At 1st level, you learn how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have tinker's tools or other artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice:
- The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
- Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long.
- The object continuously emits your choice of an odour or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away.
- A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like.
The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action you can touch the object and end the property early.
You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions. The magic items you create with this feature are effectively prototypes of permanent items. When you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn. You learn two additional infusions of your choice when you reach 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level in this class. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer infusions you learned with a new one.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turining it into a magical object. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item.
Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days have passed equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you give up your knowledge of the infusion for another one.
You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest: up to 2 at 2nd level, up to 3 at 6th level, up to 4 at 10th level, up to 5 at 14th level, and up to 6 at 18th level. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion immediately ends, and the the new infusion applies.
Also, you can now use any item bearing one of your infusions as a spellcasting focus.
Artificer Infusion
Item: a gem worth at least 100 gp or a dragonshard
You learn intricate methods for magically creating a special homunculus that serves you. The item you infuse serves as the creature's heart, around which the creature's body instantly forms. You determine the homunculus's appearance. The homunculus is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands.
In combat, the homunculus shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take the action in its stat block, or the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action.
The homunculus regains 2d6 hit points if the mending spell is cast on it. If it dies, it vanishes, leaving its heart in its space.
Tiny construct, neutral
Armour class: 13 (natural armour)
Hit Points: equal to the homunculus's Constitution modifier + your Intelligence modifier + your level in this class
Speed: 20 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR: 4 (-3), DEX: 15 (+2), CON: 12 (+1),
INT: 10 (+0), WIS: 10 (+0), CHA: 7 (-2)
Saving Throws: Dex +4
Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +4
Damage Immunities: poison
Condition Immunities: exhaustion, poisoned
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages: understands the languages you speak
Evasion. If the homunculus is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. It can't use this trait if it's incapacitated.
Might of the Master. The following numbers increase by 1 when your proficiency bonus increases by 1: the homunculus's skill bonuses, saving throw bonuses and its bonuses to hit and to damage of its attacks.
Actions (Requires Your Bonus Action)
Force Strike.
Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d4 + 2 force damage.
Reactions
Channel Magic.
The homunculus delivers a spell you cast that has a range of touch. The homunculus must be within 120 feet of you.
Starting at 6th level, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool.
Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to come up with solution under pressure. When you or another creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an ability check or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
When you reach 10th level, you achieve a profound understanding of how to use and make magic items:
- You can attune to up to four magic items at once.
- If you craft a magic item with a rarity of common or uncommon, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.
At 11th level, you learn how to store a spell in an object. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one simple or martial weapon or one item that you can use as a spellcasting focus, and you store a spell in it, choosing a 1st- or 2nd-level spell from the artificer spell list that requires 1 action to cast (you needn't have it prepared).
While holding the object, a creature can take an action to produce the spell's effect from it, using your spellcasting ability modifier. If the spell requires concentration, the creature must concentrate on it. The spell stays in the object until it's been used a number of times equal to twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum of twice) or until you use this feature again to store a spell in an object.
At 14th level, your skill with magic items deepens more:
- You can attune to up to five magic items at once.
- You ignore all class, race, spell, and level requirements on attuning to or using a magic item.
Starting at 18th level, you can attune to up to six magic items at once.
At 20th level, you develop a mystical connection to your magic item, which you can draw on for protection:
- You gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws per magic item you are currently attuned to.
- If you're reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can use your reaction to end one of your artificer infusions, causing you to drop to 1 hit point instead of 0.
Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
At 3rd level - shield, heroism
At 5th level - branding smite, warding bond
At 9th level - aura of vitality, conjure barrage
At 13th level - aura of purity, fire shield
At 17th level - banishing smite, mass cure wounds
When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways:
- You gain proficiency with martial weapons.
- When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls.
By 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you a faithful companion, a steel defender. You determine the creature's appearance. The steel defender is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands.
In combat, the homunculus shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block, or the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action.
The steel defender regains 2d6 hit points if the mending spell is cast on it. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools and an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The steel defender returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.
At the end of a long rest, you can create a new steel defender if you have your smith's tools with you. If you already have a steel defender from this feature, the first one immediately perishes.
Medium construct, neutral
Armour class: 15 (natural armour)
Hit Points: equal to the steel defender's Constitution modifier + your Intelligence modifier + five times your level in this class
Speed: 40 ft.
STR: 14 (+2), DEX: 12 (+1), CON: 14 (+2),
INT: 4 (-4), WIS: 10 (+0), CHA: 6 (-2)
Saving Throws: Dex +3, Con +4
Skills: Athletics +4, Perception +4
Damage Immunities: poison
Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages: understands the languages you speak
Vigilant. The defender can't be surprised
Might of the Master. The following numbers increase by 1 when your proficiency bonus increases by 1: the steel defender's skill bonuses, saving throw bonuses, its bonuses to hit and to damage of its attacks and the number of hit points restored by its Repair action.
Actions (Requires Your Bonus Action)
Force-Empowered Rend.
Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d8 + 2 force damage.
Repair (3/Day).
The magical mechanisms inside the defender restore 2d8 +2 hit points to itself or to one construct or object within 5 feet of it.
Reactions
Deflect Attack.
The defender imposes disadvantage on the attack roll of one creature it can see that is within 5 feet of it, provided the attack roll is against a creature other than the defender.
At 9th level, you learn new ways to channel arcane energy to harm or heal. When either you hit a target with a magic weapon attack or your steel defender hits a target, you can channel magical energy through the strike to create one of the following effects:
- The target takes an extra 2d6 force damage.
- Choose one creature or object you can see within 30 feet of the target. Healing energy flows into the chosen recipient, restoring 2d6 hit points to it.
You can use this energy a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), but you can do so no more than once a turn. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
At 15th level, your Arcane Jolt and steel defender become more powerful:
- The extra damage and the healing of your Arcane Jolt both increase to 4d6.
- Your steel defender gains a +2 bonus to Armour Class.
- Whenever your steel defender uses its Deflect Attack, the attacker takes force damage equal to 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier.