So, I was reading through some random stuff and thought of this as a somewhat gag character, but actually has some potential.
Warforged Artillerist at Lv. 3 with Point Buy + Racial
STR: 10
DEX: 14
CON: 16
INT: 16
WIS: 10
CHA: 8
AC: Half Plate is 15 (+2 Dex) + 1 from Infusion + 2 from Shield = 20 AC
The idea then is to use Shocking Grasp in melee while using your Cannon for protection, gaining up to 13 THP per turn, as well as your melee allies. Ideally save your atteunement slots forthings like Ring of Protection to further boost AC and saving throws. Use your ASIs to make out INT and CON. Use Arcane Firearm to create a "Stun Stick" and use a small quarterstaff to use Shocking Grasp with an extra damage die. Should you get high enough to get Fortified Position, your AC should be pretty ridiculous, and if you make it to 20, you'll be extremely difficult to hit with anything. Plus you could always put Shield in your Spell-Storing Item for more block when needed. May not be strong in DPR, but as a melee booster, he could be fun.
Shield is a Reaction cast time; SSI can only store "1 Action" spells. No 10 Shields, sorry.
That said, you're also forgetting the +1 AC from simply being a Warforged, so it's 15 from Half-Plate (eventually), +2 Dex, +1 Warforged, +2 Shield, +1(2) from Enhanced Defense (pending level 10), and if you really want to be a cheesewagon with it, Repulsion Shield to +1 your shield. With only a set of (expensive-ass) half-plate and available artificer stuff, by level 10 your AC would be 23with only two required infusions, only one of which is attunement. You can also create a Cloak of protection at level 10, which gets you to 24AC, +1 to saves, at three required infusions and two attunements.
BUT...at tenth level, you get Magic Item Adept, which nets you a fourth attunement slot as well as four active infusions at once. So. Obtain a regular (i.e. non-infusion) wand Sheath for your warforged artificer (three attunements, one remaining), and use a wand (magical or otherwise) as your Arcane Firearm. The Firearm now deploys from your forearm, allowing you to use it without occupying that hand. Congratulations - arm-mounted cattle prod. and also spare hand for grappling, spellcasting, item interactions, or whatever else you need.
Your fourth active infusion could be the Homunculus Servant, which could allow you to use your Shocking Grasp on targets up to a hundred and twenty feet away. It could also simply be Enhanced Arcane Focus. EAF shares its attunement with your wand sheath, so Super Bonus Attunement, and would provide +2 to your spell attacks. This includes your Shocking Grasp and the Scorching Ray on your Artillerist spell list. Use the EAF, at level 11, to Spell-Storing Item Scorching Ray and you have ten casts of 6d6+1d8 ranged attack with +2. Respectable, when you need to hit distant targets. Note, this STILL leaves you with one available attunement (Repulsion Shield, Cloak of Prot, EAF+Sheath). if you're super freaking lucky, find a Ring of Spell Storing to stuff Shield spells into for a rainy day.
'Melee Artillerist' is not at all a gag build. Between the Eldritch Cannon (Protector) offering a nice temp HP boost every turn it's required, the myriad ways both warforged and artificers have of boosting their armor class, the synergy between wand sheaths and artillerists, and the hefty array of support, buff, and debuff spells artificers gain, a warforged Artillerist focusing on close-range spells and tactics can be an extremely potent frontline offensive support build that's extremely difficult to crack. Get you some War Caster to hold concentration like a boss and also Shocking Grasp/Scorching Ray on AoO, and your 'gag build' turns into everybody's favorite walking shieldwall.
I basically did this build. Seems to work very well. However, I also took a level in Fighter for heavy armor and Defense fighting style. Looking forward to having Plate (or even Splint).
In practice, over one session, I found that the Flamethrower was a better use than the temp HP, by the way.
Although as Yurei said, the Shield spell isn't eligible for storing. Aid, however...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blood Frenzy. The quipper has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Splint mail is the same AC as half-plate +2 DX, and requires 15 ST rather than 14 DX to avoid the movement penalty from understrength heavy armor. Honestly? If the build has better stats than point buy allows for and the player intends to go for level 20, there's a definite argument to be had for halfplate and Medium Armor Mastery. If you can get to 16 DX, then half-plate is the same AC as full plate, with no stealth disadvantage and for half the weight and price. Not to mention how much more valuable a stat DX is over ST (sadly); Stealth, Sleight-of-Hand and Acrobatics rolls and frequent Dexterity saves to avoid D.E.T.H.
That said, yeah. Defense fighting style from the Fighter class is just insult to iron-plated injury for your DM. At that point you can pop a Shield spell to hit 30AC for a turn, which is ludicrous. Endgame *******-monsters will still blow through it like nothing, but you may be able to watch the weenies bounce off your plating at least.
Flamethrower is good when you're fighting packs of weenies; in tougher fights it's nice to have the option to shore up your allies every turn, especially if you're fighting shit with nasty area effects or area-effect lair actions. Cool thing about the artillerist is that you can select whichever's best for the fight. Cool thing about the warforged artillerist is that you can summon the handheld version without sacrificing your Firearm or your shield. It really is an excellent combination of abilities.
That said, yeah. Defense fighting style from the Fighter class is just insult to iron-plated injury for your DM. At that point you can pop a Shield spell to hit 30AC for a turn, which is ludicrous. Endgame *******-monsters will still blow through it like nothing, but you may be able to watch the weenies bounce off your plating at least.
It is... but the downsides are significant. To make it work, I have 8 DEX, 8 CHA, and 9 WIS. Basically, I'm in trouble against almost anything that calls for saves.
Moreover, my Perception is not great and I have a mighty -1 to Initiative. Because of the level in Fighter, my whole progression is also slowed down. And frankly, it's looking like it'll be quite a while before I ever get Plate because apparently Plate costs three times as much in the jungles of Chult.
And you make a really great argument on why Medium armor is all you really need. Believe me, I thought all that through. And you're not wrong. I just love AC like crazy. It's my favorite stat, as dumb as that is.
So, I was reading through some random stuff and thought of this as a somewhat gag character, but actually has some potential.
Warforged Artillerist at Lv. 3 with Point Buy + Racial
STR: 10
DEX: 14
CON: 16
INT: 16
WIS: 10
CHA: 8
AC: Half Plate is 15 (+2 Dex) + 1 from Infusion + 2 from Shield = 20 AC
The idea then is to use Shocking Grasp in melee while using your Cannon for protection, gaining up to 13 THP per turn, as well as your melee allies. Ideally save your atteunement slots forthings like Ring of Protection to further boost AC and saving throws. Use your ASIs to make out INT and CON. Use Arcane Firearm to create a "Stun Stick" and use a small quarterstaff to use Shocking Grasp with an extra damage die. Should you get high enough to get Fortified Position, your AC should be pretty ridiculous, and if you make it to 20, you'll be extremely difficult to hit with anything. Plus you could always put Shield in your Spell-Storing Item for more block when needed. May not be strong in DPR, but as a melee booster, he could be fun.
Shield is a Reaction cast time; SSI can only store "1 Action" spells. No 10 Shields, sorry.
That said, you're also forgetting the +1 AC from simply being a Warforged, so it's 15 from Half-Plate (eventually), +2 Dex, +1 Warforged, +2 Shield, +1(2) from Enhanced Defense (pending level 10), and if you really want to be a cheesewagon with it, Repulsion Shield to +1 your shield. With only a set of (expensive-ass) half-plate and available artificer stuff, by level 10 your AC would be 23with only two required infusions, only one of which is attunement. You can also create a Cloak of protection at level 10, which gets you to 24AC, +1 to saves, at three required infusions and two attunements.
BUT...at tenth level, you get Magic Item Adept, which nets you a fourth attunement slot as well as four active infusions at once. So. Obtain a regular (i.e. non-infusion) wand Sheath for your warforged artificer (three attunements, one remaining), and use a wand (magical or otherwise) as your Arcane Firearm. The Firearm now deploys from your forearm, allowing you to use it without occupying that hand. Congratulations - arm-mounted cattle prod. and also spare hand for grappling, spellcasting, item interactions, or whatever else you need.
Your fourth active infusion could be the Homunculus Servant, which could allow you to use your Shocking Grasp on targets up to a hundred and twenty feet away. It could also simply be Enhanced Arcane Focus. EAF shares its attunement with your wand sheath, so Super Bonus Attunement, and would provide +2 to your spell attacks. This includes your Shocking Grasp and the Scorching Ray on your Artillerist spell list. Use the EAF, at level 11, to Spell-Storing Item Scorching Ray and you have ten casts of 6d6+1d8 ranged attack with +2. Respectable, when you need to hit distant targets. Note, this STILL leaves you with one available attunement (Repulsion Shield, Cloak of Prot, EAF+Sheath). if you're super freaking lucky, find a Ring of Spell Storing to stuff Shield spells into for a rainy day.
'Melee Artillerist' is not at all a gag build. Between the Eldritch Cannon (Protector) offering a nice temp HP boost every turn it's required, the myriad ways both warforged and artificers have of boosting their armor class, the synergy between wand sheaths and artillerists, and the hefty array of support, buff, and debuff spells artificers gain, a warforged Artillerist focusing on close-range spells and tactics can be an extremely potent frontline offensive support build that's extremely difficult to crack. Get you some War Caster to hold concentration like a boss and also Shocking Grasp/Scorching Ray on AoO, and your 'gag build' turns into everybody's favorite walking shieldwall.
Please do not contact or message me.
I basically did this build. Seems to work very well. However, I also took a level in Fighter for heavy armor and Defense fighting style. Looking forward to having Plate (or even Splint).
In practice, over one session, I found that the Flamethrower was a better use than the temp HP, by the way.
Although as Yurei said, the Shield spell isn't eligible for storing. Aid, however...
Blood Frenzy. The quipper has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Splint mail is the same AC as half-plate +2 DX, and requires 15 ST rather than 14 DX to avoid the movement penalty from understrength heavy armor. Honestly? If the build has better stats than point buy allows for and the player intends to go for level 20, there's a definite argument to be had for halfplate and Medium Armor Mastery. If you can get to 16 DX, then half-plate is the same AC as full plate, with no stealth disadvantage and for half the weight and price. Not to mention how much more valuable a stat DX is over ST (sadly); Stealth, Sleight-of-Hand and Acrobatics rolls and frequent Dexterity saves to avoid D.E.T.H.
That said, yeah. Defense fighting style from the Fighter class is just insult to iron-plated injury for your DM. At that point you can pop a Shield spell to hit 30AC for a turn, which is ludicrous. Endgame *******-monsters will still blow through it like nothing, but you may be able to watch the weenies bounce off your plating at least.
Flamethrower is good when you're fighting packs of weenies; in tougher fights it's nice to have the option to shore up your allies every turn, especially if you're fighting shit with nasty area effects or area-effect lair actions. Cool thing about the artillerist is that you can select whichever's best for the fight. Cool thing about the warforged artillerist is that you can summon the handheld version without sacrificing your Firearm or your shield. It really is an excellent combination of abilities.
Please do not contact or message me.
It is... but the downsides are significant. To make it work, I have 8 DEX, 8 CHA, and 9 WIS. Basically, I'm in trouble against almost anything that calls for saves.
Moreover, my Perception is not great and I have a mighty -1 to Initiative. Because of the level in Fighter, my whole progression is also slowed down. And frankly, it's looking like it'll be quite a while before I ever get Plate because apparently Plate costs three times as much in the jungles of Chult.
And you make a really great argument on why Medium armor is all you really need. Believe me, I thought all that through. And you're not wrong. I just love AC like crazy. It's my favorite stat, as dumb as that is.
Blood Frenzy. The quipper has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.