Bombardier
Many artificer experiments end in explosive failure but for bombardiers a massive explosion is the goal. From tiny smoke puffs to almighty and awe inspiring conflagrations, bombardiers are masters of the incredibly dangerous explosive sciences. In peacetime they work in demolitions or with fireworks, but in wartime they are the cannoneers, the grenadiers, the feared mad bombers that can simply make things disappear in a roar of fury and thunder.
Alchemical Grenades
When you select this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with a special type of rare ranged weapon called an alchemical grenade, and you may use your Intelligence when making attack and damage rolls with them.
You can use a bonus action to arm an alchemical grenade. An armed alchemical grenade explodes when it hits a target or at the end of your turn.
Alchemical grenades are thrown weapons with a range of 20/60 feet, and when an armed alchemical grenade hits a target it deals 1d6 force damage. This damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level, 11th level, and 17th level (maximum 4d6). Whenever you hit a target with an alchemical grenade, each creature within 5 feet of the target makes a Dexterity saving throw or takes half as much damage as taken by the target (the target is immune to this effect). Whenever you miss with an armed alchemical grenade it explodes in a harmless location at the end of your turn.
You can use this feature to arm a number of alchemical grenades equal to your proficiency bonus. Creating these alchemical grenades has no material costs. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest by mixing chemicals and soldering together new shells for later use. You cannot regain expended uses in this way if you don’t have access to tools of artifice.
Whenever you arm an alchemical grenade, you may select one of the following grenade types.
Acid Core
A target hit by this grenade takes an additional 1d4 ongoing acid damage that persists until it submerges itself in water or uses an action to wipe the acid off. This ongoing acid damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level, 11th level, and 17th level (maximum 4d4).
Arcane Payload
To select this grenade type, you must expend an infusion use.
A target hit by this grenade takes an additional 1d12 force damage and makes an Intelligence saving throw or is rattled until the end of its next turn. This additional force damage increases by 1d12 when you reach 5th level, 11th level, and 17th level (maximum 4d12).
Combustible
A target hit by this grenade takes 1d6 additional fire damage. This additional fire damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level, 11th level, and 17th level (maximum 4d6). Flammable objects within 5 feet of the target that aren’t being worn or carried ignite, taking 1d6 ongoing fire damage until a creature uses an action to smother the flames.
Flashbang
A target hit by this grenade makes a Constitution saving throw or is blinded until the end of its next turn.
Bombardier Spells
Starting at 3rd level, when you prepare your artificer spells you can prepare certain spells and create spell inventions for them in addition to your normal number of prepared spells. These spells count as artificer spells for you, even if they aren’t on the artificer spell list.
Table: Bombardier Spells
3rd earth barrier , fog cloud
5th seed bomb , shattering barrage
9th fireball , stinking cloud
17th cloudkill , flame strike
Explosives Specialist
Also at 3rd level you gain the Engineering skill specialty explosives. If you already have this specialty you instead gain a different Engineering skill specialty of your choice.
Munitions Expert
Starting at 5th level, you can modify ammunition to create special ammunition. In a careful process that takes 10 minutes, you can modify up to 10 pieces of ammunition into your choice of explosive, flaming, or punching ammunition. It costs 5 gold in materials per piece of ammunition modified in this way.
In addition, you may use your Intelligence when making attack and damage rolls using siege weaponry.
Precision Explosives
At 9th level you learn the fine art of causing explosions when you mean to cause explosions. Whenever you arm an alchemical grenade or use Tactical Chemistry to create an alchemist’s fire, black powder charge, smoke bomb, or tanglefoot bag, you can use an action to set it in an unoccupied space in one of the following ways.
Set Trigger. You attach the item to an object or surface and choose a specific mechanical action that triggers it, such as an attached chest being opened, or the wheels of an attached wagon turning. When triggered the item explodes and its effects occur.
Timed Explosion. When setting this item you choose an amount of time up to 1 hour. The item explodes and its effects occur at the chosen time.
Vibration Sensitive. After this item is set, it explodes and its effects occur the next time a Small-sized or larger object or creature other than you moves within 5 feet of it.
If an item set using this feature is normally thrown, any creature within 5 feet of it when it explodes is treated as if it were hit by the item. If an item set in this way normally has an area of effect, that area is centered where the item was set.
You may also set alchemist’s fires, black powder charges, smoke bombs, and tanglefoot bags not created using Tactical Chemistry at the cost of 5 gold in materials per item set in this way.
Demolitions Master
At 15th level you’ve become a veteran of a field with a low life expectancy. You may be missing your eyebrows or a few fingers, but you know how to survive when the bombs are going off around you and how to “safely” create some of the biggest explosions technology is capable of. You gain the following benefits.
- You gain resistance to fire and force damage, and immunity to the deafened condition.
- You may simultaneously set up to a number of items equal to your proficiency bonus when using Precision Explosives. Items set in this way always explode simultaneously.
- Your alchemical grenades and items made using Tactical Chemistry deal twice as much damage to objects and vehicles.