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View Full Version : Pathfinder Class: The Artificer



Cedict
2013-08-15, 09:19 AM
Hit die
d6

Alignment
Any

Starting gold
6d4 x 10

Skill points
2 + Int

Class Skills:
Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha).

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Item Creation, Mechanomagic I|4|1|—|—|—|—|—

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Craft Wondrous Item|5|2|—|—|—|—|—

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Mechanomagic Savant I|6|3|—|—|—|—|—

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Mechanomagic II|6|3|1|—|—|—|—

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Craft Magic Arms & Armor, Recharge|6|4|2|—|—|—|—

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Metamagic Trigger, Mechanomagic Savant II|6|4|3|—|—|—|—

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Mechanomagic III|6|4|3|1|—|—|—

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Craft Construct|6|4|4|2|—|—|—

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Mechanomagic Savant II|6|5|4|3|—|—|—

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Mechanomagic IV|6|5|4|3|1|—|—

11th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Mechanomagic Constructs|6|5|4|4|2|—|—

12th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Mechanomagic Savant III|6|5|5|4|3|—|—

13th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Skill Mastery, Mechanomagic V|6|5|5|4|3|1|—

14th|+7/+2|+4|+4|+9|Living Machines|6|5|5|4|4|2|—

15th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+9|Mechanomagic Savant IV|6|5|5|4|4|3|—

16th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Mechanomagic VI|6|5|5|4|4|3|1

17th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Skill Mastery|6|5|5|5|4|4|2

18th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Mechanomagic Savant V|6|5|5|5|5|4|3

19th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Mechanomagic VII|6|5|5|5|5|5|4

20th|+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|Technogenesis|6|5|5|5|5|5|5
[/table]



Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Artificers are proficient with club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Artificers do not suffer arcane spell failure while wearing armor as their spells do not require a somatic component.

Spells: Artificers can learn spells from the Summoner spell list, If a spell appears on multiple arcane spellcasting lists the artificer casts it as though it were of the highest level at which it appears on one of those lists.

An Artificer does not cast spells in the usual sense, instead he constructs devices that focus his raw magical power. These foci are Mechanomagical items and equal parts sorcery and technology. An Artificer does not automatically gain new spells per level, they must find or purchase the appropriate scroll and then construct their focus. The cost of crafting such foci is the same as the base cost of a scroll of the same spell in parts. The scroll needs to be found or purchased separately. Essentially making the total cost (cost of scroll)*2.

The focus may be used indefinitely and can be made for any arcane spell, but an Artificer cannot cast any spells without his foci. Should they be lost, destroyed or stolen he would be without magic until he recreated the foci. Creating a focus takes 8 hours and requires a scroll of the spell the focus is for (this is included in the price of the formula above). The scroll is consumed in the process. An Artificer must make a DC 15 Craft: Mechanomagic skill check to complete the focus, if failed then all materials are wasted and must be replaced, though the scroll is not consumed.

Foci must be charged before they can be used, a process which takes 1 minute of work. Focuses remain charged for 1 day before becoming inert and the artificer may charge a number of focuses of each level each day equal to the Spells per Day given on the table above. An artificer can charge extra focuses per day from having a high intelligence score in the same manner that a wizard gains extra spells per day.

There are no verbal components to an Artificer’s unless the artificer designs it to have one. Operation of these foci are loud when manipulated and cannot be operated silently. Casting in this way still provokes Attacks of opportunity, and if hit will disrupt the Artificer’s casting, making the spell fail. Artificers can cast defensively, just as any other spell-casting class.

Spells Known: An Artificer gets 2 level 1 spells and 4 level 0 spells at level 1, and has the foci for the spells. Artificers do not gain new spells upon gaining levels, Artificers must find a scroll of the desired spell and make a focus to learn a new spell. An artificer cannot make a focus for a spell he cannot cast. All spell components are consumed during the creation of the focus and do not need to be carried by the Artificer.

You need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any spell you a focus for at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that spell level.

Item Creation: An Artificer can create a magic item even if he does not have access to the spells that are prerequisites for the item. The Artificer does not add any additional DC to craft an item, even if he does not have the prerequisite spell.

If he fails a check, he can try again each day until the item is complete. If he comes to the end of the crafting time and he has still not successfully emulated one of the powers, he can make one final check - his last-ditch effort, even if he has already made a check that day. If that check also fails, then the creation process fails and the time & money expended to craft the item are lost.

For purposes of meeting item prerequisites, an Artificer’s effective caster level equals his Artificer level +2. If the item duplicates a spell effect, however, it uses the Artificer’s actual level as its caster level. Costs are always determined using the item’s minimum caster level or the Artificer’s actual level (if it is higher). Thus, a 3rd-level Artificer can make a scroll of fireball, since the minimum caster level for fireball is 5th. He pays the normal cost for making such a scroll with a caster level of 5th: 5 × 3 × 12.5 = 187 gp and 5 sp. But the scroll’s actual caster level is only 3rd, and it produces a weak fireball that deals only 3d6 points of damage.

An Artificer can also make Craft: Mechanomagic checks to emulate nonspell requirements, including alignment and race, using the normal DCs for the skill. He cannot emulate skill or feat requirements, however, including item creation feat prerequisites. He must meet the caster level prerequisite, including the minimum level to cast a spell he stores in a potion, wand, or scroll.

Mechanomagic: This represents the Artificer's fondness for dabbling with completed items and their natural exploration of their talents. They can add elemental damage to weapons and make armor more effective. They can also create Mechanomagical Inventions that mimic their Arcane spells. They can only make inventions for spells they have a focus for. Only the Artificer that crafted the invention can use it. Inventions cost 250 x Spell Level x Caster Level. Level 0 inventions cost 250 gold and can be made by any Artificer.

Modifications to Arms and Armor can only be made to Masterwork or Magical specimens. Modifications take one day per 500 gold spent. The modifications do not stack with each other, but are not considered a magical bonus, and therefore stack with any existing or future enchantment.

Modifications to Weapons cost 250 gold * Max damage of the added damage dice. Determine the random elemental damage by rolling a D6 and checking this table

{table=head]Roll|Result


1|Fire


2|Electricity


3|Acid


4|Sonic


5|Cold


6|Re-roll
[/table]

Modifactions to Armor costs 500 gold * by the bonus^2. Add 10 pounds to the Armor's base weight for each +1, 1DR/Magic or -5% ASF added in this way added in this way.

{table=head]Rank|Effects Possible

I|Mechanomagic Armor (+1 to Armor bonus, -5% Arcane Spell Failure to a minimum of 1% Or give it DR1/Magic) Invention (able to create an object that stores 50 charges of any level 1 spell.)


II|Mechanomagic Weapon (Add 1d3 random element damage to a melee weapon) Invention (able to create an object that stores 50 charges of any level 2 spell.)


III|Mechanomagic Armor (+2 to Armor bonus, -10% Arcane Spell Failure to a minimum of 1% Or give it DR2/Magic) Invention (able to create an object that stores 50 charges of any level 3 spell.)


IV|Mechanomagic Weapon (Add 1d4 random element damage to a melee weapon)


V|Mechanomagic Armor (+3 to Armor bonus, -15% Arcane Spell Failure to a minimum of 1% Or give it DR3/Magic)


VI|Mechanomagic Weapon (Add 1d6 random element damage to a melee weapon)


VII|Mechanomagic Weapon (Add 1d8 random element damage to a melee weapon) Mechanomagic Armor (+4 to Armor bonus, -20% Arcane Spell Failure to a minimum of 1% Or give it DR4/Magic)
[/table]

Mechanomagic Savant The artificer is a savant in Mechanomagic affairs. All of his crafting exploits cost less, starting at 10% off and becoming less expensive as the artificer grows in his craft.


{table=head]Rank|Discount


I|10%


II|20%


III|30%


IV|40%


V|50%
[/table]

Metamagic TriggerAn Artificer gains the ability to apply a metamagic feat he knows to a spell trigger item (generally a wand). He must have the appropriate item creation feat for the spell trigger item he is using. Using this ability expends additional charges from the item equal to the number of effective spell levels the metamagic feat would add to a spell.

For example, an artificer can quicken a spell cast from a wand by spending 5 charges (4 additional charges), empower the spell by spending 3 charges, or trigger it silently by spending 2 charges. The Still Spell feat confers no benefit when applied to a spell trigger item.

An artificer cannot use this ability when using a spell trigger item that does not have charges.

Mechanomagic Constructs At level 11, the Artificer has developed the extraordinary ability to create Mechanomagical versions of living creatures that respond to his commands, much like a mechanical golem. When creating a Mechanomagical creature, it's type becomes 'Construct' (which might effect it's hit die type) it has maximum hit points for it's hit dice but possesses no Constitution or Intelligence. It's charisma is reduced to 1 and it's challenge rating increased by one.

In addition to possessing the standard construct traits and the magic immunity of an iron golem, Mechanomagical constructs have the standard Strength, Dexterity, Charisma and Wisdom scores of the creature they are modeled after, which must be a a corporeal creature with a definitive physical form. For example: you cannot make a Mechanomagic Ooze because they are a gelatinous creature with no definite form. Some DMs might not want to allow aberrations for similar reasons. Please consult with your DM before starting a construct. A Artificer can only model creatures with HD that do not surpass his Artificer level. The construct also gains the base creature's land movement rate and physical attack forms

A Mechanomagical construct can be enhanced with one or more of the creature's other movement methods or extraordinary abilities, but supernatural and spell like abilities must instead be duplicated by spell devices created as Mechanomagical Inventions. A construct featuring one of these devices automatically knows how to use it and can do so with a standard action. Since the devices are part of the constructs design activating one does not provoke an attack of opportunity or require the construct to manipulate the device in any external manner. The save DC for one of these devices is 10+(1.5*spell level). A Mechanomagical construct has a natural armor bonus equal to the hardness value of the material used.

Creating a Mechanomagical construct costs 1000gp per hit dice +500 for each additional movement or extraordinary ability added, plus the full cost of any device used. In addition, the Artificer must pay for the material used in the constructs construction seperatly. Constructing the construct takes one day per 1000 gold of the construct's final value and requires a Craft (Mechanomagic) skill check DC 15+hit dice + two per attack + one for each added ability or movement. A failed check wastes 1d6*10% of the construct's total cost in materials and half the creation time.

Skill Mastery An Artificer can take 10 when making a Spellcraft even if stress or distractions would otherwise prevent him from doing so. Artificers gains +5 to all Use Magic Device and Spellcraft checks.

At Level 17, A artificer may take a ten on all craft rolls

Living Machines Any device, Mechanomagic enhanced weapon or armor or construct built by an Artificer is capable of being made as a living machine. Living machines gain the fast healing special ability, allowing it to heal one point of damage per round, and can benefit from healing magic as though it were a living being. Using this ability increases the total cost by 10%.

Recharge An Artificer may replenish the charges of any item he crafted originally by spending the total amount of gold for the spent charges. This process takes ½ an hour to complete per charge restored and can only be used once per day regardless of the number of charges recharged. When using this ability your must recharge the wand to it’s maximum capacity.

Technogenesis: The ultimate expression of the Artificer's craft. Technogenesis is the infusion of true life into an un-living shell. In order to qualify for this modification, the construct must first have been created using the Living Machine class feature. The complexities involved in imbuing an inanimate object with life force uses up 6,000 gold of raw materials. Successfully imbuing the object with life requires a Craft (Mechanomagic) skill check DC 40. Failure results in waste of all raw materials and the entire infusion period, and carries a 25% chance of destroying the object as the energies tear it apart.

This ability can also be used to transfer living souls into the shell. If used in this way, the soul is transferred at the end of crafting, leaving the original body behind and lifeless

A construct made in this way can be bound to the creators will or be completely free this is determined by the creator before starting work. Constructs made in this way have mental ability scores equal to the life used to make it and physical scores equal to a golem made out of the same material used to make the construct. Constructs made in this way also gain the construct subtype and gain the abilities, resistances, immunities and powers of constructs.

Constructs made in this way are not destroyed when brought to 0 hit points, but become inactive until brought over 1 hit point. they are considered destroyed when reduced to -20 hit points. Constructs made in this way can be brought back by the use of wish, limited wish, true resurrection, resurrection but not by reincarnate.

Ailowynn
2013-08-15, 01:11 PM
I just skimmed this, but so far it looks solid. The only problem is, if you're in a campaign that doesn't have much downtime, you would be in a tight spot.

Also, I'm picking nits, but the plural of "focus" is "foci."

Saidoro
2013-08-15, 01:19 PM
I think this is actually more powerful than the 3.5 artificer. You know, the one which is arguably the most powerful class ever published. It's certainly better than a wizard, what with the casting spontaneously from your whole list thing. Yeah this desperately needs some nerfs, I suggest starting by giving it wizard casting instead of Über sorcerer casting.

Cedict
2013-08-15, 01:30 PM
I think this is actually more powerful than the 3.5 artificer. You know, the one which is arguably the most powerful class ever published. It's certainly better than a wizard, what with the casting spontaneously from your whole list thing. Yeah this desperately needs some nerfs, I suggest starting by giving it wizard casting instead of Über sorcerer casting.

That's probably a good call. I am thinking about cutting the number of spells per day and maybe cutting off spell progression at level 6, like a summorner

Cedict
2013-08-16, 06:42 AM
Fixed spellcasting

Cedict
2013-08-16, 06:44 AM
I just skimmed this, but so far it looks solid. The only problem is, if you're in a campaign that doesn't have much downtime, you would be in a tight spot.

Also, I'm picking nits, but the plural of "focus" is "foci."

This is sort of addressed with Mechanomagic savant, lowering the price also reduces the amount of time things take to craft.

The nits needed to be picked, fixed the grammar/spelling problem

Saidoro
2013-08-16, 11:28 AM
I'm actually going to recommend stealing a page from the alchemist to bring the spellcasting down a bit more.
"Focuses must be charged before they can be used, a process which takes 1 minute of work. Focuses remain charged for 1 day before becoming inert and the artificer may charge a number of focuses of each level each day equal to the amount given on the table. An artificer can charge extra focuses per day from having a high intelligence score in the same manner that a wizard gains extra spells per day."

It'll still be pretty powerful just by strength of its item crafting and spell list, but every little bit helps, and those are relatively party friendly sorts of powers.

Cedict
2013-08-19, 11:42 AM
I'm actually going to recommend stealing a page from the alchemist to bring the spellcasting down a bit more.
"Focuses must be charged before they can be used, a process which takes 1 minute of work. Focuses remain charged for 1 day before becoming inert and the artificer may charge a number of focuses of each level each day equal to the amount given on the table. An artificer can charge extra focuses per day from having a high intelligence score in the same manner that a wizard gains extra spells per day."

It'll still be pretty absurdly powerful just by strength of its item crafting and spell list, but every little bit helps, and those are relatively party friendly sorts of powers.

Implemented this, changed the wording a very little bit to fit it in, but i like it and it fits with the Artificer flavor really well.

Cedict
2013-08-19, 11:43 AM
What do you guys think about having it cast from the summoner list? Most of those are conjuring spells and those make the best sense for a Artificer i think.

Saidoro
2013-08-20, 12:48 PM
Mostly it's fine, but I'd implement something like this:
"If a spell appears on multiple arcane spellcasting lists the artificer casts it as though it were of the highest level at which it appears on one of those lists."
Just to stop it from benefiting too much from reduced spell levels, since it doesn't exactly need them.

Overall I'm really liking this version of the class much more, it's T1 but it's a party friendly T1 which isn't knocking the other T1s over at recess and taking their lunch money.

Cedict
2013-08-20, 03:15 PM
Mostly it's fine, but I'd implement something like this:
"If a spell appears on multiple arcane spellcasting lists the artificer casts it as though it were of the highest level at which it appears on one of those lists."
Just to stop it from benefiting too much from reduced spell levels, since it doesn't exactly need them.

Overall I'm really liking this version of the class much more, it's T1 but it's a party friendly T1 which isn't knocking the other T1s over at recess and taking their lunch money.

Fixed spell casting again. think this is ready for a play test?

Saidoro
2013-08-21, 12:06 AM
Yup, looks good to me.