Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Artificer Subclass: Shipwright

 Artificer Subclass: Shipwright


The Shipwright Artificer is a master of maritime innovation, a brilliant mind dedicated to harnessing arcane energy and mechanical ingenuity for the glory and survival of their vessel. They are the true architects of naval supremacy in Valeria, understanding every creak of the hull and every whir of an enchanted gear. Far more than mere mechanics, these artificers are the guardians of a ship's very soul, capable of weaving powerful enchantments into timber and iron.

Their expertise ranges from calibrating mighty cannons to hum with destructive magic, to rapidly mending shattered masts in the fury of a storm, or designing ingenious defenses that turn a simple caravel into a floating fortress. They see a ship not just as wood and canvas, but as a complex organism, a testament to civilization's resilience against the vast, untamed seas. A Shipwright ensures their crew sails not just upon the waves, but dominates them, turning every voyage into a testament to their unparalleled craft.

Artificer Subclass: Shipwright

The Shipwright Artificer is a master of maritime innovation, a brilliant mind dedicated to harnessing arcane energy and mechanical ingenuity for the glory and survival of their vessel. They are the true architects of naval supremacy in Valeria, understanding every creak of the hull and every whir of an enchanted gear. Far more than mere mechanics, these artificers are the guardians of a ship's very soul, capable of weaving powerful enchantments into timber and iron.

Their expertise ranges from calibrating mighty cannons to hum with destructive magic, to rapidly mending shattered masts in the fury of a storm, or designing ingenious defenses that turn a simple caravel into a floating fortress. They see a ship not just as wood and canvas, but as a complex organism, a testament to civilization's resilience against the vast, untamed seas. A Shipwright ensures their crew sails not just upon the waves, but dominates them, turning every voyage into a testament to their unparalleled craft.

Shipwright Spells

3rd-level Shipwright feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you have prepared.

At 3rd level, you learn the Shape Water cantrip (as a 0-level spell) and you learn fog cloud and grease. At 5th level, you learn enhance ability and warding wind. At 9th level, you learn call lightning and water breathing. At 13th level, you learn control water and fabricate. At 17th level, you learn maelstrom and transmute rock.

Artisan of the Waves

3rd-level Shipwright feature

Your intimate knowledge of naval architecture and maritime mechanics makes you indispensable aboard any vessel. You gain proficiency with carpenter's tools and navigator's tools. If you already have proficiency with either of these, you gain expertise with that tool, doubling your proficiency bonus for any ability check you make that uses that proficiency.

Additionally, you have a keen eye for a ship's condition. As an action, you can spend 1 minute examining a ship or one of its components (e.g., a mast, the helm, a cannon) to learn its current VP/HP, its AC, its Damage Thresholds, and the nature of any conditions or damage it is currently suffering.

Ship's Arcane Heart

3rd-level Shipwright feature

You learn to channel your artificer magic directly into a vessel's very structure, allowing you to mend it with surprising speed. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to a creature, you can instead choose to apply its healing to a ship component or the ship's Hull (VP). For every 5 hit points the spell would restore to a creature, it restores 1 point of HP or VP to the chosen ship component or hull. This healing ignores the component's or hull's Damage Threshold.

Artificer Weapon Specialist

3rd-level Shipwright feature

Your primary focus is the maintenance and enhancement of a ship's formidable weaponry. You learn to imbue a ship's Ballista or Cannon with temporary magical energy. At the end of a long rest, when you prepare your infusions, you can choose one Ballista or Cannon on a ship you are currently on to become an Artificer Weapon until your next long rest.

When a creature makes an attack roll with an Artificer Weapon you've designated, they can add your Intelligence modifier to the attack roll (minimum of +1). This benefit replaces any other proficiency bonus or ability modifier that would normally be applied to the attack roll, instead using the weapon's base attack bonus (e.g., +6 for Ballista, +5 for Cannon) + your Intelligence modifier. Additionally, the Artificer Weapon's damage threshold (if it has one) is increased by 1 while designated.

The number of Artificer Weapons you can designate at the end of a long rest increases as you gain levels in this class:

  • 3rd level: 1 Artificer Weapon
  • 5th level: 2 Artificer Weapons
  • 9th level: 3 Artificer Weapons

Reinforced Hull

5th-level Shipwright feature

Your mastery extends to fortifying a ship against the harshest impacts. When your ship (the vessel you are currently on) takes damage that would reduce its Vessel Points (VP), you can use your reaction to reduce the damage taken by an amount equal to your Artificer level + your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

 
 

Emergency Repairs

5th-level Shipwright feature

You gain the ability to perform rapid, if temporary, repairs even amidst the chaos of combat. As an action, you can touch a damaged ship component or the ship's hull (VP) and expend one of your spell slots to restore HP/VP. The amount of HP/VP restored is 2d8 per level of the spell slot expended. This healing ignores the component's or hull's Damage Threshold.

Master Shipwright's Touch

9th-level Shipwright feature

Your intimate connection to your vessel allows you to inspire its movements and reinforce its very structure. When your ship makes an ability check, a saving throw, or an general attack roll, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll, provided you are on the ship.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

 

Additionally, when a creature operates an Artificer Weapon you have designated, the weapon's damage die size increases by one step (e.g., d8 becomes d10, d10 becomes d12) to a maximum of d12. For weapons that use multiple dice (like 3d10 for a Ballista), only one of the dice increases per attack (DM's choice or the highest die if applicable).

Legendary Vessel Integration

15th-level Shipwright feature

Your magnum opus, a true melding of artifice and vessel. At the end of a long rest, you can choose one ship you are currently on to become a Legendary Vessel for you until your next long rest. When a ship is your Legendary Vessel, it gains the following benefits:

  • The ship's Hull (VP) and all its components gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Artificer level at the start of each of its turns.
  • The ship gains a bonus to its AC and Damage Thresholds (for both Hull and Components) equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1). This bonus stacks with other quality bonuses.
  • You can use your Emergency Repairs feature without expending a spell slot once per short or long rest.
  • When your Legendary Vessel's VP would be reduced to 0, you can choose for it to be reduced to 1 VP instead. You can't use this particular benefit again until you finish a long rest.

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