Steamjack Artificer

Steamjack Artificer

The Steamjack Artificer is a character who has spent his life tinkering with the mechanikal. He has clocked countless hours fashioning gears, pistons, valves, clockworks, and more. From automated children’s toys to full steam engine powered warjacks, he has read about it all. He seeks to build the best, newest, most innovative mechanical devices. Even in a world where these realms of knowledge are available, parts and new (and lost) knowledge are few and far between. The materials required to build the most complex of mechanical devices are rare and highly guarded. For this reason Steamjack Artificers often find themselves traveling far and wide for these things, and often in the company of adventuring troupes. The more experienced Steamjack Artificers have their activities supported by newly arising guilds of nations that see the value in their expertise, and successful Stemjack Artificers can find themselves highly rewarded.

Alignment: Any

'''Hit Die:''' D6

'''Starting Wealth:''' 5d6x10 gp

Class Skills

The Steamjack Artificer has the following class skills: Appraise (Int), Craft (Int) [including Advanced Craft skills: Clockwork, Demolitions, Gunsmithing, Mechanika, Steam Engines], Disable Device (Dex), Jack Handling (Wis), Knowledge (All) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Int).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int Modifier

'''Table 1-1: Steamjack Artificer'''

Class Features

Spells: A Steamjack Artificer casts spells primarily drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell lists. When I pay it more attention I may create a specific spell list for Steamjack Artificers. For now, however, we can tentatively say that their spell lists will not include spells that specifically deal with the natural world (entangle, summon monsters, etc). A case can be made for spells not normally on the Sorcerer/Wizard spell lists if it appears particularly applicable to the Steamjack Artificer’s style.

A Steamjack Artificer must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell the Steamjack Artificer must have an intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The DC for the saving throws vs a Steamjack Artificer’s spells is 10 + the spell level + the Steamjack Artificer’s intelligence modifier. The Steamjack Artificer can only cast a certain number of spells each day. His base daily allotment is given in Table 1-1. In addition he receives bonus spells as prescribed in the Core Rulebook.

'''Mechanikal Familiar: '''In an almost analogous, and yet diametrically opposed, ability to a druid’s animal companion, the Steamjack Artificer has a mechanikal familiar that aides him in his quests. This familiar is called a servitor initially. Later an artificer can also construct a more complicated steamjack. All initial mechanikal familiars are of a small size. Their shape and function is limited only by the imagination of the artificer. The standard mechanikal familiar types are listed below.

Manikin

These servitors are bipedal mechas that are fashioned very generally to resemble a humanoid.

Speed 20; AC +3 natural armor; Attacks Slam (1d4). Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 10, Con --, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 1. SQ Construct Traits, Darkvision 60 ft, Servitor Traits.

Crawler

These servitors are quadraped mechas that are fashioned in the likeness of whatever quadraped animals that the artificer fancies. Some look like dogs, most look like a sort of mechanical insect.

Speed 30; AC +4 natural armor; Attacks Claw (1d4-1). Ability Scores Str 8, Dex 14, Con --, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 1; SQ Construct traits, Darkvision 60 ft, Servitor traits.

Squire

Speed 30; AC +4 natural armor; Attacks See Special Attacks; Ability Scores Str 8, Dex 12, Con --, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 1; SA Accumulator Discharge; SQ Darkvision 60ft, Servitor traits, Construct traits, Arcane Converter, Arc Node.

Arcane Converter: A Steamjack Artificer may give up spell slots in a day to charge the Squire’s arcane accumulator engine. Each spell given up in a day will count as one charge per spell level given up. This process can sort of work in reverse as well. The Squire can convert charges in it’s accumulator engine into focus points after the Steamjack Artificer has gained the focus ability.

Arc Node: The Steamjack Artificer can channel his spells through an arc node. Any spell that a Steamjack Artificer casts may be cast as if the steam jack artificer is standing in place of the construct with the arc node. This affects primarily area of effect and also range attributes of spells cast.

Accumulator Discharge: If the Squire’s accumulator engine has at least one charge in it, the Squire may discharge any number of charges in the engine as a blast of lighting. This effect is a ray that travels in a straight line for 25 feet + 1ft/charge expended from the squire affecting all in the area. The attack does 1d4+1 damage for each charge expended, a reflex save is called for half damage. The DC is = (10 + Squire’s Dex Bonus + ½ theSteamjack Artificer Level)

The other stats that make up the  servitor’s compliment are represented in Table 1-2. It is assumed that a Steamjack Artificer will constantly be tinkering with his pet familiar. This will lead to a steady progress of improvement in the general functionality of the mecha’s general functions, represented by the enhancements on Table 1-2. Additional enhancements must be crafted and added to the familiar, as will be covered in a forthcoming section. Other than the Squire, at first level all of the Mechanikal Familiar’s systems are of the most basic variety. Until I have a chance to convert it all out of the Liber Mechanika, the systems will be just lifted out of that book. The Squire begins with a Accumulator Engine, rather than the base engine model, the Devenrew Crank Engine.

'''Table 1-2: Mechanikal Servitor Base Statistics'''

Share Spells: At the Steamjack Artificer’s option he may have any spell he casts on himself also affect his servitor.

Servitor Enhancements 

In general the guidelines in the Liber Mechanika will rule. The number of enhancements will not be hard set based on the size of the servitor. Additonally there are no XP costs.

Modification to the '''Accumulator Engine '''for a servitor:

Small/Medium

Hold Charge: 6/12

Drain: Light Duty 1/2 = 8 hours. Heavy Duty 1/2 = 1 hour.

 

'''Mechanika Familiarity:''' The Steamjack Artificer receives a +2 bonus to all Craft Mechanika, Steam Engine, Tools, and Clockwork.

'''Charge Accumulator:''' A Steamjack Artificer can charge arcane accumulators. See the Iron Kingdoms book.

'''Focus: '''A Steamjack Artificer is eventually able to make use of his magical aptitude to directly infuse his mechanikal creations with a piece of his own arcane energy. At least for a time. As a free action Steamjack Artificer may sacrifice one or more of his memorized Arcane Spells and channel it into his focus pool. The focus can be used to augment the powers of his mechanikal weapons and armor as well as his mechanikal servants.

The maximum amount of focus a Steamjack Artificer can have in his focus pool is equal to half his Steamjack Artificer level (rounded down). Unused focus can be held in reserve for a maximum of 5 minutes.

Focus can be spent as an immediate action on your turn on the basic focus abilities below in Table 1-3 can be granted to any mechanikal construct with even a rudimentary cortex that is under your control.

Table 1-3: Focus Abilities – Level Based Bonuses

 

'''Artificer Knowledge:''' The artificer has an excellent chance to identify the properties of any magical items. His knowledge of the way magic interacts with objects and particularly constructs is unparalleled. He may make Spellcraft checks to identify regular magical items without casting a detect magic or identify spell first. You can add your Steamjack Artificer level to the check. Additionally he may use his Spellcraft skill to ascertain the properties and abilities of any construct he encounters.

'''Focus Powers:''' This ability allows the Steamjack Artificer to select any one of the following Focus Powers.

''Sense Cortex:'' A Steamjack Artificer with this power can sense the presence and direction of an active ‘jack cortex automatically within 30 feet. By concentrating for a round the Steamjack Artificer can sense the presence and direction of any active ‘jack cortexes within 200 feet. If the Steamjack Artificer really takes the time to listen, he can make an intelligence check, adding his steamjack artificer level to his check. The result determines the distance and direction of any active construct such as regular golems according to the following.

''Skill Focus:'' The Steamjack Artificer can gain the benefits of the Skill Focus Feat. This may be taken multiple times.

''Contact Cortex:'' Steamjack Artificers can spend a focus to issue commands to other cortexes within a 5 foot/level radius. This allows the Steamjack Artificers to issue commands to jacks and other constructs that are not directly under his control. For a jack the Steamjack Artificer makes a opposed ‘Jack Handling check against the current controller of the jack. If he is successful, he has wrested control of the jack for a number of rounds equal to the difference between the two checks. There is nothing stopping the original controller from making a contact cortex check in that time to attempt to take control back. For non-jack constructs, the construct rolls 1d20 + their HD to opposed the SteamjackArtificer’s ‘Jack Handling check. Classic constructs are a little harder for Steamjack Artificers to control, and as such each time this ability is used it is only for a single round of control of the construct.

''Jack Mastery:'' The Steamjack Artificer can now use focus points to grant jacks and contructs under his control some special abilities. A focus point can be spent to grant the jack or construct the benefits of any one of the following feats at the cost of one focus per round per feat: Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Great Cleave, Run. Note that the jack need not meet any of the requirements for the feats as long as the Steamjack Artificer spends the requisite points.

''Bond Senses'': The Steamjack Artificer can spend a focus point to share the senses of a single construct or jack under his control for a number of rounds equal to his SA level. This effect ends if he loses control of the construct or jack in question.

''Jack Transposition:'' The Steamjack Artificer may spend a focus point to swap locations with a jack or construct under his control or alternatively swap the positions of two constructs/jacks under his control. The new positions must be taken exactly if possible.

''Maker’s Call:'' The Steamjack Artificer can call one of his jacks to his side. By spending a focus point, an effect that operates like a dimension door transports the jack to one of the nearest available spaces to the Steamjack Artificer.

''Life Bond:'' As a free action the Steamjack Artificer may spend a focus point to divert all damage dealt to him for the remainder of the round to one of his jacks. Each activation of this jack must use a single jack as the target for this ability. The damage cannot be divided between multiple jacks for a single activation of the ability. The damage is transferred 1 point at a time, so as soon as the construct dies, the damage will revert back to the Steamjack Artificer.