First, I'd like to point out that I've made significant alterations to the Eberron setting artificer and the Mongoose Publishing Power Class artificer, jumbled them together, then threw in a few more ideas from other sources to try and make one big mish-mash of a class. The original two artificers have presence in this new idea, but I think the class has been altered too much to be considered a straight conversion, which is why I'm in homebrew. Forum mods, feel free to correct me.
Second, I will in no way pretend that the class is balanced as-is. I've added a great deal many things, and have no idea how to balance a majority of the things the class should bring to the table, so I added a lot of stuff. I expect a good amount of it to hit the cutting board, but I'd like to hear reasons and discussion on why it should be cut (these boards have been pretty good about that so far as I can tell, but I'm not one to assume).
Third, thanks in advance for reading through the garbage that is this attempt to re-birth artificer into pathfinder.
Artificer - Master of invention
Most people learn magic, and learn crafts, and fuse the two by simply imbuing crafts with magical properties. Artificers, from birth, have found themselves drawn to both magic and craft equally powerfully, and have discovered that the best way to express their magic is through odd devices they keep on their persons. They spend their training years taking things apart and rebuilding them, and watching other spell-casters use their magic. Because they cannot study intently under other casters while learning to build devices, they learn through watching, and jotting down notes in their artificer's logs.
Artificer's inventions are often miniature mazes of gears, switches, buttons, or triggers. Other spellcasting classes might be able to identify the spell inside the device, but without a knowledge of the artificer's designs, cannot use the item. Other artificers can only use the item after long, careful study of the item.
Artificers are quirky by nature, having spent a majority of their time either in the inner-workings of some odd device, or studying the local cleric from afar as they perform their miracles, rather than among peers. By the time they are ready to set out on an adventure, an artificer might have spent only two years in close-contact with other people.
Alignment: Any
Hit die: d6
Starting wealth: 5d6x10 (average 175)
Class skills: An artificer's class skills are Appraise(Int), Craft(Int), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge(Arcana) (Int), Knowledge(Engineering) (Int), Knowledge(Planes) (Int), Profession(Wis), Spellcraft(Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill ranks per level: 4+Int modifier
Artificer class abilities:
Invention: Artificer may imbue an item with a spell he knows, capable of casting that spell once per rewind. Artificers can only learn spells up to a level equal to the level of invention he knows. At first level, invention is level 1, increasing by level once every three levels after, to a maximum of six at level 16.
The number of spells imbued per item is one at first level, increasing to two at fifth level, and +1 every five levels after, to a maximum of five spells per item at twentieth level.
The DC to identify the spell inside an invention is 10+the spell level+the level of the artificer who created it at the time of creation. You cannot take 10 or 20 on this check.
The DC for another artificer to activate it is equal to 20+the spell level+the level of the artificer who created it at the time of creation. You cannot take 10 or 20 on this check, and if it fails, the item breaks and the magic is lost. It takes a number of days of study equal to the level of the artificer who created it at the time of creation.
An artificer may apply metamagic feats to his inventions, so long as the resulting spell level is equal to or less than his current invention level.
Rewind: An artificer may re-wind any of his inventions once per day. This requires twenty minutes of uninterrupted concentration per invention, and he must specify which inventions he is re-winding. The number of times he may rewind his inventions increases to twice at 5th level, and every five levels after, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.
Artificer log: An artificer starts play knowing any four spells, so long as his invention level is high enough to learn it. He can learn one new spell every time he levels, or every time he gains a level in invention. He may learn new spells to put in his log from any caster after studying another caster using the spell at least a number of times equal to five times per spell level. The artificer must succeed a spellcraft check DC equal to 15+ the spell level + the spellcaster's level each time it is cast to learn the spell.
Contraption: Starting at first level, an artificer gains the ability to enhance masterwork weapons with additional damage dice that are not multiplied on critical hits. These contraptions can not be applied to items that are already magical. These contraptions require an amount of gold in materials and a number of days of crafting for 8 hours a day. The days need not be consecutive, but the weapon is unusable until it is finished. A weapon cannot be conrapted more than once, even if it does not currently have a contraption on it, and if the contraption is removed it becomes broken. A weapon broken this way that is repaired loses its contraption bonuses.
At first level, the artificer can grant an additional 1d4 damage to any gauntlet or simple light weapon. It costs 400GP in materials and takes 4 days.
At fourth level, the artificer gains the ability to apply his contraptions to simple one-handed weapons, and he can increase the damage by 1d6. The cost for this damage increase is 600 GP in materials, and requires 6 days.
At seventh level, the artificer gains the ability to apply his contraptions to light martial weapons and simple two-handed weapons, and he can increase the damage by 1d8. The cost for this damage increase is 800 GP in materials, and requires 8 days.
At tenth level, the artificer gains the ability to apply his contraptions to martial one-handed weapons, and he can increase the damage by 2d6. This damage increase is 1,200 GP in materials, and requires 12 days.
At thirteenth level, the artificer gains the ability to apply his contraptions to light exotic weapons and martial two-handed weapons, and he can increase the damage by 2d8. This damage increase is 1,600 GP in materials, and requires 16 days.
At sixteenth level, the artificer gains the ability to apply his contraptions to exotic one-handed weapons, and he can increase the damage by 2d10. This damage increase is 2,000 GP in materials, and requires 20 days.
At nineteenth level, the artificer gains the ability to apply his contraptions to exotic two-handed weapons, and he can increase the damage by 3d8. This damage increase is 2,400 GP in materials, and requires 24 days.
Trapfinding: At second level, the artificer gains trapfinding, as the rogue special ability.
Artificer knowledge: Starting at second level, the artificer may make a special check using his artificer level and his int modifier as the roll modifiers to identify whether a specific item has a magical aura. He cannot take 10 or 20 on this check. A 15 tells him the item has magic, but not the properties.
Trap sense: At third level, the artificer gains the trap sense ability, as the rogue special ability.
Bonus feat: At third level, and every three levels after, Artificer gains a bonus feat. This feat must be used on item creation or metamagic feats.
Artificer bonus: Starting at fourth level, the artificer gains a +2 use magic device bonus on any item for which he could craft. This bonus increases by +2 every four levels, to a maximum of +10 at twentieth level.
Mechanism: Starting at fifth level, the artificer gains the ability to improve armor by adding mechanisms. This mechanism adds an amount of damage reduction and strength bonus to the armor, but requires the armor to be nonmagical masterwork. The armor takes a number of days to craft, in which you must work eight hours per day. The days need not be consecutive, but the armor is unusable during this time. An armor can only be mechanized once, even if it does not currently have a mechanism on it, and if the mechanism is removed the armor becomes broken. If an armor broken this way is repaired, it loses its mechanism bonus.
At fifth level, the artificer can mechanize light armor, adding damage reduction/magic up to +5, and a strength bonus up to +2. It costs 2,000 GP for every point damage reduction and every point of strength bonus, and requires one day for every 1,000 GP in materials.
At tenth level, the artificer can mechanize medium armors, and can give damage reduction silver up to +5, with a strength bonus up to +4. It costs 4,000 GP for every point of damage reduction and every point of strength bonus, and requires one day for every 2,000 GP in materials.
At fifteenth level, the artificer can mechanize heavy armors, and can give damage reduction adamantine up to +5, with a strength bonus up to +6. It costs 6,000 GP for every point of damage reduction and every point of strength bonus, and requires one day for every 3,000 GP in materials.
At twentieth level, the artificer can mechanize unusual armors, and can give DR/- up to +5, with a strength bonus up to +8. It costs 10,000 GP for every point of damage reduction and every point of strength bonus, and requires one day for every 5,000 GP in materials.
Jack of All Trades: At eight level, the artificer becomes a jack of all trades, being able to use any skill untrained. At seventeenth level, this becomes Master of All Trades, and the artificer treats all skills as class skills.
Contrivance: At eigth level, the artificer begins tinkering with other forms of life, creating simple contrivances. He can replicate creatures of up to small size, maximum CR 4, through his artifice, or replace fingers/toes/ears of other creatures. Creatures created this way only move when commanded aloud. Creating a creature this way costs 3,000 GP times its challenge rating.
Replacing a limb this way costs 3,000 GP for every hit dice the creature has, and limbs replaced this way require one day per hit dice of rest to get used to, or a use magic device check equal to 30 minus the artificer's level. If the check fails, they must spend the full time recuperating. These days must be consecutive.
At 14th level, the artificer's contrivances become complex, and he can replicate creatures of up to medium size, maximum CR 9, and he can replace hands/feet/wings of other creatures. Creatures created this way share an empathetic link with their master, who is set when the creature is created, and can be commanded through it. Creating a creature this way costs 8,000 GP times its challenge rating.
Replacing hands/feet/wings this way costs 8,000 GP for every hit dice the creature has, and the same rules apply for getting used to the new limb as simple contrivances.
At 20th level, the artificer's contrivances become perfect, and he can replicate creatures of up to large size, maximum CR 14, and he can replace arms and legs of other creatures. Creatures created this way move of their own volition, and reflect the personality of their creator, regardless of how the creature its imitating might normally act. Creating a creature this way costs 15,000 GP times its challenge rating.
Replacing arms or legs of a creature costs 15,000 GP for every hit dice the creature has, and the same rules apply for getting used to the new limb as other contrivances.
In order to create a creature or replace a limb, an artificer must spend a number of days studying the creature equal to the number of hit dice it has, and succeed a DC 20+hit dice craft check.
Living machines: Living machines are not machines with consciensce. Creations of the artificer gain fast healing. This does not heal corrosion or acid damage. They will continue to lose hit points until -10.
