Another Horror Month and another set of Halloween builds using 5e rules for Dungeons & Dragons. Now we have a new banner for them - since the Tabletop Tales banner is now a distant memory - let's get into the father of the modern slasher film, John Kramer aka the Jigsaw Killer. A man dying of terminal cancer who uses his skills to put those who deserve punishment into lethal situations that they either sacrifice to get themselves out of... or die horribly as you can see in... well, any of the Saw movies.
I'm not a huge fan of Saw, but Epic Apathy (that handsome devil!) dropped this idea into my lap and it was too good to not go with.
Before we start, let's talk about our goals for this build:
- Highly intelligent!
- Charismatic! - He was able to seduce a couple of apprentices to his side after putting them through death traps, after all. Speaking of which...
- Traps! - Not the kind that make the internet really, really angry with you, the other one
So, let's start with our attributes. As always, we're using the standard point array from the Player's Handbook. As always, I saw roll for your stats and just use this as a guide where to place them.
Intelligence: 15
John Kramer is a very intelligent man, very skilled in the construction and application of the various traps he invents in order to test people.
Charisma: 14
Charisma is next, the man is very persuasive as he is able to somehow persuade several people into either joining him or assisting him in his endeavors. Also, even after his death, his influence is felt throughout the entire series.
Wisdom: 13
Wisdom is next. John is observant and rather skilled at reading people, able to pick out who requires his "testing".
Dexterity: 12
Dexterity comes next, John is a man dying from cancer and so is not going to be as physically adept as someone without.
Constitution: 10
Same here, and this is one of the few builds I've done where it would be perfectly in character to have a low Constitution given Jigsaw's battle with cancer.
Strength: 8
I'm pretty sure it's obvious why this score is here now. If it's not, please do try and keep up.
For race, we're going to go a little bit outside of the box here and make a Gnome. Specifically, we'll be going with a Rock Gnome from right out of the Player's Handbook. As a gnome, John's Intelligence score gets bumped up by 2 and as a Rock Gnome his Constitution bumps up by 1, not making too much of a difference there, sad to say.
I was tempted to go with a Revenant and play on the whole "one year to live" flavor that a lot of people like to forget about them, but Epic suggested gnome and... honestly, there was literally no reason to not just fuse him with Billy the Puppet.
Gnomes receive Darkvision out to 60 feet and Gnome Cunning that gives them advantage on all (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) saving throws against magic.
As a Rock Gnome, John has the power of Artificer's Lore, which allows him to add twice his proficiency bonus on Intelligence (History) checks related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices. He also gets the ability to Tinker, which allows him to use his tinker's tools and 10 gp worth of materials to create a Tiny clockwork device, such as Clockwork Toy, a Fire Starter, or a Music Box. Check out page 37 in the Player's Handbook for the full details on what they are and what they do.
For background, we'll be going with Guild Artisan to best reflect John's former career as a civil engineer. With that background, he gains proficiency with one set of artisan's tools (just pick one, trust me we're gonna have plenty by the end of this build) as well as proficiency in Insight and Persuasion skills.
So, starting out we're going with Artificer (1). Artificer gets John proficiency with Light and medium armor and shield, as well as simple weapons. He also gains proficiency with Thieves', tinker's, and one other set of tools of your choice. In this case, go with Alchemist's supplies, we might be able to put them to better use later on. You also gain proficiency in Constitution and Intelligence saving throws as well as two kills from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Sleight of Hand. We'll be going with History and Perception for now. Don't worry, we'll pick up some others later on.
At first level, the Artificer receives Magical Tinkering, which is detailed on page 55 of Eberron: Rising from the Last War. Think of it as an extension of the Tinker ability that gnomes have, meaning that you can create a Tiny nonmagical object that can do something like shed a bright light in a 5-foot radius around itself or emit an odor or (nonverbal) sound that can be perceived up to 10 feet away. Maybe it's a little cube you use to introduce your victims to your game.
Spellcasting also comes to those starting on the path of the Artificer, specifically two cantrips as well as having two first-level spell slots. The full spell list for Artificer's is on page 56 of Eberron, and I don't normally point out selections unless there's a very specific one for the build, mostly because these posts are already long as is. In this case, however, I can spare it.
For cantrips, I would definitely choose Guidance - you touch one willing creature and they can add a d4 to any roll on an ability check for up to 1 minute depending on your concentration - and Spare the Dying - you touch a creature that has 0 hit points and they become stable.
For your first level spells, you have Sanctuary - creating a ward against attacks upon a target that the attackers will have to pass a Wisdom saving throw against your spell DC. If they fail, they either must choose another target or lose the attack (this doesn't work against area effects, by the way). There's also Snare, which is your first trap. With Snare, you create a circle using rope or some other cord that takes up a five foot space. A creature looking for it will have to pass an Intelligence check against your spell DC to see it. If a creature that is Small or bigger walks into it, and they fail a Dexterity check (again, against your DC), they fall prone and are restrained three feet up in the air. Trapped targets can make Dexterity checks to get out, but at disadvantage. Another creature can make an Intelligence check in order to help them get out of it.
Second level Artificer (2) receives the ability to Infuse Item, allow them to imbue mundane items with magical power and you know four of them to start out at level one, and you can find those on page 62 and 63 of Eberron. Personally, the ability to Replicate Magic Item is infinitely useful, and you can come up with quite a few fun things even at just at 2nd level from that list. Like the spells, I'm not going to list them all, but sending stones are always a fun thing to have around and don't require an attunement. Just think about it.
If you want to, go with Homoculus Servant so you can ignore the humor here and make your very own Billy the Puppet.
At the third level of Artificer (3), we have to select an Artificer Specialist, and I thought about this one for not a small amount of time. We've already done an alchemist and an artillerist really doesn't fit the Jigsaw aesthetic at all. So, I went with Battle Smith, which right off the bat allows John to add another proficiency to his belt with Smith's Tools as well a giving him specific spells for that subclass - all of one of which we will use for this build.
Apart from that, John now has proficiency with martial weapons and can use his Intelligence modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity, for attack or damage rolls with a magical weapon.
He also gains the ability to craft a Steel Defender, the statblock of which is on page 61 of Eberron. The specific details of it can be found there, but be nice to your DM and maybe he'll let you make it a really 'roided out Billy the Puppet. Basically, though, it can do the heavy lifting where you can.
As a specialized artificer, John now always had The Right Tool for the Job, allowing him to use his tinker's tools to replicate one set of artisan's tools in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of him after completing a 1 hour ritual. The tools are non-magical and will vanish when this ability is used again.
At fourth level, Artificer (4) gets their first Ability Score Improvement or Feat. We're going to go with a Feat - in this case, Fade Away from Xanathar's Guide to Everything. With Fade Away, a gnome-specific feat, John increases his Dexterity or Intelligence by 1 to a maximum of 20 (go for Intelligence - you should be at 18 by now and even numbers are your friend!). John also gains the ability to use his reaction to turn invisible until the end of his next turn or until he attacks, deals damage, or forces someone else to make a saving throw. Once used, the ability can't be used again until after a long or short rest.
As a Battle Smith, John at fifth level Artificer (5) gains an Extra Attack, meaning that he can attack twice instead of just once on his turn when he takes the Attack action. He also gets access to 2nd level spells and more than a few spells on this level fit our aesthetic - heat metal, magic mouth, pyrotechnics, rope trick, spider climb, and web in particular - and so should definitely be put to use.
Also, by the way, you have access to branding smite at 5th level - the one spell I mentioned we'd be using from Battle Smith. Holding your concentration for up to one minute, hitting a target will hit them with an extra 2d6 radiant damage. The target is also rendered visible if they're invisible (and they can't become invisible until the spell ends) and makes them shed light in a 5-foot radius. Using a higher spell slot gives an extra 1d6 damage to the spell.
At sixth level, an Artificer (6) like John gets Tool Expertise. Having worked with his tools for so long, John's proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check he makes that uses his proficiency with a tool and that applies to all of them, not just his tinker's. He also gains two new Infusions and if you haven't gotten it by now, it may pay to pick up Enhanced Weapon, Radiant Weapon, or Returning Weapon to gain the benefits of being able to use your Battle Ready ability.
Artificer (7) characters that make it to the seventh level of their class receive a Flash of Genius. When John or another creature within 30 feet of him makes an ability check, he can use his reaction to add his Intelligence modifier to their roll. He can do this a number of times equal to his Intelligence modifier and then regains all expended uses of this ability after a long rest.
At eight level, an Artificer (8) gets another Ability Score Improvement or Feat. In this case, we're going to with Skilled, which grants three proficiencies that can be either Skill or Tool, depending on which ones you're going for. Given that John is swimming in tool proficiency, let's beef up his skills - take Deception, Intimidation, and Investigation to fill in some of the skills that John has in the movies. Congratulations! You now have the skills to match most of what John does in the movies... but, just for fun, let's keep going!
Ninth level Artificer (9) will see John gain the ability of the Arcane Jolt. When he strikes a target with a successful attack or his steel defender strikes a target, John can channel magical energy that can either:
- cause a target to take an extra 2d6 force damage.
- heal a creature within 30 feet of the target 2d6 hit points.
Ninth level also opens up 3rd level spells. Dispel magic is always a fun one to have on hand, as if glyph of warding, which as a bunch of fun abilities that can be found on page 245 and 246 of the Player's Handbook and can definitely be set up into traps.
At tenth level, an Artificer (10) gains a fun ability called Magic Item Adept. John can now attune to up to four magic items at once and when he crafts an item that is common or uncommon, it takes him a quarter of the normal time and half as much gold.
Next up is eleventh level, and an Artificer (11) gets the ability to create a Spell-Storing Item. It does exactly what you think it does - allows you to store a spell within an item. That is, so long as the spell is a 1st or 2nd level one from the Artificer list that requires an action to cast. The item can then produce the spell's effect a number of times equal to twice John's Intelligence modifier or until he uses this ability to store a spell in a different object.
At twelfth level, an Artificer (12) gets an Ability Score Improvement or a Feat. Observant bumps up your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1 (obviously, going for Intelligence here), gives you the ability to read the lips of a creature and understand what it's saying if you know the language that they're speaking, and gives a +5 to Wisdom (Perception) and passive Intelligence (Investigation) scores.
At thirteen level, an Artificer (13) gets... nothing, except for unlocking 4th level spells - at least one slot for them. A freedom of movement spell would allow John to get himself out of sticky situations, stone shape would let him... well, shape stone to fit his purposes, and fabricate lets him converse raw materials into products of the same material such as a wooden bridge from a clump of trees or so on. Literally with that last one, the possibilities are nigh-endless. Mind you, the created objects can't be particularly complex and, of course, you can't use them to replicate magic items and the like.
At fourteenth level, an Artificer (14) becomes a Magic Item Savant. John can now attune to up to five magic items at once and can ignore all class, race, spell, and level requirements on attuning to or using a magic item. Like his other abilities, this doesn't just apply to magic items he creates, but any magic item(s).
An Artificer (15) following the path of the Battle Smith gets the Improved Defender ability. The damage/healing from Arcane Jolt increases to 4d6. The Steel Defender also gets a big boost, a +2 to Armor Class and does 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier in force damage to enemies that it uses its Deflect Attack reaction ability against.
At sixteenth level, Artificers (16) get another Ability Score Improvement or a Feat. In this case, we're going to add a +1 to Intelligence and Charisma.
At seventeenth level, Artificers (17) get access to the last level of spells for their class, the 5th level. Animate object and Bigby's Hand are fun ones and everybody loves a little skill empowerment. Oh, and creation of course, but I'm pretty sure that was obvious. That and transmute rocks.
At eighteenth level, an Artificer (18) becomes a Magic Item Master. The artificer can now attune to six magic items at once.
At nineteenth level, Artificers (19) get their last Ability Score Improvement or Feat. Once again, Intelligence and Charisma go up by 1.
Our capstone is the twentieth level of Artificer (20) and John has captured the Soul of Artifice. John now as a +1 bonus to all saving throws per magic item he's attuned to. He can also, when he's reduced to 0 hit points but not killed, use his reaction to end one of his infusions and drop to 1 hit point instead of 0.
Now that we've hit 20th level, let's look at our pros and cons.
Pros:
- Soft skills - You have plenty of them and you're really good at them. With this build's focus on your soft stats, particularly Intelligence and Charisma, you can be a very observant, insightful, and very charismatic party face that can persuade, deceive, or intimidate with the best of them to get what you want. With your tool proficiency, you can do a lot of very useful things for yourself and for your party in terms of crafting.
- Magic items galore! - With twelve known infusions, you can creature some seriously cool magic items. More to the point, by the time you reach the end, you get a +1 bonus to all your saving throws per item you're attuned to... and you can be attuned to six in all. A +6 to every Ability Score Check? Not bad, not bad at all.
- Battlefield control - Some of your spells work very well for keeping control of the battlefield, such as grease to slip up your enemies, sanctuary to no sell their attacks, or things more overt like stone shape to really pull your enemies' feet out from under them... literally.
Cons:
- Your spell selection... isn't super great. Artificers get a lot of cool abilities to counteract the fact that their spell selection is so shoddy... but you don't have a lot to work with and the choking up of spell slots means you need to plan more carefully.
- Your hard stats suck. Granted, there are things that counteract that such as John's Battle Smith ability to replace Strength/Dexterity bonuses with his Intelligence bonus... but that only applies to attacks, not Ability checks. Sure, you have that +6 if you have six items attuned to you with Soul of Artifice, but that only puts you at a +5 at most with Strength. They wanna push you around? Well, they will. Well, they will.
- Your Constitution is also absolutely awful, by design given who this build is trying to emulate. Having heavy armor and letting your Steel Defender do most of your fighting isn't just a good idea, it's pretty much your only option in combat.
But hey, you're John Kramer, the Jigsaw Killer. There are many terrible people out there in the world that need to be tested, either to be taken out of the gene pool or winning their freedom and have a richer life for the experience. Just make sure you be mindful of just who you are manipulating when you do this, because one of them might just fight back and then it's game over!
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