Artificer

Artificer is a Class available to players during Character Creation. An Artificer is a versatile character who excels in a support role while still maintaining respectable offensive and defensive capabilities (see https://www.dndwiki.io/classes/artificer, but not the variant rules detailed below). This Class is best-suited to Races with a keen intellect and curious nature, such as Human, Elf, or Gnome. There are four Artificer Archetypes: Alchemist, Artillerist, Battle Smith, and Armorer.

Artificers are subject to the following variant rules:

• The Artificer spell list includes "Burning Hands" and "Chromatic Orb." An Artificer may prepare these spells as they would any other.
• An Artificer's Repeating Shot infusion allows the target weapon's Loading property to be ignored only if it does not have a Loading value. If the weapon does have a Loading value, it instead reduces that value by 1.

Perception

Purpose

Artificers are men and women of science, who combine sorcery with technology to strengthen their allies and devastate the enemy. They have a strong grasp of the natural processes which the unenlightened call "magic," rejecting medieval superstition in favor of scientific understanding, though they often lack the raw power of mages who follow the traditional ways. Nonetheless, as magic wanes in The Old World, Artificers have become increasingly important, preserving what power remains by binding it into enchanted artifacts.

Social Status

Artificers are well-regarded in most Old World Nations, as they are often either sponsored by the aristocracy or of noble birth themselves. Many are independently wealthy and consider science more of an intriguing hobby than a profession, while others devote their entire lives to its pursuit, studying at the feet of famed luminaries and attending prestigious universities. The Church of Pholtus sponsors a great many Artificers, as it strives to ensure that scientific progress remains consistent with its established dogma.

Demographics

Artificers are relatively rare, but their numbers are growing as more Nations establish universities and rulers come to appreciate the value of superior technology. They are most common in Endelheim, Sihalis, and Vodacce, all of which have longstanding traditions of higher education and scientific discovery. Eisen too was once a center of learning in the Old World, but the recent Civil War has killed or displaced many of its most promising scholars and students.

History

Artificers are a product of the enlightenment that has swept many parts of the Old World in the Age of Discovery. Stable international trade has generated tremendous wealth, enabling greater investment in the sciences, and much ancient knowledge once thought to be lost has been recovered. Additionally, the slow decline of magic in the Old World has created a great demand for the Artificer's talents, as the magical artifacts they create tend to be more reliable than a Wizard's services.