Tower Artificer

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Stunspore

Tower artificers are wizards who specialize in magical items. Their primary goals are the preservation and creation of items with great and wondrous properties. Most of them tend to stay in the Towers of High Sorcery, creating items or researching ancient artifacts. However, when one of them discovers the possible location of a rare artifact, they'll be the first to volunteer on a recovery expedition.
Hit Die: d4.

Requirements

Race: Any (at the DM's discretion).
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (history of at least one Age) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks.
Feats: Any two item creation feats.
Spells: Ability to cast identify and minor creation.
Special: Must be a Wizard of High Sorcery (though the character is not required to have levels in the prestige class).

Class Skills

The tower artificer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Speak Language, Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Tower artificers do not gain any additional weapon or armor proficiency, and must continue to abide by existing weapon or armor restrictions.

Spells per Day: Tower artificers continue to train in arcane magic. At certain levels, the tower artificer may effectively increase his spellcasting abilities, enabling him to cast spells at a higher level and prepare more spells.

XP Pool: The tower artificer gains an XP Pool, which can only be used in the creation or modification of magical items. When creating a magical item, the tower artificer may expend any amount of XP from the XP Pool to contribute to the cost of creating the magical item.

At every level gained, the tower artificer's XP Pool increases by an amount equal to 100 x class level. The maximum amount of XP in the XP Pool at anytime is 1000 x class level.

Artificer's Oath: The tower artificer has made an oath to preserve magical items and cannot willingly destroy one. If the tower artificer destroys an item whose XP value is greater than 200 x the artificer's class level, the artificer must make amends by creating an item whose XP value is at least equal to the destroyed item, or become subject to a geas to seek another item of at least equal value and donate it to the Towers of High Sorcery. If the tower artificer does not do so, the XP Pool becomes unavailable to him until he has completed his task.

In addition to preserving magical items, tower artificers must make at least one magical item before gaining another tower artificer class level. Failure to do so results in the inability to use all tower artificer class features (except spellcasting ability) until he does so.

Scavenge: The tower artificer can recycle unwanted magical items (except artifacts) so that new magical items can be made. The tower artificer may extract 50% of the item's XP value and store it in his XP Pool. Of course, the tower artificer must still obey the Artificer's Oath.

Efficient Construction: Studies into magical items allow greater knowledge in how to better construct magical items. The tower artificer may select one of his item creation feats. Whenever he builds an item using that feat, he may reduce all costs (money, time, and XP) by 10%. The amount of reduction can never exceed 50%.

Device Focus: Tower artificers are as skilled at using magical items as they are at creating them. Any arcane magical item used by the tower artificer is always used at his spellcasting level if the item's caster level is lower. At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the tower artificer adds an additional caster level to the power of an item used by the tower artificer. However, because of this constant magical item use, the tower artificer's spellcasting abilities become rusty, and the tower artificer's caster level suffers an -1 penalty when casting spells (unless the spells are used to create magical items).

Recharge: Tower artificers can recharge any magical item with charges, as long as he is able to craft the item in question (i.e. has the appropriate feats and spells). The recharge cost is reduced by 50%, and the time required to recharge the magical item is reduced to 50% of the normal construction time. This benefit does not stack with the Efficient Construction ability.

Artifice Feat: The tower artificer acquires a bonus item creation feat of his choice, as long as he meets the requirements.

Suppress Device: Once per day, the Tower Artificer can suppress all magical items (except artifacts) in a 10-foot radius. This ability has a range of 100 feet, affects magical items (only) as if placed within in antimagic field, and lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1 + the tower artificer's Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round).

Greater Recharge: The tower artificer's recharging skills have advance to such a degree that the artificer no longer needs to meet any prerequisites in order to recharge a magical item. The tower artificer still uses the Recharge ability when determining recharge time and cost.

If the tower artificer has the prerequisites to recharge a magical item, its recharge time is reduced to 25% normal (this does not stack with the Efficient Construction ability).

Mastery over Device: The tower artificer may select one epic feat relating to magical items (e.g. Craft Epic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Forge Epic Ring). The tower artificer does not require any prerequisites for these feats.

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