of armour (requires attunement)

While wearing this armor, a creature has resistance to one of the following damage types, which you choose when you infuse the item: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder.

Enhanced Weapon

Prerequisites: A simple or martial weapon

This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it.

The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 11th level in this class and +3 when you reach 17th level.

When you learn this Infusion, you can select one of the following options. You may learn this infusion more than once to gain more options.

Repeating Shot

Prerequisite: Ranged Weapon (requires attunement)

When it's used to make a ranged attack, it ignores the loading property if it has it. When you load no ammunition in the weapon, it produces its own, automatically creating one piece of magic ammunition when you make a ranged attack with it. The ammunition created by the weapon vanishes the instant after it hits or misses a target.

Returning Weapon

Prerequisite: Thrown Weapon

This weapon returns to the wielder's hand immediately after it is used to make a ranged attack.

Radiant Weapon

Prerequisite: Artificer Level 6, simple or martial weapon (requires attunement)

While holding it, the wielder can take a bonus action to cause it to shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. The wielder can extinguish the light as a bonus action.

The weapon has 4 charges. As a reaction immediately after being hit by an attack, the wielder can expend 1 charge and cause the attacker to be blinded until the end of the attacker's next turn, unless the attacker succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The weapon regains 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn.

Boots of the Winding Path

Prerequisites: 6th level, A pair of boots (requires attunement)

While wearing these boots, a creature can teleport up to 15 feet as a bonus action to an unoccupied space the creature can see. The creature must have occupied that space at some point during the current turn.

Scaling

What's so hard about half proficiency modifier scaling? Sure, it means the +2 comes a level later, but it then becomes +3 before much longer.

Enhancements as Sub-categories

Given that some of them did the same thing, plus extra, I figured handling it like this was better than reinventing the wheel.

Homunculus Servant

Prerequisites: 6th level, A gem worth at least 100 gp or a dragonshard

You learn intricate methods for magically creating a special homunculus that serves you. The item you infuse serves as the creature's heart, around which the creature's body instantly forms.

You determine the homunculus's appearance. Some artificers prefer mechanical-looking birds, whereas some like winged vials or miniature, animate cauldrons.

The homunculus is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See this creature's game statistics in the Homunculus Servant stat block.

In combat, the homunculus shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its actions and reactions on its own.

The homunculus regains 2d6 hit points if the mending spell is cast on it. If it dies, it vanishes, leaving its heart in its space.

Removed the line restricting its action usage?

Because it's not like the homunculi were going to break the power budget. This might make them seem worthwhile to use instead of any of the others listed.

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Homunculus Servant

Tiny construct, neutral

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• Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
• Hit Points Hit Points equal the homunculus's Constitution modifier + your Intelligence modifier + your level in this class
• Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
4 (-3)	15 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	7 (-2)

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• Saving Throws Dex +4
• Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
• Languages understands the languages you speak

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Evasion. If the homunculus is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. It can't use this trait if it's incapacitated.

Might of the Master. The following numbers increase by 1 when your proficiency bonus increases by 1: the homunculus's skill and saving throw bonuses (above) and the bonuses to hit and damage of its attack (below). Actions (Requires Your Bonus Action)

Actions

Force Strike. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d4 + 2 force damage.

Reactions

Channel Magic. The homunculus delivers a spell you cast that has a range of touch. The homunculus must be within 120 feet of you.

Replicate Magic Item

Using this infusion, you replicate a particular magic item. You can learn this infusion multiple times; each time you do so, choose a magic item that you can make with it, picking from the Replicable Items tables below. A table's title tells you the level you must be in the class to choose an item from the table.

In the tables, an item's entry tells you whether the item requires attunement. See the item's description in the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information about it, including the type of object required for its making.

If you have Xanathar's Guide to Everything, you can choose from among the common magic items in that book when you pick a magic item you can replicate with this infusion.

Replicable Items (2nd-Level Artificer)

Magic Item	Attunement?
Alchemy jug	No
Armblade	Yes
Bag of holding	No
Cap of water breathing	No
Goggles of night	No
Prosthetic limb	Yes
Rope of climbing	No
Sending stones	No
Wand of magic detection	No
Wand of secrets	No

Replicable Items (6th-Level Artificer)

Magic Item	Attunement?
Boots of elvenkind	No
Cloak of elvenkind	Yes
Cloak of the manta ray	No
Eyes of charming	Yes
Gloves of thievery	No
Lantern of revealing	No
Pipes of haunting	No
Ring of water walking	No
Wand sheath	Yes

Replicable Items (10th-Level Artificer)

Magic Item	Attunement?
Boots of striding and springing	Yes
Boots of the winterlands	Yes
Bracers of archery	Yes
Brooch of shielding	Yes
Cloak of protection	Yes
Eyes of the eagle	Yes
Gauntlets of ogre power	Yes
Gloves of missile snaring	Yes
Gloves of swimming and climbing	Yes
Hat of disguise	Yes
Headband of intellect	Yes
Helm of telepathy	Yes
Medallion of thoughts	Yes
Periapt of wound closure	Yes
Pipes of the sewers	Yes
Quiver of Ehlonna	No
Ring of jumping	Yes
Ring of mind shielding	Yes
Slippers of spider climbing	Yes
Ventilating lungs	Yes
Winged boots	Yes

Replicable Items (14th-Level Artificer)

Magic Item	Attunement?
Amulet of health	Yes
Arcane propulsion arm	Yes
Belt of hill giant strength	Yes
Boots of levitation	Yes
Boots of speed	Yes
Bracers of defense	Yes
Cloak of the bat	Yes
Dimensional shackles	No
Gem of seeing	Yes
Horn of blasting	No
Ring of free action	Yes
Ring of protection	Yes
Ring of the ram	Yes