I'm converting our game to 2024, but I have an artificer in my group, and I kind of feel like they're being left out. I don't want to homebrew my own 2024 artificer, but is it unreasonable to give them weapon mastery? They gave it to every other half-caster (rangers/paladins) so it seems reasonable.
What's the other DMs out there doing for their games?
I've been thinking about this today and think that in line with alot of 2024 rules I'd make it so alot of class features that take an Action can use a Bonus action instead ie. Magical tinkering and Alchemist's potions. Additionally I would probably lean into the subclasses a bit. Battlesmith and Armourer could have weapon mastery and Artillerist and Alchemist an additional cantrip or something similar. The only buff missing at that point, that other half casters have been given, is the free casting of a specific spell or two.
I am playing an Artificer and have already made the argument on here that Artificers should not get weapon masteries.
Rangers and Paladins are martials who are half-caster. Artificers are not martials at all. Battle Masters and Armorers (I will be playing an Armorer when I get to 3rd) are more martial than other artificers, but the trend set by College of Valor Bards and War Domain Clerics is that you get weapon masteries by level 2 or not at all (when we get updates to College of Swords and Bladesinger Wizards, we will see if this trend continues). By contrast, look at the Monk. A Martial class with supernatural features and zero weapon masteries. The attacks from the Armor Model (Armorer) and magic weapons (Battle Smith) use your Intelligence modifier instead of strength or dexterity, making them more like Pact of the Blade Warlocks and that is pretty amazing. In both cases, they are half casters with martial upgrades, but require no additional investment into strength or dexterity, they can keep pumping INT.
To give Artificers weapon masteries is to say that they are more of a martial class than a Monk or a War Domain Protector Cleric. They are not. They are more akin to Rogues who don't stab people. They are tool focused, not weapon focused.
On the other hand, I will be making the argument for 130 gp - 140 gp starting equipment and +25 gp background equipment for pre 2024 backgrounds.
I feel like other changes might be coming when/if it is updated, but these are the only immediate changes I think are necessary.
Also, for reference, the party is still level 1, but the planned composition is a Way of Shadows Monk, Order of the Scribe Wizard, and an Armorer Artificer.
Im playing an Artillerist, we are using the Wands as Weapons optional rule from Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone. Wands get vex, rods get slow, staffs get push and orbs and crystals get sap. We have the masteries apply to any spell with an attack roll. Plus I get 1 regular weapon proficiency which I use on my pistol thats unfused with Repeating shot. So far I'm very happy with it.
I feel like the crafting rules as well as the updated adventuring gear has already buffed artificer enough. Rope, shackles, nets are all now much more viable even ignoring how fast an artificer at level 10 can craft scrolls and potions of low level. Potions can even be drunk as bonus actions and healing spells have gotten an extreme buff. True strike cantrip gotten through magic initiate even if their not a battle smith or armorer gives the alchemist a decent weapon option. I don't see much need to do much of anything to teh class itself
I wouldn't give weapon masteries. The class already gets Cantrips instead, and Paladins or Ranger's give up a Fighting Style feat to add Cantrips. Artificers aren't a martial focus like those classes.
I would change the spells prepared mechanic to match the spelled prepared table for Paladins and Rangers. That's consistent with 2024 rules.
I would update the language for armor from proficiency to training, but that's a minor detail IMO.
I would remove spells from the spell list that don't exist in the 2024 PHB for now. If they didn't make the cut there's not much reason to add them.
I would double the healing for Experimental Elixirs to match updated healing spells on Alchemist.
Battle Smith needs to replace Branding Smite with Searing Smite,
That should update the class to 2024 rules off the top of my head.
I would remove spells from the spell list that don't exist in the 2024 PHB for now. If they didn't make the cut there's not much reason to add them.
No need to remove spells: they’re still all valid if they’ve not been updated.
Need, no. Point in adding them to 2024? Not really for those few and what they do. "I" would remove them from the list. I'll let others decide at their table with my recommendation.
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I'm converting our game to 2024, but I have an artificer in my group, and I kind of feel like they're being left out. I don't want to homebrew my own 2024 artificer, but is it unreasonable to give them weapon mastery? They gave it to every other half-caster (rangers/paladins) so it seems reasonable.
What's the other DMs out there doing for their games?
I've been thinking about this today and think that in line with alot of 2024 rules I'd make it so alot of class features that take an Action can use a Bonus action instead ie. Magical tinkering and Alchemist's potions. Additionally I would probably lean into the subclasses a bit. Battlesmith and Armourer could have weapon mastery and Artillerist and Alchemist an additional cantrip or something similar. The only buff missing at that point, that other half casters have been given, is the free casting of a specific spell or two.
I`m playing as a artificier right now.
i`ve spoken to my dm and i will get 2 weapon masteries. other than that: it stays the same for now
I am playing an Artificer and have already made the argument on here that Artificers should not get weapon masteries.
Rangers and Paladins are martials who are half-caster. Artificers are not martials at all. Battle Masters and Armorers (I will be playing an Armorer when I get to 3rd) are more martial than other artificers, but the trend set by College of Valor Bards and War Domain Clerics is that you get weapon masteries by level 2 or not at all (when we get updates to College of Swords and Bladesinger Wizards, we will see if this trend continues). By contrast, look at the Monk. A Martial class with supernatural features and zero weapon masteries. The attacks from the Armor Model (Armorer) and magic weapons (Battle Smith) use your Intelligence modifier instead of strength or dexterity, making them more like Pact of the Blade Warlocks and that is pretty amazing. In both cases, they are half casters with martial upgrades, but require no additional investment into strength or dexterity, they can keep pumping INT.
To give Artificers weapon masteries is to say that they are more of a martial class than a Monk or a War Domain Protector Cleric. They are not. They are more akin to Rogues who don't stab people. They are tool focused, not weapon focused.
On the other hand, I will be making the argument for 130 gp - 140 gp starting equipment and +25 gp background equipment for pre 2024 backgrounds.
I feel like other changes might be coming when/if it is updated, but these are the only immediate changes I think are necessary.
Also, for reference, the party is still level 1, but the planned composition is a Way of Shadows Monk, Order of the Scribe Wizard, and an Armorer Artificer.
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My houserulings.
Im playing an Artillerist, we are using the Wands as Weapons optional rule from Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone. Wands get vex, rods get slow, staffs get push and orbs and crystals get sap. We have the masteries apply to any spell with an attack roll. Plus I get 1 regular weapon proficiency which I use on my pistol thats unfused with Repeating shot. So far I'm very happy with it.
I feel like the crafting rules as well as the updated adventuring gear has already buffed artificer enough. Rope, shackles, nets are all now much more viable even ignoring how fast an artificer at level 10 can craft scrolls and potions of low level. Potions can even be drunk as bonus actions and healing spells have gotten an extreme buff. True strike cantrip gotten through magic initiate even if their not a battle smith or armorer gives the alchemist a decent weapon option. I don't see much need to do much of anything to teh class itself
I wouldn't give weapon masteries. The class already gets Cantrips instead, and Paladins or Ranger's give up a Fighting Style feat to add Cantrips. Artificers aren't a martial focus like those classes.
I would change the spells prepared mechanic to match the spelled prepared table for Paladins and Rangers. That's consistent with 2024 rules.
I would update the language for armor from proficiency to training, but that's a minor detail IMO.
I would remove spells from the spell list that don't exist in the 2024 PHB for now. If they didn't make the cut there's not much reason to add them.
I would double the healing for Experimental Elixirs to match updated healing spells on Alchemist.
Battle Smith needs to replace Branding Smite with Searing Smite,
That should update the class to 2024 rules off the top of my head.
No need to remove spells: they’re still all valid if they’ve not been updated.
Need, no. Point in adding them to 2024? Not really for those few and what they do. "I" would remove them from the list. I'll let others decide at their table with my recommendation.