Hey everybody, guest writer Sam here. I had an idea for a class and was discussing it with Trevor & Robert and they invited me to create it and share it.
I was introduced to the genre of fantasy through Final Fantasy but more specifically Final Fantasy 6. Not long after that I was playing older games like Dungeon Hack on my PC and was introduced to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and have been hooked on the tabletop role playing game ever since.
Inspired by the Blue Mage , and the creation of items from your fallen foes from Monster Hunter, I created a Ranger archetype called Monster-Tinkerer. The Final Fantasy universe has something that has never really been brought into a tabletop RPG, that I can think of, and that’s the idea of a class that learns from and utilizes monster abilities against them. What’s not cool about carving the parts that allow these creatures to do these amazing things and putting them into gadgets that you then bring to life using your own arcane energies?
After the archetype are some examples of gadgets for aberrations, beasts, celestials, and constructs. In Part 2 we will provide additional examples for dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, and undead. I skipped humanoids, ‘cause ew. That said, they are a creature type, if you want to go down that grizzly path, discuss it with your DM.
Monster-Tinkerer
Monster Lore
Beginning at 3rd level, You learn how to use parts of your favored enemies to make gadgets that harness their own power for you to use against them. The type of Gadget and the properties they have is based on the type of favored enemy you have.
When you gain this feature you are considered to have the materials required from your chosen favored enemy to create an item that requires a 1st level spell slot to use. Any future gadgets you wish to create will require you to acquire the parts from the monsters using an Intelligence (Nature) check. The DC for this check is equal to the Challenge Rating of the creature. This can only be attempted on your favored enemies as you are not familiar enough with other creature types.
Monster-Tinkering
Beginning at 7th level, you learn how to better resist the attacks of your favored enemy. As part of your crafting you may tinker with armor to give yourself resistance to a type of energy damage. This resistance requires you to use an action and expend a 2nd level spell slot to activate and lasts for 1 hour. This effect does not require concentration.
Combat Engineer
Beginning at 11th level, you have better learned how to use your gadgets in combat. On your turn, when you take the attack action you may use one of your Gadgets in place of one of your attacks. Furthermore your proficiency bonus is doubled for all Intelligence (Nature) checks.
Monster Hunter
Beginning at 15th level you have mastered the art of using your favored enemies powers against them. Your attacks ignore your favored enemies’ resistances. If a creature is immune to a damage type they are still immune.
Monster-Tinkerer Gadgets
Gadgets
These gadgets are powered by channeling your own arcane energies into them and breathing life into the parts of your fallen foes. It takes an action to use one of these gadgets. The DC for all your Gadgets is equal to your Spell save DC. Some Gadgets require Concentration to maintain the effect, these are noted in the Gadgets description. Some gadgets have descriptions, this is purely personal flavor.
Aberrations
When hunting aberrations you learn to take the parts of them that are most formidable to its enemies and channel your own arcane aura into gadgets created using those parts to temporarily power their own abilities against your foes.
Flumph Spray – Spell Slot: 1st level – Casting Time: 1 Action
This gadget is a simple aerosol sprayer containing the stench spray of a flumph.
Each creature in a 15-foot cone originating from you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be coated in a foul-smelling liquid. A coated creature exudes a horrible stench for 1 minute. The coated creature is poisoned as long as the stench lasts, and other creatures must make a Constitution save or be poisoned while within 5 feet of the the coated creature.
Spectator Ray Gun – Spell Slot: 1st level – Casting Time: 1 Action – Concentration
This gadget looks like a 4 barreled firearm with a lense over each barrel, which contain the eye stalk of a Spectator. The firing mechanism isn’t perfect and it fires off one of the barrels at random, and only twice before it needs to be repaired. When you make an attack with this gadget, roll 1d4 to determine which ray fires.
- Confusion Ray: The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or it can’t take reactions until the end of its next turn. On its turn, the target can’t move and it uses it action to make a melee or ranged attack against a randomly determined creature within Range. If the target can’t attack it does nothing on its turn.
- Paralyzing Ray: The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
- Fear Ray: The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, wish disadvantage if you are visible to the target, ending its effect on a success.
- Wounding Ray: The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Brain Extractor – Spell Slot: 3rd level – Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
You have taken the parts of a Mind Flayer that are particularly good at removing their targets brains and turned it into a potent Melee weapon. Make a melee attack against one creature you can see. On hit the target takes 10d10 piercing damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points the extractor comes to life and removes and shreds it’s target’s brain.
Anti-Beholder Zone – Spell Slot: 4th level -Casting Time: 1 Action – Concentration
You have created a gadget that reflects the anti-magic cone of a beholder’s eye to provide you with the effect of the antimagic field spell.
Beholder Gatling Ray– Spell Slot: 5th level – Casting Time: 1 Action – Concentration
Despite being three effects you concentration upkeeps them all. Each shot of the Gatling Ray fires three rays which may target different enemies, and requires an action, and cannot be used with the Combat Engineer feature. Roll 1d10 to determine which beams fire, reroll duplicates.
- Charm Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 hour, or until you harm the creature.
- Paralyzing Ray: The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
- Fear Ray: The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, wish disadvantage if you are visible to the target, ending its effect on a success.
- Slowing Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target’s speed is halved for 1 minute. In addition the creature can’t take reactions, and it can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns ending the effect on a success.
- Enervation Ray: The targeted creature must make a Constitution saving throw taking 8d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
- Telekinetic Ray: If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or you move it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the ray’s telekinetic grip until the start of your next turn or you are incapacitated.
- Sleep Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs or undead.
- Petrification Ray: The targeted creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, he effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
- Disintegration Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 10d8 force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, its body becomes a pile of fine gray dust.
- Death Ray: The targeted creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 10d10 necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.
Beasts
When hunting beasts you learn to create gadgets out of their claws, teeth, and blood that through manipulation of your own arcane energies can grant you the ferocity of those beasts against your own enemies.
Bat’s Sight – Spell Slot: 1st level – Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
This medallion, when held to the ear, and a 1st level spell slot is used, grants the user Blindsight to a range of 60 ft. for one round. This gadget cannot be used if you are deafened.
Constrictor Rope – Spell Slot: 2nd level – Casting Time: 1 Action
This rope is made from the skin and blood of a constrictor snake. When you channel your arcane energy through it it springs to life and constricts an opponent. Make a melee attack with advantage. If hit the target takes 2d8 damage and is restrained. The target may attempt to break free of the Constrictor Rope with a successful Strength saving throw.
Venomous Strike – Spell Slot: 3rd level – Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
This gadget, filled with poisons from several venomous foes, is attached to the hilt of a melee weapon, or placed within the bottom of a quiver. When activated it applies a poison to your weapon or ammunition that lasts for 1 hit, or 1 minute. If hit the target must make a Constitution saving throw or take an additional 3d6 of damage. This damage increases by 1d6 for each level of spell slot used beyond 3rd.
Mammoth’s Charge – Spell Slot: 4th level – Casting Time: 1 Action
This gadget is made from the blood and bones of an elephant or mammoth. When you channel your arcane energy through the gadget and you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and hit with an attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a Strength Saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone you may then take one additional attack against it this turn.
Shark’s Frenzy – Spell Slot: 5th level – Casting Time: 1 Action
Made using the blood and teeth of a shark, you channel your arcane energy into gaining its taste for blood. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that has been damaged . This effect lasts for 1 minute.
Celestials
When you make an enemy of the celestials you learn how to best utilize their own abilities in order to improve your own chances against them. Harvesting parts from them is often frowned upon but if successful you gain access to their powerful abilities.
Couatl Circlet – Spell Slot: 1st level – Casting Time: 1 Reaction – Requires Attunement
A circlet made from the scales and feathers of a couatl. If you are wearing this circlet and an entity attempts to read your thoughts, sense your emotions, or scry your location you may activate it as a reaction to this spell. This effect does require some reliance on your DM to inform you when these effects may be taking place.
Unicorn Wand – Spell Slot 2nd level – Casting Time: 1 Action
A wand only in name, this gadget made from the horn channels the divine healing power from a unicorn’s horn and through your own arcane energy spurs it back to life. You may touch a creature with the horn to regain 2d8 + Wisdom modifier hit points. In addition, the touch removes all diseases and neutralizes all poisons afflicting the target.
Angelic Weaponry – Spell Slot: 3rd level – Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
You have taken pieces of an angels’ weapon and forged them into your own. When you hit with an attack you may expend a 3rd level or higher spell slot to deal an additional 2d10 radiant damage. This takes your Bonus Action to activate.
Solar’s Flying Sword – Spell Slot: 4th Level – Casting Time: 1 Action – Concentration
Through a piece of a solar’s flying sword you can channel your arcane energy into a weapon of your own. When activated you release your weapon to hover magically in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. If you can see the weapon you can mentally command it as a bonus action to fly up to 50 feet and either make one attack against a target, or return to your hands. If the hovering weapon is targeted by any effect, you care considered to be holding it.
Empyrean’s Trembling Strike – Spell Slot: 5th Level – Casting Time: 1 Action
You strike the ground with the weapon this gadget is attached to, channeling your arcane energies to replicate the action of an Empyrean’s Maul, triggering an earth tremor. All other creatures on the ground withing 60 feet of you must succeed on a Strength Saving throw or be knocked prone.
Constructs
Summon Rogue Modron – Spell Slot: 1st level – Casting Time: 1 Action – Concentration
Using a gadget fashioned around a single gear you can summon two Monodrones or one Duodrone to fight at your side. Each spell level beyond the first adds to the number of Modrons you may summon, a second level spell slot can summon a Quadrone, a Tridrone and a Monodrone, two Duodrones, or four Monodrones, etc. Stats for a Modron can be found on page 224-225 of the Monster Manual. If you fail a Concentration save the Modrons return to their home plane.
Stone Golem’s Defense – Spell Slot: 2nd level – Casting Time: 1 Action – Concentration
You can channel your arcane energies into a piece of a stone golem granting you the benefits of its slow magic. You may target one or more creatures within 10 feet of you. Each target must make a wisdom saving throw against this magic. On a failed save a target can’t use reactions, its speed is halved, and it can’t make more than one attack on its turn. In addition, the target can take either and action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. These effects last for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Shield Guardian’s Defense – Spell Slot: 3rd level – Casting Time: 1 Action
Through a piece of a Shield Guardian that you have felled you have managed through some tinkering to cause the small scrap to hover about you and attempt to thwart off incoming attacks. You gain +2 to your AC for 1 minute. You may use this ability as a reaction.
Golem’s Absorption – Spell Slot: 4th level – Casting Time: 1 Reaction – Concentration
Through pieces of golems you have acquired during your adventures you have woven these into your own armors. When you are hit by acid(Clay Golem), fire(Iron Golem), or lightning (Flesh Golem) damage you may expend a 4th level spell slot to take no damage and instead regain that a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt. You must have acquired a suitable piece of the proper golem in order to activate it for that type of damage.
Iron Golem’s Poison Blast – Spell Slot: 5th level – Casting Time: 1 Action
You have taken the inner workings of an Iron Golem and made it into a potent weapon. You spray a 15-foot cone of poisonous gas. Each creature must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 10d8 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
