Artificer Specialists
Artificers pursue many disciplines. Here are specialist options you can choose from at 3rd level.
Gunsmith
Like many Artificers, you studied the arcane and created gadgets and trinkets to reach your goals whether they be for noble causes or other. Your experimentation and research with metallurgy, engineering and the arcane, you created a weapon appropriately named the Thunder Cannon. During the Last War Gunsmiths patrolled the outer edges of battles and skirmishes protecting their army's flanks and picking off enemies that wander too far. They also played a part in supporting roles either from a distance or using their spells.
Tool Proficiency
When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with smith's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain one proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Gunsmith Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Gunsmith Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Gunsmith Spells
| Artificer Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Guiding Bolt, Hunter's Mark |
| 5th | Blindness/Deafness, Mirror Image |
| 9th | Lightning Bolt, Sending |
| 13th | Locate Creature, Sickening Radiance |
| 17th | Mislead, Rary's Telepathic Bond |
Thunder Cannon
At 3rd level, you made a breakthrough in your research and were able to craft a thunder cannon, a deadly firearm firing leaden balls at high speeds. A vicious weapon able to pierce the strongest of armor.
You are proficient with your Thunder Cannon, a firearm considerd as a ranged martial weapon. Additionally, you can use your thunder cannon as a spell focus for your Artificer spells and you can provide somatic components for spellcasting even while holding it with two hands.
When you take this subclass you can decide the design of your thunder cannon from the following three designs: Hand Cannon, Musket, or Scattergun. The design you choose has different properties of how it acts.
Hand Cannon
The Hand Cannon deals 1d10 piercing damage with a range of 30/90. It has the range, ammunition, and loading properties.
Musket
The Musket deals 2d6 piercing damage with a range of 60/150. It has the two-handed, range, ammunition, and loading properties.
Scattergun
The Scattergun fires with a 15-foot cone. Any creatures in the 15-foot cone must pass a Dexterity saving throw equal to 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Dexterity modifier or take 2d8 piercing damage. It has the two-handed, range (15/15), ammunition, heavy, loading properties, two-handed.
At the end of a long rest, you can use your smith tools to magically create 30 rounds of ammunition for your Thunder Cannon, during a short rest you can make 10. Thunder Cannon's do not share ammunition between designs so keep track of the type of ammunition you have!
If you lose your thunder cannon or decide to make a new one, at the end of a long rest you can create a new thunder cannon if you have your smith's tools with you. Additionally, due to the still experimental nature of your creation you must maintain it to ensure it works. Either during a short or a long rest, you can maintain a number of Thunder Cannons up to half of your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1, rounded up). If the Thunder Cannon has not been maintained within the past 24 hours then the weapon malfunctions, unable to fire.
Steady Aim
Starting at 3rd level, as a bonus action, you give yourself advantage on your next attack roll on the current turn. You can use this bonus action only if you haven't moved during this turn, and after you use the bonus action, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn.
Improved Design
By 5th level, you finalize a set of design improvements for your thunder cannon. These improvements can either drastically change how you use your firearm, or improve how it's already used. You add two improvements to your thunder cannon and one additional improvement at 9th and 15th level. During a short rest you can add one improvement, while during a long rest you can add up to two improvements.
Additionally, all ammunition you fire from your thunder cannon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Quick Reflexes
Starting at 5th level, When a creature makes a ranged attack against you, you can use your reaction to make a ranged weapon attack against the creature. Additionally, your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren't wearing heavy armor.
Targeted Shot
Beginning at 9th level, you have become a precise shooter with your thunder cannon, able to hit specific parts of the body. When you make an attack roll against an enemy creature, you can declare a Targeted Shot before you see the result. You can choose a targeted shot below to make. Targeted Shots which require a saving throw must pass a 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Dexterity Modifier. You can use this feature amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus.
- On a hit, the creature makes a Constitution saving throw, on a fail the creature's speed is halved until the beginning of your next turn.
- On a hit the creature loses 1d4 of AC and can only take either an action or a bonus until the end of your. Additionally, if the creature is large or smaller, the projectile continues through them and potentially hitting another creature, if this is the case roll an attack roll at disadvantage and the second creature only takes the projectile's damage.
- On a hit, the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.
Firing Line
At 15th level, you are an experienced shooter and know how to impart that knowledge on others. Allied creatures within 10 feet of you can add your Intelligence modifier to their ranged attacks. For every allied creature benefiting from this feature, you can add a +1 bonus to your attack and damage rolls up to a maximum of a +4 bonus.
Thunder Cannon Improvements
Thunder Cannon improvements is a method of improving on the design of your original thunder cannon. They can change minor aspects of your weapon or change the entire way they are used. Some improvements are locked behind specific Thunder Cannon designs, while others can be used by any. A thunder cannon can not benefit from two improvements of the same name on a singular thunder cannon. You add your first two improvements at 5th level, then a subsequent additional improvement at 9th and 15th level.
Adamantine Bullets
Prerequisites: None
Your ammunition is altered, using a harder material that decimates objects and architecture alike. Whenever you hit an object with a ranged weapon attack, the hit is a critical hit.
Arcane Receiver
Prerequisites: None
You instill a part of your magic on your thunder cannon's receiver. Once per turn when you hit a creature with your thunder cannon, you can expend an artificer spell slot to increase your attack roll equal to the level of the spell slot expended, and an extra 1d8 force damage to the target, plus another 1d8 per level of the spell slot. Additionally, you can knock the target prone if it is Huge or smaller.
Divining Scope
Prerequisites: Item: Hand Cannon, Musket, or Scattergun with the Scattergun Slugs modification
A magical, telescopic scope enhanced with divination magic, this magic scope grants +1 bonus to attack rolls made with it, and attacks made at long range does not impose disadvantages on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
Elemental Barrel
Prerequisites: None
The barrel enriched with elemental energy, this magic weapon grants +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it, and when you take this improvement you can change the damage type of your Thunder Cannon to one of the following: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.
Integrated Magazine
Prerequisites: None
By adding additional barrels, a rotating cylinder, fixed magazine, or even a removable one, the thunder cannon's loading property is removed and is replaced with the reload property in the following ways:
- Hand Cannon- Reload (6 shots)
- Musket- Reload (5 shots)
- Scattergun- Reload (2 shots)
Mage Blade
Prerequisites: Musket or Scattergun
Through physical materials or magical inscriptions, the thunder cannon receives the ability to make a melee attack. Instead of an improvised weapon attack, the thunder cannon can make a +1 melee weapon attack within a 5 feet range. You deal 1d6+Your Strength modifier in magical slashing damage. You are considered proficient with this attack, and additionally counts as a simple melee weapon with the light property. If the thunder cannon has the light property, you can make a melee weapon attack as a bonus action following the rules of two-weapon fighting.
Magic Inscriptions
Prerequisites: (requires attunement)
Through magical writings, etchings, or runes on your weapon, you have imparted a part of your skill on your own magic use. While holding your thunder cannon, you gain a bonus to the spell attack rolls and the saving throw DCs of your artificer spells based on half of your Dexterity Modifier, rounded down.
Milled Rifling
Prerequisites: Hand Cannon, Musket, or Scattergun with the Scattergun Slugs improvement
Simply by adding grooves in your barrel, your bullets go much further, more accurate, and carry more power behind them! This improvement changes the range property of your thunder cannon in the following ways:
- Hand Cannon- Range (60/120)
- Musket- Range (90/180)
- Scattergun- Range (60/120)
Mithril Frame
Prerequisites: None
By using a lighter material for your weapon's frame, it improves the weight and ability to manipulate the weapon. When you add this improvement, the property of your thunder cannon changes in the following ways:
- Hand Cannon receives the light property
- Scattergun loses the heavy property
- Musket receives the light property
Reactive Shield Runes
Prerequisites: None
Through magical runes placed on your weapon, you can create a magical shield fed off of your arcane energy. When your thunder cannon is on your person, you can use a reaction to expend an artificer spell slot to increase your AC by +1 until the beginning of your next turn, plus another +1 per level of the spell slot expended.
Savage Ammunition
Prerequisites: None
Through some minor alchemy, you have managed to get more power out of your fired shots. Ranged weapon attacks with your thunder cannon score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Scattergun Slugs
Prerequisites: Scattergun
Using a modified bullet casing, you can shoot a solid slug from your scattergun as opposed to the multiple shots usually fired from it. The scattergun no longer fires in a 15-foot cone and instead can target only one creature. This gives the Scattergun the range (30/90) property.