Archetype: Dark Arts Engineer v2

As more factories grow towards the smog-filled sky and the push for technological progress
marches on, many start their lives in and around Barovia as modest and industrious folk. They
may have been engineers, clockmakers, blacksmiths, or alchemists. Every cog and gear, every
whir and click, every simmering potion and delicate combination of elements was a testament to
their passion for crafting and creation. Their work was practical, grounded in reality, with a firm
belief in the order of the world. However unfortunate, sometimes, the world around can crumble
when dragged into the battle against the creatures of the night.

Unlike the Slayers, who meet darkness with brute force and physical prowess, you sought
another way. The world of cogs and gears wasn't enough to stand against the encroaching
shadows. You had to adapt, to expand your understanding beyond the realm of the ordinary. You
dove into dusty tomes, sifting through eldritch knowledge, plumbing the depths of forbidden
lore. You peered into the arcane, grappling with magic as one might grapple with a wild and
terrifying beast. It was a leap of faith, a risk and gamble, your sanity and soul teetering on the
edge of oblivion.

But you emerged stronger. Your mind sharper, your inventions more potent. In the heart of your
workshop, now filled with arcane sigils and strange humming machinery, you craft weapons and
tools infused with ancient magic. As an Engineer of the Dark Arts, you walk the fine line between
science and sorcery, using your knowledge to protect those who have no defense against the
horrors of the night.

The Slayers fight the monsters on the frontlines, but behind the scenes, you are the one giving
them the means to hold that line. The Engineer of the Dark Arts is a beacon in the dark, a force of
resilience and defiance. You have used your skill and intellect to peer into the abyss and despite
it peering back, emerged ready to fight it. Every cog and gear, every incantation and glyph is now
a testament to your courage and determination, a beacon in the night against the darkness.

Engineered Eldritch Talents

At 1st level, you gain proficiency with Arcana and Investigation, representing your scholarly
pursuits. You also gain proficiency with Tinker's tools, reflecting your mechanical prowess.

Furthermore, you develop an intuitive understanding of monstrous creatures. By spending an

hour studying a creature's behavior, remains, or lair, or by researching for a month combined,
you can determine its weaknesses, strengths, or habits. The specifics of what is determined is
left up to the DM to decide, guided by what you wish to uncover and your approach. This ability
could give you and your party an advantage in combat or enable you to devise unique strategies
for dealing with specific monsters.
Mechanical Ingenuity
At 1st level, your deep understanding of mechanics combined with your eldritch knowledge
allows you to modify and enhance the weapons used by Slayers. After you use your Engineered
Eldritch Talents Ability on a creature, you can spend 1 hour and materials worth a cost
determined by the DM to adjust a weapon or item of clothing, granting it a +1 bonus to attack
rolls, damage or to AC, respectively, against creatures of that type for 24 hours. You can only
maintain a number of these modifications equal to your Intelligence modifier at any given time.
This bonus becomes a +2 at level 6.

Master of Mechanisms

At 3rd level, your ingenuity allows you to construct specialized weaponry and devices for
combating the supernatural. Using raw materials and your Tinker's tools, you can create a variety
of useful tools, from silvered weapons to traps designed specifically to capture or kill certain
types of monsters. The specifics of these items are left up to you and your DM to decide, but
they should be reasonable and balanced for your current level.
Save : 8 + Prof. Bonus + Int. Modifier

At 3rd level, you gain one fragment of Forbidden Lore of your choice and again at 9th level. You
must fulfill all prerequisites for any fragment of Forbidden Lore you choose for this feature.

Dark Tinkerer

Starting at 6th level, your exhaustive research into the dark arts allows you to meld magic with
your mechanical creations. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose to weave
it into a device you're constructing. The device then holds the spell for 24 hours or until it's
triggered by a condition you set when you create it (such as being struck, opened, or activated)
after which it becomes magically inert.

This usage of magic draws the attention of the Red Death. Whenever you imbue a device with a
spell in this way, you must make a Dark Powers check. You can not influence this check with
Resolve Points.

Knowledge of the Ancients

At 9th level, your extensive research has given you deep insight into ancient and forbidden lore.
You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any Intelligence check you make that
involves ancient histories, forgotten cultures, or lost civilizations. In addition, you gain the ability
to read, write, and speak two ancient languages of your choice.
Eldritch Machinist

At 9th level, your research and experimentation have culminated in a perfect blend of magic and
machinery. You can now create an Eldritch Engine, a marvel of dark science and magic.

The Eldritch Engine is a complex device imbued with potent magic. This could take the form of a
weapon, a suit of armor, a piece of utility equipment, or even a small automaton, depending on
your preference. The exact abilities of the Eldritch Engine are up to you and your DM to decide,
but they should be appropriately powerful and balanced for your level, with a dark, gothic theme
in line with the setting.

You can only maintain one Eldritch Engine at a time. Constructing a new one causes the old one
to cease functioning. Additionally, the intricate and potent nature of the Eldritch Engine requires
considerable resources to construct, equivalent to a magic item of rare quality.

Whenever you create or significantly modify your Eldritch Engine, you must make a Dark Powers
check, reflecting the risks involved in meddling with such potent forces. However, this risk comes
with a reward: the Eldritch Engine is a powerful tool in your battle against the supernatural,
capable of turning the tide in even the most dire of circumstances.