Artificer
An artificer is an individual who lives on the edge of magic and science. They are craftsmen and engineers, mixing the arcane and divine with a new discipline: technology. Artificers are students of exotic sciences and theories, and are often viewed with distrust, derision or outright hostility by those versed in traditional magic. Artificers are driven by a unyielding thirst for knowledge, but often at the expense of their social skills. In many ways, they are the archetypal ‘mad scientist’, reveling in invention but difficult to understand.
Similar to wizards, artificers receive formal training and education through years of hard study. The talents and desire to enter the world of the artificer often manifest at a very early age, through the disassembling of objects and devices for no other reason that curiosity. Artificers are a closely knit society, sharing a sense of camaraderie with others who have similar training and knowledge. They relish intellectual debate and conversation with their fellows, sharing theories and commentary upon each other’s techniques and innovations. Rivalry between artificers is common, with each viewing themselves as the pinnacle of a rare and exclusive breed, and eager to correct the “mistakes” of their rivals.
Artificers are valuable support within their party, offering technological and magical assistance to others. Much like druids, Artificers possess a versatility that allows them to fill in gaps in a party's capabilities. Their constructs can bolster a front line, their gadgets can provide support or inflict pain from the rear, and their ability to craft all manner of magical items serves as a force multiplier for themselves and their compatriots.
Alignment
Any.Hit Dice
1d6Proficiencies
- Armor: Light and medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
- Weapons: All Simple Weapons.
- Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha).
- Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are features of the Artificer class.Spells
An artificer has access to spells from the Artificer Spell List. From this list, the artificer selects a number of spells to add to their spells known, and can know a number of spells of each level according to the artificer spells known table. Each level after first, in addition to adding new spells to their list, an artificer may replace one spell they currently know with another spell of the same level. These spells cannot be cast in the traditional manner, and instead represent the list of spells the artificer can draw from when crafting their gadgets.Gadgets
An artificer is not a spell caster, but instead possesses the ability to imbue items with magical power. This ability allows them to create gadgets that can reproduce the effects of one or more spells the artificer knows. These gadgets can be quite powerful, but are also temperamental and fragile, prone to breaking with misuse or overuse. Gadgets cannot be crafted on demand, and as such most artificers choose to carry a fixed collection of regularly used devices. Crafting GadgetsTo craft a gadget, an artificer chooses one or more spells or Metatech (described below) effects they know to embed into a prepared object. Gadgets take many forms, but by default each is a small sized Object that can be held and activated in one hand (they can be made larger and more difficult to activate as desired by the artificer). An artificer may craft any number of gadgets and begins play with two 1st level gadgets already crafted and charged. Crafting gadgets requires a set of artificer's tools. Each spell added to a gadget adds its Spell Level to the level of the gadget, and each spell beyond the first adds one to the instability score of the gadget (ex. adding a 1st and 3rd level spell to a gadget would make it a 4th level gadget with an instability score of +1). Any decision to be made about target types or effects with any spell added (such as Dispel Magic and Shatter's area vs target decision, Resist Energy's chosen energy type, or the number of targets a Haste spell affects) are made when the spell is added to the gadget. For gadgets with multiple spells, the order in which those spells are resolved on use is also chosen as they are added. For spells that affect multiple chosen targets, such as Haste or Slow, the artificer may also choose to limit the valid targets of said spells to friends or foes. If such a choice is made, valid targets will be limited to those of the chosen category, though targets are otherwise selected as described in Using Gadgets below. Who constitutes a friend or foe is determined by the activator of the gadget at the time of activation, and targets not identified by the activator (such as ones that are hidden) are treated as neither for the purpose of spells so limited (and thus are never considered valid targets). The activator of a gadget is always considered a friend for such spells. The Caster Level of any spell added to a gadget is the class level of the artificer when they add it. Metatech effects each add their modifiers to gadget level and instability when they are added. A metatech effect added to a gadget affects every spell embedded in that gadget provided that it is a valid modification to the spell (an empower effect added to a gadget with Scorching Ray, Magic Missile, and Grease would increase the damage of the Scorching Ray and Magic Missile spells, having no effect on the Grease spell). Preparing a suitable piece of equipment for a gadget, whatever form it may take, requires 4 hours of work and 50gp of raw materials. Once prepared, spells and metatech can be added to the gadget to make it functional. Adding a spell or metatech to a gadget requires 4 hours of work and 100gp in raw materials per gadget level added (minimum 4 hours and 100gp). This work need not be consecutive, and partially added spells and metatech have no effect on the effective level or use of a gadget until they are completed and the gadget is recharged. Gadgets are crafted inert, and cannot be used under any circumstances until they have been charged. A spell or metatech can be removed or updated by an artificer with 2 hours of dedicated work per change in gadget level (minimum of 2 hours). By this process an embedded spell's Caster Level can be updated when the artificer achieves a higher level (or inherits a gadget from a lower level artificer), spell effect decisions can be changed, and spells and/or effects can be removed to reduce the level of the gadget. In the event of removed features, the artificer recoups the full raw materials cost originally spent to add them (100gp per gadget level). All gadgets have AC 9, 10 hit points, Hardness 5, a break DC of 21, and typically weigh around 1 lb. If a gadget with an active charge is Broken through damage, it triggers a Wild Surge. A Broken gadget can be repaired by an artificer with 2 hours of work per gadget level, or they can be salvaged with 2 hours work, regardless of level. A salvaged gadget returns raw materials to the artificer equal to the cost to craft it (50gp plus 100gp per gadget level). Using Gadgets
Gadgets cannot be used in an inert state. After a full rest, an artificer can spend one hour to replenish charges to as many gadgets as they have slots for. How many slots they have for each gadget level is shown on the artificer class table. Gadgets can be charged by using a slot of a higher level than the gadget, but the gadget gains no bonuses for doing so. Artificers do not gain additional gadget slots if they have a high Intelligence score, but rather gain an additional charge of a gadget of the appropriate level for each slot they would gain, allowing that gadget to be used and additional time before losing its charge (see Ability Scores for more details). A gadget can more than one additional charge if multiple bonus slots are spent on it when replenishing charges. Gadgets lose their charge and become inert again 24 hours after being charged. In a pinch, an artificer can reset the duration of an active gadget much faster than replenishing charges, requiring only a Standard Action for each gadget refreshed, but doing so consumes a gadget slot as though they had replenished that gadget's charges. Gadgets with no charge remain active until they have gone 24 hours since their last charge or refresh.
Note: spells with costly componentsActivating a gadget consumes its charge. A gadget's activation time is that of the longest cast time amongst spells within the gadget. Regardless of the spells or effects, gadgets require at minimum a Swift Action or Immediate Action to activate. Activating gadgets do not provoke an Attack of Opportunity, but do require a Concentration check if interrupted. If a check fails by 5 or more, a Wild Surge is triggered. An artificer can activate any charged gadget they crafted at will. They can also spend a Full-Round Action and make a Use Magic Device check to identify the properties of a gadget they did not create, allowing them to use it as though they created it. Non artificers (or artificers who have not identified the properties of a gadget they didn't create) can activate a charged gadget by making a successful Use Magic Device check. The DC of either check is 10 plus twice the gadget level plus its instability score. If a check made to activate a gadget fails by 5 or more, the gadget is Broken in the attempt, and if it fails by 10 or more a Wild Surge is also triggered. When a gadget is activated, the user chooses a target for the gadget, whether it's a location or creature. How spells interact with the target chosen is based on how the spell is aimed, and is listed below:
If a gadget contains a spell with a costly material component, it must be provided when the gadget is charged (multipe charges require multiple copies of the component). If any charges go unspent, they can be later recharged without providing an additional component - the component is only consumed by activating the gadget. An artificer can recover unspent components when salvaging a broken or unwanted gadget.
- Target or Targets: if a valid target is chosen within the range of the spell, the spell affects that target. Otherwise the spell does not activate. If the spell affects multiple targets, additional valid targets are chosen starting with the closest to the chosen target until the maximum target count is reached or there are no valid targets left in range. If the target is personal, the spell has no effect unless the user targets themselves.
- Ray: A ray fires at the location or creature targeted, unless the user targets themselves, in which case the spell does not activate. A ranged Touch Attack is still required, and the ray dissipates if it passes beyond the range of the spell.
- Area (Spread, Burst, Emanation, Cylinder or Sphere): Area spells of these types trigger centered on the location or creature targeted, provided it is within range of the spell. If the target is out of range, the spell triggers at the limit of its range in the direction of the target.
- Area (Cone, Line): Spells with a cone or line area are aimed in the direction of the target, affecting the normal area of the spell. If the user targets themselves, the spell does not trigger.
Example: Corryn decides to activate a 5th level gadget with Resist Energy (fire) and Fireball embedded. As he crafted this gadget, he does not need to make a check, so he activates it as a Standard Action, targeting himself. Resist Energy provides him with Fire Resistance, then a Fireball is triggered centered on him. If he instead targets an enemy 50 feet away, the Resist Energy does not trigger (as it is a touch spell), leaving the Fireball to trigger on that enemy. If a target was chosen outside the range of the Fireball spell, the Fireball would trigger at its maximum range in the direction of the target.
Example 2: Corryn's ally Hrothgar activates a 6th level gadget (caster level 16) given to him by Corryn with Haste and Slow embedded. When crafting it, Corryn chose for the Haste effect of the gadget to only affect friends and the Slow effect to only affect foes. Hrothgar must make a DC 23 Use Magic Device check (10 + twice the gadget's level [6] + its instability score [1]), and succeeds in activating it, targeting himself. The Haste effect will trigger on him, as well as up to 15 additional targets within 30 feet of both Hrothgar and each other that he considers to be friends. Then the Slow effect triggers, targeting up to 16 targets within 30 feet of each other and Hrothgar that he considers to be foes.
Metatech
When artificers craft gadgets, they can add different effects to them, called metatech. Each metatech effect has a level and instability cost, increasing the level and instability of a gadget by said amount when it is added. An artificer can apply any metamagic feat they know to a gadget as a metatech effect, with both the level and instability cost equaling the Spell Level increase of the metamagic effect. A list of metatech feats can be found here Add the metatech feats!!.True Artisans
An artificer is unmatched in their craft, and develops an understanding of the inner workings of magical devices and enhancements far beyond any other. As such, artificers are better able to craft magical items for which they do not possess access to the requisite spells. Artificers do not increase the DC of checks to create magic items for not knowing prerequisite spells for magic items. Artificers may attempt to craft Spell Capsules, Spell Trigger Items, and Spell Completion Items requiring spells from the Wizard Spell List by emulating access to those spells. To do so, the artificer must make a successful Craft (artifice) check for each spell emulated to successfully craft the item (DC is 20 + twice the Spell's Level). The check is rolled at the end of the item creation process, and a failed roll means the process must be restarted (no materials are lost from a failure, only time). When emulating spell access, artificers are treated as wizards two levels higher than their artificer class level for the purpose of Spell Level prerequisites. Any level dependent effects on the completed item (such as duration, range, and damage dice) still use the artificer's actual class level.Example: Corryn is 3rd level and wants to scribe a scroll of Fireball. He can attempt to emulate access to the fireball spell with a DC 26 Craft (artifice) check, and meets the caster level 5 requirement for Fireball as he is treated as a 5th level wizard. As he is still only 3rd level, the fireball evoked from this scroll has a Caster Level of 3, dealing 3d6 damage.
Trapfinding
Artificers add 1/2 their level on Perception checks to locate traps and on Disable Device checks (minimum +1). An artificer can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.Elemental Mastery
When adding spells that deal elemental damage (Fire, Cold, Electric, Sonic, Acid) to gadgets, Artificers can apply special modifiers to that damage based on the element. Fire and Cold spells gain +1 damage per 1d6 of damage dealt, and if a Cold spell has a Reflex Save it instead becomes Fortitude. Electric spells gain an additional +2 to the DC of any save made against it, and gains a +2 to any Caster Level check to overcome Spell Resistance. Sonic spells deal 1 less damage per 1d6 dealt, but ignore any Hardness. Acid spells add damage over time, dealing 1 damage per 1d6 of the original spell's damage for 1 round per Spell Level. All of these effects are optional, and are chosen when the gadget is crafted.Crafting Feats
Artificers gain many Item Creation Feats as bonus feats as the level.- Craft Spell Capsule, 2nd level
- Craft Wondrous Item, 4th level
- Craft Magic Arms and Armor, 5th level
- Craft Wand, 6th level
- Craft Rod, 8th level
- Craft Construct, 9th level
- Craft Staff, 11th level
- Forge Ring, 12th level
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