by R. A. Mejia
Name: Repair
Race: Metalman
Class: Artificer Level 5
XP to Next Level: 13,240
Weight: 140 pounds
Carrying Capacity: 147/165 pounds
Stat point Available: 1
Class point Available: 2
Money: 24 silver 33 copper
AC: 15 (Iron Plating) + 2 (Shield)
HP: 35/35
Mana: 40/40
Str: 11
Dex: 10
Con: 10
Int: 16
Wis: 10
Cha: 10
Traits: +25% Learning speed, Does not breathe, Does not eat, Does not sleep, Adaptable bodies. Not able to be healed with divine magic or potions.
Skills: Blunt Weapons level 10, Unarmed Fighting Level 10, Haggle Level 2, Sneak 2
Abilities: Deconstruct, Repair, Fabrication I, Fabrication II, Improve Armor, Magical Spell Scanning, Infusion
Not only did I have a new stat point to spend, but I also had two class points as well. I was still saving those for a new pricey class ability, but I figured that I should look into this specialization stuff before spending the stat point. I sat on the floor of my room and asked my operating system about the notification.
“Inquiry: What information is there on class specialization?”
Artificer specialization allows for more focused work in a particular area to create experts. Artificers specialize at level 5 and then again at level 10. Specializations give abilities, skills, and special enhancements each level.
“Inquiry: What are the Artificer Specializations?”
Defense Specialist
Marksman Specialist
Inventor Specialization
Alchemist Specialization
Builder Specialization
The list was the same as the one from the notification. I was curious about each and inquired about them individually.
“Inquiry: What information is there about the Defense Specialist?”
Defense Specialist
Crafting focuses on the creation of defensive works.
Crafting: Bonus when making armor, shields, or defensive structures.
Combat: Apply attack bonus when using shield to attack.
At Level 5 - Defensive Infusions: Can infuse reactive versions of spells that will activate when the user is struck. i.e.: Fire Shield - Attacker takes fire damage when hit.
At Level 7 - Portable Forge: A portable forge is added to your internal inventory as an extra slot.
At Level 9 - Can craft a mechanical companion. Must be based on a scanned small or medium monster or animal.
Companion may be modified or enhanced once per level. Creature has independent levels.
At level 11 - Living Forge: Your knowledge of crafting weapons and armor allows you to see their weaknesses. You may use this ability to either learn about the construction of a non-magic item or attempt to destroy it.
After reading the list of abilities and bonuses from Defense Specialist, I got the feeling that it was meant to be a type of tank class that also crafted armor and shields. The ability to infuse spells that reacted only when I was struck seemed like a great way to increase my damage passively. One of my chief complaints while fighting was that I hadn’t been doing enough damage. My armor class was high enough to protect me thanks to its damage reduction, but I didn’t feel like I was carrying my weight when it came to dishing it out. The ability to forge on the go was nice too, although that assumed I took up forge work. I was only fabricating items I copied as schematics, not creating anything original. This might let me craft while still in the dungeon near resources.
Next, I inquired about the Marksman Specialization.
Marksman Specialist
Ranged combat specialization, loses attack bonus to melee weapons.
Crafting: Bonus when making ranged weapons or ammunition.
Combat: Bonus to attack when using ranged weapons. Penalty applied when using melee weapons.
At level 5 - Personal Weapon: Can enhance one ranged weapon during fabrication as a legacy of the Ancients to become a personal weapon. Weapon can not be used by anyone else.
At Level 7 - Ammunition Infusions: Can us mana to increase damage or channel spell through a personal ranged weapon. Has to be ammunition based.
At Level 9 -Portable Ancients Weapon: Your personal weapon becomes more portable and always on hand. Weapon gains Integrated Weapons ability function without paying the class skill cost. Weapon is integrated into frame and can expand into its true size when needed.
At level 11 - Seeing Eye Companion: Your inability to see a creature doesn't impose a disadvantage in combat. You may craft a mechanical companion that can alert you to hidden or invisible creatures within 30 feet of you or it.
Wow. This one really seemed focused on dealing damage at range. While I could do some amazing things combining my spells with the long range of a crossbow or even a gun, it bothered me that that’s all the specialization focused on--no other bonuses or abilities that relate to other types of crafting.
Next, I called up the information for the Inventor specialization.
Inventor Specialist
Focuses on creating new and innovative items.
Crafting: Bonus when making items
Combat: Bonus to attack and damage when using crafting tools as weapons. Loses attack bonuses to all weapons not self-made.
At Level 5 - Craft a mechanical companion. The inventor excels at creating the new. He can craft a mechanical companion before any other specialization. Must be based on a scanned small or medium monster or animal.
Companion may be modified or enhanced once per level. Creature has independent levels.
At Level 7 - Mobile Workroom: Inventors become accustomed to craft as they travel. Your Personal Inventory space upgrades to include a slot for a "Mobile Workroom", a portable work environment that holds all your tools. There is no limit on the use of the equipment contained within and the workroom may be upgraded.
At Level 9 - Salvage: When trying to learn about an item, an Inventor may dismantle two or more magical items in their possession, and use their components to create a new item of equal rarity. The cost of raw materials and the time required to craft the new item is based on the item's original cost reduced by 50%.
At level 11 - Mechanical Adaptability: You become more efficient at constantly improving your mechanical companion. May upgrade your mechanical companion twice per level instead of once or replace previous upgrades once per level.
This one felt like it would be the hardest to work with. There was little obvious combat potential, and I’d have to start using crafting tools as weapons if I wanted that bonus to attack or damage. On the other hand, crafting had so many interesting abilities that it was hard to turn away. I could make a mechanical companion immediately and not have to wait till level 8 like the other specializations, and in addition, the mobile workroom seemed like a major boon to crafting in the field or dungeon. It would remove the need to return to the Gnomish Institute or the Crafter’s District to make something.
I called up the information for the Alchemist specialization.
Alchemist Specialist
Crafting bonus when making potions and alchemy solutions.
Combat: You can throw or hurl a flask up to 20 feet with a ranged attack as an improvised weapon against a creature or object, shattering it on impact.
At Level 5 - Alchemical Insight: You get an increased chance to succeed when trying to Identify the chemical makeup of an object.
At Level 7 - Apothecary Satchel: Your internal storage gains a free slot for an Apothecary Satchel that now also acts as a portable storage for a variety of potions without using your normal internal inventory slots.
At Level 9 - Potent Reagents: You gain the ability to create superior concoctions using your Alchemist’s Supplies. Once per day, when you use a potion that requires your target to make a saving throw against its effect(s), your potion will be hard
er to resist.
At Level 11 - Create Elixir: The alchemist has mastered his craft and can combine two potion schema to create an Elixir. The result will provide the effects of both potions but it must be used within 24 hours or it loses all its properties, becoming useless sludge.
This one definitely specialized toward making potions and other concoctions. The later abilities granted by the specialization were very tempting. I imagined throwing vial after vial at monsters doing damage or tossing healing potions at allies to heal them in a group. There were some very cool things that I could imagine doing with explosives, napalm, or other chemical inventions from Earth that I could utilize.
Last was the information for the Builder specialization.
Builder Specialist
Crafting: bonus to create buildings and large structures.
Combat: Two-handed construction weapons get bonus damage and attack.
At level 5 - Foreman: You may designate two Metalmen as workers and they will gain increases when gathering materials or performing construction. Limit increases with gained levels. You can also now link with other Metalmen Builders to fabricate buildings or large structures together.
At level 7 - Can craft mechanical companion Able to craft a large mechanical companion to help with construction. This is the only specialization able to do this.
At level 9 – Siege Master: You can fabricate siege weapons as if you had already gained Fabrication V, bypassing previous requirements. The siege weapons you create can be infused with magic for increased damage, durability, or other magical enhancements.
At level 11 - Demolition: Your mastery of construction has given you insight into the weaknesses of buildings and large structures. You gain bonuses to learning structural weaknesses and demolition.
This one was the least tempting. There were certainly some really great-sounding advantages such as being able to make siege weapons without having to take the prerequisite fabrication abilities. But many of the best abilities called for other Metalmen to be used. I could only imagine how quickly an invading force of Metalmen Builders could make fortifications, trenches, and defensive weaponry. Unfortunately, I was the only Metalman around, so the specialization’s best abilities would be wasted.
I didn’t know where I would specialize but spent the rest of the night mulling over the flood of information as I created and deconstructed small nails for XP.
Chapter 10 - Dream big
I decided to put which specialization to choose off for a few days. It was too big a decision to rush and I wanted time to think about it.
Over the next three days, Greebo and I fell into a routine. We would dungeon dive during the day, and then in the afternoon, we’d mine and deconstruct copper ore and sell it off.
Over those days, I grew accustomed to working with Greebo in the fifth level of the dungeon. We went back to the Adventurer’s Guild to hire another addition to our group. We wanted to fill out our ability to do more damage and provide more opportunities for me to get more spells via Magic Spell Scanning, so we picked three mages to interview for a spot in our group: a fire mage, a water mage, and an earth mage. We thought that any of them would help increase our damage output in the dungeon, but I was particularly excited to work with the earth mage, and I hoped that the spells I scanned from him would help me make better traps, and defensive structures.
However, the first two mages we met with just shook their heads and left without an explanation as soon as Greebo and I introduced ourselves. I thought that perhaps they’d had some problem working with non-humans or didn’t want to kill monsters on the fifth floor of the dungeon. It didn’t seem to faze, Greebo, though, who just shrugged and sat to wait for the last mage to arrive.
When the last of the scheduled mages showed up at the guild, he was a stout human who wore a dark brown robe and had a friendly smile. He held out a rough, calloused hand and said, “I’m Erran, level 6 earth mage. It’s nice to meet you two.”
I took his hand and shook it, and Greebo did the same. It was genuinely nice to deal with a mage that had a pleasant personality, and I would have smiled back if I could. Instead, I gave Greebo two thumbs up and then turned back to Erran. “Nice to meet you too. I’m Repair, and this is Greebo. We’re working on the fifth level of the dungeon right now. What are your terms for working with us for a few days?”
The earth mage’s smile faltered and his brow furrowed. “Repair and Greebo? The spell thieves?”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“No, I’m sorry for wasting your time today. You both seem pleasant enough, but I can’t work with either of you.”
He turned to leave, but I quickly reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t understand, Erran. We’ve talked to several mages today, and they all refused to work with us. But no one has explained why. Why did you call us spell thieves?”
Erran turned back and sighed as he took in Greebo’s expression of confusion and my words. He shook his head. “I might get in trouble for just talking to you, but I know the bastard that made the claims against you. Harrison is a troublemaker, and I don’t approve of what he’s doing.”
“Harrison? The Aeromancer?” I asked.
“Yes. He’s formally complained to the Mage’s Guild and gotten them to institute a censure of you and the goblin. He says that he saved both of your lives on the fifth floor of the dungeon, and instead of being grateful for his magical aid, you stole one of his personally researched spells. I don’t see how you could do that, but even if you had, I don’t think it was bad. Magic should be shared and used for the common good, not hoarded for personal gain.” He shrugged and continued, “But that kind of thinking is a minority in the guild, and I can’t afford to be kicked out for working with you two. I’m sorry.” Without another word, he turned and left.
Harrison Freud had made good on his promise to make trouble for us. It was only a minor inconvenience since we would be able to find other non-mage adventurers to work with, but it still irked me that the troublesome mage was causing us problems.
Instead of letting Harrison and the situation with the Mage’s Guild get us down, we just shifted our focus of potential hires and quickly found other candidates.
The first was a level three warrior named Hoofmeister. He was a minotaur that wore armor that was a mishmash of materials. He had copper scalemail that covered his torso, hardwood greaves and bracers, and thick cloth gambeson that was long enough to cover his thighs. On anyone else, it would have looked ridiculous. But with his double-bladed battle-axe in his hands, Hoofmeister still managed to look rather intimidating.
I was curious about why he’d chosen his armor and asked, “Why are you wearing all the different kinds of armor?”
He snorted at me but answered, “I refuse to wear leather armor as it might be made from cows.”
“But you aren’t a cow. Why would that matter?” Greebo asked.
“Do you wear clothes made from goblin skin? Even ones that may not be smart enough to speak? No, you wouldn’t. Cows and bulls are thought to be ancient cousins of the minotaur race, and I refuse to eat their flesh or wear their skins. Don’t worry, I don’t expect you or the machine to do as I do, and it will not impede my battle prowess.”
Unfortunately, the minotaur was impossible to work with once we were inside the dungeon. I used an infusion of Gust to clear a large swath of the fog that covered the field and saw four mudman Brawlers about thirty feet ahead of us. It was Hoofmeister’s first time on the level, and I called out our order of battle since I’d had more experience fighting the monsters. “I will tag the three on the left to hold their attention. Greebo and Hoofmeister, kill the one on the right as quickly as you can then work your way through the ones I’m distracting.”
It seemed like a fairly reasonable plan considering that Hoofmeister was only level three. But he disagreed. “No! I will not cower before any enemy, and I will not take orders from someone that hides behind a shield and isn’t a warrior. Crafters and
Scavengers know nothing of honorable combat.” He then charged straight into the group of four monsters, swinging his double-bladed battle-axe. His long legs and powerful charge covered the distance to the monsters quickly, and his first swing nearly sliced one of the mudmen in two, but then the other three surrounded the minotaur and started to pummel him.
Greebo and I ran to catch up, and we were able to backstab and kill the one mudman that had been nearly cut in half. The other three monsters had climbed on top of the minotaur, limiting his ability to swing his battle-axe. Greebo and I literally peeled one of the creatures off of the minotaur and flung it to the ground. Our hired warrior turned and saw that one of his enemies had been thrown off him, but rather than thank us for saving him, his eyes turned red, and he raised his axe over his head before bringing it down on the prone beast. The sharp axe whistled down and split the monster in two, doing critical damage. It wasn’t enough to completely kill the monster, and it tried to reform, but Greebo and I ended its life before it could reshape itself.