Transgnomamist

The impact that the svirfneblin had on the underworld is not disputed by anyone; the consequences of the relentless advance of their Svirfdozers almost spelled doom for more than their own race. While some deep gnomes have turned their backs on scientific advancements as a result, there is a school of thought that is convinced that the issue did not lie within the mechanical wonders the svirfneblin construct; instead, they consider the ceaseless ambition of their mortal brethren, consequence of their fear of death, to be the root of all evil. They believe that the origin of this ambition lies within the shortcomings of the flesh. Seeking to surpass the boundaries of the physical, these beings aim to transcend the limitations of their mortal coils by enhancing their bodies with cold steel. These vanguards of scientific advancements are the transgnomamists, and they believe that their path is the one that will lead not only their race, but all races of the Underworld, into a new, golden age.

Contents

It’s Science!

Beginning at 2nd level when you choose this arcane tradition, you radically alter your views on how magic should work, how to use it and what to do with it. You begin championing a thoroughly distinct magic tradition (though you’d scoff at it being called “magic”—it’s proper science!). You subscribe, heart and soul, to the belief in svirftech. This tradition has is benefits, but also its complications.

Scientific Equipment. Svirftech requires a ridiculous amount of hoses, levers, clamps, beakers, nozzles, cinches, wicks, flasks, gears, sprockets, widgets and all other kinds of mechanical knickknacks. You have to carry these around, which means that your natural carrying capacity is considered to be halved (Your Strength score multiplied by 7.5, rounded down), as you are at all times burdened with the massive assortment of your tools. You are considered to be proficient with these gizmos, but suffer from disadvantage when trying to use them to improvise a function. If you ever lose your scientific equipment, you cannot use your spell-tech until you regain your scientific equipment. You can replenish it in one day of shopping for a cost of 5 gp x your Hit Dice.

Svirftech Charges. When you become a transgnomamist, you undergo serious modification of your body. As a result, the implants and your arcane powers resonate, generating magical energy that you use to power your spell-tech and svirftech bodymods. You may expend a maximum number of svirftech charges per round equal to your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. Your svirftech charges replenish after you finish a long rest.

Consult the Svirftech Charges Table below to determine your number of svirftech charges available.

Table: Svirftech Charges
Transgnomamist Level Svirftech Charges
2nd 3
3rd 8
4th 10
5th 16
6th 19
7th 23
8th 27
9th 36
10th 41
11th 47
12th 47
13th 54
14th 54
15th 62
16th 62
17th 71
18th 76
19th 82
20th 89

Spell-Tech. Once you choose to be a transgnomamist, you undergo modification of your body. This modification changes how your body conducts magical powers and prevents you from casting wizard spells in the usual way. You still have to prepare spells, as you have to prepare your technical bric-a-brac, but you no longer expend your spell slots to cast your prepared spells. Instead, you power your spells with your own bio-mechanical svirftech and latent, spiritual energies. In order to cast a spell-tech, you have to expend a number of svirftech charges equal to the spell slot you’d usually expend. If you cast a spell at higher levels, you instead expend svirftech charges equal to the increased spell slot level. Cantrips do not require the expenditure of svirftech charges. Your spell-techs are considered to be non-magical for the purpose of functioning in antimagic fields and similar environments, wherein magic functionality is compromised.

However, since the duplicated energies still are very much are akin to the energy-matrices of spells, they are still subject to counterspell and similar dispelling efforts. You still have to concentrate on spells with a duration, constantly recalibrating your tools, so such spell-tech effects can still be ended by breaking your Concentration. Spell-tech requires a lot of mechanical components, which are stressed by channeling magic energies. Once a given spell-tech’s duration has elapsed (or if it has been countered, if you have lost Concentration or the spell-tech has ended otherwise), the specific spell-tech cannot be cast again for a number of minutes equal to the spell-tech’s spell level, as this particular configuration of the spell-tech cools down and slowly becomes operational again.

Svirftech Bodymods

At 2nd level when you choose this arcane tradition, you also choose two special implants that change your body, as you embark on the journey towards becoming a machine. Your svirftech bodymods are produced by your bio-mechanical svirftech implants by deliberately converting and manipulating your body structure and tissue. They do not have a cost and cannot be sold. Your svirftech bodymods become part of your body and cannot be disarmed, sundered or otherwise directly targeted. Your svirftech bodymods may be controlled as naturally as though they were part of your body. Most svirftech body mods have an advanced function. Advanced functions require the expenditure of svirftech charges to activate, as denoted in the Advanced Function line of the svirftech bodymod. Unless otherwise noted, you can activate the advanced function of a svirftech bodymod as a bonus action.

Svirftech bodymod advanced functions do not require concentration. Once the duration of the advanced function of one of your svirftech bodymods expires, it requires a 1-minute cool-down before you can activate the advanced function again. At 6th, 10th, and 14th level, you may choose an additional svirftech bodymod. Whenever you choose a new svirftech bodymod, you may also have your body change one of your existing svirftech bodymods and replace it with another.

Svirftech Influx

At 6th level, you use your bonus action to flood your svirftech bodymods or spell-tech with an influx of potent energies after using it. Roll 1d6. You decrease the number of minutes of the svirftech bodymod or spell-tech before you can use it again by the result you rolled. If you decrease the cool-down period to 0, you may use the svirftech bodymod or spell-tech again on your next turn. Once you have used this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.

Improved Svirftech Influx

Starting at 10th level, you roll 1d8 instead of 1d6 when using your Svirftech Influx class feature. You may also use it an additional time (for a total of 2 uses) before you need to finish a long rest to use it again.

Greater Svirftech Influx

Beginning at 14th level, you roll 1d10 instead of 1d8 when using your Svirftech Influx class feature.

You may also use it an additional time (for a total of 3 uses) before you need to finish a long rest to use it again.

Svirftech Bodymods Backslug

This bodymod looks like a mechanical svirf riding slug affixed to the spine and base of the transgnomamist’s skull. A transgnomamist may only benefit from one such device and enhancement bonuses granted by this device do not stack with ability increases granted by magic items, mechanical wonders or technological items.

There are two variants of backslugs:

Brainslug

Advanced Function: 2 svirftech charges
Duration: 1 hour

This svirftech bodymod increases a single mental ability score (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma), chosen at the time when the svirftech bodymod is gained. The brainslug increases the chosen attribute by 1, up to a maximum of 20. Activating the advanced function of the brainslug provides you a special surge of insight: You may add +1d4 to the next ability check, skill check or saving throw based on your brainslug’s chosen attribute.

Stimslug

Advanced Function: 2 svirftech charges
Duration: 1 hour

This svirftech bodymod increases a single physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution), chosen at the time when the svirftech bodymod is gained. The stimslug increases the chosen attribute by 1, up to a maximum of 20. Activating the advanced function of the stimslug provides you a special surge of power: You may add +1d4 to the next ability check, skill check or saving throw based on your stimslug’s chosen attribute.

Arms of METAL!

These svirftech bodymods replace one of the arms of the transgnomamist with a metal arm prosthetic. There are 3 different arms of metal svirftech bodymods.

Weaponized Arm

Advanced Function: 1 svirftech charge
Duration: 1 round per level

This prosthetic includes an internalized weapon—a circular saw (slashing damage), a potent drill (piercing damage) or a kind of steam-powered sledgehammer (bludgeoning damage) and may be enchanted as usual. You are proficient with your weaponized arm and use your spell attack modifier to attack with it. Regardless of the damage type chosen, the weaponized arm is treated as a one-handed martial melee weapon that inflicts 1d8 points of damage and scores a critical hit on a roll of 19–20. You may draw or sheathe your weaponized arm as a bonus action or as a reaction to rolling for initiative. While the advanced function is activated, the weaponized arm ignores a damage threshold of up to 5. Additionally, while activated, the weaponized arm inflicts an additional +1d6 damage of its damage type.

Healing Hands

Advanced Function: 3 svirftech charges
Duration: Instantaneous

The transgnomamist’s hand has small scalpels and syringes that contain healing reagents. You have proficiency in the Wisdom (Medicine) skill as well as in the herbalism kit tool. You also gain advantage on these checks. As an action, you may activate the advanced function of the healing hands while touching a target. The target is healed by 1d8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier hit points.

Internalized Shield

Advanced Function: 2 svirftech charges
Duration: 1 round per level

Your arm slowly grows a physical shield, which grants the normal bonuses of a shield. You are proficient with your internalized shield. The advanced function can be activated as a bonus action or as a reaction to being targeted by a spell or effect that requires you to make a Dexterity saving throw. For the duration of the advanced function, you gain the Evasion class feature as well as advantage on Dexterity saving throws. Your defensive shield also provides you a number of temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier when you activate it.

Legs of STEEL!

These svirftech bodymods replace both of your legs. There are three different legs of steel svirftech bodymods.

Svirfslug Sliders

Advanced Function: 2 svirftech charges
Duration: See text

Svirflsug sliders generate a synthetic version of super-slick svirflsug slime, decreasing friction. This increases your speed by +10 ft. You can activate the svirfslug sliders as an action. When you do, you increase the slime-production for 1 round per transgnomamist level. While thus activated, you can, as a bonus action, launch yourself up to 120 ft. in a straight line, ignoring non-damaging difficult terrain. This may be used a total number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier before prematurely ending the effects of the advanced function of this svirftech bodymod. Alternatively, while the advanced function of the svirfslug sliders is activated, you may squirt super-slick slime as a bonus action, duplicating the effects of grease as a non-magical ability.

Svirfslug Sticky Stompers

Advanced Function: 1 svirftech charge
Duration: 1 minute/level

These sticky legs grant the transgnomamist the Arachnid Athletics feat. Additionally, upon activating the advanced function of this svirftech bodymod, the sticky slime excreted by this svirftech bodymod generates the equivalent of one web shackle per round. These shackles are short-lived and crumble to dust when the duration of the advanced function elapses.

They cannot be sold.

Silenced Steps

Advanced Function: 1 svirftech charge
Duration: 1 minute/level

These particularly well-cushioned legs enhance the abilities of the transgnomamist to remain out of sight. You gain proficiency in Dexterity (Stealth).

If you activate the advanced function, the perfectly cushioned steps and the emitted counter-vibrations render you undetectable to tremorsense for the duration of the activation. Additionally, while the advanced function is activated, you gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth).

Svirfoderm-Enhancers

These svirftech bodymods change replace the totality of your skin. You may only have one svirfoderm-enhancer.

The Fabulous Slug-Neblin

Advanced Function: 1 svirftech charge
Duration: 1 round/level

Your skin takes on slug-like characteristics, sweating sticky residue when you are threatened.

You may choose to begin sweating at any time.

Once you do, the next Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus 5-ft. squares (minimum 1) you pass become slimy, difficult terrain. You do not treat these slimy squares as difficult terrain. The gooey train of svirf slug slime always follows your movement. The slime floats in water, neither sinking nor rising. When used during flight, the slime falls to the floor. Creatures with the Land’s Stride feature or similar abilities can move through this difficult terrain without impairment. When you activate the advanced function, it sends a psychic command to the slime. The slime is agitated by this command and becomes your choice of either acidic or poisonous, inflicting your choice of 1 point of acid or poison damage for each 5 feet of movement through the area. At 6th level, this damage increases to 1d4 and at 10th level, it increases by a further +1d4 for a total of 2d4 acid or poison damage.

Agent’s Skin

Advanced Function: 2 svirftech charges
Duration: 1 minute/level

Your skin becomes highly mutable. You may assume the appearance of up to your Intelligence modifier different, specific characters of a Small-sized humanoid chosen from among the races or subraces you have seen before. Once chosen, these forms and their details are persistent and may not be changed. At 6th level, 10th level and 14th level, you learn to assume an additional form. You may maintain these alternate forms indefinitely and change between them as a bonus action. Upon activating the advanced function of this svirftech bodymod, you receive the underterror’s Body Evolution class feature for the duration of the activation, and 1 evolution point to assign to it.

Dødeli-Neblin

Advanced Function: 1 svirftech charge
Duration: 1 minute/level

Your skin is actually pretty much deadened by svirftech-powered necrotic energy coursing through all of your skin and muscles. You gain resistance to necrotic damage. When you activate the advanced function, you turn your skin, guts and muscle tissue, everything but eyes and bones, translucent for the duration. You gain the dødelig’s Undead Immunity and Undead Nature racial features, but also their Skeletal Vulnerability racial drawback for the duration.

Sensory Svirftech

These facial svirftech bodymods affect one or more parts of your sensory apparatus. They tend to be unsettling and as such, choosing them impose disadvantage on a Charisma-based skill of your choice. Once made, that choice is permanent.

Phantom Antenna (aka Trouble-sniffer)

Advanced Function: 1 svirftech charge
Duration: Special

This implant is a hypersensitive antenna at the tip of the nose that detects fluctuations in the emotional charges of the ectoplasm suffusing the spirit world. This antenna nets you proficiency with Wisdom (Perception) and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to notice creatures that are currently particularly agitated.

The GM decides what constitutes a particularly agitated state. You may activate the advanced function as a reaction to being subjected to an effect or attack from a trap. When you do, you either impose disadvantage on the trap’s attack roll or gain advantage on Dexterity saving throws to avoid its effects.

Sonar

Advanced Function: 1 svirftech charge
Duration: 1 minute/level

This bodymod is reminiscent of mechanical vestraadi-nodules dotting your face. While in contact with a body of water, you gain the vestraadi’s Keen Hearing and Smell racial feature.

Activating the advanced function grants you the Vestraadi’s Sonar for the duration.

Fungal Filters

Advanced Function: 1 svirftech charge
Duration: 1 hour

This disturbing svirftech bodymod looks like a fungal growth covering your mouth and throat, one that sports a strangely metallic sheen. You may breathe normally underwater and even nonmagical poison gas is filtered out harmlessly by the growth, rendering you immune to inhaled poisons, but not to contact gas poison. In a wholly oxygen-deprived environment, you may activate the advanced function of this svirftech bodymod.

The svirftech begins producing oxygen for 1 hour, allowing you to breathe normally for this duration.

Furthermore, the advanced function also renders you immune to magical poisonous gas effects like stinking cloud, cloudkill, etc.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Underworld Races and Classes Copyright 2017 AAW Games, LLC; Thilo Graf, Mike Myler, and Jonathan G. Nelson Occult Secrets of the Underworld Copyright 2018, AAW Games, LLC; Thilo Graf and Jonathan G. Nelson.

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