Class Summary
Prime Requisite: INT and DEX Requirements: None Hit Dice: 1d6 Maximum Level: 14
Gearsmith
Advanced Human class — see Classes for the full list.
The gearsmith has a predilection for mechanical devices bordering on obsession, working wonders with metal, steam, wood, and fire. They craft marvelous machines that move on their own, perform dangerous tasks, or lay waste to their enemies. A gearsmith in Sair might be a scion of the Dragon House of Cannith, a renegade scientist, or a cocky inventor looking to test out their latest contraption.
Gearsmith Level Progression
Experience Level Level Title Hit Dice Construction Rate Lockpicking Searching Trapbreaking 0 1 Apprentice 1d6 5 gp 18+ 18+ 18+ 1,900 2 Mechanic 2d6 7 gp 17+ 17+ 17+ 3,800 3 Shaper 3d6 15 gp 16+ 16+ 16+ 7,600 4 Forger 4d6 25 gp 15+ 15+ 15+ 14,200 5 Maker 5d6 50 gp 14+ 14+ 14+ 28,400 6 Engineer 6d6 100 gp 13+ 13+ 13+ 55,000 7 Artificer 7d6 200 gp 11+ 11+ 11+ 110,000 8 Machinist 8d6 400 gp 9+ 9+ 9+ 210,000 9 Master Machinist 9d6 600 gp 7+ 7+ 7+ 310,000 10 Master Machinist, 10th level 9d6 + 1* 900 gp 5+ 5+ 5+ 410,000 11 Master Machinist, 11th level 9d6 + 2* 1,750 gp 3+ 3+ 3+ 510,000 12 Master Machinist, 12th level 9d6 + 3* 1,750 gp 1+ 1+ 2+ 610,000 13 Master Machinist, 13th level 9d6 + 4* 1,750 gp -1+ -1+ 2+ 710,000 14 Supreme Machinist 9d6 + 5* 1,750 gp -3+ -3+ 1+
Gearsmith Saving Throws and Attack Bonus
Level Paralysis Death Blast Implement Spells Attack Bonus 1-2 13+ 13+ 13+ 14+ 15+ +0 3-4 12+ 12+ 12+ 13+ 14+ +1 5-6 11+ 11+ 11+ 12+ 13+ +2 7-8 10+ 10+ 10+ 11+ 12+ +3 9-10 9+ 9+ 9+ 10+ 11+ +4 11-12 8+ 8+ 8+ 9+ 10+ +5 13-14 7+ 7+ 7+ 8+ 9+ +6
Combat Characteristics
As many of their creations are meant to be battle-ready, gearsmiths have combat training on par with that of a cleric or thief.
Combat Proficiencies: Gearsmiths are proficient with all hammers, maces, and flails, as well as crossbows, arbalests, and hand axes. They are proficient with light and very light armor. They are trained to fight with a weapon and shield, but not to fight with two weapons or with two-handed weapons.
Combat Progression: Gearsmiths advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels of experience. They do not gain any bonus to damage as they advance in level. They can cleave after felling a foe a maximum of once per round per every two class levels (rounded down).
Starting Class Powers
Ballistics Expertise: The gearsmith is an expert at fighting with ballistic weapons. He attacks as a fighter of his level when crewing ballista, catapults, or ranged automaton weapons of his own design. He deals +1 damage at 1st level with ballista, catapults, or ranged automaton weapons of his own design. He deals an additional +1 at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th level.
Craft: Before any character is accepted for gearsmith training, they must first demonstrate their drive and desire to create. All gearsmiths begin play with one rank in a Craft proficiency of their choice.
Engineering Mastery: Gearsmiths are trained in the science of military structures. They begin play with one rank of Siege Engineering as a bonus proficiency.
Machinism: The gearsmith is capable of designing, building, and repairing automatons. Automatons are machines similar to magical constructs, but using clockwork, steam engines, gears, and valves in place of magical engineering.
The design, building, and repair of automatons is handled on a project-by-project basis. Each project has a material cost and a labor cost, measured in gold pieces. The material cost is paid by coin or in kind with precious materials. The labor cost is paid by the labor of the gearsmith over the course of the project. Each day, each gearsmith working on the automaton contributes a gp value of labor, known as his construction rate. A gearsmith’s construction rate is determined by his class level, as shown on the Gearsmith Level Progression table. If the gearsmith can apply a Craft proficiency, he can increase his construction rate by 5gp per day for one rank; 15gp per day for two ranks; 50gp per day for three ranks; and 100gp per day for four ranks.
When the material cost and labor cost have been paid, the gearsmith makes a design/build/repair throw of 1d20 and applies various modifiers to the roll. A modified roll that is greater than or equal to the target value listed for the gearsmith’s level indicates the task has been a success. An unmodified die roll of 1-3 is always a failure when designing or building an automaton, however. If the throw fails, all the time and money spent on the project is lost. Once a gearsmith has created an automaton, he must keep it fueled and maintained, which can take considerable time and money for complex machines. See Automatons for complete rules on designing, building, and repairing automatons.
Personal Automaton: To complete his apprenticeship, each gearsmith must display his mastery of machinism by finishing a personal automaton, unique to himself, which he thereafter continuously modifies and upgrades. At 1st level, the character begins with a personal automaton of his own design with a labor cost and material cost of up to 7,000gp each. (The material was provided by his master while the labor cost was performed during his apprenticeship.) The personal automaton’s ammunition (if any) and fuel must be paid for separately.
Thief Skills: Gearsmiths have several skills in common with thieves, although these skills are not commonly employed for criminal enterprises.
- Because gearsmiths tinker with mechanical contraptions, they are adept at both lockpicking and trapbreaking.
- Because of their attention to details, they are also proficient with searching.
Additional Class Powers
Manufactory (9th): By acquiring a manufactory worth at least 15,000gp, the gearsmith can attract followers to his service. 1d6 apprentices of 1st – 3rd level plus 2d6 engineers of 0th level arrive to serve him as followers within 1d3 months of him acquiring the manufactory. If the gearsmith already has a manufactory, the followers arrive to serve him within 1d3 months of him reaching 9th level. The apprentices function as assistants in machinism. If performing as assistants, the apprentices must be provided food and lodging but need not be paid wages. (If asked to accompany the gearsmith on an adventure, the apprentices must be paid wages as henchmen.) If the gearsmith builds a dungeon beneath or near his manufactory, monsters will start to arrive to dwell within, often followed by adventurers seeking to fight them. Additional rules for Manufactories are detailed in Campaigns.
Class Proficiencies
Proficiency Progression: At 1st level, gearsmiths select one class proficiency from their class proficiency list and one general proficiency from the general proficiency list. They select an additional class proficiency at 4th, 8th, and 12th level. They select an additional general proficiency at 5th, 9th, and 13th level.
Gearsmith Proficiency List: Alchemy, Armor Training, Art, Bargaining, Caving, Craft, Dungeonbashing Expertise, Experimenting, Healing, Inventing, Jury-Rigging, Knowledge, Lockpicking Expertise, Loremastery, Magical Engineering, Mapping, Martial Training, Mechanical Engineering, Military Strategy, Navigation, Precise Shooting, Riding, Scavenging, Signaling, Tinkering, Trapfinding, Trapping, Weapon Finesse
Gearsmith Templates
Templates
3d6 Template Proficiencies Starting Equipment 3 – 4 Scavenger Scavenging
Survival
Craft (carpentry)Clockworker, 1 lb refined oil (fuel), beat-up hand axe, scruffy apron, stained tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, small sack, scavenged machinist’s tools, tinderbox, 6 torches, 5 day’s iron rations, waterskin 5 – 6 Dabbler Mechanical Engineering
Alchemist
Craft (brewing)Clockworker, 1 lb refined oil (fuel), war hammer, wooden shield, stained apron, tunic and pants smelling of alcohol, leather belt, high boots, backpack, machinist’s tools, tinderbox, 12 torches, 4 flasks of military oil, 2 flasks of common oil, 1 week’s iron rations, 2 wineskins with honey-mead 7 – 8 Mechanic Jury-Rigging
Signaling
Craft (blacksmithing)Clockworker, 1 lb refined oil (fuel), war hammer, hand axe, leather armor, greasy apron, tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, 50’ rope, crowbar, small hammer, 12 iron spikes, machinist’s tools, tinderbox, 12 torches, 1 week’s iron rations 9 – 10 Aeronaut Inventing
Navigation
Craft (aerowright)Flying Firepack, 4 lb of refined oil (fuel), crossbow, case with 20 bolts, battle axe, leather armor, cloak with hood, tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, 50’ rope, aerowright’s tools, machinist’s tools, tinderbox, 12 torches, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, 1gp 11 – 12 Motorist Tinkering
Driving
Craft (cartwright)Mechanical Cart, 3 st of common oil (fuel), war hammer, leather armor, motorcart helmet, tunic and pants, leather belt, leather driving gloves, high boots, backpack, cartwright’s tools, machinist’s tools, racing trophy (4gp value), tinderbox, 12 torches, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin 13 – 14 Artillerist Precise Shooting
Military Strategy
Craft (weaponsmith)Portable Mechanical Ballista, 1.5 lbs of refined oil (fuel), 12 ballista bolts, crossbow, 2 cases with 20 bolts each, war hammer, leather armor, military cloak, tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, machinist’s tools, weaponsmith’s tools, tinderbox, 12 torches, 3 flasks of military oil, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin 15 – 16 War Machinist Armor Training (medium)
Endurance
Craft (armorer)Bronze Soldier, 3 st of charcoal (fuel), crossbow, case with 20 bolts, war hammer, steel shield, personally forged chainmail, military cloak, tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, backpack, armorer’s tools, crowbar, machinist’s tools, small hammer, 12 iron spikes, tinderbox, 12 torches, 2 flasks of military oil, machinist’s tools, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin 17 – 18 Artificer Experimenting
Collegiate Wizardry
Craft (jeweler)Contraption, 1 lb of alchemical fuel, leather armor, tunic and pants, leather belt, leather gloves, high boots, backpack, jeweler’s tools, machinist’s tools, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin Notes: The personal automaton and craft proficiency selection each template begins with is noted in italics. The player may choose the proficiency of the Clockworker and mechanical ability of the Contraption, if any. The player may swap any template’s crafter’s tools for thieves’ tools, if desired. The motorist’s motorcart helmet is a type of heavy helmet with a front ornament and racing stripes.
For templates that begin play with less than one full ‘tank’ of fuel, you may assume that the amount shown in the template is what they have left from their most recent refueling. For example, the Scavenger’s clockworker consumes 7.5 pounds of fuel per week, but the template only begins with 1 lb, not enough to fuel it! You may instead assume that it had been fully fueled prior to play and now has 1/7.5 weeks, or approximately 1 day of use remaining.