The Piper is born from the unique mastery of Deku Scrubs, fabled inhabitants of the wilds. These crafty artisans have devised a unique means to beckon and govern the inhabitants of the underbrush. By harnessing the power of their prized Deku Pipes, the Piper wields the music's magic to evoke and direct an entourage of diminutive creatures. This crafted symphony weaves tunes capable of summoning swarms of tiny beasts, often ranging from scurrying rats to the minute yet resourceful insects dwelling in the depths of the forest. Masters of their own melody and rhythm, the Piper harmonizes with the natural world, commanding the creatures of the wilds to adhere to their will through the entrancing melodies of their Deku Pipes.
Tool Proficiency
When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the pan flute. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of instrument of your choice.
Swarmsong Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Swarmsong Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
| Level | Spells |
|---|
| 3rd |
Command, Speak with Animals |
| 5th |
Beast Sense, Hold Person |
| 9th |
Hypnotic Pattern, Pulse Wave |
| 13th |
Compulsion, Giant Insect |
| 17th |
Insect Plague, Synaptic Static |
Minds of Melody
Beginning at 3rd level, you have applied your studies to musical performances and understanding beasts. You are proficient in Animal Handling and Performance and when you make a check with either skill, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the roll. Moreover, you have found beasts easy to ply with your melodies. When you play a melody, you can communicate simple ideas to beasts. A beast that isn’t hostile may be willing to provide you with some form of assistance, but will not endanger itself for you.
Additionally, you can use an instrument as a simple ranged weapon. You use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls for this weapon. It has a normal range of sixty feet and a long range of 100 feet (with no disadvantage from being in melee) and deals 1d8 psychic damage on a hit.
Your instrument also grants you the Distracting Strike maneuver while you are using it. Once you hit a creature with Distracting Strike, you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest, unless you expend a Superiority die to use it again.
Gathered Swarm
At 3rd level, as an action, you can magically summon a swarm of tiny beasts that are bound to you. It appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within 30 feet of you.
The swarm is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the accompanying Gathered Swarm stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine what kind of beasts are called into the swarm, but these options may vary based on the environment. If you are in an area with no natural wildlife, you call up shadowy creatures from a distant realm.
In combat, the swarm shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the swarm can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
The swarm remains until it is reduced to 0 hit points, until you use this feature to summon the swarm again, or until you die.
Once you summon the swarm, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to summon it.
| Gathered Swarm |
|---|
| Medium swarm of tiny beasts |
| Armor Class: 8 + Half your Artificer Level |
| Hit Points: Your Intelligence Modifier + 5 times your Artificer level (the swarm has a number of hit dice [d8s] equal to your artificer level) |
| Speed: 30 ft, 30 ft climb |
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 11 |
18 (+4) |
16 (+3) |
3 (-4) |
14 (+2) |
5 (-3) |
|
| Condition Immunities: Charmed, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, Stunned |
| Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 |
| Languages: understands the languages you speak |
| Challenge: — |
| Proficiency Bonus (PB): equals your bonus |
|
| Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a tiny beast. The swarm is unaffected by non-magical difficult terrain and is not slowed by moving through another creature’s space. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points through spells or potions. |
| Primal Bond. The swarm can add your proficiency bonus to any saving throw the swarm makes. |
Actions |
|---|
| Overwhelm. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 plus PB to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + PB damage. The damage type is Dark, Piercing or Poison, which you choose when you summon the swarm. If the swarm has half of its hit points or more, the creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be grappled. |
| Reinforce (PB number of charges/long rest). New creatures reinforce the swarm. The swarm regains 2d6 + PB hit points. If the swarm lands a critical hit, it can use Reinforce as a reaction without expending a charge. |
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Strength in Numbers
By 9th level, you can use your instrument to make a Distracting Strike maneuver once on each of your turns, without expending a Superiority die.
Your Gathered Swarm grows to Large size as you gain the power to summon even more creatures to your call. Hostile creatures that move through the swarm’s space have only half their normal movement. The swarm has advantage on attacks against creatures that are sized smaller than the swarm. Additionally, both the swarm's Reinforce and Overwhelm abilities are increased by a d6.
Master of Minions
Starting at 15th level, the Gathered Swarm grows to Huge size. While you or your allies are inside the swarm, you have half cover. When the swarm uses its movement and has more than half its hit points, creatures medium sized or smaller are carried with the swarm and must make a Strength Saving Throw to avoid being dragged along. A creature can willingly choose to fail this saving throw.
Additionally, if you or the target of your attack is inside the swarm’s space, your attacks and spells deal an extra 2d4 magical piercing damage as your swarm lashes out to attack.
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