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Subclass Spotlight: The Symbiotic Engineer (Artificer)

Under the Dome – Balaria | Live Play Subclass Reveal

An Artillerist artificer as seen in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. [Image courtesy Wizards of the Coast]

In our upcoming live play campaign, Under the Dome – Balaria, six unique subclasses will step into the political shadows of a city on the brink. Each subclass has been crafted to reflect the themes of intrigue, survival, and adaptability that define the setting. Today, we’re revealing the first of these archetypes: the Symbiotic Engineer, a new Artificer specialist designed for players who crave versatility over specialization. The game starts next Tuesday over on our youtube channel. September 16th 8pm EST come check it out. So today and for the next handful of weeks I will share these subclasses with you as part of our Under the Dome series.

The Symbiotic Bond

Where most artificers rely on tools and tinkering to bring their magic to life, the Symbiotic Engineer has merged with something far stranger: a living magical organism. This symbiote fuses with its host’s body, forming a partnership that is equal parts invention, instinct, and intrusion.

The relationship is not without tension. Some Symbiotic Engineers view their companion as a gift; others as a parasite they’ve learned to weaponize. In a city where every alliance is fragile and every truth suspect, who better to embody adaptability than someone who is never truly alone?

Subclass Features

Tool of Living Design (3rd Level)

At 3rd level, the artificer gains access to the symbiote’s most basic survival functions. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you choose one of these benefits:

• Integrated Weaponry. Conjure symbiote-grown weapons, use Intelligence for attacks, and count them as magical.

• Symbiotic Defense. Start combat with temporary hit points equal to your artificer level, and once per short rest impose disadvantage on an attack against you.

• Symbiotic Channeling. Choose one 1st-level spell from the artificer list at the end of a rest. You can cast it once without using a spell slot.

This rotating toolkit ensures that the Symbiotic Engineer is never locked into one approach—a powerful edge in political intrigue where situations shift rapidly.

Symbiotic Adaptation (5th Level)

The bond deepens, allowing you to select a daily adaptation such as climbing and swimming speeds, heightened senses, arcane overclocking, or even spontaneous tool proficiencies. These abilities reflect the symbiote’s morphic nature, granting the artificer an answer to nearly any challenge.

Adaptive Convergence (9th Level)

By mid-tier play, the symbiote’s systems become so efficient that you can maintain two Tool of Living Design benefits at once, and you can reconfigure your adaptations after a short rest. No matter the intrigue, trap, or battlefield, the Symbiotic Engineer always has a card to play.

Living Arsenal (15th Level)

At the peak of their bond, the artificer and their symbiote act in perfect harmony. The symbiote can store and release spells, bypass components, and unleash devastating bursts of force. Here, the partnership has become less about survival and more about domination.

Symbiotic Engineer Spell List

Like other Artificer specialists, this subclass comes with a curated set of automatically prepared spells, highlighting adaptability and reactive play:

• 3rd Level: absorb elements, disguise self

• 5th Level: enhance ability, mirror image

• 9th Level: counterspell, haste

• 13th Level: polymorph, resilient sphere

• 17th Level: wall of force, modify memory

This spell list reinforces the theme of shifting tools and identities—hallmarks of both political intrigue and symbiotic survival.

Why the Symbiotic Engineer Fits Balaria

Balaria is a city under glass, suffocating with secrets and divided by factions. Alliances are fleeting, and adaptability is survival. The Symbiotic Engineer embodies that truth: a character whose very body can change to suit the moment.

Will the symbiote whisper truths its host would rather not hear? Will it push for survival at the cost of morality? In a campaign where the line between ally and enemy blurs daily, this subclass offers a mechanical and narrative toolset perfect for schemers, survivors, and opportunists.

Coming Soon: Five More Subclasses

The Symbiotic Engineer is only the beginning. Five more bespoke subclasses will be revealed before we begin our 12-session descent into political maneuvering, sabotage, and uneasy alliances. Each subclass highlights a different facet of life Under the Dome, and together they will test the boundaries of what D&D characters can become in a world of intrigue.

Stay tuned as we unveil the others. The dome is closing, and nothing will be the same.

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!!