I'm wanting to use the armorer subclass in dnd 2024. I feel as if most of the subclass's features update nicely to 2024, but I'm wondering if the subclass weapons could use an added Mastery. I know that some people believe that a class shouldn't get masteries if they don't have them at level 1, but these class weapons feel like a special case. I'm going to use the Soulknife's psychic's blades as an example. The psychic blades have finesse, thrown, and the vex mastery which doesn't count against the rogue's known masteries. The rogue makes a decent comparison to the artificer in several respects, so since this is a martial subclass with built-in unique weapons, I believe that masteries would be a fitting addition.
(I'd probably also allow the same free hand bonus action attack option for thunder gauntlets that soulknife gets. Soulknives don't have the light property, but they mimic it through a special bonus action.)
If you can agree on some level with that, I was wondering which masteries might be good pairings with the Thunder Gauntlets and Lightning Launcher.
The thunder gauntlets have a couple of synergistic options. Push mirrors the level 15 pull upgrade to allow even greater control of the battlefield and it would work twice or even thrice in the same turn. Sap is slightly redundant, but it would allow you to trigger disadvantage against yourself once per opponent's turn, making the defender more survivable, and it would make flavorful sense with the thunderous blow. Slow or Topple occupy similar flavor space to Sap while allowing battlefield control. Slow, topple, push, and sap are also masteries found on all sorts of blunt melee weapons, so they'd be a good physical match.
The lightning launcher has a slightly simpler comparison. Almost every standard ranged weapon in the PHB has either vex or slow as a mastery. The heavy crossbow (and the shotgun in the DMG) have push, but the lightning launcher doesn't feel in the same class as either of those. Alternatively, one can compare it to the laser pistol, laser rifle, and antimatter rifle from the DMG, since the lightning launcher is also an energy-based weapon, which would add sap to the list of conceivable masteries. Vex feels like a synergistic way to add to the rogue-like feel of the infiltrator, but it's somewhat redundant with the level 15 ability and isn't as fun flavorwise, so I'm going to strike it out. Slow is helpful for controlling the battlefield, and sap would help with survivability against other attackers, and both of them feel like a fitting result from shooting someone with lightning.
I'd love to hear others' opinions on this homebrew 2024 update to one of my favorite classes. Which masteries would look and feel best on these? I've added a poll to the post, the first being for Thunder Gauntlets and the second for Lightning Launcher :)
The special weapons should still have a type of mastery associated with them in case the artificer has access to mastery via multiclassing, a feat, or the bastion special facility that grants mastery.
My artificer is going to get mastery from the training facility for use with the laser pistols I just got from Barrier Peaks.
I'm asking specifically because I was wanting to do a thief/armorer, so in this circumstance I would have access to masteries even if I don't get them automatically. I'm more concerned with which masteries would be the best fits.
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Hello,
I'm wanting to use the armorer subclass in dnd 2024. I feel as if most of the subclass's features update nicely to 2024, but I'm wondering if the subclass weapons could use an added Mastery. I know that some people believe that a class shouldn't get masteries if they don't have them at level 1, but these class weapons feel like a special case. I'm going to use the Soulknife's psychic's blades as an example. The psychic blades have finesse, thrown, and the vex mastery which doesn't count against the rogue's known masteries. The rogue makes a decent comparison to the artificer in several respects, so since this is a martial subclass with built-in unique weapons, I believe that masteries would be a fitting addition.
(I'd probably also allow the same free hand bonus action attack option for thunder gauntlets that soulknife gets. Soulknives don't have the light property, but they mimic it through a special bonus action.)
If you can agree on some level with that, I was wondering which masteries might be good pairings with the Thunder Gauntlets and Lightning Launcher.
The thunder gauntlets have a couple of synergistic options. Push mirrors the level 15 pull upgrade to allow even greater control of the battlefield and it would work twice or even thrice in the same turn. Sap is slightly redundant, but it would allow you to trigger disadvantage against yourself once per opponent's turn, making the defender more survivable, and it would make flavorful sense with the thunderous blow. Slow or Topple occupy similar flavor space to Sap while allowing battlefield control. Slow, topple, push, and sap are also masteries found on all sorts of blunt melee weapons, so they'd be a good physical match.
The lightning launcher has a slightly simpler comparison. Almost every standard ranged weapon in the PHB has either vex or slow as a mastery. The heavy crossbow (and the shotgun in the DMG) have push, but the lightning launcher doesn't feel in the same class as either of those. Alternatively, one can compare it to the laser pistol, laser rifle, and antimatter rifle from the DMG, since the lightning launcher is also an energy-based weapon, which would add sap to the list of conceivable masteries. Vex feels like a synergistic way to add to the rogue-like feel of the infiltrator, but it's somewhat redundant with the level 15 ability and isn't as fun flavorwise, so I'm going to strike it out. Slow is helpful for controlling the battlefield, and sap would help with survivability against other attackers, and both of them feel like a fitting result from shooting someone with lightning.
I'd love to hear others' opinions on this homebrew 2024 update to one of my favorite classes. Which masteries would look and feel best on these? I've added a poll to the post, the first being for Thunder Gauntlets and the second for Lightning Launcher :)
I would disagree and suggest that Artificers should not get Weapon Mastery. They are strong enough without it.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
The special weapons should still have a type of mastery associated with them in case the artificer has access to mastery via multiclassing, a feat, or the bastion special facility that grants mastery.
My artificer is going to get mastery from the training facility for use with the laser pistols I just got from Barrier Peaks.
I'm asking specifically because I was wanting to do a thief/armorer, so in this circumstance I would have access to masteries even if I don't get them automatically. I'm more concerned with which masteries would be the best fits.