Wingsmith
Not all ground-bound creatures are content with their lot in dirt plodding life, and some dream of the skies. When one of those creatures is an Inventor who makes their dreams reality, a Wingsmith is born. Experts of all things flying, they build advanced flying gear that unshackle them from gravity.
With each step the Wingsmith's quest to conqueror the sky goes higher and keeps them aloft longer until they are as natural an inhabitant of the heavens above as any bird.
Some Inventors pursue the skies for a love of adventure, others seek to claim them for more practical matters, serving as scouts, explorers, or messengers. Others still view the sky as the final frontier of warfare, always seeking the higher ground to bombard, snipe, or dive upon their foes, always having the upper hand.
Wingsmith's Proficiency
When you choose this specialization at 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and tinker's tools.
Gliding Gear
At 1st level, you construct your gliding gear. The form of this gear can vary, but is most typically a set of artificial wings that can be folded or deployed. You can deploy the gear as a bonus action at any time, or as a reaction to falling 30 feet or more. While your gliding gear is deployed, you count as one size larger for moving through tight spaces, and you gain no benefits from your gliding gear being deployed if you are squeezing through a space too small for you. You can fold your gliding gear as a bonus action at any time.
While you have this gear deploying and aren't wearing heavy armor, you gain the following benefits:
- Controlled Descent. When falling, you can decide how far you want to fall, from a minimum of 10 feet to a maximum of 60 feet. You take no falling damage.
- Gliding. When falling, you can move up to 30 feet horizontally in any direction during your turn, as long as you fall 10 or more feet.
- Assisted Jumps. You can use your Dexterity or Intelligence ability score to calculate your jumping distance instead of your Strength ability score. Your jumping distance is double.
Your gear can lift only you. If you are holding another creature when you attempt to glide, you instead only slow your descent halving any falling damage. If your Gilding Gear is ever lost or destroyed, you can rebuild it over the course of a long rest with parts either created and scavenged over the course of 24 hours, or worth 5 gold pieces.
Your gliding gear can be upgraded through subclass Upgrades.
Powered Wingsuit
Starting at 3rd level, you improve your gliding gear to allow bursts of powered flight powered by ingenious technology.
When activated at the start of your turn (no action required), you gain 30 foot flying speed until the start of your next turn. When this flying speed ends at the start of your next turn, you fall unless otherwise held aloft (potentially triggering the gliding functions of your Gliding Gear). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). You regain all expended uses when you complete a short or long rest.
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When you gain this feature, you can add one additional Upgrade of your choice to your gliding gear.
Death From Above
Additionally at 3rd level, the first time you make a weapon attack against a creature at a lower elevation on your turn you gain advantage on the attack roll.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Airship Technician
Starting at 14th level, you build a small personal airship. This airship folds into a small spatially compressed form, and weighs only 25 pounds when collapsed into its magical carrying case.
When unfolded in a process taking 1 minute, it is 15 feet long and 10 feet wide, and can carry up to four people while flying in crowded conditions and carry a total of 2,000 pounds. While you are onboard, you can fly the ship. It has a flying speed of 120 feet, but cannot easily maneuver or change direction, reducing its speed to 30 feet on any turn it changes directions. It has an AC of 15 and 100 hit points. It can be repaired during a long rest if damaged or destroyed as long as it can be salvaged, or rebuilt over the course of one week if completely lost.
A creature other than you can fly the ship as long as you've spent at least 1 hour teaching them how to fly it, but when being flown by another creature its flying speed is halved.
You gain one airship Upgrade for free, ignoring the 15th level requirement for it.
Aeronaut
Additionally at 14th level, you gain the Enduring Flight Upgrade. If you already have the Enduring Flight Upgrade, you can select another Upgrade of your choice of the same level requirement or lower.
While you are flying, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws and your AC is increased by 1.
Wingsmith Upgrades
Unrestricted Upgrades
Bomber
You develop explosive devices meant to be rained upon your enemies from above. These unstable devices can only be used by you, and must be used as soon as they are armed. When you throw one as an action, you target a point on the ground within 15 feet + your current elevation (for example, if you are 15 feet in the air, you can target a point on the ground within 30 feet), up to a maximum of 60 feet away.
Each creature within 5 feet of the point must make a Dexterity saving throw. On failure, they take 1d4 fire damage and 1d4 thunder damage. On success, they take half as much damage. If you are at a higher elevation than your target, you add your Intelligence modifier to damage dealt.
The fire and thunder damage increase by 1d4 (to 2d4) at 5th level, and again at 11th level (to 3d4), and 17th level (to 4d4)
Bracing Frame
While you have your gliding gear deployed, you count as mounted for the purposes of wielding a lance.
Compact Gear
You streamline your design to make it better work in tight spaces. Your gliding gear no longer makes you count as one size larger for the purposes of moving through spaces when deployed.
Diving Gear (Prerequisite: Death From Above)
When you fall 20 or more feet toward a target before making a melee weapon attack against them that would trigger Death From Above, you deal 1d6 additional damage on hit. Immediately after making attack on a turn you've made a melee attack benefiting from Death From Above, you can fly upwards up to 10 feet less than you've fallen during your turn (for example, if you dive 30 feet toward a creature before making an attack, you can fly upward 20 feet after making the attack).
Jump Jet
You build a rapid acceleration booster. You can activate it as a bonus action, launching yourself 30 feet straight up. This movement does not trigger attacks of opportunity. Once you activate the Jump Booster, you cannot activate it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Launch Module
You build a portable rocket with a grab arm that can launch anything it attaches to. As an action, you toss it at a creature or object within 20 feet of you. The rocket grabs the target and launches it 30 feet in a direction of your choice. If the target is not a willing creature, it can make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid being launched by the rocket module. You can use this upgrade once, after which you complete a short or long rest before using it again.
Example Wingsmith Archetypes
As with most Inventor subclasses, there is an innumerable variety of directions you can go when playing a Wingsmith. Three will be listed here as some basic examples, which can be used as a guide, inspiration, or starting point for making the Wingsmith you want to play, each focusing on a different possible main attribute.
Aerial Technician (Intelligence). In order to go this route, take Intelligence as your primary attribute and Dexterity as your secondary attribute. This build focuses on area of damage and skill based utility, staying out of reach of their enemies. It can loosely be categorized as a highly mobile Blaster, with a secondary focus on Utility.
Level Upgrade 3 Bomber, Wind Magic 5 Cluster Bombs CDK Blasting Rod or Infused Weapon 7 Evasion Module 9 Enduring Flight 11 Power Vent
Aerial Archer (Dexterity). In order to go this route, take Dexterity as your primary attribute and Intelligence as your secondary attribute. This build is safe striker and scout, maximizing mobility and target access.
Level Upgrade 3 Jump Jet, Machine Loader 5 Extended Flight CDK Infused Weapon 7 Compact Gear 9 Enduring Flight 11 Gravity Assist
Aerial Knight (Strength). In order to go this route, take Strength as your primary attribute, and try to have at least a +2 for your Dexterity modifier (in order to gain value form medium armor). This build is a striking skirmisher that floats (literally) at the edge of reach. It can be categorized as a highly mobile Striker.
Level Upgrade 3 Bracing Frame, Shield Proficiency 5 Extended Flight CDK Gadgetsmith Upgrade 7 Diving Gear 9 Enduring Flight 11 Gravity Assist
Machine Loader
You build a machine loader that allows you to automate the loading process of certain weapons. While wearing your Gliding Gear, you can ignore the loading property of ranged weapons.
Weaponized Wings
You install bladed claws in your wings, allowing them to be used as natural weapons. These weapons do not require your hands to wield, and deal 1d8 slashing damage on hit. They have the reach and finesse properties.
Wind Magic
Your in-depth study of arcane wind magic. This spells are considered Inventor spells for you and do no count against your spells known:
| Level | Spell Known |
|---|---|
| 3rd | gale boltK |
| 5th | dust cycloneK |
| 9th | vortex blastK |
| 13th | aero barrageK |
| 17th | tornadoK |
You can cast gale boltK once without expending a spell slot, regaining the ability to do so after completing a long rest.
Wing Block
You build defensive plates in your wings. As a reaction to being hit by an attack while your gliding gear is deployed, you can attempt to block with your wings, adding your proficiency bonus to your AC against that attack. If you are flying or gliding above ground when taking this reaction, you lose 10 feet of elevation.
5th-Level Upgrades
Cluster Bombs (Prerequisite: Bomber)
You develop a special explosive for when an entire area needs to be leveled. You can replace a normal Bomber action by throwing out four bombs targeting different points within range. Each bomb deals an additional 1d4 fire and thunder damage. A creature caught in the area of multiple bombs only takes damage once, but has disadvantage on the saving throw against taking damage, and takes half damage even if they pass their saving throw against the bombs.
You can use this upgrade a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, after which you must complete a long rest to recharge your stock of cluster bombs, regaining all uses.
Decoy Deployment
You build a special illusion decoy module you can use to cast mirror image without expending a spell slot. Once you cast the spell using this upgrade, you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest.
Evasion Module
You develop a special booster that allows you to take extreme evasive action. As a reaction to being hit by a ranged attack roll while you are flying, you can activate this module to make the attack miss. Once you activate this module, you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest.
Extended Flight
When you use your Powered Wingsuit feature to grant yourself a flying speed, the flying speed lasts for 1 minute instead of 1 round.
Turbulent Strikes (Prerequisite: Weaponized Wings)
Your wing natural weapons granted by Weaponized Wings gain the Light property. Each time you make an attack with them, you can move 5 feet without expending any movement, as long as your movement speed isn't 0.
9th-Level Upgrades
Enduring Flight
You gain a flying speed of 30 feet. Whenever you use your Powered Wingsuit, it instead increases your flying speed to 60 feet for the duration it would have granted a flying speed.
Flame Wake
As a bonus action, you vent superheated plumes from your Gliding Gear granting an explosive boost. Your movement speed doubles until the end of your turn, and when you pass within 5 feet of another creature it must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 4d6 fire damage, or half as much on a successful save. A creature only has to make this save once during the effect, regardless of how many times you pass within 5 feet of them.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Meteor Module
You gain the ability to overload your Gliding Gear to cast meteor jumpK without expending a spell slot. Once you do this, you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest.
Power Vent
You gain the ability to harness your Gliding Gears propulsion core to make a powerful attack based on the concepts used to power it. You can select Fire, Lightning or Gravity when you select the upgrade, each of which grants a different effect when activated as an action:
- Fire. All creatures in a 30 foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
- Lightning. All creatures in a 100 foot line must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
- Gravity. All creatures in a 15 foot radius must make a Strength saving throw, taking 6d6 bludgeoning damage and being knocked 15 feet away from you on a failed save, or half as much damage without being knocked back on a successful save.
Once activated, it cannot be activated again until you complete a short or long rest.
11th-level Upgrades
Cargo Lift
You gain the ability to fly even while carrying another creature, as long as that creature is your size or smaller. Any gain in elevation costs twice as much movement while carrying another creature.
Gravity Assist
When you make an attack that gains advantage from Death From Above, the attack deals an additional 2d6 damage on hit.
Redundant Systems (Prerequisite: An upgrade the recharges on a short or long rest)
You can activate an already used Wingsmith upgrade that would normally not be available until you take a short long rest. Once you've used this to activate an upgrade again early, you cannot use this feature to activate an upgrade again until you complete a short or long rest.
15th-level Upgrades
Weapon Platform (Airship Upgrade)
You build a heavy weapon turret into your airship. While onboard the airship, you or any creature with martial weapon proficiency can fire the weapon. It uses the attacker's choice of Dexterity or Intelligence as its weapon attack and damage modifier, and deals 2d12 piercing damage on hit. Once fired, it cannot be fired again until the start of your next turn.
Fire Ship (Airship Upgrade)
While your airship is deployed, as an action or as a reaction to being reduced to 0 hit points, you can detonate it. All creatures and objects that are not being worn or carried within 40 feet of its center point must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 40d6 fire damage, or half as much on a successful save.
When used, the airship is completely destroyed and cannot be salvaged.
Ramming Prow (Airship Upgrade)
When your airship would collide with another creature or object after traveling 20 or more feet in a turn, that creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On failure, it takes 4d6 piercing damage, or half as much on success. If the target is Large or larger, the airship takes half as much damage.
Remote Control (Airship Upgrade)
You can pilot the airship (even if no one is onboard) while you are within 500 feet of it. It otherwise behaves as if you are piloting it. You can treat any system that requires you to be onboard to operate it as if you were onboard (such as firing an airship weapon).
Supersonic
You build an extreme boost jet that allows you to launch yourself at great speed. As a bonus action, you can activate it, increasing your movement speed to 500 feet until the end of your turn. Once during your movement you can emit a sonic boom, forcing all creatures and objects that are not being worn or carried within 20 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw, taking 6d6 thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.