Magitech Engineer Specialty - Artillerist

MAGITECH ENGINEER SPECIALTY: ARTILLERIST

Artillerists are mana gunners and battlefield engineers. They specialize in:

• Portable mana cannons and arcane firearms
• Deployable turrets and mines
• Shaping the battlefield with explosive and control effects

They’re the tech counterpart to an evoker: less raw spell slots, more reusable hardware.

You gain Artillerist features at 1, 3, 6, 10, 14.

Level 1 – Mana Cannon

You forge a signature Mana Cannon: a two‑handed ranged magitech weapon that acts as a spell focus.

Mana Cannon (Base Stats)

• Counts as a martial ranged weapon you are proficient with.
• Range: 60/180 ft (normal/long).
• Damage: 1d10 force damage.
• Properties: Two‑handed, reload (1) – you must spend 1 free hand and part of your action to “cycle” it, but this is folded into your Attack action (no extra action cost).
• It is also an arcane focus for your Magitech Engineer spells.

Reconfiguring the Cannon

• If lost or destroyed, you can rebuild it with:
• 8 hours of work and appropriate materials (or scavenged parts),
• Or 1 hour if you expend a 1st‑level spell slot to jump‑start it.

Arcane Shot

Once per short or long rest, you can fire a charged shot:

• As part of an attack with the Mana Cannon:
• On a hit, the attack deals an extra 1d8 damage (force, fire, lightning, or thunder—your choice each time).
• Creatures within 5 ft of the target must make a Dex save vs your spell DC or take 1d8 damage of the same type.
• Damage dice for this charged shot scale at higher levels (see below).

Level 3 – Deployable Turret

You can build a Mana Turret, a small autonomous construct that channels your magic.

Turret Basics

• Size: Small construct occupying a 5‑ft square.
• AC: 15, HP: 10 + your Int mod + your level.
• Speed: 0 ft (immobile once deployed).
• Immunities: Poison, psychic; resistance to nonmagical weapon damage.
• Acts on your initiative.

Deploying the Turret

• As an action, you can deploy a turret in an unoccupied space within 5 ft.
• It lasts for 10 minutes, until destroyed, or until you dismiss it (no action).
• You can have only one turret active at a time; deploying a new one destroys the old one.

Turret Modes (Choose When Deployed)

You choose one of the following modes when deploying; you can change mode next time you deploy.

1. Assault Turret
2. Attack: Ranged spell attack using your spell attack bonus, range 60 ft.
3. On hit: 1d8 force damage.
4. It can make one attack per round as a bonus action you take, or as an action if you can’t spare the bonus.
5. Blast Turret
6. Attack: It fires at a point within 60 ft: creatures in a 10‑ft radius make a Dex save vs your spell DC.
7. On fail: 1d6 fire or lightning damage (choose when deploying).
8. On success: Half damage.
9. Uses: 3 blasts per deployment; then it reverts to a weak 1d4 force “pepper shot” (single target).
10. Bulwark Turret
11. Aura: 10‑ft radius.
12. Allies in aura gain +1 AC and +1 to Dex saves vs area effects.
13. As a reaction (yours), when an ally in the aura is hit, you can cause the turret to project a shield, granting +2 AC vs that attack.

Repairing Turrets

• You can repair a destroyed turret between fights with 10 minutes of work; no cost except materials (assumed trivial) unless GM says otherwise.

Level 6 – Enhanced Ordinance

Your artillery improves.

1. Improved Mana Cannon

• Base damage increases to 1d12.
• Your Arcane Shot now deals:
• Extra 2d8 to the primary target,
• 2d8 in the splash (same type), Dex save for half.

2. Turret Overclock

Once per short or long rest, you can Overclock your active turret for 1 round:

• Assault Turret: Makes two attacks instead of one.
• Blast Turret: Increases blast damage to 2d6 and expands radius to 15 ft for that blast.
• Bulwark Turret: Aura bonus becomes +2 AC and +2 Dex saves for that round; shield reaction grants +4 AC vs that attack.

After Overclocking, roll a d20:

• On a 1, the turret overheats:
• It takes damage equal to half your level, and
• It cannot be Overclocked again until you finish a short or long rest.

Level 10 – Advanced Turrets & Ordinance Types

1. Advanced Turret Options

You can now, when deploying, choose to upgrade your turret:

• It gains +2 AC and +10 HP.
• Additionally, choose one Advanced Pattern (you can change this with a new deployment):
• Lockdown Pattern (Assault/Blast):
• Once per round, when your turret hits a creature, you can reduce its speed by 10 ft until the start of your next turn.
• Suppressive Pattern (Assault/Blast):
• Creatures that take damage from the turret have disadvantage on their next attack roll before your next turn.
• Fortification Pattern (Bulwark):
• Allies in the aura also gain resistance to one damage type (choose when deploying: fire, cold, lightning, or force).

2. Ordinance Types for Mana Cannon

You gain access to special shot types for your Arcane Shot. When you fire an Arcane Shot, choose one:

• Concussive Shot:
• On hit: target takes normal Arcane Shot damage and must succeed on a Con save or be knocked prone.
• Piercing Beam:
• Instead of one target, draw a 5‑ft‑wide line 60 ft long.
• Creatures in the line make a Dex save:
• Fail: full Arcane Shot damage
• Success: half
• Gravitic Burst:
• On hit: target and all creatures within 10 ft make a Str save.
• On fail: pulled 10 ft toward the impact point.

You still have one Arcane Shot per short/long rest, but with more tactical choice.

Level 14 – Mobile Battery

You and your artillery become a mobile weapons platform.

1. Turret Mobility

• Your turret now has a speed of 20 ft and can move on your command:
• As a bonus action, you can move it up to 20 ft.
• It can climb simple surfaces and magnetize to metallic surfaces, at GM’s discretion (good for ships, fortifications, skyrails).

2. Linked Fire

• Once per turn, when you hit a creature with your Mana Cannon, you can command your turret (if it can see the same target) to immediately make an attack (Assault) or use one blast (Blast) against that target/point as a reaction (yours).
• Uses per long rest = Int mod (min 1).

3. Ordinance Mastery

Your Arcane Shot can now be used twice per short or long rest, and its damage scales again:

• Primary: 3d8 extra
• Splash/line/secondary: 3d8 (or half on save, depending on shot type)