Adventures: Many artificers live a life of seclusion, far from the outside world, where they are free to hone their understanding of science, magic and technology far from the prying eyes of the ignorant. For other artificers, however, the world is their laboratory -- life is best spent traveling to foreign lands and learning everything they can. Their theories and skills can be thoroughly tested only through regular application, which adventure affords.

Characteristics: Artificers are driven by a unyielding thirst for knowledge, but often at the expense of their social skills. In many ways, they are the archetypal ‘mad scientist’, reveling in invention but difficult to understand.

Alignment: Artificers are far more interested in their work than in its moral implications. As such, all artificers tend towards neutrality. Lawfully minded artificers focus on methods for improvement and the betterment of society, while Chaotically minded artificers tend to follow their whims, whether that road leads them to inventions of creation or destruction.

Background: Similar to wizards, artificers receive formal training and education through years of hard study. The talents and desire to enter the world of the artificer often manifest at a very early age, through the disassembling of objects and devices for no other reason that curiosity. Artificers are a closely knit society, sharing a sense of camaraderie with others who have similar training and knowledge. They relish intellectual debate and conversation with their fellows, sharing theories and commentary upon each other’s techniques and innovations. Rivalry between artificers is common, with each viewing themselves as the pinnacle of a rare and exclusive breed, and eager to correct the “mistakes” of their rivals.

Role: Artificers are valuable support within their party, offering technological and magical assistance to others. Their weird science abilities make them well suited to augmenting the specific needs of any adventuring group.

Alignment: Any Neutral

Hit Dice: d6

Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10 gp (average 105gp)

Class Skills

The artificer’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Linguistics (Int), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 5 + Int modifier.

Table: Artificer

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the artificer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An artificer is proficient with all simple weapons, with light armor, and with shields (except tower shields). 

Elbow Grease

The artificer gains a +2 bonus to all Craft checks. This bonus raises to +4 at 6th level, and +6 at 10th level.

Jack of All Trades

The artificer has picked up a smattering of even the most obscure skills. They may use any skill untrained.

Weird Science

An artificer is not a spellcaster, but instead possesses the ability to imbue items with magical power. This weird science allows the artificer to create devices that combine the effects of one or more spells, either arcane or divine.

An artificer has access to both arcane and divine spell lists, but only up to 4th level. Any number of spells can be combined into a single device. Spell statistics (casting times, etc.) remain unchanged, although no components are required and the artificer is considered the “caster” for the purposes of CL.

Weird science devices need time to be created. The time to create such devices is 1 hour per spell level used. As such, an artificer usually has a fixed collection of regularly-carried devices.

Weird science devices maybe unreliable as they are made quickly. They are able to be used reliably a number of times per day equal to 5 plus the class level of the artificer who built the device (rounding up, naturally). The device may be used by anyone -- but if used by someone other than the artificer who built it, it requires a Use Magic Device roll at DC 15 to activate (a failed roll indicates that the device fails to activate for that user).

If the device is used more times than allowed (by anyone), it requires a Use Magic Device skill check with a DC starting at 10 and rising by 1 every additional time the device is used. A failed roll means that the device breaks down and may not be used again until the artificer can fix it (Craft check DC 15 +1 per spell level(s) of the item). Once fixed the item is then usable again the number of times per day. Fixing an item requires 1/4 the time is took to create the item.  Unless the artificer uses the Fast Fix feat or the Insta-fix feat. 

Combining multiple magical effects into a single device means that both effects function simultaneously upon activation (effectively casting two or more spells at once) -- but such devices are even more unstable than usual: The Use Magic Device check for extra activations starts at DC 12 + the number of effects used, and goes up for each additional usage by the number of effects used.

Item Creation

At second level, an artificer’s invention ability expands to include the creation of true magic items, and even if the artificer does not have access to the prerequisite spells. The artificer must make a successful Craft check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item. This ability does not stack with the Master Craftsman feat.

The magic item creation guidelines are used, and for the purpose of emulating prerequisites, the artificer’s effective CL equals his class level +2. However, if the item duplicates a spell effect, the statistics of that effect use the artificer’s actual level.

Bonus Feats

An artificer gains every item creation feat as a bonus feat. He gets Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat at 2nd level, Brew Potion at 3rd level, Craft Wondrous Item at 4th level, Craft Magic Arms and Armor at 5th level, Craft Wand at 7th level, Craft Rod at 9th level, Craft Staff at 12th level, and Forge Ring at 14th level. In addition, an artificer gains a bonus feat at 3rd, 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level. For each of these bonus feats, the artificer must choose a feat from the following list: Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Heighten Spell, Magical Aptitude, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, Skill Focus, Still Spell,Widen Spell.

Salvage

At 5th level, an artificer gains the ability to salvage the gold piece value from a magic item and use those funds to create another magic item. The artificer must spend a day with the item, and he must also have the appropriate item creation feat for the item he is salvaging. After one day, the item is destroyed and the artificer gains the gp value it took to create the item. This value is cannot be spent as gold, it may only be used in the creation of another magic item.

Metamagic Science

At 6th level, an artificer gains the ability to apply a metamagic feat he knows to a spell trigger item (such as a wand). He must have the appropriate item creation feat for the spell trigger item he is using. Using this ability expends additional charges from the item equal to the number of effective spell levels the metamagic feat would add to a spell.

Improved Metamagic Science

At 11th level, an artificer gains the ability to apply a metamagic feat he knows to a spell completion item (a scroll, for example). He must have the appropriate item creation feat for the spell completion item he is using. The DC for the Use Magic Device check is equal to 20 + (3 times the modified level of the spell).

Improved Jack of All Trades

All skills are now considered class skills for the artificer, receiving the usual +3 bonus given to class skill checks.

Exemplar

The artificer's Jack of All Trades ability reaches its zenith: The artificer may now add half his class level to all untrained skill checks.

New Archetype

Tech Artificer

New Skills