Charioteer
An artificer that chooses to practice as a Charioteer can cre-ate amazing self-propelled machines. This talent is naturally valued by militaries and merchants, but independent enthus-iasts find every way to optimize their own vehicles for person-al use. Because these machines are fueled by their creator's magic, their widespread distribution has been impossible.
Tools of the Trade
3rd-level Charioteer feature
You gain proficiency with vehicles (both land and water). You also gain proficiency with smith's tools. If you already have this tool proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Charioteer Spells
3rd-level Charioteer feature
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach part-icular levels in this class, as shown in the Charioteer Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare. Each spell is in the Player's Handbook.
Charioteer Spells
| Artificer Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | compelled duel, Tenser's floating disc |
| 5th | find steed, gust of wind |
| 9th | slow, wind wall |
| 13th | compulsion, dimension door |
| 17th | antilife shell, passwall |
Custom-Built Vehicle
3rd-level Charioteer feature
You've fashioned some scrapped machinery into your own Custom-Built Vehicle. By spending 1 minute working with smith's tools, you can magically assemble this Medium or Small vehicle in an unoccupied space on a horizontal surface within 5 feet of you. When you assemble the vehicle, you determine its appearance and whether it uses legs, treads, wheels, or other mechanisms for its locomotion.
You can only have one custom-built vehicle at a time. Attempting to assemble a second vehicle while the first one is present causes the first to reappear in the chosen space.
The vehicle remains in an unpowered state until you use an action to touch it and expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. Once you do, the vehicle gains enough arcane energy to stay powered for a number of hours equal to twice the level of the expended spell slot. The vehicle can only hold enough arcane energy to stay powered for 8 continuous hours. If you expend a spell slot that would provide more hours of arcane energy than the vehicle can hold, the extra energy is lost.
The vehicle counts as a magical object while it is powered. It has an AC of 17 and a number of hit points equal to five times your artificer level. It is immune to poison damage and psychic damage. If the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. It disappears if it is reduced to 0 hit points, but you can always assemble it again later if this occurs. Also, if it is within 5 feet of you, you can disassemble it as an action.
Once during your move, you can hop onto and begin operating the vehicle (if it is within 5 feet of you) or hop off. You do so by spending movement equal to half your speed. Only you can properly operate your custom-built vehicle, and you gain the following benefits while doing so if it is powered:
- The vehicle provides you with a base speed of 50 feet, a climbing speed of 30 feet, and a swimming speed of 30 feet. You can use any of them in place of your own speeds.
- You can use your bonus action to take the Dash action.
- If your movement provokes an attack of opportunity, you can force the attack to target your vehicle instead of you.
- When a spell or effect teleports you to another location, you can choose to bring the vehicle with you as long as there is enough space for it at the new location.
Vehicle Configuration
3rd-level Charioteer feature
You can add specialized modifications to your custom-built vehicle. When you do, you choose from one of the following vehicle configurations: Combat, Support, or Transport.
You can change the vehicle's configuration whenever you finish a short or long rest, provided you have smith's tools in hand. Each configuration counts as a separate item for the purposes of your Infuse Items feature. Infusions don't vanish when the vehicle's configuration is changed, but they can't be used if they are not infused into the current configuration.
Combat. You increase the amount of utility that the vehicle brings to violent situations. It has the following features:
Chilling Lance. The vehicle has a special weapon, a chilling
lance, that you can use while operating your powered veh-
icle. It counts as a simple melee weapon, and it deals 1d10
cold damage on a hit. When you make an attack with this
weapon, you can add your Intelligence modifier, instead of
Strength, to the attack and damage rolls. A creature hit by
the lance has its speed reduced by 10 feet until the start of
your next turn. This reduction doesn't stack with itself.
Reinforced Materials. The vehicle's hit point maximum
becomes equal to seven times your artificer level.
Support. You outfit the vehicle with arcane apparatus that assist you in numerous ways. It has the following features:
Magic Amplifier. The vehicle contains a type of rod called a
magic amplifier, which you can use as a spellcasting focus
for your artificer spells while operating your powered veh-
icle. When you cast an artificer spell through the amplifier,
being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose dis-
advantage on your ranged spell attack rolls.
Sensory Nodes. Whenever you make an Intelligence or Wis-
dom check while operating your powered vehicle, you can
roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the check's result.
Transport. You alter the vehicle for long hauls and road trips. It has the following features:
Cargo Space. The vehicle becomes Large, allowing it to seat
3 Medium or Small passengers in addition to you, the oper-
ator. It also gains nets, pouches, and a holding rack that
allow it to carry up to 150 lbs. of additional cargo.
Fast Travel. When traveling over land in the vehicle, you can
traverse 1000 feet in 1 minute, 10 miles in one hour, or 75
miles in one day (8 hours of continuous travel). On water,
the vehicle can travel up to 6 mph as long as it is powered.
Improved Vehicle
5th-level Charioteer feature
Your Custom-Built Vehicle gains additional benefits based on its configuration, as shown below:
Combat. You can attack twice with the chilling lance, instead of once, when you take the Attack action on your turn.
Support. When you cast an artificer spell through the magic amplifier, you gain a bonus to one of the spell's damage rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).
Transport. As long as you're holding smith's tools, you can use your action to change your Custom-Built Vehicle's config-uration. You must be within 5 feet of the vehicle in order to do so. Once you do, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Any cargo or additional creatures the vehicle was hold-ing appear in unoccupied spaces near the vehicle when you change configurations this way.
Your Custom-Built Vehicle
Your custom-built vehicle is one of a kind, with its own idiosyncrasies and aesthetic theme. It might be a two-wheeled cycle or scooter, a mechanical exoskeleton, a magnetically-levitating hoverboard, or some other pro-duct of your arcane construction.
Simplicity. A charioteer's vehicle shouldn't interrupt the natural flow of gameplay. With a few exceptions, anything that can be done from a standing position can also be done from within a custom-built vehicle. This includes making attacks, casting spells, jumping, interacting with objects, etc. Think of it as a source of personal benefits and NOT a mount.
Overturning. When one of the vehicle's occupants is knocked prone, the vehicle is overturned as well. While overturned, the vehicle can't be used for movement. It has devices to correct its orientation, though, and you can activate these devices to right the vehicle as a bonus action while operating your powered vehicle.
Configurations. Each Vehicle Configuration option can result in a unique appearance for your vehicle, but they can also represent slight variations on a design. For instance, the Transport option could add a sidecar to your cycle-type vehicle or transform it into a car. Either way, its functionality is the same.
Arcane Lance. The damage type of the chilling lance can be changed with permission from your DM. You can also choose to keep or change the lance's speed reduction effect if you change damage types this way.
Enhanced Propulsion
9th-level Charioteer feature
Your fine-tuning and replacement parts have granted you a souped-up vehicle:
- The base, climbing, and swimming speeds provided by your custom-built vehicle each increase by 10 feet.
- While operating your powered vehicle, if you move at least 20 feet in a straight line before hitting a creature with an attack while within 5 feet of it, you can force the target to take an extra 2d6 force damage. Additionally, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your artificer spell save DC or be knocked prone. You can cause these additional effects a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), but you can do so no more than once on a turn. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Magnum Vehiculum
15th-level Charioteer feature
Your custom-built vehicle has become equal parts material and magic, providing you with the following benefits:
- The vehicle gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class.
- The powered vehicle provides a flying speed of 20 feet.
- While the vehicle is powered, it and all creatures within it have resistance to damage from spells.
- You can use a bonus action to instantly assemble your Custom-Built Vehicle if you're holding smith's tools.
Credits
Original Homebrew Content by Acenm5. Take the Survey.
Context: D&D 5th Edition by Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
Page 2 Art: Renegade Wheelsmith by Darek Zabrocki.
Made using GM Binder.