[RPG] ny means to improve vehicle use other than the artificer’s 6th-level Tool Expertise feature

dnd-5eproficiencyvehicles

I'm going to be starting a new campaign in the new year, in which the party are crewmembers of an airship. I'm planning to have my character be the helmsman, and as such I have a tool proficiency in Vehicles (Water) via the Pirate background, which the DM is letting me refluff to be proficiency in "Vehicles (Air)".

I would like my character to be an expert with airships, the reason the captain spared me from the noose and brought me onto his crew. However so far as I can tell, the only method to get a greater bonus to Vehicle-related rolls than tool proficiency is via the Artificer's 6th-level feature Tool Expertise:

Starting at 6th level, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool.

All well and good, except I'm planning to play a Sorcerer/Warlock; picking up 6 levels of Artificer just to get my Vehicle expertise seems like an awful plan. (And even if I were to play a pure Artificer, the game is starting at level 5.)

I'm fully aware the answer may simply be "no", but is there any other method to get a bonus to handling our airship beyond simple proficiency?

Best Answer

It's still another multiclass, but Fighter 3 that takes the Rune Knight subclass can get the Fire Rune, which let's you double your proficiency bonus for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool. Since Vehicles(misc) is on the tool list, it should apply. It's unfortunate that it's still some levels of investment, but It's still half as much investment as Artificer would be.