Aerial Engineering
Those engineers who choose the Aerial Engineering discipline focus on the skill of crafting and modifying custom jetpacks for use in combat.
Modified Jetpack
At 3rd level, you learn to build a custom jetpack utilizing your engineering knowledge and 500 credits worth of materials. Over the course of a long rest, you can expend materials equal to half the cost of the jetpack in order to modify it. You must have the jetpack and materials in order to perform this modification. Your custom jetpack has the same qualities as a normal jetback, it takes a bonus action to activate, gives a flying speed of 30 feet while active, lasts for 1 minute per power sell up to a maximum of 10 minutes, and can be recharged by a power source or replacing the power cells. Replacing your custom jetpack's power cell or refueling with the Advanced Thrusters modification in combat takes a bonus action.
Your custom jetpack is enhanced, requires attunement, can only be used by you, and counts as a tech focus for your tech powers while you are attuned to it. Your modified jetpack has 4 modification slots, and it gains more at higher levels, as shown in the Modification Slots column of the engineer class table. For each modification installed, your tech point maximum is reduced by 1. Over the course of a long rest, you can replace or remove a number of modifications up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one).
Some modification effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your tech save DC.
Evasive Flying
Lastly at 3rd level you have learned how to avoid enemy fire and stay in the air, you gain the following benefits while your custom jetpack is activated:
- Using your full movement speed on your turn gives you a bonus of +1 to your AC until the start of your next turn.
- You can use Dash and Disengage as bonus actions on your turns instead of full actions.
Dogfighting Tactics
At 6th level you've become more accustomed to fighting in the air than on the ground. You gain the following benefits while your custom jetpack is activated:
- You have advantage when making a weapon attack against creatures if you move at least 15 feet towards them before making the attack.
- When you roll the maximum damage on a weapon attack, you can make another weapon attack against the same or another target. You can only gain this extra attack once per turn.
Afterburn Escape
At 14th level, You can use your bonus action to prepare Afterburn Escape. While Afterburn Escape is prepared if an enemy misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and one of your Potent Aptitude dice to burn them with your jetpack's afterburner and make an escape. Make a Tech attack against the enemy, on a hit they take fire damage equal to your Potent Aptitude die + your intelligence modifier and you can move up to half of your movement speed away from them without provoking opportunity attacks.
Aerial Superiority
At 18th level you've learned two advanced techniques to attack from the air with, you can use your action on your turn to perform either of the following attacks.
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Strafing Run: Jet forward along the ground in a 5 foot wide 25 foot long line. You can make a number of ranged weapon attacks equal to your intelligence modifier on any enemies within your range at any point on the line. In addition, any enemies in the way of your line take 1d6 + your Intelligence modifier kinetic damage and must make a Strength saving throw or be shoved 5 feet in a direction of your choice as you crash into them. You land at the end of the line or whatever obstacle blocked your path early and your movement speed is 0 for the rest of your turn. You must have mored no more than half of your movement speed this turn to use this attack.
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Jet Blitz: Rapidly fly between enemies within a 20 foot sphere and make one melee weapon attack on each of them. In addition, each enemy you hit with a melee weapon attack must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. You land within 5 feet of the last enemy you attack and your movement speed becomes 0 for the rest of your turn. You must have mored no more than half of your movement speed this turn to use this attack.
Jetpack Modifications
If a modification has prerequisites, you must meet them to install it. You can install the modification at the same time that you meet its prerequisites.
- Advanced Bomb Ejector
Prerequisite: Bomb Ejector; 7th level
You can now cast Element of Surprise once at second level while expending Tech points as if it were cast at first level. You regain the ability to cast it in this way after finishing a long rest.
- Advanced Evasion
Prerequisite: 11th level
Evasive Flying's bonus to AC increases to +2
- Advanced Mortar Launcher
Prerequisite: Mortar Launcher, 7th level
You can now cast Homing Rockets once at second level while expending Tech points as if it were cast at first level. You regain the ability to cast it in this way after finishing a long rest.
- Advanced Thrusters
Prerequisite: Prototype Thrusters, 10th level
Each use of your custom jetpack now lasts five minutes and you have a number of uses equal to your Intelligence modifier that you can use per long rest instead of having to use power cells.
- Aiming Stabilizers
Prerequisite: 5th level
You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with weapon attacks while your custom jetpack is activated. This bonus increases to +2 at 9th level and +3 at 13th level.
- Battlefield Repositioning
On your turn while your custom jetpack is activated you can use your action to pick up an ally after making a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check and move them up to half your movement speed and drop them off at a new location. Upon landing, your ally can use their reaction to make a weapon attack against a creature within range.
- Energy Redistribution
Prerequisite: 5th level
You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls made with weapon attacks while your custom jetpack is activated. This bonus increases to +2 at 9th level and +3 at 13th level.
- Experienced Jet Fighter
Prerequisite: 13th level
You now only need to move 10 feet towards a target before making an attack to gain advantage on the attack and when you roll maximum damage and make a second attack, that second attacks deals an extra 1d4 fire damage.
- Flame Vents
You now know the Jet of Flame at will power and it does not count against your maximum number of Tech powers.
- Full Burn
Prerequisite: 15th level
When using Afterburn Escape you can now move your full movement speed in any direction
- Jet Assisted Strike
Prerequisite: Vibroweapon
End your current use of your custom jetpack to empower a melee strike. On a hit, your melee weapon attack deals an extra 1d6 kinetic damage. Hit or miss, your jetpack's fuel is depleted. The extra damage die increases to 1d8 at 9th level and then to 1d10 at 13th level.
- Overshield
You now know the Ward at will power and it does not count against your maximum number of Tech powers.
- Power Pack Overload
You now know the Electrical Burst at will power and it does not count against your maximum number of Tech powers.
- Prototype Bomb Ejector
You learn the Element of Surprise Tech power and it does not count against your maximum number of Tech powers. In addition, you can cast it at first level once without expending any Tech points. You regain the ability to cast it in this manner after finishing a long rest.
- Prototype Mortar Launcher
You learn the Homing Rockets Tech power and it does not count against your maximum number of Tech powers. In addition, you can cast it at first level once without expending any Tech points. You regain the ability to cast it in this manner after finishing a long rest.
- Prototype Thrusters
Your movement speed while flying with your custom jetpack is increased by 15 feet.
- Quick Start Engine
Activating your custom jetpack no longer takes a bonus action and instead uses an object interaction on your turn.
- Rising Phoenix
When you activate your custom jetpack you can expend a Potent Aptitude die and have enemies within 5 feet of you make a Dexterity saving throw. They take your Potent Aptitude's dice roll as damage + your Intelligence modifier in fire damage if they fail.
- Strafe Shot
Prerequisite: Blaster
Make a ranged weapon attack while using your custom jetpack to dodge incoming attacks. When you use this modification, you can take the dodge action as part of the same action to make a ranged weapon attack in exchange for depleting your custom jetpack's fuel. Your ranged attack deals an extra 1d4 damage at 9th level which increases to 1d6 at 13th level.
- Tactical Repositioning
Prerequisite: Battlefield Repositioning, 10th level
Your movement speed is no longer halved while moving your ally and when they land and make their weapon attack, you may also use your reaction to make a weapon attack of your own.
- White Hot Afterburners
Prerequisite: 15th level
Afterburner Escape now deals damage equal to two rolls of your Potent Aptitude dice.