You focus as much on identifying the weak points of structures as on the weak points of creatures. Sappers are deployed with the soldiery to dig trenches, build bridges, and breach defenses. When troops move into a heavily defended area, it’s your job to make it happen as efficiently as possible.
Combat Engineer
When you select this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in alchemist’s supplies, carpenter’s tools, mason’s tools, and tinker’s tools. Using these tools, you can do or create the following.
Alchemical Bomb
As a bonus action, you can mix together volatile chemicals into an explosive compound. Your bomb has a range of 30 feet and deals 1d6 force damage to all creatures in a 10-foot cube. You can use your bombs to deal Sneak Attack damage to objects and constructs. A creature hit by your bomb can succeed at a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus) to halve the damage dealt. Alchemical bombs lose potency and become inert 1 minute after they are created.
Your bomb’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 9th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
Jury Rig Fortification
With 1 minute of work you can:
- Create a low wall, large enough to provide half cover to a medium size humanoid.
- Dig a 5-foot-long, 3-foot-wide trench to a depth of 3 feet.
- Build a 5-foot-long, 3-foot-wide ladder. Each additional minute spent on this option increases the length of the ladder by 5 feet. The ladder built is sturdy enough to be used as a bridge.
If there is insufficient available material or the ground is too hard to work, the GM may rule that you can’t use this option.
Hastily Trap an Area
You can create and set some types of traps quickly. The following chart indicates the timeframes required to build and deploy commonly used traps. At the GM’s discretion, you may be able to use this feature to make and use other types of traps.
| Type of Trap | Time Required to Build Trap | Time Required to Set Trap |
|---|---|---|
| Collapsing Roof | 5 minutes per 5-ft.-by-5-ft. section | When you have finished building this trap, it is considered set |
| Falling Net | 1 minute | 1 action |
| Hunting Trap | 1 minute | 1 bonus action |
| Pit | 5 minutes for a 10-ft.-deep simple pit 15 minutes for a 10-ft.-deep hidden pit 1 hour for a 10-ft.-deep locking pit. Add 1 minute to add spikes to a pit. |
When you have finished building this trap, it is considered set: 1 bonus action to reset a simple pit or locking pit; 1 action to reset a hidden pit |
Sculpt Terrain
Beginning at 3rd level, you can target the floor or ground with your alchemical bombs. The area targeted and all areas within 5 feet of it are considered difficult terrain.
You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack: you can use your Sneak Attack against a creature standing in or moving through difficult terrain you have created.
Breach Defenses
Starting at 9th level, when you target an object, you ignore 5 points of its damage threshold. For instance, if you target a door that has a damage threshold of 10, its damage threshold is only 5 against your attacks. At 13th level, you can ignore 10 points of an object’s damage threshold, and at 17th level, you can ignore 15 points of an object’s damage threshold.
If an object doesn’t have a damage threshold or if this feature reduces its damage threshold to 0, you can deal sneak attack damage to it.
Clear the Path
At 13th level, you have advantage on checks to disarm traps. If you fail a check made to disarm a trap, it doesn’t trigger even if its description states otherwise. In addition, you can disarm a trap as a bonus action.
All Clear
Beginning at 17th level, as an action, you can make a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to declare a 50-foot-square area safe to travel through for 1 minute. Mechanical and magical traps will not be triggered for the duration. Additionally, difficult terrain will not impede your movement or the movement of any creature that can see and hear you that you consider an ally.
Once you have used this feature, you must finish a short or long rest to use it again.