ARTIFICER In Eberron, magic is almost technology. Spellcasters specialize in certain forms of that technology, while artificers tinker with its fundamental workings. Artificers understand magic on a different level from spellcasters, and do not cast spells as wizards and clerics do. They have an amazing facility with magic items and constructs, and in many ways, they keep the magical world of Eberron running. Adventures: Artificers adventure for a variety of reasons. They seek deposits of rare minerals and dragonshards to use in their creations. They search for hidden arcane secrets related to making magic items or constructs. They face danger to acquire money to buy or make magic items. Like any other adventurers, they might also be motivated by a desire to fight evil or gain power, or by any of a host of similar reasons. Characteristics: Artificers are perhaps the ultimate magical dabblers. They can use just about any spell from a wand or scroll, empower ordinary items with temporary magical power, repair damaged constructs (including warforged), alter the function of existing magic items, and craft magic items, constructs, and dragonshard items. They have a limited list of their own spell-like infusions that they can apply to objects, and they can also work with any of the spells on other classes' spell lists. Their magic is neither arcane nor divine, and they are not bound by that classification: Their trade is magic in its most abstract (they might say purest) form. Alignment: If artificers have a tendency toward any alignment, it is neutral. They are more interested in their work than in its moral implications. Some artificers create magic items for the common good, while others seek to create items of tremendous destructive power. Religion: Many artificers revere the deity Onatar, Lord of Fire and Forge. Others are too preoccupied with mastering magic-including divine magic-to worry about the gods who may or may not be the source of magic. Background: Like wizards, artificers learn their craft through long years of hard study. They share a sense of camaraderie with others who have endured similar training. They view other artificers as either colleagues or rivals. Rivalry may take a friendly form as the artificers try to outdo each other in their creations and accomplishments, or it could turn deadly, with artificers sending construct assassins after each other. Races: Humans excel as artificers, having no natural attachment to the aesthetics of magic as elves do, and no knack for a particular expression of magic as gnomes have. Their analytical minds make them well suited to the artificer's task of reducing magic to its component pieces and reassembling it in a new form. Despite their Charisma penalty, warforged also make fine artificers, having a particular affinity for the creation of other constructs. Dwarves and gnomes, with their skill in the crafting of mundane items, show equal skill in the magical craft of the artificer. Halflings, elves, half-elves, half-orcs, kalashtar, shifters, and changelings do not have strong traditions in this class and often choose different magical pathways. Other Classes: Artificers work best when providing magical support to members of other classes. Though they are quite versatile, their talents lie in enhancing the items-weapons, armor, wands, and other gear-used by all the members of an adventuring party. They think of every party member as components of a machine, encouraging better teamwork within a group and sometimes providing strategy and tactics afforded by their unique mind-set. Role: In a typical adventuring party, artificers have a range of roles revolving around magic items. They bring an unparalleled flexibility to both using and creating such items. In a party that doesn't include a druid, for example, an artificer can use (or scribe) a scroll of barkskin or wield a staff of the woodlands. Though they can fight reasonably well, few artificers are inclined to engage in front-rank melee combat. GAME RULE INFORMATION Artificers have the following game statistics. Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability for an artificer, because several of his infusions rely on his ability to make Use Magic Device checks. Intelligence is also important because it determines the effectiveness of his infusions, but it plays a lesser role than for most spellcasters. A high Dexterity improves the artificer's defensive ability. Alignment: Any. Hit Die: d6. Class Skills: The artificer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha). Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) X 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier. CLASS FEATURES All of the following are class features of the artificer. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Artificers are proficient with all simple weapons, with light and medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields). Infusions: An artificer is not a spellcaster, but he does have the ability to imbue items with magical infusions. Infusions are neither arcane nor divine; they are drawn from the artificer infusion list (see Chapter 5: Magic). They function just like spells and follow all the rules for spells. For example, an infusion can be dispelled, it will not function in an antimagic area, and an artificer must make a Concentration check if injured while imbuing an item with an infusion. An artificer can imbue an item with any infusion from the list without preparing the infusion ahead of time. Unlike a sorcerer or bard, he does not select a subset of the available infusions as his known infusions; he has access to every infusion on the list that is of a level he can use. It is possible for an artificer to learn infusions that are not on the normal artificer infusion list. These might include ancient infusions he finds in the ruins of Xen'drik or secret infusions known only to the members of certain guilds or organizations. When he encounters such an infusion, an artificer can attempt to learn it by making a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + spell level). If this check succeeds, he adds the infusion to his list. If not, he can try again when he gains another rank in Spellcraft, assuming he still has access to the new infusion. To imbue an item with an infusion, an artificer must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the infusion level (Int 11 for lst-level infusions, Int 12 for 2nd-level infusions, and so forth). The save DC is Intelligence-based. Like spellcasters, an artificer can use only a certain number of infusions of a particular level per day. His base daily infusion allotment is given on the accompanying table. In addition, he receives extra infusions per day if he has a sufficiently high Intelligence score (see Table 1-1: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, page 8 of the Player's Handbook). An artificer's infusions can only be imbued into an item or a construct (including warforged). He cannot, for example, simply imbue an ally with bull's strength. He must instead imbue that ability into an item his ally is wearing. The item then functions as a belt of giant strength for the duration of the infusion. He can, however, imbue bull's strength directly on a construct or a character with the living construct subtype, and infusions such as repair light damage and iron construct function only when imbued on such characters. Many infusions have long casting times, often 1 minute or more. An artificer can spend 1 action point to imbue any infusion in 1 round (like a spell that takes 1 round to cast). Like a spellcaster, an artificer can apply metamagic feats he knows to his infusions. Like a sorcerer, an artificer can apply a metamagic feat to an infusion spontaneously, but doing this requires extra time. An artificer can craft alchemical items as though he were a spellcaster. An artificer never requires a divine focus to imbue an item with an infusion. In cases where an infusion duplicates a spell that requires either a material component or a divine focus, or requires either an arcane focus or a divine focus, the artificer uses the arcane material component or arcane focus. An artificer cannot automatically use a spell trigger or spell completion item if the equivalent spell appears on his infusion list. For example, an artificer must still employ the Use Magic Device skill to use a wand of light, even though light appears on his infusion list. Each day, an artificer must focus his mind on his infusions. He needs 8 hours of rest, after which he spends 15 minutes concentrating. During this period, the artificer readies his mind to hold his daily allotment of infusions. Without such a period of time to refresh himself, the character does not regain the infusion slots he used up the day before. Any infusions used within the last 8 hours count against the artificer's daily limit. Craft Reserve: An artificer receives a pool of points he can spend instead of experience points when crafting a magic item. Each time the artificer gains a new level, he receives a new craft reserve; leftover points from the previous level do not carry over. If the points are not spent, they are lost. An artificer can also use his craft reserve to supplement the XP cost of the item he is making, taking a portion of the cost from his craft reserve and a portion from his own XP. Artificer Knowledge: An artificer can make a special artificer knowledge check with a bonus equal to his artificer level + his Int modifier to detect whether a specific item has a magical aura. The artificer must hold and examine the object for 1 minute. A successful check against DC 15 determines that the object has magical qualities, but does not reveal the specific powers of the item. An artificer cannot take 10 or take 20 on this check. A particular item can only be examined in this fashion one time; if the check fails, the artificer can learn no more about that object. Artisan Bonus: An artificer gains a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks to activate an item of a kind for which he has the prerequisite item creation feat. For example, an artificer who has the Craft Wand feat gains a +2 bonus on checks to use a spell from a wand. Disable Trap: An artificer can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create the trap. An artificer can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. Usually the DC is 25 + the level of the spell used to create the trap. An artificer who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his party) without disarming it. Item Creation (Ex): An artificer can create a magic item even if he does not have access to the spells that are prerequisites for the item. The artificer must make a successful Use Magic Device check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item. Thus, to make a lst-level wand of magic missile, an artificer would need a Use Magic Device check result of 21 or higher. To create a bottle of air (caster level 7th), he would need a check result of 27 or higher to emulate the water breathing prerequisite. The artificer must make a successful check for each prerequisite for each item he makes. If he fails a check, he can try again each day until the item is complete (see Creating Magic Items, page 282 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). If he comes to the end of the crafting time and he has still not successfully emulated one of the powers, he can make one final check-his last-ditch effort, even if he has already made a check that day. If that check also fails, then the creation process fails and the time, money, and XP expended to craft the item are lost. For purposes of meeting item prerequisites, an artificer's effective caster level equals his artificer level +2. If the item duplicates a spell effect, however, it uses the artificer's actual level as its caster level. Costs are always determined using the item's minimum caster level or the artificer's actual level (if it is higher). Thus, a 3rd-level artificer can make a scroll of fireball, since the minimum caster level for fireball is 5th. He pays the normal cost for making such a scroll with a caster level of 5th: 5 X 3 X 12.5 = 187 gp and 5 sp, plus 15 XP. But the scroll's actual caster level is only 3rd, and it produces a weak fireball that deals only 3d6 points of damage. An artificer can also make Use Magic Device checks to emulate nonspell requirements, including alignment and race, using the normal DCs for the skill. He cannot emulate skill or feat requirements, however, including item creation feat prerequisites. He must meet the caster level prerequisite, including the minimum level to cast a spell he stores in a potion, wand, or scroll. An artificer's infusions do not meet spell prerequisites for creating magic items. For example, an artificer must still employ the Use Magic Device skill to emulate the light spell to create a wand of light, even though light appears on his infusion list. Magic items created by an artificer are considered neither arcane nor divine. Bonus Feat: An artificer gains every item creation feat as a bonus feat at or near the level at which it becomes available to spellcasters. He gets Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat at 1st level, Brew Potion at 2nd level, Craft Wondrous Item at 3rd level, Craft Magic Arms and Armor at 5th level, Craft Wand at 6th 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 4th level and every four levels thereafter (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th). For each of these bonus feats, the artificer must choose a metamagic feat or a feat from the following list: Attune Magic Weapon, Craft Construct (see the Monster Manual, page 303), Exceptional Artisan, Extra Rings, Extraordinary Artisan, Legendary Artisan, Wand Mastery. Craft Homunculus (Ex): At 4th level, an artificer can create a homunculus as if he had the Craft Construct feat. He must emulate the spell requirements (arcane eye, mending, and mirror image) as normal for making a magic item, and he must pay all the usual gold and XP costs (though he can spend points from his craft reserve). An artificer can also upgrade an existing homunculus that he owns, adding 1 Hit Die at a cost of 2,000 gp and 160 XP. If an artificer gives his homunculus more than 6 Hit Dice, it becomes a Small creature and advances as described in the Monster Manual (+4 Str, -2 Dex, damage increases to 1d6). The homunculus also gains 10 extra hit points for being a Small construct. An artificer's homunculus can have as many Hit Dice as its master's Hit Dice minus 2. No matter how many Hit Dice it has, a homunculus never grows larger than Small. Retain Essence (Su): At 5th level, an artificer gains the ability to salvage the XP from a magic item and use those points 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 adds the XP it took to create the item to his craft reserve. These points are lost if the artificer does not use them before gaining his next level. For example, an artificer wants to retain the essence of a wand of summon monster IV that has 20 charges. Originally created (like all wands) with 50 charges, it required 840 XP when initially made, or 16.8 XP (840 - 50) per charge. The artificer is able to recover the XP from the remaining charges. He puts 336 XP (16.8 X 20) into his craft reserve. Metamagic Spell Trigger (Su): At 7th level, an artificer gains the ability to apply a metamagic feat he knows to a spell trigger item (generally 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. For example, an artificer can quicken a spell cast from a wand by spending 5 charges (4 additional charges), empower the spell by spending 3 charges, or trigger it silently by spending 2 charges. The Still Spell feat confers no benefit when applied to a spell trigger item. An artificer cannot use this ability when using a spell trigger item that does not have charges, such as prayer beads. Metamagic Spell Completion (Su): At 11th level, an artificer gains the ability to apply a metamagic feat he knows to a spell completion item (generally a scroll). 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 X the modified level of the spell). For example, applying the Empower Spell feat to a scroll of cone of cold, creating a 7th-level effect, has a DC of 20 + (3 X 7), or 41. An artificer can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Int modifier. Skill Mastery: At 13th level, an artificer can take 10 when making a Spellcraft or Use Magic Device check, even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so. This ability circumvents the normal rule that a character may not take 10 on a Use Magic Device check. Artificer Options: A number of the additional options in this book make good choices for an artificer. Feats: Attune Magic Weapon, Bind Elemental, Exceptional Artisan, Extra Rings, Extraordinary Artisan, Legendary Artisan, Wand Mastery. Artificer Starting Gold: A lst-level artificer begins play with 5d4 X 10 gp (average 125 gp).