I'm relatively new to DnD and I'm playing an artillerist and I just hit level 5, however, I do not have a rod, wand or staff to turn into an arcane firearm. I'm currently in an area in my campaign where there are no magic shops to buy such items. My question is... do those items need to be magical in order for me to make them into my arcane firearm? Is there such a thing as a non-magical rod/wand/staff and can I just make them if I have woodcarving tools? My DM said that those items tend to have magic in them as they are used as spellcasting focuses but in the context of the artificer, can't I just make a non-magical one (maybe even enhance it with an infusion) and then turn it into an arcane firearm? Please advise.
An arcane focus does not have to be magical to serve as a focus. It's just a tool to concentrate through. There are magic focuses for bonus +hit etc, but the beginning wand/rod/staff/symbol/etc is usually always mundane.
In fact, a wand/rod/staff HAS to be mundane in order to be infused with Enhanced Arcane Focus. Said Enhanced focus can then have the Firearm feature inlaid on it.
You can make or obtain a wand, rod, or staff without any magic in it at all from anywhere that sells adventuring supplies, per RAW. Or anywhere with trees. There's also an argument to be made that a quarterstaff can be treated as an arcane focus staff as well, though that one's always been fuzzy. Nevertheless, if the DM refuses to let you buy a basic quarterstaff, I'd ask him why he's trying to actively prevent you from using one of your core subclass features.
You can make or obtain a wand, rod, or staff without any magic in it at all from anywhere that sells adventuring supplies, per RAW. Or anywhere with trees. There's also an argument to be made that a quarterstaff can be treated as an arcane focus staff as well, though that one's always been fuzzy. Nevertheless, if the DM refuses to let you buy a basic quarterstaff, I'd ask him why he's trying to actively prevent you from using one of your core subclass features.
Yurei has a point, if the dm were to make a stink about it i would simply ask. "a wizard learns two spells when they level up, do they need to have had access to scrolls to get them? and spend time adding them to their spell book? or do we need to hit a university every time they gain a level" there is no reason to deny access to a core class feature in this instance when it can be simply hand waved as a reasonable preparation that the character would have made.
I would bring it to your DM as "Hey, with level five, I have been working on this woodcarving project in spare time that I jut finished, it's this wand/staff/rod. It's pretty basic, but it works with this feature. Boom.
As explained in several posts above, there are arcane focuses (foci?) on the equipment list that can be used instead of component pouches or individual components for casting arcane spells if your class allows you to use an arcane focus. Buying a rod, staff, or wand should be as easy as buying any other common adventuring equipment...or you could make one if you have the proper tool proficiencies, which you should as an artificer-artillerist (woodcarving tools sound right for the job and you should have them thanks to your Right Tool For The Job feature).
Now, if your DM is telling you that there are no magic supply stores where you can buy arcane focuses (such as in a city that outlaws magic) I could understand that. But, really the Artificer is the kind of person who would run a magic supply store AND make a good number of the magic items in the world, so you should be able to make your own given the raw materials. If your DM is also telling you that there are no raw materials, then I suppose I can understand that too. But I would then question what those materials would be and insist on sidequesting for them.
Yeah if you have your wood carving tools it is very reasonable to craft yourself a mundane rod/staff/wand. WHich you can then turn into an ARcane Firearm. And if you like you could use an Infusion to make it Enhanced Arcane Focus+Arcane Firearm. Which isn't a bad idea
I still don't see why one couldn't use their existing focus item for the arcane firearm. It seems like they just suggested generic stuff, not specified any "must be".
I'm playing my tinker as more of a dangerous operator than clankering comic-relief so, I'm using a dagger as my focus item and crafting it into my wand gun.
The arcane firearm is where it gives the specific need for those items. Because it is not just any focus. It's a particularly designed focus with a particularly designed effect because of that. So it's not something that you can just shove into whatever and make it work.
Foci are channels. They help you cast the spells by channeling and focusing the magic to make the spell manifest rather than particular sympathetic components. The arcane firearm is one step above this because it's a channel and focus that actually enhances that in particular ways so it requires a certain structure to do so.
They can use it for an infusion and cast swpells with the infused dagger. but. to get Arcane Firearm it requires the 3 specific items.
So would need GM Fiat to rock the Gunblade. Which admitidly would be cool.
I pulled something simliar off with Tavern Brawler. so I had my arcane firearm, and smacked them with it. spoofing off the Caster Staff from Outlaw star
Question; I have a Staff Of Defense on my current character, which as does its own magical stuff. If I use it for my Arcane Firearm, will that supersede to normal stuff it does?
An arcane focus does not have to be magical to serve as a focus. It's just a tool to concentrate through. There are magic focuses for bonus +hit etc, but the beginning wand/rod/staff/symbol/etc is usually always mundane.
In fact, a wand/rod/staff HAS to be mundane in order to be infused with Enhanced Arcane Focus. Said Enhanced focus can then have the Firearm feature inlaid on it.
Ok, so, in this case, using a Staff Of Defense would mean that I can NOT use it for Enhanced Arcane Focus, yes?
Question; I have a Staff Of Defense on my current character, which as does its own magical stuff. If I use it for my Arcane Firearm, will that supersede to normal stuff it does?
An arcane focus does not have to be magical to serve as a focus. It's just a tool to concentrate through. There are magic focuses for bonus +hit etc, but the beginning wand/rod/staff/symbol/etc is usually always mundane.
In fact, a wand/rod/staff HAS to be mundane in order to be infused with Enhanced Arcane Focus. Said Enhanced focus can then have the Firearm feature inlaid on it.
Ok, so, in this case, using a Staff Of Defense would mean that I can NOT use it for Enhanced Arcane Focus, yes?
You cannot use a Staff of Defense as an Enhanced Arcane Focus, but you could use it as an Arcane Firearm. If you do make it your Arcane Firearm it would still retain its original properties.
I would argue there should be some exceptions to the "non-magical arcane focus" rule. specifically for common magic items. Like a wand of smiles, or a staff of decoration. The things they do provide no mechanical benefit. But my first artificer, would keep acid flasks floating around his staff of decoration, so that when he cast catapult it was "loaded" with charges I didn't have to dig out of the bag of holding. (Could also do bombs, or caltrops, or ball-bearings. It would have been nice if I could have given the benefit to this as it did not have spells imbeded into it, nor did it already grant a plus to spell casting abilities.
Hello,
I'm relatively new to DnD and I'm playing an artillerist and I just hit level 5, however, I do not have a rod, wand or staff to turn into an arcane firearm. I'm currently in an area in my campaign where there are no magic shops to buy such items. My question is... do those items need to be magical in order for me to make them into my arcane firearm? Is there such a thing as a non-magical rod/wand/staff and can I just make them if I have woodcarving tools? My DM said that those items tend to have magic in them as they are used as spellcasting focuses but in the context of the artificer, can't I just make a non-magical one (maybe even enhance it with an infusion) and then turn it into an arcane firearm? Please advise.
An arcane focus does not have to be magical to serve as a focus. It's just a tool to concentrate through. There are magic focuses for bonus +hit etc, but the beginning wand/rod/staff/symbol/etc is usually always mundane.
In fact, a wand/rod/staff HAS to be mundane in order to be infused with Enhanced Arcane Focus. Said Enhanced focus can then have the Firearm feature inlaid on it.
You can make or obtain a wand, rod, or staff without any magic in it at all from anywhere that sells adventuring supplies, per RAW. Or anywhere with trees. There's also an argument to be made that a quarterstaff can be treated as an arcane focus staff as well, though that one's always been fuzzy. Nevertheless, if the DM refuses to let you buy a basic quarterstaff, I'd ask him why he's trying to actively prevent you from using one of your core subclass features.
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Yurei has a point, if the dm were to make a stink about it i would simply ask. "a wizard learns two spells when they level up, do they need to have had access to scrolls to get them? and spend time adding them to their spell book? or do we need to hit a university every time they gain a level" there is no reason to deny access to a core class feature in this instance when it can be simply hand waved as a reasonable preparation that the character would have made.
I would bring it to your DM as "Hey, with level five, I have been working on this woodcarving project in spare time that I jut finished, it's this wand/staff/rod. It's pretty basic, but it works with this feature. Boom.
As explained in several posts above, there are arcane focuses (foci?) on the equipment list that can be used instead of component pouches or individual components for casting arcane spells if your class allows you to use an arcane focus. Buying a rod, staff, or wand should be as easy as buying any other common adventuring equipment...or you could make one if you have the proper tool proficiencies, which you should as an artificer-artillerist (woodcarving tools sound right for the job and you should have them thanks to your Right Tool For The Job feature).
Now, if your DM is telling you that there are no magic supply stores where you can buy arcane focuses (such as in a city that outlaws magic) I could understand that. But, really the Artificer is the kind of person who would run a magic supply store AND make a good number of the magic items in the world, so you should be able to make your own given the raw materials. If your DM is also telling you that there are no raw materials, then I suppose I can understand that too. But I would then question what those materials would be and insist on sidequesting for them.
Yeah if you have your wood carving tools it is very reasonable to craft yourself a mundane rod/staff/wand. WHich you can then turn into an ARcane Firearm.
And if you like you could use an Infusion to make it Enhanced Arcane Focus+Arcane Firearm. Which isn't a bad idea
I still don't see why one couldn't use their existing focus item for the arcane firearm. It seems like they just suggested generic stuff, not specified any "must be".
I'm playing my tinker as more of a dangerous operator than clankering comic-relief so, I'm using a dagger as my focus item and crafting it into my wand gun.
Artificers can't use a dagger as an arcane focus.
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They can if it bears an infusion.
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The arcane firearm is where it gives the specific need for those items. Because it is not just any focus. It's a particularly designed focus with a particularly designed effect because of that. So it's not something that you can just shove into whatever and make it work.
Foci are channels. They help you cast the spells by channeling and focusing the magic to make the spell manifest rather than particular sympathetic components. The arcane firearm is one step above this because it's a channel and focus that actually enhances that in particular ways so it requires a certain structure to do so.
They can use it for an infusion and cast swpells with the infused dagger. but. to get Arcane Firearm it requires the 3 specific items.
So would need GM Fiat to rock the Gunblade. Which admitidly would be cool.
I pulled something simliar off with Tavern Brawler. so I had my arcane firearm, and smacked them with it. spoofing off the Caster Staff from Outlaw star
Homebrew bayonet rules could suffice...
Question; I have a Staff Of Defense on my current character, which as does its own magical stuff. If I use it for my Arcane Firearm, will that supersede to normal stuff it does?
Ok, so, in this case, using a Staff Of Defense would mean that I can NOT use it for Enhanced Arcane Focus, yes?
You cannot use a Staff of Defense as an Enhanced Arcane Focus, but you could use it as an Arcane Firearm. If you do make it your Arcane Firearm it would still retain its original properties.
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I would argue there should be some exceptions to the "non-magical arcane focus" rule. specifically for common magic items. Like a wand of smiles, or a staff of decoration. The things they do provide no mechanical benefit. But my first artificer, would keep acid flasks floating around his staff of decoration, so that when he cast catapult it was "loaded" with charges I didn't have to dig out of the bag of holding. (Could also do bombs, or caltrops, or ball-bearings. It would have been nice if I could have given the benefit to this as it did not have spells imbeded into it, nor did it already grant a plus to spell casting abilities.
A staff of decoration ignores the damage immunity of a lycanthrope, so "no mechanical benefit" is inaccurate.
Another fun thing with a staff of adornment is a flask of alchemist’s fire and two flasks of oil and bop ‘em with it.
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When making a arcane firearm could you use smithing tools in place of woodcarver's tools to make it out of a iron rod?