User:TK-Squared/MudBox/Artificer (3.5e Prestige Class)

Artificer
"The forges are my home, the fiery heat, my ally, and the steel, my slave."

The Artificer is a master of the arts of magic and creation, able to craft from the most worn out metal a magical item of power. They wield these constructive energies with a masterful grace and their art is one that has been passed down through many years of creation.

Becoming a Artificer
The Artificer is any spellcaster that wants to become a superior crafter. It fully focuses on the creation of items and reducing the time and cost of creation.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Artificer.

You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Artificer, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

He also gains a bonus feat at fifth level and tenth level.

 (Su): At 1st level, the Artificer is capable of using the essences of other magic items to fuel his own work. He gains the ability to 'disenchant' magical items, turning them back into lesser components. A disenchanted magic item loses all of its magical properties and the Artificer gains magical essence that can be used for other crafting. This essence supplies experience equal to 25% of the original experience used on the disenchanted item. Magic Essence takes the form of dimly glowing crystals that weight 1 pound each. If an item has charges, the essence gained is proportionate to the amount of remaining charges. Example: An artificer disenchants an item with an experience cost of 200. When he goes to craft another item, he can use the magical essence from the previous item to reduce the experience cost by 50 (25% of 200). Example: An artificer disenchants an item with 48 of its original 50 charges remaining unused. The original experience cost was 200, as in the previous example, but the magical essence is reduced by the same proportion as the charges, yielding a 48 experience cost discount.

 (Ex): The Artificer is well adept at the crafting of magical items. At every even level, the Artificer is able to reduce the amount of time, gold and xp expended on the creation of a magic item by the indicated number (Increments of 10%)

 (Ex): The Artificer is a master of the energies he commands in order to imbue his items. Starting at level 3, whenever creating an item, treat the Artificer's caster level as 1 higher. This increases by +1 every 3 levels.

Whenever he disenchants an item, he gains a Greater Magical Essence, which holds 50% of the original experience rather than 25%.

Playing a Artificer
Combat: An Artificer is still a primary spellcaster, they gain full spell power and can use it fully to their advantage, especially when combining with their own magical creations to cause widespread destruction.

Advancement: After fully becoming one with the constructive powers of the Artificer, they usually go back to their normal spellcasting class or persue another class that will compliment their creation abilities.

Resources: The Artificer can create and sell all kinds of various gadgets and doodads. This can often get them recogized by various trading companies and supplied with the necessary raw material.

Artificer's in the World
"She used such weird devices, they had no idea what hit them... Literally."

The Artificer is a creator, bringing forth magical and wondrous items. They are the backbone of magical item selling, creating various items for the shops and their own party.

NPC Reactions: Normal people may be quite surprised by the variety of items that an Artificer may carry, various magical doodads and exotic items with special properties. But, some are known to be suppliers for various magic shops.

Artificer Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research Artificer to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Artificers in the Game
An Artificer can be anywhere where there is magic; creating items for adventurers or teaching their art at magical colleges. They could easily exist, simply mistaken as wizards or clerics in any society, with a range of strange gadgets.

Adaptation: Any caster could possibly be an Artificer, so slotting them in is easy.

Sample Encounter: While taking an ale in the 12 Pillows Inn, a fight suddenly kicks up; a band of five adventuers have provoked some low-lives and the party has been roped into the fight. One of the band is a female with a variety of peculiar gadgets...

EL 13: Melissa Travoris