There are a lot of things to consider when designing a new class in 5e. The most obvious is "What makes this class different from other classes/roles". In Capes & Crooks, we wanted a class/role set that fell in line with a similar "pet class". Looking at the Ranger: Beastmaster gave us a kind of reference of what not to do. It's clear that players didn't like replacing their own action fo
r that of the beast. So we decided weaker effects that can be used as bonus actions would be the best strategy. Much like the beastmaster, we wanted to ensure the gadgeteer took on a more supportive role. So we wanted to include some sort of healing features as well as other
utility features. This even includes teleporting a battle droid from their home base to the battlefield in times of need. But for this blog, we are going to focus on the core drone mechanics.
Starting at 1st level when you choose the role of the gadgeteer you gain the following power:
This is the core feature of the Gadgeteer. Releasing and accessing customized drones to fit the gadgeteer's needs and playstyle. While there is much more to the rules, these are the general details. A gadgeteer currently can choose from 9 different drones. Each with its own unique feature. We hope to add more upon the Kickstarter's completion. Below are a few examples.
The gravity drone is one that is designed for more battlefield control. Slowing enemies and making it difficult for them to close the gap with the gadgeteer and their allies. This is perfect for catching enemies the heroes are chasing, as well as allowing the heroes to escape a deadly situation.
If the gadgeteer wishes to take a more healer-centric role, the ambronanite drone allows it to reapply a weak shield around allies within a short distance. While this doesn't heal, it does help mitigate and reduce damage.
Likewise, the resistance drone allows the hero to guard against a variety of superpowered elemental threats. While this is a bit more situational, the gadgeteer can change it on the fly making it a potent defensive drone.
Beyond the core drone mechanic, we wanted the gadgeteer to have some interesting features that would augment the support play style, such as targeting assist, anti-gravity acclivity boots, and nanite infusion healing. All of these can combine in interesting ways with the unique choice of at-will powers and superpowers the player chooses.
We wanted to build and design an interesting pet class, and I believe we succeeded with the Gadgeteer. Please let us know what you think. What types of drones would you want to see? Would you play a gadgeteer?
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