Artificer Speciality: Hacker
Hackers are experts in the complex arcano-mechanical processes underpinning Constructs. While they often work closely with battle-smiths, their focus lies less on the front lines of combat, instead using their skills to take down, predict the actions, and even take control of other Constructs they encounter.
To a lesser extent, hackers also apply their training in Construct espionage for evading the traps and detections of living creatures too, making them reasonably adept spies among artificer circles.
Tool Proficiency
3rd-level Hacker feature
You gain proficiency with smith’s tools, or one other artisan’s tool of your choice if you already have that one.
Hacker Spells
3rd-level Hacker feature
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Hacker Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
| Artificer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Hunter’s Mark, Unseen Servant |
| 5th | Borrowed Knowledge, Pass Without Trace |
| 9th | Intellect Fortress, Tiny Servant |
| 13th | Charm Monster, Summon Construct |
| 17th | Animate Objects, Geas |
Expert Programmer
3rd-level Hacker feature
Your knowledge of Constructs opens new vulnerabilities which you can exploit. Constructs that are normally immune to the charmed condition or psychic damage are not considered immune against those effects when they originate from you. Additionally, Constructs can never benefit from advantage when making saving throws against magical effects originating from you.
Threat Analysis
3rd-level Hacker feature
You have developed a specialised arcane intelligence to keep you appraised of tactical information even in the heat of battle. As a bonus action, you force a creature you can see within 120 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, you gain one of the following benefits, which last until you can no longer see the creature, or you use this feature again:
- Behavioural Projection. For the duration, you can use a bonus action on each of your turns (including the bonus action to begin the effect) to learn the most likely action the creature will take on its next turn. This does not reveal motives or thought processes, but you can generally learn whether it plans to take an offensive action and against whom, whether it plans to move and where, etc. This does not take into account changes between your turn and the creature’s, such as recharging a breath weapon or the movement of other combatants, which might alter its desired course of action.
- Exploit Vulnerabilities. You highlight weaknesses in the creature’s armour, physicality, etc. For the duration, your attack rolls score a critical hit against the creature on a die roll of 19 or 20.
- Signature Tracking. You isolate the creature’s aura to your perceptions. For the duration, the creature cannot benefit from invisibility or being otherwise hidden from you while it is within 120 feet of you. You can also maintain vision on it through walls within the same radius, but this functionality is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.
At 9th level, you may maintain two instances of Threat Analysis at once; the effects can be the same or different, but they must be made against separate creatures. At 15th level, you can maintain three instances. When you use this feature with the maximum number of active instances, you choose which effect you lose to make way for the new one.
Efficient Deconstruction
5th-level Hacker feature
When you deal damage to a creature currently affected by your Threat Analysis with a weapon attack or spell, you may add your Intelligence modifier to the damage dealt (minimum of +1 damage).
Active Scans
9th-level Hacker feature
You cannot be surprised while you are not incapacitated.
As an action, you may learn the location of any Construct or creature with an Intelligence higher than 4 within 120 feet of you; you also learn the creature type(s) present but not which is which. This functionality is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt. Until the end of your next turn, any creature you detect with this feature can be targeted by your spells and other features as though you had line of sight to it.
Once you have used this action, you must complete a short or long rest before doing so again.
Networked Intelligence
15th-level Hacker feature
You coordinate with your allies for a greater tactical advantage. At the start of each of your turns, you may choose a number of creatures within 30 feet of you (up to your Intelligence modifier, minimum of 1 creature) to gain the benefits of your Efficient Deconstruction feature and any active Threat Analysis effects you currently have. The creatures retain these benefits until the start of your next turn.