Tech Priest

[JNAProductions]

HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: d8
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8+Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8+Constitution Modifier

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: All
Weapons: All
Tools: Mechanic's tools, Engineer's tools, any one other

Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution
Skills: Choose three from any skill based on mental stats

EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
-Any two weapons (with 20 pieces of ammo, if ranged)
-a) Leather armor, b) scale mail, or c) chain mail
-a) A diplomat's pack or b) a scholar's pack

Tech Priest


Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Tech Points


1st
+2
Mechanical Defense, Cyborg, Tech Points, Master Artisan
2


2nd
+2
Power Of The Machine Spirit, Mastery Of Machines
4


3rd
+2
Archetype
6


4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
8


5th
+3
Constructed Companion
11


6th
+3
Archetype Feature
14


7th
+3
Master Of Weapons
17


8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
20


9th
+4
Mechanical Defense Improvement
24


10th
+4
Archetype Feature
28


11th
+4
Constructed Companion Improvement
32


12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
36


13th
+5
Master Of Armors
41


14th
+5
Mind Of Metal
46


15th
+5
Cloning
51


16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
56


17th
+6
Archetype Feature
62


18th
+6
Mechanical Defense Mastery
68


19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
74


20th
+6
Archmagos
80



Mechanical Defense-At level 1, your AC can be equal to 10+your Dexterity modifier+your Intelligence modifier.

Cyborg-At level 1, you become a Cyborg. You are treated as a humanoid or a construct, whichever is less beneficial to you.

Tech Points-At level 1, you gain a pool of Tech Points, equal to the number shown on the table. Their basic use is that you can trade one tech point to heal yourself for one point of damage as a bonus action, up to how many Tech Points you have remaining. Tech Points return after a long rest.

Master Artisan-At level 1, you gain an additional use for Tech Points. You may imbue any item with a number of Tech Points up to your proficiency bonus. For each point invested in this way to a weapon, its damage increases by one (up to the wielder's proficiency bonus), and for a tool, it increases any check made with the tool by one (again, up to the user's proficiency bonus). This lasts until the Tech Priest takes a long rest.

Power Of The Machine Spirit-At level 2, you learn to harness the Machine Spirit present in all constructs. In practice, this allows you to communicate telepathically to any construct within 60'. In addition, in a process taking eight hours and five GP, you may create a device and put it in an ally that allows you to communicate with them in the same manner. Anyone you are communicating with can respond in kind. Finally, you may use your Tech Points to heal others you can communicate telepathically with. This costs an action, and heals for one HP for every two Tech Points spent.

Master Of Machines-At level 2, you are now treated as a construct or humanoid, whichever is more beneficial to you.

Archetype-At level 3, choose whether you wish to be a War Priest or a Speaker Of The Canticles.

Ability Score Improvement-At the usual levels.

Constructed Companion-At level 5, you gain a mechanical creature of a CR equal to your level divided by five or less, who will serve you loyally. This may be any creature, subject to DM approval (so no mechanical Pixies unless you have a really cheese tolerant DM), which then gains the construct type. This creature has its usual number of hit points or five times your level HP.

Master Of Weapons-At level 6, you may now add your Intelligence modifier to damage dealt with weapons.

Mechanical Defense Improvement-At level 9, your AC improves by 1 when using Mechanical Defense.

Constructed Companion Improvement-At level 11, you may take a second companion, with the same CR restrictions.

Master Of Armors-At level 13, you may now apply your Master Artisan ability to armors. This increases their AC bonus by one for every two points invested in, to a max of half the wearer's proficiency bonus. This lasts until the Tech Priest takes a long rest.

Mind Of Metal-At level 14, you may substitute an Intelligence saving throw for any Wisdom or Charisma saving throw.

Cloning-At level 15, you may cast Clone once per long rest in a ritual taking an hour and costing 50 GP, as you create a second mechanical body. You may have as many as you wish. You may cast this on your companions, but if they die and inhabit the clone, they gain the Cyborg type.

Unarmored Defense Mastery-At level 17, your bonus to AC increases to two.

Archmagos-At level 20, you become a Tech Priest supreme, an Archmagos. You may spend Tech Points whenever you take damage to reduce the damage by up to your proficiency bonus, and may, once per long rest, regain all Tech Points in a five minute ritual.

War Priest

Fighting Style-At level 3, you gain a single Fighting Style of your choice.

Extra Attack-At level 6... Extra Attack. You know how it works.

Intelligent Offense-At level 10, you may add your Intelligence modifier to damage rolls made with weapon attacks.

Skin Of Metal-At level 17, you gain resistance to all bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Speaker Of The Canticles

Spellcasting-As Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster, Int is your spellcasting stat, and you draw from the Wizard spell list.

Three

Six

Ten

Seventeen



Okay, I know I need to make Speaker Of The Canticles. I also need more uses for Tech Points.

Any ideas?

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Master Artisan and Master of Armours lack a duration.
I also think you want to clarify the basic Tech Points function as allowing you to spend any number of tech points on a 1 for 1 basis, rather than just 1 per bonus action. Assuming that was the intent.
Is Intelligent Offence meant to refer to Proficiency Bonus? Because if so, it's both very weird, and also rubbish. Assuming 20 intelligence, that means it is a +1 bonus for three levels then becomes useless.

Tech point ideas:
You really need some way to repair constructs and objects.
Tech Point self-healing becoming more efficient would be nice.
Some way to quickly jury-rig items? Or maybe cast rituals for tech points.

[JNAProductions]

Master of [Whatever] lasts until the Priest takes a long rest. Added that in, to make it clear.

Tech Points are indeed to be spent in a one-to-one basis, not just one at a time.

Any ideas what to replace Intelligent Offence with?

Any ideas when I can fit in repairing constructs? (Good with Constructed Companion, of course.)

Since Tech Points are such an abundant resource, I don't think the healing needs to be more efficient.

What rituals would be good?

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Any ideas what to replace Intelligent Offence with?
Maybe just intelligence rather than strength/dex? Honestly, I thought that was the original intention, and prof bonus was just an error.



Any ideas when I can fit in repairing constructs? (Good with Constructed Companion, of course.)

Maybe level 2? There's not actually a lot going on there in terms of active abilities, and this wouldn't really overload it given how rare it'll be to have something to repair besides yourself at that level. Incidentally, you might want to consider giving the techpriest the mending cantrip somewhere, maybe at level 1 - it honestly feels somewhat odd that they don't have it.



Since Tech Points are such an abundant resource, I don't think the healing needs to be more efficient.

...But they're not. Sure, it might look like you have a lot of them, but that's because you have very little to actually spend them on apart from healing, because literally every other use costs at most your proficiency bonus and lasts the entire day, but the moment you actually start using them to heal, they're going to disappear basically instantly. By my maths, once you take away what you'll probably be spending on Master Artisan and Master of Armours* (Assuming you're investing in 1 weapon, 1 tool, and 1 armour - it'll probably be more than that, however, because you have allies to buff as well), it'll be absorbing at most 1 full attacks worth of damage, per day. Which is really rubbish, and basically you should never be using it as it'll be more efficient just to buff damage and ac on your allies.



What rituals would be good?
Probably various defence/divination ones, mostly off the wizard list. Identify, Find Familiar (for a Servo-Skull or somesuch), Leomund's Tiny Hut, that sort of thing. You could also give them the ability to cast something like Creation or Fabricate as a ritual as well.


*Incidentally, is Master of Armours meant to be 'can invest up to (prof bonus) points, for +(points invested/2) to AC' or 'can invest up to (prof bonus/2) points, for +(points invested/2) to AC'? Because if it's the latter, you may as well change it to 'can invest 2 points for +1 ac', because it's never going to actually change from that. Also, this combines oddly with mechanical defence, is this intentional?

[JNAProductions]

So, I've got a friend who wants to play this. Can I get fresh eyes on this-ESPECIALLY suggestions for Speakers of the Canticles?

[Sparky McDibben]

So I LOVE W40K, and I appreciate you trying to make it fit here! It's like chocolate and peanut butter!

That being said, there's a few things we could tweak. One might be customizing your own chassis via implants, add-ons and more. I recall the Fantasy Flight Games series having a robust cybernetics system - that might be a good place to start.

Second, what are mechanic's and engineer's tools? What can I do with them? How are they different from tinker's tools?

Third, Master of Weapons and Intelligent Offense seem to be the same ability. Do they stack?

Four, I think it's worth examining the role of the Tech-Priest in the party. For me in W40K, the Tech-Priests were the guys who could jury-rig anything and make it work at least once. They were badass heavy artillery that buffed any machine they came into contact with. How do we replicate that in 5e? Well, expertise in Intelligence based skill and tool checks would be solid for the first part. Seems to me big ol' blasty spells are the way to go for the second part. That rocket launcher is a reskinned fireball, and the other Tech-Priest's counterspell is a subroutine that hacks your targeting system.

Five, let's look at their thematic role. Tech-Priests to me were cool skill-users and uncanny creatures you were never sure were totally on your side, as well as a walking reminder of how far humanity had fallen.

[Unavenger]

An idea for the rest of Speaker of the Canticles:

Canticles of the Omnissiah:
From third level, as a bonus action, you can speak a canticle of the omnissiah. You can select each canticle once, and regain all uses of this ability when you take a long rest. Alternatively, you can roll 1d6 to pick a random canticle without using your daily uses.

Each canticle affects allies within 30 feet, including yourself.

1: Incantation of the Iron Soul
For one round, affected creatures have advantage on wisdom saving throws.

2: Litany of the Electromancer
You deal electricity damage equal to your level to each enemy within 5 feet of an affected creature.

3: Chant of the Remorseless Fist
For one round, affected creatures can re-roll melee attack rolls of a natural 1, 2 or 3.

4: Shroudpsalm
For one round, creatures have disadvantage on ranged attack rolls against affected creatures.

5: Invocation of Machine Might:
For one round, affected creatures can make one extra attack when they take the attack action.

6: Benediction of the Omnissiah:
For one round, affected creatures can re-roll ranged attack rolls of a natural 1, 2 or 3.

Master of Incantations
From sixth level, you can augment your spells the same way you imbue a weapon. Each time you do, pick a spell name. You get a bonus equal to the number of tech points spent on attack rolls with the selected spell or to damage rolls with the selected spell.

Bionic Surge
From tenth level, whenever you cast a spell, you heal hit points equal to double the spell's level.

One with the Machine
At seventeenth level, you gain resistance to fire, poison and necrotic damage.

[JNAProductions]

Canticles are implemented poorly. (I don't care that they're a random dumpster fire in 40k.)

Especially since there's minimal competition for your bonus action, it means you're always rolling a d6 for a random bonus each turn.

[Unavenger]

Especially since there's minimal competition for your bonus action, it means you're always rolling a d6 for a random bonus each turn.

You can remove the ability to save a use by rolling randomly if you like, but I think that the random chance to get something useful (and having to deal with what you get) is interesting at least.

[Sparky McDibben]

You can remove the ability to save a use by rolling randomly if you like, but I think that the random chance to get something useful (and having to deal with what you get) is interesting at least.

It's certainly flavorful - it speaks that weird science Tech-Priests use. It evokes that even a priest of the Omnissiah doesn't actually know how these work, and that such powers are dangerous to use.

I'd add to each option on the canticles a boon and a bane. The boon is what happens when you intentionally use the canticle, but you can't speak another canticle until you either take rest (short or long) or until you apply a random bane (similar to the sorcerer's Tides of Chaos ability.)

[Bjarkmundur]

:O

Are there many 40k 5e brews out there?
Cause this makes me happy

[DuctTapeKatar]

I hate to play the role of "that guy" for this thread, but doesn't warhammer already have RPG's where you can play as a techpriest? I've been meaning to look them up, but I am not sure if I can run the game right now.

Though I really do enjoy the thought of having a party composed of a heroic paladin, stern ranger, mercenary fighter, and a man made from metal and machine, iron tentacles spreading out from beneath the billowing cloak of what can only be described as a crime against nature.

[Bjarkmundur]

I hate to play the role of "that guy" for this thread, but doesn't warhammer already have RPG's where you can play as a techpriest?

Homebrewing is a hobby. It's like if no-one would write a pop song or make a cover version of a song, because "it's been done before".
Can't stop people from being creative. I think 90% of people on the homebrew forum know and play many other TTRPGs, but simply have a special place in their heart for DnD. Maybe it's due to familiarity, maybe it's the simplicity of the system, maybe it's the community.
I play Wrath and Glory every week, but it still warms my heart seeing 5e versions of the characters I play with every week.

[DeTess]

:O

Are there many 40k 5e brews out there?
Cause this makes me happy

I believe JNAProductions has done a few others as well. I remember a genestealer-inspired race at the very least.

[Phhase]

Ooh, I like it. I feel like it needs a little more general spellcasting, (otherwise "preist" doesn't feel right). And perhaps some gadgetry/engineering applications for Tech points. Certainly for repairing constructs.

[faeriesaur]

Is a 10th level warpriest adding [str or dex]+proficiency (from master artisan)+2xInt (from master of weapons and intelligent offense) to weapon damage rolls?

Does mechanical defense work with a shield? I'm guessing not since you get increases from levels, but if you're proficient with armor and shields then it seems like it's not going to be super useful once you get master of armors if it doesn't, especially if magic items are floating around.

[JNAProductions]

Is a 10th level warpriest adding [str or dex]+proficiency (from master artisan)+2xInt (from master of weapons and intelligent offense) to weapon damage rolls?

Does mechanical defense work with a shield? I'm guessing not since you get increases from levels, but if you're proficient with armor and shields then it seems like it's not going to be super useful once you get master of armors if it doesn't, especially if magic items are floating around.

It works with shields.

And I dingused that up. I'm honestly probably gonna crack down and redo this whole damn class soon.

[JNAProductions]

Okay-Tech Priest II, Electric Boogaloo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?591905-Tech-Priest&p=24013583#post24013583), is up!

Edit: Mark Hall has locked my new thread. Talking to 'em now about getting it unlocked or merging the two threads, depending on which the mods would prefer, but for now, feel free to comment on the updated class (still viewable at the locked thread) here!

Situation resolved. Post in the new thread.