Artificer subclass:
The Messwright
"Built ol’ Bessy here a good ten years back. Ain’t never let me down, not once. She’s held her ground against fire-flingin’ kobolds, greased up a whole goblin warband tryin’ to sneak off with my rations, and even tucked me safe in her belly when the hail came down big as my fists. But the best part? She makes a rothe stew so good, I swear its be the best stew this side of the Sword Coast..."
--A veteran Messwright, talking about his cooking pot "Bessy".
Many an adventurer forgets: long marches aren’t made on grit alone. They’re made on full bellies and well rested limbs. And nobody knows this better than the Messwright. Truly ingenious engineers of food and fabrication, these artificers know how to stand their ground and make a home out of every hole the party crawls into. Assisted by their autonomous cooking pot, these individuals are a welcome sight to any weary traveler—for they know that with a Messwright nearby, they’re bound to enjoy a comfortable, safe night’s rest.
Subclass Features
| Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Combat Gourmand, Messwright spells, The Hearthling |
| 5th | Battle Snacks, Kettle Slam |
| 9th | Hearthling Upgrade |
| 15th | Gastro-Heroic Masterpiece |
Level 3: Combat Gourmand
You trained to get the hardiness and instincts of a seasoned chef under pressure.
- You gain proficiency with cook’s utensils and heavy armor if you don’t already have them.
- You can add your Intelligence modifier to Constitution saving throws.
- Your Hit Point maximum increases by 3, and it increases by 1 whenever you gain another Artificer level.
Additionally, you’ve learned to make the most of your sturdy frame and gear. While wearing medium or heavy armor, if you are positioned between a hostile attacker and an ally of equal or smaller size as you within 5 feet of you, that ally gains three-quarters cover against that attacker’s attacks.
Level 3: Messwright spells
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Messwright Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Messwright spells
| Artificer level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Ensnaring strike, Goodberry |
| 5th | Calm Emotions, Warding Bond |
| 9th | Aura of Vitality, Stinking cloud |
| 13th | Aura of Purity, Fire Shield |
| 17th | Cloudkill, Mass Cure wounds |
Level 3: The Hearthling:
You craft a semi-autonomous construct called the Hearthling—a portable campfire, cooking pot, and defensive bastion. You determine its appearance, but this has no effect on its statistics. It uses your spell save DC for its features. See its stat block for details.
In combat, the Hearthling shares your initiative and acts immediately after you. It can move on its own, but takes only the Dodge action unless you use a bonus action to command it to take another (including those in its stat block or general actions). If you're incapacitated, it may act freely.
Casting Mending on the Hearthling restores 2d6 hit points. If it dies, you may revive it within 1 hour using tinkerer's tools as an action, expending a 1st-level spell slot or higher. It returns to life after 1 minute with full hit points.
You can create a new Hearthling at the end of a long rest using tinkerer's tools. If a previous Hearthling exists, it perishes. It also perishes if you die.
The Hearthling can collapse into a barrel-shaped, 3-foot-tall form weighing 120 pounds. While collapsed, it is inert and can be carried or stowed like a heavy pack. A Medium creature with Strength 13+ can carry it without penalty.
Level 5: Battle Snacks
You can prepare a number of magical Snacks equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1) during a short or long rest. Each retains its magic until the end of your next long rest. You may never have more Snacks prepared than this maximum.
When prepared, choose a flavor from the Flavor Table. A creature can consume a Snack as a bonus action if holding it, or another creature may throw it within 30 feet as a bonus action; the target can use their reaction to catch and consume it.
Upon consumption, the creature gains temporary hit points equal to twice your Artificer level. For the next minute, it adds 1d4 to all checks, saves, or attacks using the associated ability score.
Only one Snack effect can be active per creature at a time. If a creature consumes a second while one is active, it gains no benefit and becomes poisoned for 1 minute.
At 9th level, the bonus die increases to 1d6. At 14th level, it increases to 1d8.
Flavor Table
| Flavor | Affected Ability |
|---|---|
| Salty | Strength |
| Spicy | Dexterity |
| Bitter | Constitution (includes death saves) |
| Umami | Intelligence |
| Sour | Wisdom |
| Sweet | Charisma |
Hearthling
Medium Construct, Unaligned
- Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 2 + your Intelligence modifier + 6 times your artificer level (Hit Dice = d10s x artificer level)
- Speed 15 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 4 (−3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
- Damage Immunities Poison, Psychic
- Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned, Exhausted
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
- Languages Understands the languages of its creator, but cannot speak
Traits
Hearthling camp. The Hearthling can be commanded to set up camp over the course of 1 minute, becoming immobile and casting the Alarm spell (audible) in a 20-foot radius. While camped, it sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius (dim light for 30 more), provides heat and cooking utility, and its action ranges increase by 5 feet. Breaking camp also takes 1 minute and ends all associated effects.
Covering Bulk. While the Hearthling is positioned between a hostile attacker and an ally within 5 feet, it provides that ally with three-quarters cover.
Actions
Smokescreen. The Hearthling releases a thick magical smoke in a 10-foot radius (15ft while camped), heavily obscuring the area until the start of its next turn.
Greasy Ground. The area in a 10-foot radius (15ft while camped) becomes difficult terrain. Any creature that enters or starts its turn in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Lasts until the start of its next turn.
Aromatic Surge. The Hearthling emits a powerful aroma. Sleeping creatures within 10ft (15ft while camped) awaken instantly. Unconscious creatures at 0 hit points are restored to 1 hit point.
Swallow Ally. As an action, the Hearthling swallows a medium or smaller creature within 5ft (10ft while camped). The swallowed creature becomes Sheltered, gains total cover, and the Hearthling gains the effects of the Sanctuary spell. While occupied, the Hearthling cannot take any other activated actions and its speed is reduced by 10ft. A creature can exit the Hearthling as an action on its own turn, ending all effects.
Level 5: Kettle Slam
On the battlefield, you cannot be ingored.
While wielding a shield, you can use your action to slam your weapon against it, creating a thunderous clang. Each hostile creature within 10 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to target you with its next hostile action (if it takes one) before the end of its next turn.
If your Hearthling is within 30 feet and not Sheltering a creature, you can choose to reverberate the effect through it as well, affecting enemies within 10ft of the Hearthling. On a failed save, they are compelled to target the Hearthling with their next hostile action.
Level 9: Hearthling Upgrade
You enhance your Hearthling into a truly formidable bastion of magical culinary defense. It gains the following improvements:
- Its size becomes Large and grants full cover with Covering Bulk.
- It can now use Swallow Ally to Shelter Large or smaller creatures.
- Its base movement speed becomes 25ft.
- When setting up a Hearthling camp, the Hearthling also casts Leomunds tiny Hut in a 15-foot radius around itself, in addition to the Alarm spell.
Lastly, once per long rest, you can toss a Snack you have prepared into the Hearthling as a bonus action. The Hearthling then belches out an aromatic cloud that applies the Snack's effect to all creatures that are within 10ft (15ft if Hearthling camp is active) as if they consumed the Snack. Creatures can still only be affected by one Snack effect at a time.
Level 15: Gastro-Heroic Masterpiece
Your culinary mastery reaches legendary heights. You can cast the Heroes’ Feast spell once per long rest without expending a spell slot or material components, using your Hearthling as the focus. The Hearthling is not consumed in the casting.
The spell functions as normal—conjuring a magical feast that takes one hour to consume and benefits up to 12 creatures—but with the following enhancements:
- You do not have to roll for the maximum and current hitpoint increase, instead maximizing the roll and adding your Intelligence modifier to the total.
- Each participant gains one Battle Snack for later use, choosing from the Flavor table. These Snacks do not count towards your maximum amount of prepared Snacks.
Art credit
First page top: Envar Studio
Third page side: Phill-Art