An artificer is not a spellcaster, but instead possesses the ability to imbue items with magical power. This weird science allows the artificer to create devices that combine the effects of one or more spells, either arcane or divine.
An artificer has access to both arcane and divine spell lists, but only up to 4th level. Any number of spells can be combined into a single device. Spell statistics (casting times, etc.) remain unchanged, although no components are required and the artificer is considered the “caster” for the purposes of CL.
Weird science devices must be invented in advance, however — they cannot be created on the fly. The time to create such devices is 4 hours per spell level used. As such, an artificer usually has a fixed collection of regularly-carried devices.
Weird science devices are temporary and unreliable. They are able to be used reliably a number of times per day equal to 1 plus half the class level of the artificer who built the device (rounding up, naturally). The device may be used by anyone — but if used by someone other than the artificer who built it, it requires a Use Magic Device roll at DC 15 to activate (a failed roll indicates that the device fails to activate for that user, and a roll of 1 means that the device breaks down for good).
If the device is used more times than allowed (by anyone), it requires a Use Magic Device skill check with a DC equal starting at 20 and rising by 1 every additional time the device is used. A failed roll means that the device breaks down and may not be used again (the artificer will have to build another).
Combining multiple magical effects into a single device means that both effects function simultaneously upon activation (effectively casting two or more spells at once) — but such devices are even more unstable than usual: The Use Magic Device check for extra activations starts at DC 25 + the number of effects used, and goes up for each additional usage by the number of effects used. |
