Artificer Prestige Class

Sweat drips from a soot stained brow as hammer rings on steel for the thousandth time in less than an hour. Working well into the night the Artificer gives his heart and soul for his creations, each one more wondrous than the last.

The Artificer is an Expert Smith, skilled at embedding magical energies into the items he creates without the aid of spellcasters. Most Artificers have levels in Expert, and therefore are usually NPCs.

Class Skills: An Artificer retains the same class skills from his other class. Should the Artificer have more than one character class the player must choose which class the Artificer draws its class skills from, as soon as the Artificer Prestige class is taken. Class skills cannot be changed once they are determined. The Artificer also has access to Artificer Craft Skills (see below) based on the character's original Craft skills. Artificer Craft skills become class skills for the class that the Artificer's class skills are based on.
Skill Ponts at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Weapon & Armor Proficiency: The Artificer is proficient in the use of all Simple weapons and with light armor but not shields. While many an Artificer is adept in creating the tools of war and are able to tell the difference between good workmanship and master workmanship they do not spend their time mastering their uses (unless of course the Artificer has class levels in another class skilled with weapons and armor).

Access to Artificer Craft Skills: When a character takes the Artificer Prestige class any Craft skill that the character has (and that meets the 12 ranks requirement to become an Artificer) can begin to take ranks in that craft skill as an Artificer Craft skill. The Artificer Craft skill is a class skill that stacks with the original Craft skill when making Craft skill checks but does not stack for purposes of determining the Artificer Craft Skill Rang/GP Value. For each rank held in an Artificer Craft skill the Artificer can create a related magical item whose GP value does not exceed the Artificer Craft Skill Rank/GP Value (see table) or no more than the Creation Level (see below) of the character. For example; a 1st level Artificer with 3 ranks in Artificer Craft: Leatherworking could create a Phylactery of Faithfulness (as it is valued under 1,200 GP which is the maximum value of magical items that an Artificer with 3 ranks could create).

Creation Level: The Artificer's Creation Level represents the how powerful of a magical item he can create. If a magical item has a Caster Level higher than the Artificer's Creation level he does not have the experience or ability to create that item. This ability does not stack with spellcaster levels should the Artificer have a spellcasting class. If the Artificer has a spellcasting class the Artificer must chose whether the magical item to be created will be through the Artificer class or the spellcasting class.

Magic Item Creation: When an Artificer creates a magical item all he needs is the raw materials, Masterwork tools and facilities, and the skill to do so. The raw materials cost exactly the market value price of the item to be created. As this is the case Artificed magical items usually sell for 150% to 200% of the same item created by a spellcaster. Creating magical items is a labor of love and honor for the Artificer. The Artificer also needs access to masterwork tools and facilities. Prices for masterwork tools are in the Player's Handbook while masterwork facilities are left to the DMs design. So long as the artificer has the appropriate skill in relation to the magical item to be created (i.e. Leatherworking for magical clothing, Weaponsmithing for magical weapons, Jewelry for magical rings and necklaces, etc.) he can create that item. The Artificer does not need the required spells to make the item but the Artificer must pay an equal amount of Experience Points for the item, including Experience Points needed for the appropriate spells. Artificers cannot create Potions, Rods, Scrolls, Staves or Wands.