Inspired Machinist (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)

Author: Leziad (talk) Date Created: 20th April 2024 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Inspired Machinist

The inspired machinists were part of a revolutionary scientific society, combining machinery, alchemy and marksmanship. While their secret society is defunct, many taught worthy pupils of their ways, allowing a new generation of inspired machinists. The inspired machinists are skilled combatant with their firearm, but eschew melee combat, shields and are not as resistant to poison as most investigators.

Class: Investigator

Level: 1st-18th

Replaces: Weapon Proficiencies (Altered), Poison Lore, Poison Resistance, Trap Sense, Studied Combat (Altered), Studied Strike (Altered), Poison Immunity, True Inspiration.

Benefit: A inspired machinist gains access to the following class features.

Limited Extracts: The inspired machinist prepares one fewer extract per day of each level of extract she knows. If this would reduce his extracts prepared to 0, she may only prepare bonus extracts that she received of that level due to a high Intelligence score.

Armor & Weapon Proficiency: A inspired machinist is proficient with simple weapons, plus the short sword, sword cane and all firearms. She is proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

This ability alters the investigator's proficiencies.

Gun Engineer (Ex): A 2nd level inspired machinist gain half her level as a bonus on Knowledge (Engineering) checks and on any Craft checks made to craft, examine, modify or repair firearms. Additionally the inspired machinist gain the Gunsmith class feature as a gunslinger, gaining a prototype firearm instead of battered firearm (otherwise they act the same). Finally the inspired machinist can spend a point of inspiration to replicate the Quick Clear gunslinger deed.

At 3rd level, the inspired machinist gains Rapid Reload as a bonus feat for any firearm she is proficient with. At 6th level and each 6 levels thereafter, she gain Rapid Reload for another firearm she is proficient with.

This ability replaces poison lore and trap sense.

Inspired Marksmanship (Ex): A 2nd level machinist gain Point-Blank Shot as a bonus feat. At 5th level she gains the ability to add her Dexterity bonus to damage rolls with firearms, as long as she has 1 or more point of inspiration remaining in her inspiration pool.

At 7th level, a machinist is able to make a aimed shot as a standard action. An aimed shot must be a studied strike. When making an aimed shot, the inspired machinist chooses one special attack from the list below. A saving throw (DC 10 + ½ investigator level + the investigator’s Intelligence modifier) might be allowed to negate and or reduce the effect (see each individual entry).

Arm Shot: On a successful hit, the opponent becomes unable to make an attack or cast spells with somatic components for 1 round. If the target were holding an item, they drop it, unless they succeed on a Reflex save. Items held in a locked gauntlet cannot be dropped this way.

Head Shot: On a successful hit, the damage from the studied strike is rolled twice, adding both results together.

Heart Shot: On a successful hit, the struck opponent is dealt 2 points of Constitution damage and 1d6 bleed damage + 1d6 bleed damage per three sudden strike dice. A successful Fortitude save negates the Constitution damage.

Leg Shot: On a successful hit, the struck opponent falls prone and their movement speed is reduced by half for 1 round per dice of studied strike. A successful Fortitude save negates the prone effect, and reduces the duration of the speed reduction to 1 round. A creatures without legs, or with four or more legs cannot be made prone by this aimed shot.

At 11th level the inspired machinist can make an aimed shot as part of a full-attack.

This ability replaces poison resistance and poison immunity.

Studied Aim (Ex): A 4th level inspired machinist may use her studied combat bonus with ranged weapons and deal her studied strike damage with them, as long as the target of your studied strike is within 30 feet of her. However her studied combat and studied strike class features no longer apply to melee attacks.

This ability alters studied combat and studied strike.

Master Shot (Ex): A 20th level, when using firearms, the inspired machinist increases the bonus from studied combat by 4, and her studied strike damage increases by 3d6.

This ability replaces true inspiration.

Balance: This class was balanced with the assumption that firearm were not made as touch attack. Some balancing change might be required if using the base rules for firearms. In games were the Polymath is allowed, or the game is higher-powered, the following class feature should be added:

Artificer's Special: When a 6th level inspired machinist prepares her extract for the day, she can make a number of special rounds up to her Intelligence modifier. These special rounds remain active until she next rests to regain her extracts, after which they become inert. She may craft remaining rounds she did not craft later by over the course of 1 minute per bullet. Additionally, by spending 1 point of inspiration, the inspired machinist can craft two artifice rounds over the course of 1 round; these artifice rounds do not count against the maximum number of artifice rounds she can craft for the day.

Whenever the inspired machinist makes a ranged attack with a firearm, she may decide to fire an artifice round she had crafted. This expends a bullet loaded in the firearm as normal, and takes on any magical or material property it might have had. The handloaded round she may craft are the following:

Armor-Piercing Round (Ex): The attack is resolved as a touch attack as long as it made within 30-ft and counts as adamantine for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction.Additionally, any shot which successfully slays a creature or destroys an object continues on to attack creatures or objects behind it, with a cumulative –4 penalty on the attack roll (only the first attack is a touch attack).

Dragon Round (Su): Upon being chosen, the investigator chooses one energy type (except sonic). The damage from the attack deals the chosen type of energy damage instead of its normal damage.

Hollow-Point Round (Ex): The attack deals an additional 1d8 damage, which counts as both bludgeoning and piercing. The attack's critical threat increases by +1, which stacks with keen and Improved Critical, but is applied after.

Incendiary Round (Ex): The attack deals an additional 1d6 fire damage, and causes the struck creature to make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ investigator level + the investigator’s Intelligence modifier) or catch fire.

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