By some minor DnD dice god miracle, my gnome battle smith with an AC of 20 that my DM seems to hate has made it to level four, so maybe folks have opinions on what artificers should choose at level four.
My first thought was to take the two skill points and boost my intelligence to 20, but none of my other abilities were odd numbers, so adding to them wouldn't change any of the modifiers. Not a bad plan, but it spurred me to looking through the feats.
I think I've decided on taking shadow touch because +1 INT, invisibility, and disguise self seems to be a pretty good combination.
I'm the party tank so I'm using melee weapons. I rarely use any offensive spells because of a lack of opportunity. I use buffs and area affect spells when the opportunity presents and, of course, cure wounds, but our druid and cleric can hand out HP much better than I can, especially in the heat of battle.
I had considered Fade Away, Fey Touched (misty step is very useful), and Martial Adept (but I think I'd rather have the 20 INT).
What would you do if you had a battle smith going to level 4, especially to enhance her meat shieldness?
What would you do if you had a battle smith going to level 4, especially to enhance her meat shieldness?
In your situation (already INT 18?), go to INT 20. It's just too useful, what with INT-based spellcasting, and (for Battlesmith) INT-based weapons. Also, at level 7 (before your next ASI opportunity) you get Flash of Genius, and having that at +5 5/day as soon as possible will make the rest of your party very happy.
I'm already at INT 19, so the question is what to do with the other point. I won't change any of my other modifiers, making it a long slog to getting another point in DEX or CON, which won't help much any way.
I can get the extra INT point with a feat, so the question becomes which one. Or is picking up the martial adept and the two maneuvers worthwhile? I look at the various maneuvers and wonder about the usefulness of them. With a +8 to hit, I'm hitting pretty frequently, so disarming or leg sweeping or one of the others makes sense, I guess. I haven't played a fighter so I'm not very used to using them.
Fade Away seems useful, but Shadow Touched allows for invisibility without first taking damage and an illusion or necromancy spell can be a useful addition, especially when coupled with invisibility. Fey Touched is allows misty step, which is damn useful, but I'm not thrilled with divination or enchantment spells.
I'm wondering what other feats folks have used. Telekinetic and Telepathic seem interesting. Skill expert has possibilities.Perhaps lucky. You know.
I'm already at INT 19, so the question is what to do with the other point. <snip> I can get the extra INT point with a feat, so the question becomes which one.
Oh, I see. Well, personally I'd go with Skill Expert. Maybe Telekinetic as a second choice.
Shadow Touched and Fey Touched probably are nice, but I'd worry about selecting spells that don't clash with having hands full of an infused weapon / maybe a shield. Since the spells granted will not count as Artificer spells, thus not work with artificer-style foci.
(How did you get INT 19 by level 3? Roll for stats?)
The DM had a stat array for us to distribute. The highest one was 17. I love playing gnomes, and they get a +2 to INT. The generosity of the DM.
I'd rather roll for stats, personally. When I DM, it is roll four d6, drop the lowest. Do it seven times, dropping the lowest. And if your bonuses don't add to eleven, we'll talk.
You're probably right about the Shadow Touched. My DM, who seems to hate my character, probably would be very strict about the casting of invisibility. I had thought I could cast it on the steel protector and just occupy a space causing attacks at disadvantage and then an advantaged attack. But, it is a VSM spell so getting it cast and also being in a position to sponge up damage would be tricky, and it is a concentration spell, so I'd be rolling for concentration every time I was hit. Otherwise, it was a pretty sweet plan, I mean, if it actually would've worked.
I also thought about disguising my character, infiltrating some place for some nefarious deeds done dirt cheap, and then going invisible to escape, or vice versa if I needed an advantaged attack as part of the dirt cheap dirty deed.
In the end, I think I'll take Gift of the Gem Dragon since the DC uses the intelligence bonus and a d8 or 2d8 of damage as a reaction to getting hit isn't a bad deal.
Huzzah! Jack
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Howdy y'all!
By some minor DnD dice god miracle, my gnome battle smith with an AC of 20 that my DM seems to hate has made it to level four, so maybe folks have opinions on what artificers should choose at level four.
My first thought was to take the two skill points and boost my intelligence to 20, but none of my other abilities were odd numbers, so adding to them wouldn't change any of the modifiers. Not a bad plan, but it spurred me to looking through the feats.
I think I've decided on taking shadow touch because +1 INT, invisibility, and disguise self seems to be a pretty good combination.
I'm the party tank so I'm using melee weapons. I rarely use any offensive spells because of a lack of opportunity. I use buffs and area affect spells when the opportunity presents and, of course, cure wounds, but our druid and cleric can hand out HP much better than I can, especially in the heat of battle.
I had considered Fade Away, Fey Touched (misty step is very useful), and Martial Adept (but I think I'd rather have the 20 INT).
What would you do if you had a battle smith going to level 4, especially to enhance her meat shieldness?
Huzzah!
Jack
In your situation (already INT 18?), go to INT 20. It's just too useful, what with INT-based spellcasting, and (for Battlesmith) INT-based weapons. Also, at level 7 (before your next ASI opportunity) you get Flash of Genius, and having that at +5 5/day as soon as possible will make the rest of your party very happy.
Howdy Kenclary!
I'm already at INT 19, so the question is what to do with the other point. I won't change any of my other modifiers, making it a long slog to getting another point in DEX or CON, which won't help much any way.
I can get the extra INT point with a feat, so the question becomes which one. Or is picking up the martial adept and the two maneuvers worthwhile? I look at the various maneuvers and wonder about the usefulness of them. With a +8 to hit, I'm hitting pretty frequently, so disarming or leg sweeping or one of the others makes sense, I guess. I haven't played a fighter so I'm not very used to using them.
Fade Away seems useful, but Shadow Touched allows for invisibility without first taking damage and an illusion or necromancy spell can be a useful addition, especially when coupled with invisibility. Fey Touched is allows misty step, which is damn useful, but I'm not thrilled with divination or enchantment spells.
I'm wondering what other feats folks have used. Telekinetic and Telepathic seem interesting. Skill expert has possibilities.Perhaps lucky. You know.
Huzzah!
Jack
Oh, I see. Well, personally I'd go with Skill Expert. Maybe Telekinetic as a second choice.
Shadow Touched and Fey Touched probably are nice, but I'd worry about selecting spells that don't clash with having hands full of an infused weapon / maybe a shield. Since the spells granted will not count as Artificer spells, thus not work with artificer-style foci.
(How did you get INT 19 by level 3? Roll for stats?)
Howdy Kenclary!
The DM had a stat array for us to distribute. The highest one was 17. I love playing gnomes, and they get a +2 to INT. The generosity of the DM.
I'd rather roll for stats, personally. When I DM, it is roll four d6, drop the lowest. Do it seven times, dropping the lowest. And if your bonuses don't add to eleven, we'll talk.
You're probably right about the Shadow Touched. My DM, who seems to hate my character, probably would be very strict about the casting of invisibility. I had thought I could cast it on the steel protector and just occupy a space causing attacks at disadvantage and then an advantaged attack. But, it is a VSM spell so getting it cast and also being in a position to sponge up damage would be tricky, and it is a concentration spell, so I'd be rolling for concentration every time I was hit. Otherwise, it was a pretty sweet plan, I mean, if it actually would've worked.
I also thought about disguising my character, infiltrating some place for some nefarious deeds done dirt cheap, and then going invisible to escape, or vice versa if I needed an advantaged attack as part of the dirt cheap dirty deed.
In the end, I think I'll take Gift of the Gem Dragon since the DC uses the intelligence bonus and a d8 or 2d8 of damage as a reaction to getting hit isn't a bad deal.
Huzzah!
Jack