Artificer Specialist: Skaberen

Skaberen, also called stitchers, are scientist-mages who create artificial forms of life. The true goal of a skaberen is to create real life, an undertaking which usually produces a malformed “offspring” for the practitioner. This offspring is a skaab—a constructed zombie. Skaabs are assembled from disparate body parts and animated through scientific means. Most skaabs are more or less humanlike, but creative stitchers have crafted winged skaabs similar to the drakes of other worlds, towering giant skaabs, and unrecognizable horrors.

Skaberen go through an elaborate process to gather body parts, bind them together, infuse the stitched body with vital fluid, and plant a vital force in its unliving flesh.

Skaberen usually ply their trade in remote and inhospitable places, since they are viewed as blasphemers by the church of Avacyn. They often become obsessed hermits who surround themselves with ancient scrolls and books, phials of rare noxious liquids, glass jars full of pickled organs, anatomical charts for both humans and beasts, rune-engraved skeletal remains, and small anvils and hammers for inscribing brass and copper plates.

Some might take up adventuring as a cheaper way to collect knowledge and materials. Skaberen tend towards evil alignments, and are neutral at best. Ask your DM before playing a skaberen, as it might not fit into the normal moral expectations of an adventuring party.

Stitcher's Pursuit

Starting at 1st level, your dark interest in creating life has allowed you to cobble together and bring to life "skaabs" - zombies created from disparate body parts. You gain the ability to create skaabs. Skaabs have the same statistics as zombies, except for the following changes:

They are constructs.

They have resistance to lightning damage.

If a skaab falls below half its maximum HP, it gains vulnerability to fire damage.

They have an Intelligence score of 4.

So long as they remain under your control, your skaabs share your alignment.

They understand the languages you speak when you create them, but can't speak.

Whenever you create a skaab, you choose whether its Slam attack deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

You can control a total number of skaabs equal to your proficiency bonus.

Skaabs act on your initiative, and try to carry out your orders to the best of their ability. Your skaabs will not act unless you order them to do so by using a bonus action. If you are incapacitated or absent, they will only do what is necessary to defend themselves.

It is assumed that you have amassed enough resources and spent enough time to have one skaab built when you choose this specialty at 1st level. You may add another skaab to your retinue or modify an existing skaab for no extra cost when you reach 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level in this class.

You may build additional skaabs at the cost of 150gp each, this cost represents the precious materials you need to build skaabs - primarily body parts and dry angel blood. Both of which are normally obtained on black markets or "in the field." In addition, constructing a skaab requires a total of 24 hours of work, which can be done during rests and down time.

If a skaab falls in combat and you manage to salvage the body, you may revive it using 75gp worth of materials and 8 hours of work.

You may create more skaabs than you can control, but an uncontrolled skaab has an alignment of Neutral Evil and will act at the DM's discretion. An uncontrolled skaab is afraid of fire and will avoid any creature wielding fire unless it has no other options.

Skaab Modifications

Also at 1st level, you may make special modifications to your skaabs, listed at the end of this archetype. Each modification requires you to salvage an already existing skaab for parts, or pay 150gp for the materials necessary. It takes approximately 8 hours of work to modify an existing skaab in this way.

A skaab becomes harder to control with each modification made to it. The total number of skaabs that you can control goes down by one for each modification made to a skaab.

For every modification a skaab gets, its Strength and Constitution scores increase by 1 (to a maximum of 22), and it gains an additional 3d8 Hit Dice.

If a skaab has three or more modifications, its size is Large, its speed is 25 feet, and its Slam attack deals 2d6 damage. Once a skaab has a total of five or more modifications, its size is Huge, its speed is 30 feet, and its Slam attack deals 3d6 damage.

Stitcher's Graft

Starting at 3rd level, your skaabs use your proficiency bonus instead of their own when calculating skill checks, saving throws, and attack bonus. Your skaabs also apply your proficiency bonus to their AC, and add half of your proficency bonus, rounded down, to their attack damage.

As an action, you may expend a spell slot to heal each skaab that you control within 20 feet of you. The amount healed equals your Artificer level + 1d4 per slot level.