Boffin (5e Class)

Boffin

A Boffin is a scientist who experiments in dangerous ways, often altering their own biological structure or creating dangerous contraptions in order to satisfy their curiosity.

Creating a Boffin

A hard at work Boffin.

Quick Build

You can make a Boffin quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Hermit background.

Class Features

As a Boffin you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Boffin level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Boffin level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light
Weapons: Simple, Ranged
Tools: Alchemist's Supplies
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose three from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Sleight of Hand, and Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) Two daggers or (b) Any simple weapon or (c) Any ranged weapon
• (a) Studded leather armour or (b) Impeccable lab coat
• Alchemist's Supplies
• Six daggers
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 in funds.

Table: The Boffin

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Biological Attunement, Spellcasting	4	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Minor Alchemy	4	6	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Little Helper	4	8	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4	10	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Philosopher's Stone	4	12	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Medicinal Knowledge	4	14	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Potion Brewing	4	16	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4	18	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	Alchemical Casting	4	20	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Emergency Supplies	4	20	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	—	5	20	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	5	20	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	Biological Expert	5	22	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Genius	5	22	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	—	6	22	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	6	22	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	Master Alchemist	6	24	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	—	7	24	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	7	24	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Biological Ascension	7	24	4	3	3	3	2

Spellcasting

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the artificer spell list. You learn additional artificer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Boffin table.

Spell Slots

The Boffin table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your artificer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these artificer spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the artificer spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Boffin table shows when you learn more artificer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the artificer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the artificer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your artificer spells. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a artificer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + Intelligence modifier.

Spell attack modifier = Your proficiency bonus + Intelligence modifier.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Biological Attunement

Starting at 1st level you are capable of concocting a potion which will allow you to gain the racial feature of a race. During a short or long rest you can use your Alchemist's Supplies and a DNA sample of any playable race, with this you make a potion which when consumed, gives you one racial trait of your choice of the specified race, the effects last until the end of a long rest. You are able to have one Biological Attunement at a time, this increases to 2 at level 8, and 4 at level 16. Due to various self experimentation, only you get such benefits from consuming these potions, if someone else were to drink this potion the effect would last for 1 hour and would only ever be able to have one Biological Enhancement at any given time.

Minor Alchemy

Starting at 2nd level, you can temporarily alter the physical properties of one nonmagical object, changing it from one substance into another. You perform a special alchemical procedure on one object composed entirely of wood, stone (but not a gemstone), iron, copper, or silver, transforming it into a different one of those materials. For each 10 minutes you spend performing the procedure, you can transform up to 1 cubic foot of material. After 1 hour, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), the material reverts to its original substance.

Little Helper

Beginning at 3rd level you are able to construct a little helper known as a Homunculus. During a short rest you can use your Alchemist's Supplies and 50gp worth of material and 5 pounds of clay to create a Homunculus, you must make an Alchemist's Supplies roll with a DC equal to 20 minus your intelligence modifier in order for it to work, on a failure nothing happens and the materials are unusable. Casting mending on the Homunculus will restore 2d4 hit points, if your Homunculus reaches 0 hit points you can make an Alchemist's Supplies check with a DC of 10 in order to restore it to 1 hit point, on a failure it crumbles into reusable materials.

Philosopher's Stone

Starting at 5th level, you can spend 8 hours creating a Philosopher's Stone that stores transmutation magic. You can benefit from the stone yourself or give it to another creature. A creature gains a benefit of your choice as long as the stone is in the creature's possession. When you create the stone, choose the benefit from the following options:

• Darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
• An increase to speed of 10 feet while the creature is unencumbered
• Proficiency in Constitution saving throws
• Resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage (your choice whenever you choose this benefit)
• Add your intelligence modifier to your Alchemist's Supplies checks.
• Add one spell of any class to your list of spells known.

Each time you cast a transmutation spell of 1st level or higher, you can change the effect of your stone if the stone is on your person.

If you create a new Philosopher's Stone, the previous one ceases to function.

Medicinal Knowledge

At 6th level you gain proficiency in Healer's Kit and Herbalism Kit. During a short rest you are able to use your Alchemist's Supplies or Herbalism Kit to increase the potency of a Potion of Healing to a Potion of Greater Healing. At level 14 you can increase the potency of a Potion of Greater Healing to a Potion of Superior Healing, and at level 20 you can increase a Potion of Superior Healing to a Potion of Supreme Healing. Doing so requires a Herbalism Kit check with a DC of 18.

Potion Brewing

Starting at 7th level you are capable of brewing common magic potions. For this you must first have heard of the effects of the potion or consumed the potion in the past. You will require 25gp of supplies and your Alchemist's Supplies, you must succeed an Alchemist's Supplies check with a DC of 14 in order to brew this potion, a failiure will render your 25gp supplies unusable. At 11th level you are able to make uncommon magic potions, with a DC of 16, at 15th level you can make rare magic potions with a DC of 18, and at level 18 you can make very rare magic potions with a DC of 20, the price doubles for each strength above common.

Alchemical Casting

At 9th level, when you cast a spell with a spell slot, you can expend one additional spell slot to augment its effects for this casting. The effect depends on the spell slot you expend.

An additional 1st-level spell slot can increase the spell's raw force. If you roll damage for the spell when you cast it, increase the damage against every target by 2d10 force damage. If the spell can deal damage on more than one turn, it deals this extra force damage only on the turn you cast the spell.

An additional 2nd-level spell slot can increase the spell's elemental type. If the spell's damage type is acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder you can change it to another damage type listed.

An additional 2nd-level spell slot can increase the spell's range. If the spell's range is at least 30 feet, it becomes 1 mile.

An additional 3rd-level spell slot can increase the spell's potency. Increase the spell's save DC by 2.

An additional 3rd-level spell slot can increase the spell's duration. Doubles the duration of the spell to a maximum of 12 hours.

Emergency Supplies

At 10th level you realize that it'd probably be handy to have some versatile ways to deal with quick-time problems. Only you can utilize these supplies as they are magically linked to you upon creation. With 10gp worth of material and your Alchemist's Supplies you are able to create the following items and potions:

Smoke Screen

As a reaction you throw this bead to floor and create a large area of dense fog, the fog occupies a 30 foot sphere and can be blown away by a breeze.

Panic Shrink

As a reaction when being attacked, you throw miniature timed bomb which shrinks the attacker as per the Reduce effect of the enlarge/reduce spell, giving the attack a disadvantage on their attack and reduces the damage by 1d4 until the end of their turn. Optionally you can use this on yourself when subjected to an effect that has you roll a dexterity saving throw to to take half damage to instead take half damage on a failure or no damage on a successful save, the effect ends at the start of your next turn.

Fleet of Foot Elixir

As a bonus action you crush this potion in your palm and are put under the effects of the haste spell until the end of your next turn, you do not suffer the drawbacks of the spell ending.

Slowfall Elixir

As a reaction while falling you quickly consume this small potion which puts you under the effects of the feather fall spell.

Shock Harness

While wearing this subtle harness, whenever you are hit with a melee attack you can use your reaction to deal 2d4 lightning damage to the attacker. This effect can be used 5 times until the harness breaks.

Brain Blast Elixir

As a bonus action you drink this small potion which lets you add 1d4 to all intelligence and wisdom checks and saving throws until the end of your next turn, as well as letting you make investigation, insight, and perception checks as a free action during this time.

Unstable Portal

As a reaction you crush this contained unstable spatial rift which teleports you anywhere within 30 feet that you can see, your DM decides where you teleport.

Animal Nugget

As a bonus action you ingest this animal shaped nugget and gain the effects of polymorph until your next turn. When creating this Emergency Supply you choose which beast the nugget will turn you into, you must use the meat of the creature you wish to utilize.

Biological Expert

At 13th level you begin perfecting your Biological Attunement, you can now permanently be under the effects of two racial traits by consuming two of these potions in a row. Attempting to consume another in in this method will simply undo the first permanent effect and grant the new one. These effects only applies to you.

Genius

Once you reach 14th level your intelligence score increases by 2, up to a maximum of 22.

Master Alchemist

Starting at 17th level, you can use your action to consume the reserve of transmutation magic stored within your Philosopher's Stone in a single burst. When you do so, choose one of the following effects. Your Philosopher's Stone is destroyed and can't be remade until you finish a long rest.

• Major Transformation: You can transmute one nonmagical object—no larger than a 5—foot cube into another nonmagical object of similar size and mass and of equal or lesser value. You must spend 10 minutes handling the object to transform it.
• Panacea: You remove all curses, diseases, and poisons affecting a creature that you touch with the Philosopher's Stone. The creature also regains all its hit points.
• Restore Life: You cast the Raise Dead spell on a creature you touch with the Philosopher's Stone, without expending a spell slot.
• Restore Youth: You touch the Philosopher's Stone to a willing creature, and that creature's age is reduced by 3d10 years, to a minimum of 13 years.

Biological Ascension

Your body has been subject to so much Biological Attunement that it has retained some of the effects perfectly. You gain all the racial features of a creature you are Biologically Attuned to, you must have experienced each racial trait of a race in order for this to take effect. You can change which races you are Biologically Attuned to during a short rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Boffin class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 intelligence

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Boffin class, you gain the following proficiencies: Alchemist's Supplies

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