D&D 5e Homebrew Artificer Specialist: Gunsmith

I apologize if this is wrong. Mod's, please feel free to move it!

Hello Everyone,

So we really like the UA Artificer 2019, but we felt it was missing a real gunsmithing subclass. I found this homebrew on Reddit and we tweaked a little. Please, read over this and tell us what you think. We tried to keep it balanced and in line with the other subclasses. I would like to believe that this would make the Artificer class more fun to play!

Thanks!

Artificer Specialist: Gunsmith

A Gunsmith specializes in combining magic with alchemical science to engineering powerful firearms. This makes them very valuable at long range and mid-range support.

Tools of the Trade

By the time you adopt this specialty at 3rd level, you’re deeply familiar with employing its tools.

Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with Tinker’s tools and alchemist’s tool. You also gain tinker's tools and Alchemist’s tools for free – the result of tinkering you’ve done as you’ve prepared for this specialization.


Crafting: If you craft a magic item in the weapon (ammunition) category, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.

Gunsmith Spells

Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Gunsmith Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.


Artificer Level Spells

3rd Shield, magic missile
5th Melf's acid arrow, scorching ray
9th conjure barrage, lightning bolt
13th elemental bane, Fire Shield
17th cone of cold, conjure volley

Thunder Rifle

At 3rd level, your skills in magical engineering allow you to craft a powerful firearm, called the Thunder Rifle.It is a ferocious weapon that fires lead and thunder bullets that can punch through armor with ease.

As an action, you can summon the Thunder Rifle once for free and must finish a long rest before doing so again. If your Thunder Rifle breaks, casting the mending spell on it repairs it entirely, provided it has not been melted or disintegrated. You can also summon another Thunder Rifle by expending a spell slot of 1st level or higher. If you summon a second Thunder Rifle, the first one disappears.

You may add one infusion to your rifle as per the normal rules of infusion.

When you create your Thunder Rifle you are proficient with the Thunder rifle; When you attack with the Thunder Rifle you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls.


Thunder Rifle Properties Damage

Thunder Rifle Ammunition (range 150/500), loading, two-handed 1d12 piercing


Arcane Marksman

At 6th level, your skills with magic and engineering allow you to further improve the potency of your Thunder Rifle. When you finish a long rest and have your tinker’s tools in hand, you can use them to increase the magical power of your Thunder Rifle. Until you finish another long rest, your attacks with your Thunder Rifle count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage resistance. Your rifle now strikes with extra magical explosive force doing an extra 1D6 thunder damage. (*This damage increases to 2D6 when you reach 14th level in this class)

In addition, on each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to give yourself advantage on the next attack roll you make using your Thunder Rifle.

Master Gunsmith

Starting at 14th, your Thunder Rifle now becomes truly frightening and does an extra *2d6 thunder damage and you now score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20.

So we reworked the damage and abilities to make them a little more balanced, please let us know what you think now.

Serviceable, if boring. Also, what's with the Pact of the Blade-like summoning thing?

Personally, I'd like to see shell/bullet variety as the main class feature. That, and maybe a few chassis variants like a sniper rifle, a pistol (or two), and a shotgun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phhase

Serviceable, if boring. Also, what's with the Pact of the Blade-like summoning thing?

Personally, I'd like to see shell/bullet variety as the main class feature. That, and maybe a few chassis variants like a sniper rifle, a pistol (or two), and a shotgun.

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Yes, why don't you create an adaptive weapon that you can change during long rests, and at higher level can be switched between two configurations with a bonus action?

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Originally Posted by Old Harry MTX

Yes, why don't you create an adaptive weapon that you can change during long rests, and at higher level can be switched between two configurations with a bonus action?

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Hmm, that's not bad idea. What would suggest the stats be for the other configurations?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phhase

Serviceable, if boring. Also, what's with the Pact of the Blade-like summoning thing?

Personally, I'd like to see shell/bullet variety as the main class feature. That, and maybe a few chassis variants like a sniper rifle, a pistol (or two), and a shotgun.

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Because of all Acrtificers, subclasses summon some sort of thing using their tools.

Originally we had where you could choose to summon one of three weapons; a longe range rifle, kind of shotgun weapon and then a pistol, but the guy who used to be GM complain and though that so we cut it down to one weapon. I'm open to suggestions. please give me feel free to give some ideas that would still make the subclass balanced with the others.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NinjaLemur247

Hmm, that's not bad idea. What would suggest the stats be for the other configurations?

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Mmm, dunno... Maybe 3 configuration, one with great range and the load tag, like a sniper rifle, one with middle range but without the load tag, like an automatic gun, and one with very short range but with a cone of effect, like a shotgun. And then something that combs with spells, or that expends spell slots, ora add superiority dice and gunslinger's style maneuvers... Who knows?