Artificer: Armorer Revised
The Armorer Artificer has many potent modifications and abilities, but they unfortunately don't work too well given the context of the class. This revision seeks to amp up and provide a better flow to the Armorer's action economy, while still maintaining the core thematic and feel of the subclass.
(See footnote for a TL;DR list of changes made to the published features)
An artificer who specializes as an Armorer modifies armor to function almost like a second skin. The armor is enhanced to hone the artificer's magic, unleash potent attacks, and generate a formidable defense. The artificer bonds with this armor, becoming one with it even as they experiment with it and refine its magical capabilities.
Tools of the Trade
At 3rd Level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor. 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.
Armorer Spells
At 3rd Level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Armorer 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 | Alchemist Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Thunderwave, Magic Missile |
| 5th | Shatter, Mirror Image |
| 9th | Hypnotic Pattern, Lightning Bolt |
| 13th | Fire Shield, Greater Invisibility |
| 17th | Destructive Wave, Wall of Force |
Arcane Armor
At 3rd Level, your metallurgical pursuits have led to you making armor a conduit for your magic. As an action, you can turn a suit of armor you are wearing into Arcane Armor, provided you have smith's tools in hand. You gain the following benefits while wearing this armor:
- If the armor normally has a Strength requirement, the arcane armor lacks this requirement for you.
- You can use the arcane armor as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells.
- The armor attaches to you and can't be removed against your will. It also expands to cover your entire body, although you can retract or deploy the helmet as a bonus action. The armor replaces any missing limbs, functioning identically to a limb it replaces.
- You can doff or don the armor as an action. The armor continues to be Arcane Armor until you don another suit of armor or you die.
Armor Model
At 3rd Level, you can customize your Arcane Armor. When you do so, choose one of the following armor models: Guardian or Infiltrator. The model you choose gives you special benefits while you wear it.
Each model includes a special weapon. When you attack with that weapon, you can add your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, to the attack and damage rolls.
As a bonus action, you can imbue a cantrip you know or a spell you have prepared into your Arcane Armor's special weapon. If the spell is of 1st level or higher, you expend a spell slot of that spell's level or higher when you imbue it. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action, and you can only have 1 spell imbued at a time. The spell remains imbued until you cast it or complete a long rest.
When you hit a creature with an attack using the imbued weapon, you can cast that spell of the level it was imbued (without expending an additional spell slot) as part of that attack, with the following restrictions:
- If the spell targets creatures, you must include yourself or the target of the attack as one of the spell's targets.
- If the spell affects an area when cast, you or the target of the attack must be within that area when the spell is cast.
Guardian. You design your armor to be in the front line of conflict. It has the following features:
Thunder Gauntlets. Each of the armor's gauntlets counts as a simple melee weapon while you aren't holding anything in it, and it deals 1d8 thunder damage on a hit. A creature hit by the gauntlet has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you until the start of your next turn, as the armor magically emits a distracting pulse when the creature attacks someone else.
Defensive Field. When you would take damage, you can use your reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to your level in this class plus your intelligence modifier, replacing any temporary hit points you already have. You lose these temporary hit points if you doff the armor. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Infiltrator. You customize your armor for subtle undertakings. It has the following features:
Lightning Launcher. A gemlike node appears on one of your armored fists or on the chest (your choice). It counts as a simple ranged weapon, with a normal range of 90 feet and a long range of 300 feet, and it deals 2d6 lightning damage on a hit.
Powered Steps. Your walking speed increases by 5 feet.
Dampening Field. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. If the armor normally imposes disadvantage on such checks, the advantage and disadvantage cancel each other, as normal.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th Level, you can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
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Armor Modifications
Starting at 9th Level, you learn how to use your artificer infusions to specially modify your Arcane Armor. That armor now counts as separate items for the purposes of your Infuse Items feature: armor (the chest piece), boots, helmet, and the armor's special weapon. Each of those items can bear one of your infusions, and the infusions transfer over if you change your armor's model with the Armor Model feature.
In addition, the maximum number of items you can infuse at once increases by 2, but those extra items must be part of your Arcane Armor.
Lastly, you can now have up to two spells imbued in your armor's special weapon, instead of one. When you hit a creature with an attack using the imbued weapon, you choose which of the two spells to cast, following the same restrictions.
Perfected Armor
Starting at 15th Level, your Arcane Armor gains additional benefits based on its model, as shown below.
Guardian. When a Huge or smaller creature you can see ends its turn within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to magically force it to make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, you pull the creature up to 25 feet directly to an unoccupied space. If you pull the target to a space within 5 feet of you, you can make a melee weapon attack against it as part of this reaction. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
Infiltrator. Any creature that takes lightning damage from your Lightning Launcher glimmers with magical light until the start of your next turn. The glimmering creature sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls against you, as the light jolts it if it attacks you. In addition, the next attack roll against it has advantage, and if that attack hits, the target takes an extra 2d6 lightning damage.
List of Changes:
- 3rd Level: You can imbue spells into your armor's weapon to cast as part of an attack. Defensive Field is now a reaction and grants more temp hp. Lightning Launcher no longer has a restriction on the bonus lightning damage.
- 9th Level: You can imbue an additional spell at a time.
- 15th Level: Added more lightning damage onto the effect of the Lightning Launcher. Changed Passwall to Destructive Wave in the prepared spells table.
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