The Artificer
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Base Attack: Low
Good Save: Will
Requirements
Skills: 7 ranks in Spellcraft
Feats: Scribe Scroll, plus any two item creation feats and/or metamagic feats plus Skill Focus in Spellcraft
Spells: Able to cast six different spells of 3rd level or higher from 6 different schools.
Special: Must under go a week of training in a college of artifice, the player must read the magic item creation rules in the magic items chapter.
Class Skills
Appraise(Int), Craft(Int), Disable Device(Dex), Knowledge (Arcana)(Int), Knowledge(Architecture & Engineering)(Int), Knowledge(Dungeoneering)(Int), Knowledge(the Planes)(Int), Perception(Wis), Profession(Wis), Spellcraft(Int), and Use Magic Device(Cha)
Skill Ranks at each Level: 2 + Int Mod
Class Features
Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new artificer level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective
level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an artificer, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Item Creation A 1st level artificer has been trained to craft any sort of item, so as long as he meets the caster level requirement for a magic item he is treated as having the item creation feat for making that item, even if he doesn't have it. If an artificer does have the item creation feat for an item he can create those items at two caster levels higher then normal.
Artificer Knowledge: At 2nd level an Artificer adds half his artificer level to Appraise, Spellcraft checks made to identify the properties of an item, Use Magic Device checks with items you have the item creation feat for, And Perception checks made to detect traps. An artificer can use disable device to disarm magical traps.
Retain Essence: At 3rd level an Artificer can break down a magic item in an hour, and get the raw materials back for it.
Metamagic Spell Trigger(Su) At 5th level an artificer gains the ability to apply a metamagic feat he knows to a spell trigger item, he can use this ability three times per day plus an additional time at level seven, and at level nine. but each metamagic feat used consumes a number of additional charges equal to it's spell level adjustment.
Artifice Mastery: At 7th level an artificer can take 10 on spellcraft checks and use magic device checks, even when under stress.
Metamagic Spell Completion(Su) An 9th level an artificer gains the ability to apply the effects of a metamagic feat he knows to an item that has a spell completion effect, he can use this ability 5/day. This ability actually increases the spell level and caster level of the scroll.
Please review, playtest, post your thoughts, but most of all enjoy
Just throwing this out there, but the Artificer already exists in the Tome of Secrets as a base-20 class.
Item Creation A 1st level artificer has been trained to craft any sort of item, so as long as he meets the caster level requirement for a magic item he is treated as having the item creation feat for making that item, even if he doesn't have it. If an artificer does have the item creation feat for an item he can create those items at two caster levels higher then normal.
My main concern with this ability is that I didn't think that matching the CL was an absolute requirement to craft an item anymore, except for potions/scrolls/wands which explicitly say that you cannot set the CL of the item higher than your own CL (suggesting that you can do this for other items). At the very least, you could probably just adjust the craft DC by +5 to account for not having a prerequisite.
I could be misinterpreting the rules but I thought that I saw James Jacobs say something to this effect elsewhere... Can't seem to find it though.
Retain Essence: At 3rd level an Artificer can break down a magic item in an hour, and get the raw materials back for it.
What is the mechanical benefit of this ability? Does it just refund the money spent to craft the item? If so, this seems slightly lackluster if PCs could just sell the items for half-price anyway.
Item Creation A 1st level artificer has been trained to craft any sort of item, so as long as he meets the caster level requirement for a magic item he is treated as having the item creation feat for making that item, even if he doesn't have it. If an artificer does have the item creation feat for an item he can create those items at two caster levels higher then normal.My main concern with this ability is that I didn't think that matching the CL was an absolute requirement to craft an item anymore, except for potions/scrolls/wands which explicitly say that you cannot set the CL of the item higher than your own CL (suggesting that you can do this for other items). At the very least, you could probably just adjust the craft DC by +5 to account for not having a prerequisite.
I could be misinterpreting the rules but I thought that I saw James Jacobs say something to this effect elsewhere... Can't seem to find it though.
Retain Essence: At 3rd level an Artificer can break down a magic item in an hour, and get the raw materials back for it.What is the mechanical benefit of this ability? Does it just refund the money spent to craft the item? If so, this seems slightly lackluster if PCs could just sell the items for half-price anyway.
i see, i'll just need to reword the first ability, retain essence brings back raw materials from an item, magic items can be made from raw materials, not raw gold. So in a dungeon it may be particularly useful
Except that in a dungeon, you'll probably be done before you can finish. Besides, the "raw materials" is really just fluff with the cost being an abstraction of that cost.
Overall, I like it. I feel like it could be condensed into a 5 level prestige class, though. Perhaps 4/5 casting, with the first level not offering an advancement in spellcasting? Item crafting just isn't robust enought to warrant 9 or 10 levels in it. Other artificers got by on so many levels because they had temporary enchantments and stuff.
Any interest in submitting to the Pathfinder Database?
The Artificer
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Base Attack: Low
Good Save: WillRequirements
Skills: 7 ranks in Spellcraft
Feats: Scribe Scroll, plus any two item creation feats and/or metamagic feats plus Skill Focus in Spellcraft
Spells: Able to cast six different spells of 3rd level or higher from 6 different schools.
Special: Must under go a week of training in a college of artifice, the player must read the magic item creation rules in the magic items chapter.Class Skills
Appraise(Int), Craft(Int), Disable Device(Dex), Knowledge (Arcana)(Int), Knowledge(Architecture & Engineering)(Int), Knowledge(Dungeoneering)(Int), Knowledge(the Planes)(Int), Perception(Wis), Profession(Wis), Spellcraft(Int), and Use Magic Device(Cha)
Skill Ranks at each Level: 2 + Int ModClass Features
Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new artificer level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective
level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an artificer, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.Item Creation A 1st level artificer has been trained to craft any sort of item, so as long as he meets the caster level requirement for a magic item he is treated as having the item creation feat for making that item, even if he doesn't have it. If an artificer does have the item creation feat for an item he can create those items at two caster levels higher then normal.
Artificer Knowledge: At 2nd level an Artificer adds half his artificer level to Appraise, Spellcraft checks made to identify the properties of an item, Use Magic Device checks with items you have the item creation feat for, And Perception...
Also the caster level of an item must be met by it's creator, see page 460