A conversation on the bird site a week or so ago got me thinking about a genetic-manipulation artificer subclass. I let the idea sit for a week to see if anything bubbled up as an idea, and… here we are. Let’s find out, together.

To be clear, it’s called “Bloodcrafter” because directly referencing genes felt too science fiction-y for a class that definitely accomplishes its stuff through magic. It’s not about crafting blood into things, though that’s also a fun concept. This is more like turning you into a Spider-Man family hero or villain. (Other than the many Spider-Man characters that are Armorer artificers.)

Bloodcrafter Specialist

A Bloodcrafter transforms their own flesh and blood into more useful forms. Once a curiosity for Alchemists, this art has been developed and stabilized to open new horizons in the outward nature of creatures. Your experimentation might involve painting runes on your own body, drinking unwholesome concoctions, and sometimes losing control of your transformation (when you and the DM agree that it’s appropriate to the narrative).

Tool Proficiency

3^rd-level Bloodcrafter feature

You gain proficiency with alchemist’s supplies. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice.

Bloodcrafter Spells

3^rd-level Bloodcrafter feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Bloodcrafter Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Bloodcrafter Spells

Artificer Level – Spell
3^rd – heroism, longstrider
5^th – alter self, enhance ability
9^th – gaseous form, vampiric touch
13^th – polymorph, stoneskin
17^th – contagion, reincarnate

Strange Blood

3^rd-level Bloodcrafter feature

You have experimented on yourself, introducing transmutation magic directly into your bloodstream. As a bonus action, you can choose one of the following transformations, which lasts for 1 hour or until you end it with 1 minute of effort. Your body remains roughly the same size and shape, and you can still use all of your equipment normally.

• Alien Transformation. You have infused your blood with aberrant slime, or joined with a symbiote in order to study it. (Let’s be honest, maybe not your best or most stable idea.) You can make a claw attack that deals 1d8 necrotic damage, and you can use your Intelligence instead of your Strength for attack and damage rolls with this attack. You have resistance to psychic damage. You can use your Intelligence in place of Dexterity for any Dexterity checks you make.
• Brute Transformation. Your body is flooded with vigor and strength. Your maximum hit points increase by an amount equal to your artificer level. You can make weapon attacks using your Intelligence instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. You can add your Intelligence modifier (minimum +1) to Strength saving throws that you make.
• Energy Transformation. Your body is suffused with arcane energies. Choose one of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. You gain resistance to the chosen damage type, and you can make a melee or ranged spell attack that deals 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier damage of the chosen type. As a ranged attack, it has a range of 60 feet. You can slip through spaces as narrow as 1 inch.
• Predator Transformation. You gain claws that deal 1d8 slashing damage, and you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Strength modifier for this attack and damage roll. Your claws count as magical for purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You can use Intelligence in place of Wisdom for any Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Perception) checks you make.

You can transform yourself with this feature twice, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you finish a short rest, you regain one expended use of this feature.

Strange Aggression

5^th-level Bloodcrafter feature

While you are transformed and you take the Attack action on your turn, you can attack twice, rather than once.

Furthermore, when you use a bonus action to transform, you can also move up to half your speed. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Beast Within

9^th-level Bloodcrafter feature

When you hit with an attack while you are transformed, you deal an additional 1d8 damage.

When you fail a saving throw against the charmed or frightened conditions and you are transformed, you can choose to end your transformation immediately and succeed the saving throw instead.

Monstrous Flesh

15^th-level Bloodcrafter feature

When you transform with your Strange Blood feature, you can choose two forms and gain the effects of both.

Design Notes

First off – 9^th-level artificer subclass features are weirdly hard to design. The only throughline seems to be “this is a nice time to add some damage output.”

This is the first artificer subclass I’ve created, since the class isn’t SRD-friendly. The unusual thing about artificers in the broad is that – like druids, and maybe even more so – everything about their style and gameplay loop comes from their subclass. The core of the class tells you nothing about them; their subclass communicates their interests and style.

I hope each transformation has enough stuff going on, but not too much? They all need to grant a way to make attacks using Intelligence rather than Strength or Dexterity, and it needs to be enough damage to be feel like it’s worth your time. You’re not a Battle Smith, though, and you don’t have a robo-panda or whatever. So I might need to tack on more damage output, earlier.

Feedback appreciated.

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