Steam Knight

Every army needs weapons. Every army needs armor. None make them better than the so called steam knights. While providing their smithing expertise where it's needed, the secrets of their craft and semi experimental technologies they use often mean that they keep the best of their craftsmanship for their own use.

While, an army equipped with masterwork arms crafted by these experts is a force to be reckoned with, a squadron led by a Steam Knight is most often its cutting edge.

By the time you adopt this specialty at 3rd level, you're deeply familiar with employing its tools.

Proficiencies. You gain proficiency with leatherworker's tools and smith's tools, assuming you don't already have them. You also gain leatherworker's tools and smith's tools for free—the result of tinkering you've done as you've prepared for this specialization.

Crafting. If you craft a magic item in the armor or weapon category, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.

Steam Knight Spells

Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Steam Knight Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Steam Knight Spells

Artificer level Spells 3rd Identify, Shield 5th Shatter, Heat Metal 7th Melf's Minute Meteors, Spirit Guardians * 9th Death Ward, Fire Shield 11th Conjure Volley, Steel Wind Strike

*The guardians are tiny drones that explode and deal thunder damage, instead of the regular damage types.

Steam Armor

By 3rd level, you have developed advanced smithing techniques, combining them with your knowledge of the arcane arts, creating a suit of steam powered armor.

During a long rest, you may turn any suit of armor into Steam Armor. You are always considered proficient with your Steam Armor, and may use it as a spellcating focus for your Artificer spells, ignoring somatic components for all spells with a range of self.

As a bonus action, you can overcharge your armor 3 times per long rest, gaining one of the following magical benefits:

Pressure Capsule. Your armor closes tightly arround you, creating a sealed environment in which you have enough air to sustain yourself for the next 10 minutes.

Your armor closes tightly arround you, creating a sealed environment in which you have enough air to sustain yourself for the next 10 minutes. Premonitive Defense. The armor deploys a coating that protects you from harm. You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier.

The armor deploys a coating that protects you from harm. You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier. Power Surge. The armor injects you with a shot of pure adrenaline. For the next minute your movement speed is increased by 10 feet, and you may add your Intelligence modifier as a bonus on all Strength (Athletics) checks.

Only you may benefit from the features of your armor. The first armor you create is considered to have been paid for as a culmination of your research. Should you wish to make another Steam Armor, it's cost in materials is equal to twice the cost of the base armor you wish to implement it into. The time it takes you to don or doff an armor you modified in this way is halved.

If you run out of uses, you may refuel your armor during a short rest, regaining 1 charge for each level of a spell slot you expend. You can never have more than 3 uses at a single time.

Arcanomechanical Training

When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways:

You gain proficiency with martial weapons.

You may use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier while calculating your Armor Class.

Advanced Offensive Protocols

By 6th level, you have integrated a series of cutting edge targeting technologies into the framework of your armor.

Once per turn, when you roll the highest number on a melee weapon damage die, you may roll the die again and add it to the damage total. Additionaly, all damage you deal to objects, structures and constructs is increased by an ammount equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Defense Matrix

At 14th level, you have mastered the required technologies to make your armor absorb impacts and store some of the kinetic energy behind them.

While wearing your Steam Armor, all damage you take bar psychic is automatically reduced by an amount equal to your Intelligence modifier. If this feature reduces an amount of damage equal to your Artificer level during a single turn, you gain advantage on the first weapon attack roll you make before the end of your next turn.

Art credit goes to rilleriller: https://https://thpix.com/media/432908582914992244