I’ve heard some YouTuber’s talk about the Artillerist’s Arcane Firearm as being overpowered because it applies to AOE’s. Do you think this is true? A d8 doesn’t seem game breaking even on a fireball or something. So am I missing something? It’s only 4.5 points of damage on average
anytime I think of the dnd community using "OP" I want to respond with the Quote.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
People do averages for dpr/damage calculations but they forget all it takes is a few consecutive low rolls to have a bad time. the other thing is it isn't a guaranteed focus for all your spells just the classes that can actively use it. (its better than what the alchemist gets but only so much)
It also cant stack with the All- purpose tool which is IMO every artificer should have/make one ASAP.
Its a good feature but NOT game Breaking in its ability to stack but as we know youtubers thrive on clickbait wording. when they say OP usually they just mean good.
One thing to note: you can use the Enhanced Arcane Focus infusion on an Arcane Firearm. Arcane Firearm doesn't mention anything about turning the staff into a magic item, so it can still be infused. This isn't an especially powerful interaction, but it's worth knowing.
One thing to note: you can use the Enhanced Arcane Focus infusion on an Arcane Firearm. Arcane Firearm doesn't mention anything about turning the staff into a magic item, so it can still be infused. This isn't an especially powerful interaction, but it's worth knowing.
you can also turn a found magic staff into a firearm if your lucky enough to get a good one.
No? If anything it would be evidence that what ever channel you are referring to over values damage and AoEs.
This. In theory area of effect blast spells are the most powerful in the game, because in theory you could hit twenty enemies and deal an extra 80+ damage with the feature.
However in practice your DM would have to be very generous to let you get enemies packed into an area like that, and if they do it's probably a horde that's still a significant threat. Or, as is often my own experience at least, you get off one blast if you're lucky before your melee fighters rush in and get in the way. Not that that's always stopped me, as sometimes the Rogue rushing in to maybe kill maybe one or two enemies is pointless and I'm happy to just blast them along with the horde, especially as my current blaster is Neutral Evil. Ahem.
Point being, the value of blast spells is often overrated because you'll rarely use them for more than one round (and half the time you're lucky to use them that much unless you have a party that actually works well together, in which case you're far luckier than you know 😝).
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I’ve heard some YouTuber’s talk about the Artillerist’s Arcane Firearm as being overpowered because it applies to AOE’s. Do you think this is true? A d8 doesn’t seem game breaking even on a fireball or something. So am I missing something? It’s only 4.5 points of damage on average
No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent.
I would expect every DM to have an individual set of responses to these questions:
Must an artificer be holding (as in, this occupies their hand and blocks wielding a weapon or other tool) their firearm to cast through it?
Significant implications for interactions with a variety of other game rules, including an Enhanced Arcane Focus, an All-Purpose Tool, and shields.
Must an artificer's firearm have a hole in it in order for a spell to be cast through it? If so, how large?
Note that what this is really asking is if the spell is being cast through the firearm in the same sense as casting a spell through an open window, and has implications for things like whether or not the firearm can be used while stowed in a belt loop.
Regardless, here is every simultaneous multi-target spell the ability can work on; spells marked with an asterisk deal damage over time, which the ability won't scale with:
Acid Splash (1-2 targets) Ashardalon's Stride Cone of Cold Create Bonfire (unless your DM ignores the AOE rules and coerces this spell into a grid space)* Fireball Glyph of Warding Ice Storm Shatter Sword Burst Thunderclap Thunderwave Transmute Rock Wall of Fire* Web Wind Wall
Special notes: Transmute Rock and Web have ways of dealing damage your DM may feel inclined to rule are not spell damage, despite the text. Despite being an Artillerist spell, Scorching Ray deals sequential damage and hence is not listed.
As for question one, you are using the AF as a spellcasting focus when you cast through them so follow the rules for using a spell casting focus, so should be held.
For question 2 the feature only says you carve sigils into the Rod, Staff, or Wand and says nothing about holes.
I think it seems overpowered because most other features in the game that allow you to tack on extra damage to a spell usually include language that you only apply that damage to a single target of the spell, whereas an Arcane Firearm simply adds an additional d8 of damage to any spell, even if it hits multiple targets. Personally, I think this is mostly balanced by Artificer's being half-casters, and the Arcane Firearm explicitly stating that it only applies this damage to your Artificer spells, so there's no opportunity for multiclass shenanigans... mostly this just allows Artillerists to still be solid damage dealers with their magic, since the d8 of damage is, essentially, a single upcast-worth of damage boost. Now at 5th level your 2nd level spells hit juuuust about as hard as upcasting them to 3rd level would, meanwhile your Wizard friend has two actual 3rd level spell slots on top of more first and second level spell slots than you have, total.
I’ve heard some YouTuber’s talk about the Artillerist’s Arcane Firearm as being overpowered because it applies to AOE’s. Do you think this is true? A d8 doesn’t seem game breaking even on a fireball or something. So am I missing something? It’s only 4.5 points of damage on average
No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent.
I would expect every DM to have an individual set of responses to these questions:
Must an artificer be holding (as in, this occupies their hand and blocks wielding a weapon or other tool) their firearm to cast through it?
Significant implications for interactions with a variety of other game rules, including an Enhanced Arcane Focus, an All-Purpose Tool, and shields.
Must an artificer's firearm have a hole in it in order for a spell to be cast through it? If so, how large?
Note that what this is really asking is if the spell is being cast through the firearm in the same sense as casting a spell through an open window, and has implications for things like whether or not the firearm can be used while stowed in a belt loop.
"No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent." This is just objectively false. Plenty of people know how the feature works, and the rules of the feature are not DM-dependent. The rules around this feature are honestly quite comprehensive for how short they are: The arcane firearm is a wand, staff, or rod, and is used as such. It does not turn that item into a magic item. When you roll damage on a spell cast through the arcane firearm, you add 1d8 to one roll of that spell.
1. The arcane firearm is a wand, staff, or rod. It is held like a wand, staff, or rod. The only interaction with "significant implications" of what you've listed is the All-Purpose Tool, which can not be turned into an arcane firearm. You can hold a shield and the arcane firearm, and (as I mentioned already) you can infuse your arcane firearm with Enhanced Arcane Focus in the same way you infuse any other wand, staff, or rod.
2. This question makes no sense. Why do you need a hole and why does that matter? The arcane firearm is a wand, staff, or rod. None of these involves anything regarding a hole, and none of these can be used from your belt. Casting a spell through an open window is the exact same as casting a spell through open air or between trees.
Your list also isn't really adding anything. It's just a random incomplete list of AoE/Multi-target spells.
I think it seems overpowered because most other features in the game that allow you to tack on extra damage to a spell usually include language that you only apply that damage to a single target of the spell, whereas an Arcane Firearm simply adds an additional d8 of damage to any spell, even if it hits multiple targets. Personally, I think this is mostly balanced by Artificer's being half-casters, and the Arcane Firearm explicitly stating that it only applies this damage to your Artificer spells, so there's no opportunity for multiclass shenanigans... mostly this just allows Artillerists to still be solid damage dealers with their magic, since the d8 of damage is, essentially, a single upcast-worth of damage boost. Now at 5th level your 2nd level spells hit juuuust about as hard as upcasting them to 3rd level would, meanwhile your Wizard friend has two actual 3rd level spell slots on top of more first and second level spell slots than you have, total.
As I already said, Draconic Sorcerers have something similar and nobody ever has claimed it to be anywhere OP so far even though it's a full-caster class. 1d8 is just 4.5 on average and +CHA mod is usually 4-5 as well. Is it good? Yeah. Is it OP? Far from it.
That is kind of funny how something that adds a flat modifier isn't often seen as impactful as a dice roll, even if it's statistically just as, if not more powerful than adding a die. I think part of it is because a die has the possibility of getting doubled by a critical hit, but that doesn't really apply to AOE spells, which is what people seem to think is over-influenced by Arcane Firearm.
The only potential I see for the Arcane Firearm to enter "OP" territory is if the artillerist ever got access to Magic Missile as an artificer spell; however, as of right now they do not and I cannot think of a way it could become an artificer spell for them.
It would be a fun combo though. Arcane Firearm only adds damage to a single damage roll for a spell, but because of the oddity of magic missile you only roll damage once for all of the darts, so you would be looking at 1d4+1d8+1 damage for 3 darts without needing to make an attack roll. I imagine thats part of the reason that the spell isnt a subclass spell for artillerists.
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One thing to note: you can use the Enhanced Arcane Focus infusion on an Arcane Firearm. Arcane Firearm doesn't mention anything about turning the staff into a magic item, so it can still be infused. This isn't an especially powerful interaction, but it's worth knowing.
In the general case it is an especially weak interaction and best avoided. Because there is no RAW requirement at all that you hold the AF in order to get the +1d8, you don't want to add that requirement yourself unless your DM has already decided to be draconian and inflict it upon you.
"No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent." This is just objectively false. Plenty of people know how the feature works, and the rules of the feature are not DM-dependent.
Lying won't help you, even if you repeat the lie. Plenty of people, including you, as you demonstrated in your post, do not know how the feature works, and therefore it will be DM-dependent.
I know how the feature works, because I can read english and have all the necessary context to understand the rule. I'm not lying. And I agree with TwoFaceTony.
You're getting confused by the word "through." You cast "through" the arcane firearm the same way I'm communicating through language.
"No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent." This is just objectively false. Plenty of people know how the feature works, and the rules of the feature are not DM-dependent.
Lying won't help you, even if you repeat the lie. Plenty of people, including you, as you demonstrated in your post, do not know how the feature works, and therefore it will be DM-dependent.
I know how the feature works, because I can read english and have all the necessary context to understand the rule. I'm not lying. And I agree with TwoFaceTony.
You're getting confused by the word "through." You cast "through" the arcane firearm the same way I'm communicating through language.
Make up your mind, because you're disagreeing with Tony.
"No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent." This is just objectively false. Plenty of people know how the feature works, and the rules of the feature are not DM-dependent.
Lying won't help you, even if you repeat the lie. Plenty of people, including you, as you demonstrated in your post, do not know how the feature works, and therefore it will be DM-dependent.
I know how the feature works, because I can read english and have all the necessary context to understand the rule. I'm not lying. And I agree with TwoFaceTony.
You're getting confused by the word "through." You cast "through" the arcane firearm the same way I'm communicating through language.
Make up your mind, because you're disagreeing with Tony.
Oh, do tell. How do we disagree?
Here, I'll just (re)answer your questions with more detail:
Must an artificer be holding (as in, this occupies their hand and blocks wielding a weapon or other tool) their firearm to cast through it?
Yes. Per the PHB "A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell’s material components — or to hold a spellcasting focus"
Must an artificer's firearm have a hole in it in order for a spell to be cast through it? If so, how large?
No. Because "casting through a focus" is a basic english phrase synonymous with "casting via a focus." Or even, per Tasha's, "[y]ou’ve studied the workings of magic and how to cast spells, channeling the magic through objects."
"No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent." This is just objectively false. Plenty of people know how the feature works, and the rules of the feature are not DM-dependent.
Lying won't help you, even if you repeat the lie. Plenty of people, including you, as you demonstrated in your post, do not know how the feature works, and therefore it will be DM-dependent.
I know how the feature works, because I can read english and have all the necessary context to understand the rule. I'm not lying. And I agree with TwoFaceTony.
You're getting confused by the word "through." You cast "through" the arcane firearm the same way I'm communicating through language.
Make up your mind, because you're disagreeing with Tony.
You're the only person disagreeing with Tony.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I’ve heard some YouTuber’s talk about the Artillerist’s Arcane Firearm as being overpowered because it applies to AOE’s. Do you think this is true? A d8 doesn’t seem game breaking even on a fireball or something. So am I missing something? It’s only 4.5 points of damage on average
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
anytime I think of the dnd community using "OP" I want to respond with the Quote.
One thing to note: you can use the Enhanced Arcane Focus infusion on an Arcane Firearm. Arcane Firearm doesn't mention anything about turning the staff into a magic item, so it can still be infused. This isn't an especially powerful interaction, but it's worth knowing.
How to add tooltips on dndbeyond
you can also turn a found magic staff into a firearm if your lucky enough to get a good one.
This. In theory area of effect blast spells are the most powerful in the game, because in theory you could hit twenty enemies and deal an extra 80+ damage with the feature.
However in practice your DM would have to be very generous to let you get enemies packed into an area like that, and if they do it's probably a horde that's still a significant threat. Or, as is often my own experience at least, you get off one blast if you're lucky before your melee fighters rush in and get in the way. Not that that's always stopped me, as sometimes the Rogue rushing in to maybe kill maybe one or two enemies is pointless and I'm happy to just blast them along with the horde, especially as my current blaster is Neutral Evil. Ahem.
Point being, the value of blast spells is often overrated because you'll rarely use them for more than one round (and half the time you're lucky to use them that much unless you have a party that actually works well together, in which case you're far luckier than you know 😝).
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent.
I would expect every DM to have an individual set of responses to these questions:
Regardless, here is every simultaneous multi-target spell the ability can work on; spells marked with an asterisk deal damage over time, which the ability won't scale with:
Acid Splash (1-2 targets)
Ashardalon's Stride
Cone of Cold
Create Bonfire (unless your DM ignores the AOE rules and coerces this spell into a grid space)*
Fireball
Glyph of Warding
Ice Storm
Shatter
Sword Burst
Thunderclap
Thunderwave
Transmute Rock
Wall of Fire*
Web
Wind Wall
Special notes: Transmute Rock and Web have ways of dealing damage your DM may feel inclined to rule are not spell damage, despite the text. Despite being an Artillerist spell, Scorching Ray deals sequential damage and hence is not listed.
As you can see, the list is not extensive.
As for question one, you are using the AF as a spellcasting focus when you cast through them so follow the rules for using a spell casting focus, so should be held.
For question 2 the feature only says you carve sigils into the Rod, Staff, or Wand and says nothing about holes.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
I think it seems overpowered because most other features in the game that allow you to tack on extra damage to a spell usually include language that you only apply that damage to a single target of the spell, whereas an Arcane Firearm simply adds an additional d8 of damage to any spell, even if it hits multiple targets. Personally, I think this is mostly balanced by Artificer's being half-casters, and the Arcane Firearm explicitly stating that it only applies this damage to your Artificer spells, so there's no opportunity for multiclass shenanigans... mostly this just allows Artillerists to still be solid damage dealers with their magic, since the d8 of damage is, essentially, a single upcast-worth of damage boost. Now at 5th level your 2nd level spells hit juuuust about as hard as upcasting them to 3rd level would, meanwhile your Wizard friend has two actual 3rd level spell slots on top of more first and second level spell slots than you have, total.
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"No-one knows how the ability works, so analyzing how OP or UP it is is a fool's errand, as how the ability behaves will, in practice, be utterly DM-dependent."
This is just objectively false. Plenty of people know how the feature works, and the rules of the feature are not DM-dependent. The rules around this feature are honestly quite comprehensive for how short they are:
The arcane firearm is a wand, staff, or rod, and is used as such. It does not turn that item into a magic item. When you roll damage on a spell cast through the arcane firearm, you add 1d8 to one roll of that spell.
1. The arcane firearm is a wand, staff, or rod. It is held like a wand, staff, or rod. The only interaction with "significant implications" of what you've listed is the All-Purpose Tool, which can not be turned into an arcane firearm. You can hold a shield and the arcane firearm, and (as I mentioned already) you can infuse your arcane firearm with Enhanced Arcane Focus in the same way you infuse any other wand, staff, or rod.
2. This question makes no sense. Why do you need a hole and why does that matter? The arcane firearm is a wand, staff, or rod. None of these involves anything regarding a hole, and none of these can be used from your belt. Casting a spell through an open window is the exact same as casting a spell through open air or between trees.
Your list also isn't really adding anything. It's just a random incomplete list of AoE/Multi-target spells.
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That is kind of funny how something that adds a flat modifier isn't often seen as impactful as a dice roll, even if it's statistically just as, if not more powerful than adding a die. I think part of it is because a die has the possibility of getting doubled by a critical hit, but that doesn't really apply to AOE spells, which is what people seem to think is over-influenced by Arcane Firearm.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
The only potential I see for the Arcane Firearm to enter "OP" territory is if the artillerist ever got access to Magic Missile as an artificer spell; however, as of right now they do not and I cannot think of a way it could become an artificer spell for them.
It would be a fun combo though. Arcane Firearm only adds damage to a single damage roll for a spell, but because of the oddity of magic missile you only roll damage once for all of the darts, so you would be looking at 1d4+1d8+1 damage for 3 darts without needing to make an attack roll. I imagine thats part of the reason that the spell isnt a subclass spell for artillerists.
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In the general case it is an especially weak interaction and best avoided. Because there is no RAW requirement at all that you hold the AF in order to get the +1d8, you don't want to add that requirement yourself unless your DM has already decided to be draconian and inflict it upon you.
I know how the feature works, because I can read english and have all the necessary context to understand the rule. I'm not lying. And I agree with TwoFaceTony.
You're getting confused by the word "through." You cast "through" the arcane firearm the same way I'm communicating through language.
Make up your mind, because you're disagreeing with Tony.
Oh, do tell. How do we disagree?
Here, I'll just (re)answer your questions with more detail:
Yes. Per the PHB "A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell’s material components — or to hold a spellcasting focus"
No. Because "casting through a focus" is a basic english phrase synonymous with "casting via a focus." Or even, per Tasha's, "[y]ou’ve studied the workings of magic and how to cast spells, channeling the magic through objects."
You're the only person disagreeing with Tony.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.