Are There Any Classes Like This?

[Allistar]

So, I got an idea a while back to make an artificer that makes different little robots to do stuff for him (kind of like a golemancer, from path of exile). However when I look at any of the UA artificers, not once did I see anything that would allow for this. Heck, I didn't even see one that would let you make a single construct. I'm a little disappointed I cant make a modular rock'em sock'em robot, but I figured before I scrap the idea entirely I'd throw it to the playground to see if I had missed something

Is there any way to make an inventor type character like Mishra or Urza, and make a robot army/modular robot companion buddy?

[Anderlith]

So, I got an idea a while back to make an artificer that makes different little robots to do stuff for him (kind of like a golemancer, from path of exile). However when I look at any of the UA artificers, not once did I see anything that would allow for this. Heck, I didn't even see one that would let you make a single construct. I'm a little disappointed I cant make a modular rock'em sock'em robot, but I figured before I scrap the idea entirely I'd throw it to the playground to see if I had missed something

Is there any way to make an inventor type character like Mishra or Urza, and make a robot army/modular robot companion buddy?

Fluff your spells as little golem guys. Other than that? Nothing really works except a summons focused conjugation wizard. 5e does not work well with minions.

[JackPhoenix]

Tiny Servant, Animate Objects.

Unless you're playing a necromancer, you aren't getting anything resembling actual permanent army through class abilities, but that's not a problem: you aren't playing a scripted videogame, you may talk to your GM and work with him to get your army in other ways.

[Allistar]

Dang..... Well that's disappointing. I have nothing against re-fluffing spells as something else, but when you're just making a conjuration wiz it leaves something to be desired. I also don't really know if 5e breaks when too many minions are thrown into the mix, but I've played with a necromancer who constantly had a small group of zombies following him through dungeons and serving as a meat shield all the while he has a few skeletons off in the corner taking pot shots. I will say it sapped him of most of his higher spell slots, but he was still a pretty competent wizard.

I dunno if re-flavoring a necromancer/create undead as a construct would work, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[DrKerosene]

I am confident there is an Artificer subclass that provides a robot minion. I recall a video of Crawford talking about one of the other subclasses providing a turret you can modify. I’m pretty sure Sam Reigal used (a different?) artificer on Critical Role and had a Shield Guardian.

There is a spell called Tiny Servant. Which should allow you to create a number of minor minions.

I would also figure (ritual) casting Unseen Servant may be within the realm of “creating minor robots” if you refluff it to being made of material similar to conjures/familiars that discorporates instead of leaving behind a body.

I’m under the impression using Animate Objects to create a bunch of tiny minions to attack is one of the most potent damage (over time) spells for it’s level.

Edit: found the youtube link, https://youtube.com/watch?v=PxQxu_sbSlM

[Particle_Man]

Gnomes, perhaps?

[Sariel Vailo]

It is a Homebrew class but you would have to join middle finger of vecna Patreon. They have a class called gadgeteer. It's part of the darkmatter book.which is magitech scifi. It allows you to be a give mind for drones or replace your organics with warforged components.

[Naanomi]

In the current batch of Artificer subclasses, Battlesmith has a robot

[ImproperJustice]

I have been running a Transmuter off and on, with Tiny Servant. It has no concentration and lasts 8 hours, so you can utilize multiple castings of higher slots to create a substantial army if you so choose.

Hilarity ensues if you have a bag of holding or two filled with scores of mundane objects.

Use Animate Objects to complete the package.

[comk59]

I could've sworn I remember reading an Artificer class that had the choice between having a robot or having a gun. But I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it.

edit: here it is
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/artificer-returns

[Nagog]

AS has been said, a summons based Conjuration Wizard, or you could reskin undead as basic constructs and delve into a Necromancy Wizard, and perhaps even take a 3 level dip into Warlock for Pact of the Chain and reskin your familiar as a golem or construct, if your DM allows it. So, strictly speaking there isn't any golem building class or subclass, however there are plenty of ways to reskin one.

[Allistar]

Just to clarify, I have no problem re-skinning something to have more of a construct feel. My favorite one so far is re-skinning the create undead and animate dead spells as animate minor golems, and instead of corpses it's a vessel of some kind of material you have to construct. I like it, and I find it cool what y'all are coming up with, but I think there's just something that gets lost when playing something that imitates the actual thing you're thinking of.

As for the iron defender, yes its a robot minion, but no it's not exactly what I'm looking for. The idea I had in mind was making something like the summoner's eidolon from previous editions but with a construct. Giving them modules that give them different abilities, being able to shift them around. I was looking for a class that made the minion/minions the main focus, rather than an extra thing they can do. Sure conjuration wizards like summons, and they get buffs to what they summon, but building and improving a summon is not at all what they do. At the same time you're still a wizard, so you could just take all of the good spells, never look at conjuration, and still be as competent of a caster than anyone else.

(sorry for not having the comparison, but I just found out today what the summoner's eidolon was)

[Anderlith]

D&D has never had a Summoner class.

[Naanomi]

D&D has never had a Summoner class.
You could build a psionic character in 3.X pretty close to this archetype though

[TyGuy]

D&D has never had a Summoner class.

Never had a summoner class or a summoner option?

The Artificer Returns | Dungeons & Dragons
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/artificer-returns
The Artillerist has turrets that move and the Battle Smith has a defender construct.

[Kane0]

Nothing really works except a summons focused conjugation wizard.
You're thinking of a chronomancer :smallwink:

On topic, UA Artificer going into Battle Smith gets a pretty good robot pet. You could also cheat and ask your DM for an appropriate construct creature as part of Find Familiar, especially if you're going for Chain pact Warlock. Otherwise you could devise some custom spells using existing ones like Conjure Woodland Beings and Summon Greater Demon as a guide.

[GreyBlack]

D&D has never had a Summoner class.

D&D never has, but Pathfinder did.

[DrKerosene]

D&D never has, but Pathfinder did.

Are we just talking about a class specifically named “Summoner”, or the role of focusing on summoning?

Because the Alienist and Malconvoker both spring to mind for the latter.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I've got a dedicated Summoner class in my Guide to Greatness. It's oriented towards outsiders, admittedly, and it's predominantly a one-strong-pet-at-a-time thing, but it would be easy enough to reflavor, and if you only get one pet at a time you'll wind up with a lot of options for how to build your "golem."


Never had a summoner class or a summoner option?

The Artificer Returns | Dungeons & Dragons
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/artificer-returns
The Artillerist has turrets that move and the Battle Smith has a defender construct.
And the Alchemist has a homonculus.

[RulesJD]

D&D has never had a Summoner class.

Druid - Circle of the Sheppard would like a word with you.

Slap Find Familiar on it and you're GTG. Collect those Temp HP so the Familiar has a bit of tankiness and easy peasy.

[Anderlith]

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D&D never has, but Pathfinder did.


snip


snip

Allistar in the post above mine directly stated that he wanted a Summoner with an Eidolon “like in older editions”. It seems like it’s been edited out now, but I was just saying that the Pathfinder Summoner that he was referring to doesn’t exist “as is” in D&D. There are of course summoning related classes & class options focused on summoning & such, but specifically a Summoner with a capital S & with an eidolon? No.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Edit: sorry, I just saw your later post. My Summoner is exactly what you want, once you refluff different summons as different modules for the same golem.