Mech Pilot Specialization
Artificer Specialization
Tool Proficiency
When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Smith’s Tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice.
The Mech
At 3rd level, you construct a modular suit of giant armor referred to simply as the Mech. While you are inside the Mech, you can’t cast spells, as its interface requires your complete concentration. The Mech is a Large construct, and your size is Large while piloting it.
Shared Hit Points
You and the Mech share a single pool of hit points. While piloting the Mech, any damage you take represents damage to the Mech, and any healing you receive also repairs the Mech. You must perform routine upkeep on the Mech during a Long Rest to keep it operational.
Operation and Movement
Piloting the Mech imposes Disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks due to its imposing size and heavy systems. Entering or exiting the Mech requires 1 minute.
Lunch break by adamkuczek
Customizing the Mech
The Mech consists of a Frame, which defines its basic structure, and a Generator, which supplies arcane power. You can equip additional parts, provided their combined Energy Upkeep does not exceed the Mech’s Energy Capacity.
Heat
Certain actions generate Heat. The Mech can withstand Heat up to its Heat Capacity. If your accumulated Heat exceeds your Heat Capacity, you take fire damage at the start of each of your turns equal to the excess Heat multiplied by half your Artificer level (rounded down). To clear all accumulated Heat, you must use an Action and all of your movement on your turn to vent.
Magic Items
Instead of wearing or wielding magic items, you can integrate them into the Mech. Magic weapons merge with corresponding Mech Weapons, transferring their magical bonuses and properties if the weapon types match (Melee, Ranged, or Shield). Other magic items can also be installed, with one item per slot. Any integrated item grants its usual benefits while you are piloting the Mech.
Modifying the Mech
You can devote up to eight hours each day to improving or replacing parts of the Mech. The required work hours can be divided over multiple days.
- Replacing a Part (Except the Frame). Replacing a part requires eight hours of work. You can replace one additional part for every four additional hours spent during the same work period.
- Changing the Frame. Installing a new Frame requires 40 hours of work.
- Daily Work Limit. You can’t spend more than eight hours per day modifying the Mech.
Quick Rebuild Upon Level-Up
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can spend one hour of downtime in a safe setting with your Smith’s Tools to refit the Mech, replacing any number of its parts (including the Frame) without requiring additional work time.
Barrage
Starting at 5th level, you can take the Barrage action while piloting the Mech. Only weapons with the Barrage trait can be used with this action. The Generator lists the values that affect your Barrage:
- Barrage Capacity. The maximum number of attacks you can make during the Barrage action.
- Barrage Heat. This is shown as “X / Y,” where X is the initial Heat accumulated to start the Barrage, and Y is the extra Heat accumulated for each attack beyond the first.
When you take the Barrage action, you make multiple attacks in place of a single attack, resolving each attack separately. If a weapon’s description limits the number of times it can be used during a Barrage, you must follow that limit. If performing a Barrage causes your Heat to exceed the Mech’s Heat Capacity, you take the excess fire damage as normal. You can’t take the Barrage action if your Generator’s Barrage Capacity is 0, or if you aren’t piloting the Mech.
Tuning
Starting at 9th level, you can tune the Mech during a Long Rest. Choose one of the following options, which lasts until the end of your next Long Rest:
- Your Intelligence modifier is added to the Mech’s Heat Capacity.
- If you have a Booster equipped, the Mech’s walking speed and fly speed increase by 10 feet.
- Choose one equipped part. It gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and the saving throw DCs of its abilities.
Top of the Line
At 15th level, you unlock the Paragon benefit of the Frame, realizing its ultimate potential. Additionally, the Mech’s Heat Capacity increases by an amount equal to twice your Intelligence modifier.
Mecha - final step by Grosnez
Customizing the Mech
When you build the Mech, choose from the parts listed below. You can have at most one Frame and one Generator, and you can’t equip more than one copy of any other part unless a part’s description states otherwise.
Descriptors clarify the properties of each part:
- Traits. Specific properties or requirements shared by multiple parts, described in the Traits section.
- Energy Upkeep. The amount of Energy the part consumes. The total Energy Upkeep of all equipped parts can’t exceed the Generator’s Energy Capacity.
- Ability. An active effect that requires the specified action and may accumulate Heat. If an ability requires a saving throw, it uses your spell save DC.
- Effect. A passive benefit that applies while the part is equipped on the Mech.
Supercharging Parts
Some parts can be supercharged to unlock more powerful benefits. These parts have Tiers, and their Energy Upkeep is listed in an X/Y/Z format:
- Tier 1 (X). The base Energy Upkeep for the part’s standard benefits.
- Tier 2 (Y). By allocating more Energy to the part, its abilities are modified as described in its Tier 2 description.
- Tier 3 (Z). By allocating even more Energy, both the Tier 2 and Tier 3 modifications apply. If they affect the same property, the Tier 3 modification replaces the Tier 2 one.
Frames
A Frame is the foundation of the Mech.
| Frame | Speed | Heat Capacity | Weapon Slots | AC | Booster Speed | Special Effect & Paragon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agile Frame | 40 feet | 20 | 2x Arm Slots | 15 | +10 feet | Effect: You can vent all accumulated Heat as an Action, without needing to spend your movement. Paragon (Level 15): Your walking speed increases by 10 feet, your fly speed increases by 10 feet, and you don’t provoke opportunity attacks when you move. |
| Armed Frame | 30 feet | 24 | 2x Arm, 2x Back | 16 | — | Effect: When you finish a Long Rest, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Artificer level. You can gain these temporary hit points only if you are inside the Mech, and they last until you finish your next Long Rest. Paragon (Level 15): Abilities from Arm or Back slots accumulate 1 less Heat, and the Barrage action accumulates 2 less Heat. |
| Titan Frame | 25 feet | 32 | 2x Arm, 1x Back | 18 | –10 feet | Effect: When you finish a Long Rest, you gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Artificer level. You can gain these temporary hit points only if you are inside the Mech, and they last until you finish your next Long Rest. Paragon (Level 15): Your AC increases by 1. Additionally, you can use a Bonus Action to gain temporary hit points equal to your Artificer level (1/Long Rest). |
Generators
Generators provide power to the Mech.
| Generator | Level | Energy Capacity | Add. Heat | Barrage Cap | Barrage Heat | Special Traits & Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | 3rd | 23 + thrice your Artificer level | +15 | 3 | 4 / 2 | — |
| High Capacity | 3rd | 30 + thrice your Artificer level | +8 | 3 | 4 / 2 | — |
| High Heat | 3rd | 15 + thrice your Artificer level | +23 | 3 | 4 / 2 | — |
| Rapid Fire Barrage | 3rd | 20 + thrice your Artificer level | +12 | 4 | 7 / 1 | — |
| Active Cooling | 10th | 20 + thrice your Artificer level | +14 | 3 | 5 / 3 | Effect: At the start of each of your turns, your accumulated Heat is reduced by 10. |
| Umbral | 10th | 20 | +10 | 0 | N/A | Autonomous Operation: While you are outside the Mech, it can operate autonomously using your Bonus Action. Overheating: Accumulates 2 additional Heat when acting autonomously. |
| Redline | 10th | 20 + thrice your Artificer level | +2 | 3 | 5 / 3 | Ability: When accumulated Heat is within your Intelligence modifier of your Heat Capacity, you can vent all Heat as a Reaction. Double overflow damage. |
| Extreme Barrage | 15th | 15 + thrice your Artificer level | +8 | 5 | 3 / 0 | — |
| Extreme Capacity | 15th | 45 + thrice your Artificer level | +8 | 2 | 5 / 3 | — |
| Extreme Heat | 15th | 15 + thrice your Artificer level | +38 | 2 | 5 / 4 | — |
Weapons
You are proficient with all Mech Weapons. Melee Mech Weapon attacks use Strength, and ranged Mech Weapon attacks use Dexterity for their attack and damage rolls unless stated otherwise.
Melee Mech Weapons
| Weapon | Slots & Traits | Energy Upkeep | Heat | Reach | Attack & Upgrade Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eight Hand Shield | Arm, Reaction, Shield | 3/10/17 | 6 | — | Reduce ranged attack damage by 1d10 + Int mod + level. If damage is 0, spend 4 Heat to catch and throw it back (range 60 ft, melee attack roll). Tier 2: +1 AC. Tier 3: +2 AC. |
| Shield | Arm, Shield | 7/14/21 | — | — | You gain a +1 bonus to AC. Tier 2: AC bonus increases to +2. Tier 3: AC bonus increases to +3. |
| Spiked Shield | Arm, Shield, Barrage, Action | 9/12/19 | 6 | 5 ft | Attack: 1d4 Piercing (no modifier). You gain a +1 bonus to AC. Tier 2: Damage increases to 1d6 + Str mod. Tier 3: AC bonus increases to +2. |
| Artificial Hand | Arm, Action, Barrage | 4 | 3 | 5 ft | Fine manipulation; allows wielding humanoid weapons (two-handed in one hand, versatile deals two-handed damage). Attack: 1d4 or weapon damage. |
| Impact Lance | Arm, Back, Barrage, Action | 4/9/16 | 7 | 10 ft | Attack: 1d6 Piercing. Extra 1 damage for every 10 ft moved in a straight line before attack. Tier 2: 1d8 Piercing; extra 1 damage for every 5 ft moved. Tier 3: 1d12 Piercing; extra 1d4 damage for every 5 ft moved. |
| Pile Bunker | Arm, Full Round | 6/12/18 | 10 | 5 ft | Attack: 4d8 + 4 (+1d8+1 for Armed Frame, +2d8+2 for Titan). Spend 20 Heat for Advantage. Tier 2: 8d8 + 8 (+2d8+2 for Armed, +4d8+4 for Titan). Tier 3: 12d8 + 12 (+3d8+3 for Armed, +6d8+6 for Titan). |
| Superheated Blade | Arm, Barrage, Action | 4/9/15 | 8 | 10 ft | Attack: 1d6 Slashing (+1d4 Fire if current Heat half Capacity). Accumulate Heat before damage. Tier 2: 1d8 Slashing (+1/4 current Heat to damage). Tier 3: 1d12 Slashing (+1/2 current Heat to damage). |
| Vibro Dagger | Arm, Action, Barrage | 2/5/10 | 1 | 5 ft | Attack: 1d4 Piercing. Tier 2: 1d6 Piercing. Can make 2 attacks for 1 Barrage attack. Tier 3: 1d8 Piercing; no longer limited to 1 use per Barrage. |
VENGEANCE by Grosnez
Ranged Mech Weapons
| Weapon | Slots & Traits | Energy Upkeep | Heat | Range | Attack & Upgrade Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon’s Maw | Arm, Action, Barrage | 7/15/23 | 8+ | 10 ft cone | Dex save half. Deals 3d4 Fire (+1d4 per 2 Heat beyond 8). Tier 2: 15 ft cone, 4d6 Fire (+1d6 per 2 Heat beyond 8). Tier 3: 30 ft cone, 4d8 Fire (+1d8 per 2 Heat beyond 8). |
| Lightning Rail | Arm, Back, Action, Barrage | 7/15/23 | 8+ | 15 ft line | Dex save half. Deals 3d4 Lightning in a 5 ft wide line. Tier 2: 25 ft line, 4d4. Target another within 10 ft for 3d4 (+2 Heat per target). Tier 3: 45 ft line, 4d6. Target within 15 ft for 3d6 (1 free, others cost +2 Heat). |
| Missiles | Back, Action | 9/18/27 | 17 | 90 ft | Choose 2 targets. Attack deals 1d6 Bludgeoning; targets within 10 ft take 2d6 Fire (Dex save half). Tier 2: Choose 3 targets; 1d8 Bludgeoning + 2d8 Fire. Tier 3: Choose 4 targets; 1d10 Bludgeoning + 2d10 Fire. |
| Pistol | Arm, Action, Barrage | 4/8/12 | 3 | 30/120 ft | Attack: 1d4 Piercing. Tier 2: 1d6 Piercing; range 45/180 ft. Tier 3: 1d8 Piercing; range 60/240 ft. |
| Rapid Fire | Arm, Back, Action, Barrage | 7/15/23 | 7 | 50/200 ft | Attack: 1d4 Piercing. Target another in a 50 ft cone for 1d4 Piercing (no modifier). Tier 2: 1d6 Piercing; choose up to 2 additional targets. Tier 3: 1d8 Piercing; choose up to 3 additional targets. |
| Shotgun | Arm, Action, Barrage | 7/9/11 | 8 | 20/80 ft | Attack: 1d8 Bludgeoning. Con save or target speed halved and next attack has Disadvantage. Tier 2: 1d10 Bludgeoning. Tier 3: 1d12 Bludgeoning. |
| Sniper | Arm, Back, Action, Barrage | 7/11/15 | 6 | 200/800 ft | Attack: 1d8 Piercing. Reduce speed to 0 to deal +1d6 Piercing. Tier 2: 1d10 Piercing (+1d8 with speed 0). Tier 3: 1d12 Piercing (+1d10 with speed 0). |
Subsystems
| Subsystem | Traits & Requirements | Energy Upkeep | Description & Upgrade Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afterburner | — | 6/12/18 | Booster fly speed increases by 10 feet. Tier 2: Increases by 20 feet. Tier 3: Increases by 30 feet. |
| Air Bubble | — | 5 | Breathe normally inside the Mech for up to eight hours, even in unbreathable areas. |
| Cooling Systems | — | 6/10/15 | Accumulated Heat is reduced by 4 at the start of each of your turns. Tier 2: Reduced by 6. Tier 3: Reduced by 8. |
| Emergency Repair Kit | Heat 20, Charges 3, Action | 8/16/24 | Regain hit points equal to 2d8 + your Intelligence modifier. Tier 2: Regain 4d8 + twice your Intelligence modifier. Tier 3: Regain 6d8 + twice your Intelligence modifier. |
| Energy Shield | Shield | 10 | You gain a +1 bonus to AC. |
| External Arm | — | 7 | Mech gains one additional Arm slot. Can install multiple copies. |
| Floodlight | Bonus Action | 3 | Project bright light in 120-foot cone and dim light for 120 feet. Dismiss as Bonus Action. |
| Fuel Leakage | Action, 4 Charges, 6 Heat | 10 | Cast the grease spell centered on the ground beneath you without slots or components. |
| Gliding Wings | — | 3 | Descend 15 ft/round on fall; move horizontally up to walking speed. No fall damage. Can vent Heat while gliding. |
| Grenades | Action, Barrage, 11 Heat | 7/17 | Sphere (10-foot radius): 3d6 Force damage and push 10 feet (Con save half and no push). Tier 2: 20-foot radius, 4d8 Force damage, and 15-foot push. |
| Heatsinks | — | 5 | Mech’s Heat Capacity increases by 6. Can install multiple copies. |
| Impact Mod | Mod | 4 | Apply to attack-only weapon. Gain +1 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. |
| Power Exoframe | 3 Heat | 6 | Use Intelligence for Strength checks in the Mech. Spend 3 Heat at start of turn to be considered one size larger for carrying capacity and grapples. |
| Range Mod | Mod | 4 | Apply to ranged attack-only weapon. Increase range by 20/80 feet. Can install multiple copies on different weapons. |
| Evasion Mantle | Agile Frame only | 15 | Add Dexterity modifier to AC while piloting the Mech. |
| Silenced Parts | Agile Frame only | 5 | You no longer have Disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while piloting. |
| Smoke Grenades | Action, Barrage, 11 Heat | 7/19 | Create up to three 10-foot-radius spheres of fog (heavily obscured). Lasts until dispersed by moderate wind. Tier 2: 15-foot radius; creatures starting turn in area take 2d6 Acid damage. |
| Targeting Computer | Level 5 | 8 | Use Intelligence modifier in place of Dexterity for attack/damage rolls of ranged Mech weapons. |
| Weapon Coprocessor | Level 5 | 8 | Use Intelligence modifier in place of Strength for attack/damage rolls of melee Mech weapons. |
| Weaponized Exhaust | — | 5 | When you vent Heat, creatures within 10 feet make Dex save or take fire damage equal to vented Heat (half on success). |
| Glowdust | Action, 3 Charges, 12 Heat, Level 7 | 8/12/16 | Sphere (30-foot radius): Dex save or lose invisibility; attacks against them have Advantage for 1 turn. Tier 2: Lasts 2 turns. Tier 3: Lasts 3 turns. |
| Heat Mirage | Action, 2 Charges, 7 Heat, Level 7 | 13 | Air shimmers. Attacks against you have Disadvantage unless attacker doesn’t rely on sight. Lasts 1 minute; ends if you don’t accumulate 7 Heat. |
| Storage Pearl | Level 7 | 10 | Compress Mech into pearl-sized sphere. Deploy and enter as an Action; exit and revert to pearl as an Action. |
| Cloaking System | Action, 7 Heat, Level 9 | 12/24 | Gain Invisible condition. Ends on attack, damage, saving throw force, or failure to accumulate 7 Heat. Tier 2: Spend 9 additional Heat to extend to allies within 15 feet. |
| Overclock | Action, 1 Charge, 9 Heat, Level 12 | 17 | For 1 minute, speed is doubled, Advantage on Dex saves, gain extra action (Attack [1 attack only], Dash, Disengage, Hide, Utilize, or Subsystem). Ends on Heat vent. |
Boosters
Boosters grant a fly speed but accumulate Heat the first time you use that fly speed on each of your turns.
| Booster | Level | Energy Upkeep | Flight Speed | Heat Cost | Special Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Duty Booster | 11th | 12 | 50 feet | 7 | Mobile (moving doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks). |
| High Energy Booster | 11th | 11 | 60 feet | 6 | — |
| Quickboost | 11th | 10 | 30 feet | 4 | Mobile (moving doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks). |
| Transdimensional Booster | 11th | 13 | 30 feet | 6 | Teleport up to fly speed instead of moving by accumulating 4 extra Heat. |
Armored Core Fanart by RomainAdd
Traits
- Action. Activating this ability requires an Action.
- Barrage. This ability can be used as part of the Barrage action.
- Bonus Action. Activating this ability requires a Bonus Action.
- X Charges. You can use this ability X times, and you regain all expended charges when you finish a Long Rest.
- Full Round Action. Activating this ability requires your Action, Bonus Action, and all of your movement on your turn.
- X Heat. Activating this ability accumulates X Heat.
- Level X. You must be at least level X in this subclass to equip this part.
- Mobile. Moving with this part equipped doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
- Mod. This part is applied to another equipped part. A part can have only one Mod applied to it at a time.
- Movement. Activating this ability requires all of your movement on your turn.
- Reaction. Activating this ability requires a Reaction.
- Shield. This part is a shield. You can benefit from only one shield-based AC bonus at a time.
- X Slot. This part must be installed in an unoccupied slot of type X (such as an Arm slot or Back slot) provided by your Mech’s Frame. If a part lists multiple slot types, you choose which slot it occupies when you install it.