Bombardier

Bombardier is a new Artificer subclass representing artillerymen in the age of black powder. By the 18th century, advances in metallurgy, chemistry, and the dissemination of popular field manuals had transformed artillery from art to science. In some armies, cannon crews became specialized units that trained and drilled exclusively in the use of artillery—a practice that accelerated dramatically during the Napoleonic Wars. The men that patched and repaired artillery were sometimes historically referred to as artificers.

This subclass is also a first stab at making a mundane Artificer conversion for a historical campaign setting and includes suggestions for the GM to curate an Artificer’s infusion and spell lists. To replace many abilities lost there, the Bombardier has several special interactions with the Nations & Cannons artillery rules (included here) and particularly the improvised artillery gambit (mundane spell).

 While anyone familiar with black powder could undertake the basic operations of a cannon—particularly in circumstances that favored speed over accuracy, such as short-ranged naval broadsides—cannon crews were often overseen by an artillery officer or master gunner. Trained to think geometrically, these Bombardiers knew how to angle their fire and use degrees of elevation to calculate the most effective firing solution (and not throw away their shot). For this reason, artillery attacks in Nations & Cannons use Intelligence as their governing stat.