Artillery Specialist (5e Subclass)

Artillery Specialist

Fighter Subclass

In the heat of battle, where the clash of swords and the roar of spells fill the air, the Artillery Specialist stands apart. With a calm demeanor amidst chaos, they survey the battlefield with a keen eye, calculating angles and trajectories with precision only a few can match. Their weapon, more than just steel and gunpowder, is an extension of their will—a tool to shape the conflict from afar.

They are the unseen thunder, the heralds of destruction who can turn the tide with a single, well-placed shot. To allies, they are the bulwark against overwhelming odds, raining down precise and deadly support from a distance. To enemies, they are the unseen threat, capable of laying waste to formations and fortifications with terrifying efficiency.

Behind every pull of the trigger, there's knowledge—of mechanics, of physics, of the art of war. The Artillery Specialist knows that the right shot at the right time can break sieges, demoralize opponents, and save lives. Theirs is a path of constant learning and adaptation, mastering ancient siege engines and the latest in firearm technology alike.

In the world of close quarters and brutal melee, the Artillery Specialist carves a niche of disciplined precision and explosive power. They are the long arm of the battlefield, where strategy and firepower intertwine to create a force that can shape the outcome of wars.

Siege Engineer

Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the following features, highlighting your expertise with heavy weaponry and your ability to use such equipment effectively in combat.

• Heavy Weapon Proficiency : You gain proficiency with heavy weapons, a category that includes ballistae, catapults, and other siege engines. Your training allows you to operate these formidable weapons with ease, making you a valuable asset in any battle involving large-scale combat or the need to breach fortifications.
• Quick Setup : You've learned to assemble and disassemble heavy weaponry with surprising speed. Setting up or packing up a heavy weapon only takes you a single action, a process that normally takes much longer for untrained personnel. This efficiency enables you to adapt quickly on the battlefield, deploying your firepower exactly where and when it's needed most.
• Precision Targeting : Your keen eye and steady hand allow you to exploit weaknesses in structures and armor. When you make an attack roll with a heavy weapon, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll. This bonus damage applies only to attacks made with heavy weapons against objects, structures, or creatures wearing heavy armor.

Precision Targeting

Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to focus intensely on a target, ensuring that your attacks hit where it hurts the most. This focus manifests in the following way :

• As a bonus action, you can mark a creature you can see within your weapon's range as your target for 1 minute or until you choose another target with this feature. You have advantage on attack rolls against the marked target. Additionally, once per turn when you hit the marked target with a ranged weapon attack, you can add a bonus to the damage roll equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

Ballistic Mastery

By reaching the 7th level, your mastery over heavy and ranged weaponry has grown exponentially, allowing you to utilize these arms with unparalleled skill and efficiency on the battlefield. This feature focuses on enhancing your ability to control, maintain, and effectively employ a wide range of siege and ranged weapons, resulting in a formidable display of tactical and destructive power. Ballistic Mastery includes the following benefits :

• Adaptive Reload : You have refined your reloading process to be both quick and versatile. You can reload any heavy or ranged weapon as a bonus action, ensuring that your barrage of attacks remains unimpeded by the usual lulls of reloading.
• Engineer's Insight : Your deep understanding of siege engines and ranged weapons allows you to make on-the-fly adjustments to maximize their effectiveness. When operating or attacking with a heavy weapon, you can choose to either double its range or its damage output (this choice is made for each attack or operation). This decision reflects your ability to tweak your weaponry in real time to suit the tactical needs of the moment.
• Suppressive Fire : You've learned how to use your firepower not just to damage, but to control enemy movements. When you hit a creature with a ranged attack, you can force it to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier). On a failed save, the creature's speed is halved, and it cannot take reactions until the end of its next turn. This ability highlights your skill in using your weapons to dictate the flow of battle, restricting enemy options and creating opportunities for your allies.

War Machine Adept

By the time you reach 10th level, your unparalleled expertise with heavy weaponry and siege equipment has made you a war machine adept, capable of turning the tide of battle with your advanced knowledge and innovative use of technology. This feature includes the following benefits :

• Enhanced Mobility : You have learned to maneuver heavy weapons with surprising agility. Your movement speed is not reduced by carrying or operating heavy weaponry. Additionally, you can set up or pack up heavy weapons as a bonus action, allowing you to respond rapidly to battlefield conditions.
• Reinforced Positioning : Your skill in fortifying your location makes your firing positions near impregnable. Whenever you make a ranged attack with a heavy weapon while behind cover, you can add +2 to your AC until the start of your next turn. This bonus reflects your ability to maximize the protective benefits of your surroundings while unleashing devastating firepower.
• Adaptive Arsenal : Your deep understanding of weapon mechanics allows you to make on-the-fly adjustments to your heavy weapons, optimizing them for the situation at hand. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a heavy weapon attack, you can choose one of the following effects to apply:

1. Piercing Shot : The attack ignores cover (excluding full cover).
2. Shattering Impact : The attack deals an additional 1d8 damage to the target and any object or structure hit by the attack.

Master Artillerist

At 15th level, you've reached the pinnacle of your artillery mastery, becoming a Master Artillerist. Your command over heavy weaponry and explosives allows you to create zones of denial and unleash devastation with unmatched precision and power. This feature enhances your capabilities as follows :

• Obliterating Strike : Once per long rest, you can declare an obliteration strike on a target area. As an action, choose a point you can see within 300 feet. A massive barrage of artillery fire rains down in a 40-foot radius centered on that point. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Fighter spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d6 bludgeoning damage, plus an additional 4d6 fire damage, and is knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't knocked prone. This attack can level buildings and fortifications, creating terrain that is difficult for enemies to cross.
• Artillery Command : You gain the ability to command and direct the fire of allied artillery units within 500 feet of you. As a bonus action on your turn, you can designate targets or areas for them to focus their attacks on, enhancing the coordination and effectiveness of your side's artillery fire. This does not grant you control over allies, but those who follow your lead benefit from your expertise, gaining a +2 bonus to their attack rolls for these specific commands.

Siege Commander

Reaching 18th level marks you as a legendary Siege Commander, a master of warfare whose strategic expertise and command over heavy artillery inspire awe on the battlefield. This pinnacle of your progression as an Artillery Specialist grants you the following capabilities :

• Rapid Reinforcements : You can call upon your mastery of artillery to swiftly deploy or reposition heavy weapons on the battlefield. Once per long rest, you can instantly summon one piece of heavy artillery you are proficient with to an unoccupied space within sight. This weapon comes fully assembled and ready for use, and it disappears after 1 hour or when you use this feature again.
• Apex Bombardment : Your ultimate ability allows you to call down a devastating barrage that can obliterate an entire area. Once per long rest, as an action, you can target a point you can see within 500 feet. Every creature within a 100-foot radius of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 10d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This damage represents a massive, concentrated artillery strike that can level buildings and reshape the battlefield.

Heavy Weapons List

• Ballista :

• Function : A large crossbow designed for sieging, capable of firing massive bolts.
• Damage : 3d10 piercing damage.
• Range : 120/480 feet.
• Mechanic : Requires 1 action to load, 1 action to aim, and 1 action to fire. Can be operated by one person but is more efficient with two (reducing the total operation time to 1 action for load and aim, 1 action to fire).

• Catapult :

• Function : A siege engine that hurls large rocks or explosive payloads over distances.
• Damage : 4d10 bludgeoning damage; for explosive payloads, 3d10 bludgeoning + 2d10 fire damage in a 10-foot radius.
• Range : 150/600 feet.
• Mechanic : Requires 2 actions to load and 1 action to aim and fire. Requires at least two people to operate efficiently.

• Trebuchet :

• Function : A powerful siege engine that uses a counterweight to launch projectiles great distances.
• Damage : 5d10 bludgeoning damage; can cause additional effects (such as breaking walls or causing AoE damage) at DM's discretion.
• Range : 200/800 feet.
• Mechanic : Requires 3 actions to load, 2 actions to aim, and 1 action to fire. Best operated by a team of three or more for efficiency.

• Cannon :

• Function : A gunpowder-driven artillery piece that fires cannonballs, capable of devastating infantry formations and fortifications alike.
• Damage : 4d10 bludgeoning damage; has a high chance (DM's discretion) of knocking down or breaching less fortified structures.
• Range : 100/400 feet.
• Mechanic : Requires 1 action to load, 1 action to aim, and 1 action to fire. Can be operated by one person, but having an additional person reduces the load and aim time to 1 action.

• Mortar :

• Function : A short, stubby artillery piece designed to fire shells in a high arc, useful for hitting targets behind cover or fortifications.
• Damage : 3d10 bludgeoning + 2d10 fire damage in a 15-foot radius upon impact.
• Range : 75/300 feet (high arc allows for targeting behind cover).
• Mechanic : Requires 2 actions to load and 1 action to aim and fire. Ideally operated by two individuals.

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