Magitech Engineer Specialty - Machinist

MAGITECH ENGINEER SPECIALTY: MACHINIST

Machinists are drone‑masters and construct wranglers. They:

• Build and upgrade servitor drones and combat constructs
• Use bots for scouting, utility, and battlefield support
• Interface with old automata, Vaelor drones, and station systems

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

Level 1 – Servitor Drone

You construct a Servitor Drone, a small companion construct.

Servitor Basics

• Size: Small construct
• AC: 13 + your Int modifier
• HP: 5 + your Magitech Engineer level + your Int mod
• Speed: 30 ft (can be reflavored as walkers, treads, rotors, etc.)
• Ability Scores (baseline):
• Str 8, Dex 14, Con —, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6
• Proficiencies:
• Saving Throws: Dex, Wis
• Skills: You choose two from Perception, Stealth, Investigation, Athletics; it uses your proficiency bonus.

Servitor Attacks (Basic)

• Melee: Arcane Prod
• Attack: your spell attack bonus
• Hit: 1d4 + Int mod lightning or force damage (your choice when you build the drone)

Control & Actions

• Acts on your initiative, immediately after you.
• It can:
• Take the Dodge, Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Use Object actions freely on its turn.
• Make attacks when you command it (see Combat Protocols at 3rd).

If Destroyed

• When reduced to 0 HP, it deactivates.
• You can repair or rebuild it:
• Basic repair: 1 hour of work, no cost beyond minor parts.
• Full rebuild from scrap: 8 hours and some gold (GM‑set, usually modest).

You can only have one Servitor Drone at a time.

Level 3 – Combat Protocols & Utility Subroutines

1. Combat Protocols

Your Servitor can now attack more effectively when directed.

• On your turn, you can use a bonus action to command the drone to:
• Make one attack (Arcane Prod)
• Or use one of its special protocols (see below as you gain them).
• If you don’t command it to attack, it defaults to Dodge or a simple task.

At this level, its attack improves to:

• Hit: 1d6 + Int mod damage (lightning or force).

2. Utility Subroutines

You design your Servitor for specific jobs. Choose two subroutines:

Examples (you can mix & match; we can later formalize a list):

• Scout Subroutine
• Gains proficiency in Stealth (or expertise if already proficient).
• Advantage on Perception checks relying on sight or hearing.
• Tool Subroutine
• The drone counts as having integrated thieves’ tools and tinker’s tools.
• You can use its position as the origin for these checks, using your bonus.
• Surveyor Subroutine
• Advantage on Investigation checks to search rooms, find traps, or assess structures.
• Can project a faint scanning beam (dim light 10 ft).
• Medical Subroutine
• Can deliver potions or basic first aid:
• As an action (yours or its), it can administer a potion you provide to an adjacent ally.
• Advantage on Medicine checks to stabilize.

You can swap subroutines after 8 hours of work.

Level 6 – Combat Upgrade & Redundant Systems

1. Combat Upgrade

Your Servitor becomes a legitimate combatant.

• Its HP becomes:
• 8 + 2 × your Magitech Engineer level + Int mod
• Its AC becomes:
• 15 + your Int mod
• Attack improved:
• Arcane Prod: 1d8 + Int mod damage.
• It can now make opportunity attacks.

You also gain one Combat Subroutine:

Choose one:

• Shock Striker
• Once per turn, when the drone hits with Arcane Prod, it can force the target to make a Con save vs your spell DC:
• On fail: target’s speed is reduced by 10 ft until the start of its next turn.
• Suppressive Fire (if reflavored with a small ranged blaster)
• The drone’s attack can be ranged (30/90 ft):
• On hit: 1d6 + Int mod force/lightning, and the target has disadvantage on its next ranged attack.
• Guard Dog
• When an enemy within 5 ft of the drone attacks a target other than the drone:
• Drone can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack.

2. Redundant Systems

Your drone resists “one‑shot” destruction.

• When it would be reduced to 0 HP:
• It instead drops to 1 HP and shuts down (incapacitated, prone) once per long rest.
• You can use your Field Repair (from Engineer 6) on the drone as a bonus action instead of an action.

Level 10 – Swarm Protocols

You learn to field multiple mini‑drones tied into your Servitor’s control system.

1. Micro‑Drone Swarm

• Once per short or long rest, as an action, you deploy a swarm of micro‑drones centered on a point within 30 ft.
• The swarm occupies a 10‑ft radius area and lasts 1 minute (concentration).

Choose one Swarm Mode when you deploy:

• Disruptor Swarm
• Creatures in the area have difficult terrain.
• When a creature starts its turn in the swarm:
• It must make a Dex save vs your spell DC or take 1d6 lightning and have disadvantage on the first attack it makes that turn.
• Recon Swarm
• You and allies have advantage on Perception and Investigation checks within the area.
• Invisible or hidden creatures in the area must make a Stealth check vs your spell DC or be outlined in faint sparks (like faerie fire but without granting full advantage on attacks; GM can decide).
• Shield Swarm
• Allies in the area gain half cover (+2 AC, +2 Dex saves).
• Once per round, when an ally in the swarm is hit, you can use your reaction to increase that AC bonus to +5 vs that attack.

2. Linked Actions

• You can now command both:
• Your Servitor and Swarm with the same bonus action:
• e.g., drone attacks while swarm mode applies its ongoing effects.

Level 14 – Heavy Construct or Overclocked Servitor

At this level, you can choose how your Machinist evolves:

• Either upgrade your existing Servitor into a Heavy Construct,
• Or keep it roughly the same size but severely overclock it.

We can support both as options.

Option A: Heavy Construct Form

Your Servitor becomes a Medium construct with bulked‑up chassis.

• Size: Medium
• HP: 10 + 3 × your level + Int mod
• AC: 16 + Int mod
• Speed: 30 ft
• Attack:
• Heavy Slam or Integrated Weapon: 1d10 + Int mod damage.
• Gains advantage on Strength checks and saves (powerful servos).

New features:

• Bulwark Frame
• As a reaction, when an ally within 5 ft is hit by an attack, the construct can interpose:
• The ally gains +2 AC vs that attack.
• Carry & Lift
• It can carry Medium or smaller allies (riding it) without speed reduction (subject to GM sanity).

Option B: Overclocked Servitor (Agile Elite)

If you prefer it remains Small but terrifyingly efficient:

• Size: Small
• HP: same as above (heavy), but AC = 17 + Int mod.
• Attack:
• 2 × Arcane Prod attacks per turn (if commanded), each 1d8 + Int mod.

New features:

• Evasive Chassis
• Evasion‑like trait:
• On Dex save for half damage, success = 0, failure = half.
• Precision Targeting
• Once per turn, when it hits a creature, you can add +Int mod extra damage.

Level 14 – Unified Control (applies to both options)

Regardless of A or B, you also gain:

Unified Control

• You can command your drone to:
• Take the Attack action and one subroutine action (e.g., Guard Dog reaction, Shock Striker effect) on the same turn, as long as you spend:
• Your bonus action to direct it, and
• It does not exceed what the stat block would reasonably allow (GM sanity; think “multiattack + rider” once).
• Once per long rest, you can swap between Heavy and Overclocked modes with 1 hour of reconfiguration (if you want that flexibility).