Inventor

Inventors are adventurers whose talents bend toward the clockwork, toward arcane technology (aethertech) as applied beyond the manufactory floor. Unlike mechanists, they do not cast spells; instead they directly manipulate aether and machinery. Since the Fourth Wish and the awakening of the Soul-forged, inventors and mechanists have multiplied. One oddity of both of them is that most of their inventions can’t actually be operated by other people without the inventor present. There’s always something missing. Some theorize that the inventor’s own soul is a critical component in the tech. This has drastically reduced the speed with which advanced technology can spread.

Quick Build

If you want to play the melee-oriented Gearhead archetype, Strength and Intelligence should be your primary attributes, with Constitution as your secondary. Pick the heaviest armor you can wear and a two-handed weapon.

If instead you want to play the quick-fingered, ranged sniper Trapsmith archetype, Dexterity and Intelligence should be your primary attributes. Choose light armor and a heavy crossbow, with a light hammer as a melee weapon.

Class Features

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per inventor leve.
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifie.
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per inventor level after 1st.

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light and medium armo.
• Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapon.
• Tools: Two tools of your choice.
• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligenc.
• Skills: Choose three from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, and Sleight of Hand

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background.

• any martial weapon
• (a) two light hammers or (b) a heavy crossbow and 20 bolts
• (a) leather armor, (b) scale armor, or (c, if proficient) chain mail
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
• (a) Tinkerer’s tools, (b) Smith’s tools

Archetype

Adventuring inventors fall into their specialization fairly early. Three such specializations are presented at the end of this class entry: The chemist, who specializes in alchemical munitions and other consumables, the Gearhead, who specializes in enhancing his armor until he’s a walking tank, and the Trapsmith who focuses on upgrading his ranged weapons and rapidly deployable traps. You gain features from them when you first select your Archetype at level 1 and again at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 13th levels.

Alchemical Munitions

You can make one vial of alchemist’s fire or acid as part of a long rest by expending 2 gp.

When you attack with alchemist’s fire or acid, you can do so as part of an Attack action, and make the attack with proficiency.

Mechanical Talent

Starting at 2nd level, when you make an ability check to understand, fix, disable, or otherwise interact with mechanical items or aetheric technology, you can add twice your proficiency bonus instead of whatever proficiency bonus (including none at all) would be applied normally.

Clockwork Battery

Starting at 2nd level, you’ve developed a battery system that can feed additional energy into your equipment, allowing you to manipulate aether, creating quasi-magical effects without the trappings or consequences of casting spells.

This battery stores a certain amount of charge while you rest, which can then be expended to power your effects.

Charge Die

When an effect calls for you to roll one or more Charge Dice, you roll that many dice (originaly d6s) and add together the result. At higher levels, the charge die size increases, as shown on the Charge Die column of the Inventor table.

You have five charge dice available at 2nd level. After you expend these, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. This maximum number increases as you gain levels, as shown on the Maximum Charges column of the Inventor table.

When an effect allows you to choose how many Charge Dice to expend, you can choose any number as long as you have that many charges available and it is no more than than the value shown on the Charge Limit column of the Inventor table. For example, if you are level 3 and have not spent any Charge Dice, you can still only expend 2 of those dice on any individual use of an ability.

Charge Ability and DC

The associated ability score for your Charge effects is Intelligence. When an effect calls for your Charge DC, it is calculated b. Charge DC = 8 + your Intelligence Modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Energy Augmentation

The most simple use of your Clockwork Battery, gained when you unlock the Battery at 2nd level, is to infuse your weapon strikes with quasi-elemental energy or simply augment their striking power. When you hit with a weapon attack, unarmed strike, or with an alchemical munition, you can expend a number of Charge Dice up to your charge limit. When you do so, roll the Charge Dice and add the total to the damage dealt. You choose the damage type from the following: cold, fire, lightning, thunder, or the damage type of the weapon. When you do so, the entire damage result counts as coming from a magical weapon.

Clockwork Friend

At 3rd level you’ve created a tiny clockwork construct to serve as your friend. It takes the shape of a spider, mouse, beetle or other similar non-flying creature. It has 1 hit point, AC 10, 30 ft of movement, normal vision (passive perception of 10). Its Strength and Intelligence scores are 1 and all of its other ability scores are 10. It cannot attack, but can otherwise understand your simple orders and will fulfil them as practical for its shape. While it is on your person, it is considered to be immune to all damage and does not make saving throws.

When you create your friend, choose one movement module and one sensory module. You can alter your choices when you finish a long rest as long as you have a tinker’s tool’s set.

If destroyed or lost, you can reconstruct it by spending mechanical gears and metal worth 10 gp during a long rest. You can only have one active at a time; trying to build a second causes the first to immediately become nonfunctional.

Multitool

At 3rd level, you’ve created a clockwork tool that counts as any tool with which you are proficient, as well as the following:

• A crowbar
• A shovel
• A wood axe
• A firestarter
• A bucket

If you lose this tool, you can recreate it by expending 1 GP of metal and wire during a long rest. It has a weight of 2 lbs and packs to the size of a sheathed shortsword.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Alternatively, you can choose a feat that you qualify for.

Skill Tricks

At 4th level, you have learned the Craft Apprentice skill trick and one other skill trick you qualify for. At 8th level, you learn your choice of Medic, Trap Finder, or Tumble (even if you would not otherwise qualify). At 12th level, you learn your choice of Find Weakness or Sunder. At 16th and 19th level, you can pick a skill trick you otherwise qualify for.

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the Attack action on your turn.

In addition, you ignore the loading property of weapons as you’ve modified your personal weapon to automatically reload itself.

Energy Synthesis

Starting at 6th level, you can release a burst of quasi-elemental aether from your Clockwork Battery. As an action, expend a number of Charge Dice up to your charge limit, roll and sum them, and pick one of the following:

Adaptive Defense

At 7th level, you’ve incorporated significant alterations into your non-weapon gear, letting you defend yourself more efficiently in emergencies. You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing any armor.

• As a reaction when you take damage from a source you can see, you can expend a number of Charge Die up to your charge limit. Roll the dice and subtract the result from the damage taken. This occurs after resistance and vulnerability are accounted for.
• As a reaction when you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution ability check or saving throw, you can expend one Charge Die and add the result to the ability check or saving throw result. You can do this after you see the result but before the outcome is applied.
• As a bonus action, you can spend a number of Charge Dice up to your charge limit. Roll the dice and add the total to your hit points. You can only take this option if you are below half your maximum hit points.

Underwater Movement Engine

Starting at 7th level, you’ve modified your Clockwork Battery and gear to produce a bubble of air and jet propulsion while underwater. While you are wearing armor, you gain a swimming speed of 40 ft and can breathe underwater.

Additionally, this air filtration gives limited protection against gaseous hazards. When you make a Constitution saving throw against airborne poisons (such as a green dragon’s breath weapon or the cloudkill spell), you do so with advantage.

Overclocked Clockwork Friend

Starting at 9th level, you can spend 1 charge die to temporarily enhance your clockwork friend. It gains one of the following abilities:

• A 60 ft fly speed for one hours
• Invisibility (as the spell) for 10 minutes. This does not require concentration from you.
• Perform complex tasks (pull levers, speak messages (pre-recorded), etc) for 10 minutes. During this time, it is considered to have a strength score of 10.

Additionally, it has hit points equal to 5 times the sum of your proficiency bonus and your Intelligence modifier (minimum 5 times your proficiency bonus) and its armor class increases by your proficiency bonus.

Improved Energy Synthesis

At 10th level, you gain an additional option for your Energy Synthesis ability.

Improved Energy Augmentation

Starting at 11th level, trace charge affects your weapon attacks even when you do not spend charge directly. Whenever you hit with a weapon attack and have at least one charge remaining, the damage increases by your Intelligence modifier. You choose the damage type from cold, fire, lightning, thunder, or the weapon’s damage type. Your weapon attacks are magical even if you do not expend charge to augment the attack.

3D Movement Engine

At 14th level, your movement engine has improved to the point that you gain a 40 ft fly speed and can hover while wearing armor. Additionally, you become immune to damage or the poisoned condition from airborne poisons and diseases.

Completed Clockwork Friend

At 15th level, you’ve completed your work on your mechanical companion. By spending one minute, you can alter your friend’s size between tiny, small, medium, and large—it also gains a 60 ft fly speed for one hour when you do so. If it is sufficiently large, you or any creature you designate can ride it.

While you are adjacent to your friend or it is being ridden, it ignores all damage and does not make saving throws.

Expert Energy Synthesis

At 17th level, your Clockwork Battery has become more efficient. When you use your Energy Synthesis ability and one or more of the targets succeed on their saving throw, you regain one of the expended charge dice. If every target succeeded on the saving throw, you regain two charge dice (if you spent at least that many).

Self Repair Circuits

At 20th level, your Clockwork Battery can preserve your life even when you take fatal damage. When you are reduced to 0 hit points or would be killed outright, roll all your remaining charge dice (or one if you have none remaining). Any effects that would kill you are nullified, your hit points are set to the rolled total (or your maximum hit points if the total would put you above your maximum) instead of 0 and all negative conditions affecting you are removed. After one minute, you gain a level of exhaustion. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Inventor Archetypes

Inventors, while they share many common abilities, all eventually find obsessions. Parts of their skill-set that they focus on and constantly polish, tinker with, and improve. These are their archetypes.

Chemist

Chemists focus on the alchemical side of the inventor’s life, creating ways to better disperse their munitions and potions to others, as well as creating new munitions.

Additional Proficiencies

You gain proficiency in Arcana and Medicine, as well as alchemist’s supplies and herbalism kits.

Munition Launcher

At 3rd level, you’ve created a system to launch potions, alchemical items, and other munitions out to 90 ft as an action. If you target a friendly creature other than yourself, they can catch it out of the air and use it on themselves as a reaction. If you target a hostile creature with an alchemical munition, make the attack roll as normal. If you target a location, it simply hits that location.

Fast Hands

Starting at 3rd level, you can use potions on yourself or administer them to someone adjacent to you as a bonus action.

Extra Alchemical Munitions

At 6th level, you’ve learned to create three additional types of alchemical munitions—the firestone, tanglefoot bag and the thunderstone.

Improved Alchemical Munitions

Starting at 6th level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of the attacks with a use of an alchemical munition.

Additionally, you can hastily concoct a munition of your choice by expending a charge die as part of a short rest. When you do so, that munition only lasts until you finish a long rest, but does not cost any gold.

Alchemical Discoveries

At 9th level you learn the formula for all common and uncommon potions and oils, as well as one rare potion of your choice. The cost to create these items is shown on the following table.

Alchemical Master (13th)

At 13th level you have discovered deep secrets to alchemy. You gain the following benefits

• You are immune to the poisoned condition and poison damage.
• Healing potions you administer or use heal the maximum possible. If you expend one or more aether charges as part of the action, they heal an additional 1d8 for each expended charge.
• When you use alchemical munitions that deal damage, the damage dealt is increased by your Intelligence modifier.
• You can produce potions and alchemical munitions at twice the normal rate. If you could make one as part of a long rest, you can now make two.

Gearhead

The gearhead tinkers with a suit of clockwork armor adapted for themselves. Starting with a powered frame over which normal armor hangs and slowly growing more and more elaborate.

Power Armor: Core

You gain proficiency in heavy armor. Your carrying/lift/drag capacity doubles.

Additional Proficiencies

You gain proficiency in athletics and intimidation.

Power Armor: Limbs

Starting at 3rd level, you always count as having a running start when you jump and your high jumps are as far as your long jumps.

Additionally, you have advantage when grappling or shoving creatures your size or smaller and can grapple creatures up to two sizes larger than you.

Power Armor: Helmet

Starting at 6th level, you cannot be blinded or deafened. Additionally, you can see creatures within 60 feet of you regardless of heavy obscurement, as long as they do not have total cover from you.

Power Armor: Improved Battery

Starting at 9th level, as an action, you can regain up to four charge dice. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Power Armor: Complete Suit

Starting at 13th level, your full armor now works together even better. You gain the following features:

• You are immune to being grappled and cannot be non-magically restrained. You have advantage on saving throws to resist magical restraint and ability checks or saving throws to escape restraint.
• When you start your turn and are stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise incapacitated, you can end that effect by expending one Charge Die. This does not require an action.

Trapsmith

The Trapsmith focuses on ranged combat and rapidly synthesizing enhanced tools and traps.

Zip Line

As an action starting at 1st level, you can shoot a special arrow attached to a cable up to 60 ft at a solid surface. It embeds itself and the line anchors itself to a surface within 5 feet of you. It can hold up to 300 lbs. Creatures who did not see it being shot must make a Perception check against your charge DC to see it—if they do not see it and walk through it, they are knocked prone. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Additional Proficiencies

You gain proficiency with acrobatics, deception, and thieves’ tools.

Ricochet Shot

Starting at 3rd level, if you miss with a ranged weapon attack, you can spend a charge die re-target the attack to another creature within 30 ft of the original target. Roll the attack again at disadvantage.

Mine-Layer

Starting at 6th level, when you use your Energy Synthesis ability, you can choose instead to plant the effect at a point you can see within 30 ft and delay its activation until you spend your reaction to trigger it. When triggered, you choose the direction or target (for flamethrower, stunner, or freeze ray). If 10 minutes elapse or you use your Energy Synthesis ability again, the original effect dissipates without triggering, and you regain the Charge Dice you expended on that original effect.

Aether Scanner

At 9th level, you have created a monocle that grants you the benefit of the detect magic and see invisibility spells. It does not require concentration, but must be worn by you to have this effect. If you lose this monocle, you can recreate it during a long rest by spending 100 gp.

Perfected Synthesis

Starting at 13th level, when you use your Mine-Layer or Energy Synthesis ability, the ability’s effect is increased based on the chosen version. Choose one of the following that applies to your chosen mode: