Battle Engineer (3.5e Prestige Class)

Author: Zhenra-Khal (talk) Date Created: 12/12/2016 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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A battle Artificer, focusing on tactical abilities. 10 6 Good Good Good Poor Alternate Magic, Sneak Attack, Other Other

Battle Engineer

Not every Artificer stays in the lab; Some adventure. Some find their skillset needs to be more well-rounded to survive on the battlefield; These warlike Artificers take up the mantle of the Battle Engineer. They specialize in finding new applications for their knowledge of magic in order to deal damage and buff allies, as well as using flanking tactics with a specialized Homunculus.

Becoming a Battle Engineer

A Battle Engineer is an Artificer who has trained more in the art of combat, at the expense of his infusing and crafting skills. They also develop a special link with one of their Homunculi, granting it abilities not unlike a Druid's Animal Companion. Intelligence, Dexterity and Strength are the most important attributes for a Battle Artificer, and Constitution helps greatly as well.

Entry Requirements

Base Attack Bonus:	+4
Skills:	Concentration, Craft (Alchemy), Disable Device and Use Magic Device 9 ranks each.
Feats:	Brew Potion, Improved Homunculus, Grenadier Dabbling.
Spellcasting:	Ability to cast 3rd-level Infusions.
Special:	Must have created at least one Homunculus.

Table: The Battle Engineer

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Battle Brother (Share Spells, Psychic Link), Advanced Training, Battle Engineer Trick, Wracking Strike +1d4
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Battle Brother (Improved Flanking), Brew Extract	+1 Infusion-using class
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Battle Engineer Trick, Battle Evasion	+1 Infusion-using class
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Battle Brother (Evasion), Wracking Strike +2d4
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Battle Engineer Trick, Potion Bomb	+1 Infusion-using class
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Battle Brother (Devotion)	+1 Infusion-using class
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Battle Engineer Trick, Wracking Strike +3d4, Rapid Alchemy
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Battle Brother (Multiattack)	+1 Infusion-using class
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Battle Engineer Trick, Improved Battle Evasion	+1 Infusion-using class
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Battle Brother (Improved Evasion), Expedient Alchemy, Wracking Strike +4d4, Disable Construct, Transformation
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level.) Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Architecture And Engineering) (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Psionic Device (Cha).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Battle Engineer.

Proficiencies: The Battle Engineer has trained in warfare; They gain proficiency with heavy armor and all martial weapons upon gaining their first level in the class, provided they didn't already have such proficiencies. They also gain a bonus Magic Implement proficiency of their choice.

Infusions: At each level other than 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th level, you gain new infusions per day and an increase in caster level (and infusions known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an infusion-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one infusion-using class before becoming a Battle Technician, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining infusions per day, caster level, and infusions known.

Battle Brother (Ex): Upon taking your first level in this class, you choose one Homunculus you have made to be your Battle Brother. You form a special lifebond with this construct. Its Intelligence score increases by 2 at 1st, 4th and 9th levels, and its natural armor bonus to AC increases by a number equal to one-half your Battle Engineer class level. Furthermore, this Homunculus can have as many HD as you do, though you must give it these extra HD in the normal fashion in order to have them. Finally, your Battle Brother gains additional abilities, as follows;

• At 1st level, the Battle Brother can share spells with his master, just like a familiar, which affects the Artificer's infusions; Additionally, the Battle Engineer can communicate with his Battle Brother empathically via his psychic link with it, as the Empathic Link familiar ability.
• At 2nd level, both the Battle Engineer and Battle Brother gain an additional bonus on attack rolls when flanking equal to half the Battle Engineer's class level, rounded up to a whole number.
• At 4th level, the Battle Brother gains Evasion as the Monk class feature;
• At 6th level, the Battle Brother gains a +4 Morale bonus on Will saves against Enchantment spells and effects.
• At 8th level, the Battle Brother gains the Multiattack feat if it has more than one natural attack, or it gains an additional attack with its natural weapon at a -5 penalty if it only have one natural attack.
• And at 10th level, the Battle Brother's Evasion evolves into Improved Evasion.

Advanced Training: Each Battle Engineer level that grants you an increase in Caster Level, Infusions Known and so forth, stacks with your Artificer level for the purposes of determining when you gain bonus class features - Including bonus Artificer feats, improvements to your Crafting Reserve, Metamagic Spell Trigger/Completion, Skill Mastery, and etc. - As if you had leveled up in Artificer. You count as a Fighter of your Battle Engineer level for the purposes of feats. You also add your Battle Engineer level to the number of bombs you can make per day with the Grenadier Dabbling feat.

Battle Engineer Trick (Ex) or (Su): At the indicated levels, the Battle Engineer learns a trick from the list of Grenadier Tricks, using his Battle Engineer class level as his effective Grenadier level for the purposes of qualifying for Tricks. In addition, the Battle Engineer learns some bonus tricks, as shown on the table (Brew Extract at 2nd level, Potion Bomb at 5th level, Rapid Alchemy at 7th level, and Expedient Alchemy at 10th level). The effects are as follows.

Brew Extract: This discovery lets the Battle Engineer create more efficient potions at the expensive of potency. These are called Extracts, which are temporary potions. When making a potion, the Battle Engineer can choose to reduce the brewing time to 1 minute per spell level, reduce the GP cost to 1/10 the normal cost, and reduce the XP cost to 0. In doing so, he creates a potion that becomes inert after 24 hours. Anyone can use the extract, and the extract counts as a potion for the purposes of any feats or abilities (And thus can be used with the Potion Bomb discovery as if they were potions). The Battle Engineer can brew a number of extracts per day equal to his class level plus his Intelligence modifier.

Potion Bomb*: The Battle Engineer can infuse a potion, oil (Including Alchemist's Fire and similar) or dust/powder (Such as Dust of Disappearing) into a bomb. This reduces the bomb's damage by a number of dice equal to the spell level of the potion (So a potion of Cure Serious Wounds would reduce the damage by 3d6), or 2d6 for other items, and destroys the item. The infused item effect all targets within the radius; However the alchemist can choose to grant potion effects only to his allies rather than his enemies. The duration of the potion's effect, if longer than instantaneous, lasts for one round per dice sacrificed, divided among the targets - Thus if a 9th-level Alchemist used this discovery to grant Barkskin to his allies within the radius of the bomb, it would reduce his bomb damage from 5d6 to 3d6 and grant his allies Barkskin for 2 rounds. The Battle Engineer can sacrifice as many damage dice as he likes, as long as it's over the minimum for that item//potion; He could forego damage altogether if he so pleases. However, the Battle Engineer can only have one non-instantaneous Potion Bomb in effect at any given time; Creating a second one while there is one in effect results in an inert bomb - Both potion and bomb are wasted. However, instantaneous substances - Healing potions, for example - Can still be used normally. The Battle Engineer cannot exclude his allies from harmful effects from oils, dusts or other items - Or from the bomb's damage - Unless he has the Precise Bombs discovery (see below).

Rapid Alchemy: The Battle Engineer now knows how to make his favorite things faster. The Battle Engineer can now reduce the time it takes to make a potion to two hours per spell level, reduce the time it takes to make alchemical items to one half of the time it normally takes to make them, and reduce the time it takes to brew an extract to one round per spell level.

Expedient Alchemy: The Battle Engineer can now reduce the time it takes to make a potion to one hour per spell level, and reduce the time it takes to make alchemical items to one quarter of the time it normally takes to make them. The Battle Engineer can also now create an Extract as a full-round action.

Wracking Strike (Ex): This functions exactly as a Rogue's Sneak Attack, except the bonus damage is expressed in d4s, not d6s; It works on constructs, bypassing all fortification and immunity to sneak attacks so long as the target is a construct or living construct.

Battle Evasion (Ex): This functions exactly as the Evasion class feature of the Monk class; With the exception that it can be used in heavier armor. When used with armor any heavier than Light, the armor's Armor Check Penalty applies to all Reflex saves made while wearing the armor; The Battle Engineer can, as a free action, shift his stance so that the Evasion does not apply and he doesn't take the penalty on Reflex saves. At 9th level, this ability becomes the equivalent of Improved Evasion, with the same restrictions as mentioned above.

Disable Construct (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, the Battle Engineer can land devastating blows on constructs. When he lands a Wracking Strike on a construct or living construct, he can make a Disable Device check with a DC equal to the Construct's HD + 10. If it succeeds, the Construct loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and it Staggered, both effects lasting a number of rounds equal to the number by which the Battle Engineer beat the DC - So if the Battle Engineer's Disable Device check exceeds the DC by 4 points, then it loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and is Staggered, both for 4 rounds. Using it on a creature already affected by it has no effect beyond resetting the duration.

Transformation (Su): At 10th level, the Battle Engineer adds Transformation to his list of infusions as a 6th-level infusion.

The Epic Battle Engineer

Table: The Epic Battle Engineer

Level	Special
11th
12th	Bonus Feat
13th	Wracking Strike +5d4
14th	Bonus Feat
15th
16th	Bonus Feat, Wracking Strike +6d4
17th
18th	Bonus Feat
19th	Wracking Strike +7d4
20th	Bonus Feat

The epic Battle Engineer gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Battle Engineer feats) every 2 levels after 10th.

Epic Battle Engineer Bonus Feat List: Any Fighter feat, Metamagic/Metapsionic feat, or Item Creation feat.

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