So I have a player in my campaign that is ridiculously overpowered as an artillerist artificer (with 2 levels in Hexblade Warlock). Unnaturally so to the point where I was questioning the class as a whole with how unbalanced it seemed. Mind you, our campaign is homebrewed and every character seems broken and we are fine with that but this seems wild even here. The reason for this was that he seems to have no real limitation to his infusions and magic item replication. Now I as a player do not play magic classes, not my style and I know I have issues keeping track. The problem is this player's overall insane unchecked abilities feel off even for a level 13-14. He has an AC of 23 from a cloak of protection, repulsor shield and enhanced defense on half-plate armor, The free ability to fly because of winged boots, Can go invisible through spell storing, Has a repulsion shield to protect from melee, sending stones, probably more but these are the ones he uses the most and I remember. I just have questions regarding the class so I can understand if it's just me or is this working as advertised. I'm not the main DM but I'm DMing a campaign right now in this setting but me and the main DM I feel are missing something with this setup.
- Infuse Item for him has 4 uses. Does that mean he is limited to 4 infusions a day for all his items or can he just infuse 4 times a day and it lasts forever meaning the longer he is alive the more magic items exist? Does that limit also apply to replicate magic items or does infuse item and replicate magic items not interfere with each other.
- He has alot of infusions but from what I can tell they can be changed. Does that mean he can change them as a character edit or he can change from the list he's already picked once a day.
- I don't know what Infusion limit is on the Character Sheet is or means can someone explain that to me? I've not seen it reset nor can I discern what the limit is supposed to actually be.
- His warlock spells require somatic components. I know he carries his eldritch cannon in his hand and uses it as a focus, which is also weird because he uses Enhanced Arcane Focus and it's attuned to a wand. I know that works for Artificer spells but I do not know if it works for warlock ones. I ask because he doesn't have War Caster and as such can't use Warlock spells with his hands full. His pact weapon is also not either of those things.
These are all the questions I have now but I'm reading up on the class as I do have to DM this weekend so I may or may not have more soon. Any help or tips would be appreciated.
half-plate + DX14 + shield + Enhanced Defense + Repulsion Shield + Cloak of Protection makes for a high AC, yeah. And Winged Boots is a great choice for the 4th infusion. It's pretty well optimized for combat. (If it were me, I might have Spell Refueling Ring instead of Repulsion Shield.)
I'm not fully sure of the numbers, but "high AC, competitive with Paladins" is one of the big strengths of Artificer.
(I'm also think it sounds like he might be mis-using the artificer focus rules, if he's combining Eldtrich Blast shenanigans with Arcane Firearm. Ironically, he might be "better off" without the Warlock levels.)
The sheet check is mainly why I'm here lol. I'm not blaming him, more my and the other DMs lack of understanding of this class' functions. But I've been spending time reading it because it felt so off how he's able to do all of this. He did have spell refueling Ring as an infusion on his sheet but it wasn't marked so I don't know if he was using it or not.
(I'm also think it sounds like he might be mis-using the artificer focus rules, if he's combining Eldtrich Blast shenanigans with Arcane Firearm. Ironically, he might be "better off" without the Warlock levels.)
So this is something I kinda need a clarification on cause he is doing this. In our campaign, to switch a weapon once is a free action during your turn. You still lose things like shield benefits or whatnot if you switch from like a longsword to a greataxe. But for the most part we don't really mind weapon switching. I know in order to cast eldritch blast it takes verbal and somatic components. If he has a shield and arcane firearm does that mean he can't cast that (or really any of his warlock spells)?
(I'm also think it sounds like he might be mis-using the artificer focus rules, if he's combining Eldtrich Blast shenanigans with Arcane Firearm. Ironically, he might be "better off" without the Warlock levels.)
So this is something I kinda need a clarification on cause he is doing this. In our campaign, to switch a weapon once is a free action during your turn. You still lose things like shield benefits or whatnot if you switch from like a longsword to a greataxe. But for the most part we don't really mind weapon switching. I know in order to cast eldritch blast it takes verbal and somatic components. If he has a shield and arcane firearm does that mean he can't cast that (or really any of his warlock spells)?
I'm only so sure of this (I've never played a warlock), but I think he can cast warlock spells with a wand, thus with his Arcane Firearm + Enhanced Arcane Focus. (Edit: or, at least, still perform verbal and somatic components with his wand hand.) He just can't use the arcane firearm's bonus damage with warlock spells, and his Warlock spells are still CHA based.
(I suppose you didn't say he was doing that, I just assumed, since that would be the obvious "broken" wrong thing to do. Eldritch Blast, especially combined with special Warlock powers, is famously good as a cantrip, so supposedly the hot thing to try is importing it into other classes. It's just not so efficient with Artificer, since they're INT based and whatnot.)
So I have a player in my campaign that is ridiculously overpowered as an artillerist artificer (with 2 levels in Hexblade Warlock). Unnaturally so to the point where I was questioning the class as a whole with how unbalanced it seemed. Mind you, our campaign is homebrewed and every character seems broken and we are fine with that but this seems wild even here. The reason for this was that he seems to have no real limitation to his infusions and magic item replication. Now I as a player do not play magic classes, not my style and I know I have issues keeping track. The problem is this player's overall insane unchecked abilities feel off even for a level 13-14. He has an AC of 23 from a cloak of protection, repulsor shield and enhanced defense on half-plate armor, The free ability to fly because of winged boots, Can go invisible through spell storing, Has a repulsion shield to protect from melee, sending stones, probably more but these are the ones he uses the most and I remember. I just have questions regarding the class so I can understand if it's just me or is this working as advertised. I'm not the main DM but I'm DMing a campaign right now in this setting but me and the main DM I feel are missing something with this setup.
Artificers can be a lot to take in for a game not used to steampunk magic super-scientists getting Up To Stuff in their games. These things are definitely a bit of system shock for folks used to classic fantasy archetypes. Don't feel too bad.
- Infuse Item for him has 4 uses. Does that mean he is limited to 4 infusions a day for all his items or can he just infuse 4 times a day and it lasts forever meaning the longer he is alive the more magic items exist? Does that limit also apply to replicate magic items or does infuse item and replicate magic items not interfere with each other.
This does indeed mean the artificer is limited to four total infusions he can have active at once. If he ever makes a fifth item, the oldest one immediately loses its magic. "Replicate Magic Item" is just another type of infusion and follows all the same rules as other infusions.
- He has alot of infusions but from what I can tell they can be changed. Does that mean he can change them as a character edit or he can change from the list he's already picked once a day.
An artificer can create new infusions (ending the magic in older ones) when he completes a long rest, the same way a wizard or cleric can prepare new spells. This is the only time an artificer can change their infusions - they cannot change them out midday, or make a new one if they forgot to up themselves to their four*-item limit. He has eight recipes and can make four (and ONLY four) of them at once.
- I don't know what Infusion limit is on the Character Sheet is or means can someone explain that to me? I've not seen it reset nor can I discern what the limit is supposed to actually be.
The infusion limit is glitchy as hell right now. Many times it will state "Infusion Limit Reached" even when an artificer has no infusions prepared. What they mean is that the limit is equivalent to the "Infuse Item" checkboxes, and it's another way of trying to limit the artificer to their four given items.
- His warlock spells require somatic components. I know he carries his eldritch cannon in his hand and uses it as a focus, which is also weird because he uses Enhanced Arcane Focus and it's attuned to a wand. I know that works for Artificer spells but I do not know if it works for warlock ones. I ask because he doesn't have War Caster and as such can't use Warlock spells with his hands full. His pact weapon is also not either of those things.
The wand is an arcane focus and can be used for any class that can use arcane foci, so yeah, he can use his wand as a warlock focus. The Enhanced Arcane Focus on it does apply to warlock spells, but only warlock spells that use attack rolls and are cast through the focus. He cannot apply his Arcane Firearm bonus to his warlock spells, because Arcane Firearm only applies to artificer spells, not warlock spells. The Eldritch Cannon can't be an arcane focus at any point, but it doesn't technically matter since an enhanced wand is still a wand, and all wands count as arcane spell foci. He's not breaking the rules here, but it's definitely not very intuitive. Simply remember that an arcane focus is much like a sword - many different classes can use them, and each class's class features that work with swords work with the sword you're holding, no matter which class's sword-related thing you're doing at the moment.
These are all the questions I have now but I'm reading up on the class as I do have to DM this weekend so I may or may not have more soon. Any help or tips would be appreciated.
Hopefully we've helped clear a few things up for you. If not, lemme know what else is snagging you and I'll do my best to clear it up.
The sheet check is mainly why I'm here lol. I'm not blaming him, more my and the other DMs lack of understanding of this class' functions. But I've been spending time reading it because it felt so off how he's able to do all of this. He did have spell refueling Ring as an infusion on his sheet but it wasn't marked so I don't know if he was using it or not.
(I'm also think it sounds like he might be mis-using the artificer focus rules, if he's combining Eldtrich Blast shenanigans with Arcane Firearm. Ironically, he might be "better off" without the Warlock levels.)
So this is something I kinda need a clarification on cause he is doing this. In our campaign, to switch a weapon once is a free action during your turn. You still lose things like shield benefits or whatnot if you switch from like a longsword to a greataxe. But for the most part we don't really mind weapon switching. I know in order to cast eldritch blast it takes verbal and somatic components. If he has a shield and arcane firearm does that mean he can't cast that (or really any of his warlock spells)?
Just some clarifications. I'm not argueing with Kenclary or saying what he said was wrong.
If they require his hands (somatic components i believe but I'm having a brain fart). There is a grey area to whether He cannot do those spells with his hands full of the arcane firearm and a shield. So his warlock spells needing those things will not work depending on your own table ruling for the grey area I'll go through below, but I do not remember how many spells that applies to for them but that can be looked up and checked.
Warlocks require an Arcane focus, while a staff and a wand are an arcane focus. There is no material that says that one set for being used with an Artificer actually works for the Warlock at the same time. This would be up to your table. But the base rule says that each class uses it's own focus and they can't use it to cast other classes spells. It's never addressed the overlap however. This may be something that He's using to try and take advantage of the situation. His arcane firearm would not actually grant any damage bonuses to any warlock spell even if you did allow it to be used as a focus for the warlock spells as well. There are guides that do choose to try to exploit this grey area as much as possible because of RaW not dealing with this specificity but the books rules are also written with almost no multiclassing in mind as multiclassing is purely an optional rule. So that same grey area they use to say yes it can is just as easily a no it can't. But it is something for you to be aware of when trying to understand what is going on. However, Regardless of how you rule on the grey area matter. If he's been adding a d8 to his Warlock spells while doing this he is outright wrong because arcane firearm specifies artificer spells only as Kenlary stated.
On the matter of Infusions. Think of them like Continuous spells that have their own mental concentration slots that cannot be disrupted. He can only have as many active as the table says at one time. And they only stay active as long as he stays or he keeps that infusion active. The instant he switches to a different infusion to be active the oldest of the already active ones automatically shuts off. These can only be changed once a day and there will only ever be as many as his level allows active at once. This is something that takes book keeping but is something to keep in mind. Though I'm not saying he's doing this.
Also. His Repulsor shield has charges and it only regains 1d4 charges a day. He does not just get 4 charges back each day. It is up to you if he can just drop the infusion and then reinfuse it for 4 more. But if this is what is going on and your feeling it's a bit too strong. Disallow it. There is nothing to say you can simply drop an infusion and reinfuse the same item the same day anyway. The rules don't make it clear either way actually so this is another grey area that may need your ruling. So this item should not significantly protect him from melee combat. Also it requires his reaction so it can only be used once per round at most. So if more than one melee creature moves in to attack him he can only repulse one of them.
Also, Keep in mind he can only have 5 items attuned at once because of Magic Savant (artificer class feature). Some infusions do require attunement. Winged Boots, the Repulsion Shield, and Enhanced Focus are 3 of those. I'm not sure just where his cloak of protection comes from but whether infusion somehow or gained magical item it requires Attunement as well. This is already 4 of his 5 available slots at level 14.
Another Thing to keep in mind is tactics. His AC means nothing against things that require save instead of making an attack roll. This has always been a way to challenge and combat high AC characters and makes AC over a certain point rather pointless. Another thing is that magical characters have ways to deal with various things such as flying. Earthbind is a level 2 spell that will ground him for a minute. Dispel magic can temporarily shut off magical items (but I don't remember the exact details on it right now or if they are even set in 5e). Environments can also be used in creative ways to even the playing field against flying opponents by either giving cover to block their attacks or by potentially being used in combination with various movement spells and items and the like to get to them. Also Grappling or knocking prone can potentially knock him out of the air. Silence can stop the casting of spells not just for NPC's but also for players. it's a level 2 spell. Don't actually be afraid to use it to make situations more challenging and give Casters complications. Detect Invisibility can come both through items and spells. At your level at least some casters should have this as well. And even invisibility of their own (or even greater invisibility). Because Basic Tactics the party uses can be used as well by smart opponents or prepared for if the enemy would have knowledge about the party. Though some basic tactics are good for both PC's and NPC's to prepare for. Nothing to say you as a DM cannot take advantage of ones they did not prepare for.
Thanks for the help, I think I have a pretty good handle on the class function. Probably gonna talk to the player later this week when I have time.
Don't sweat the feeling that artificer feels extremely tough. That kinda their thing especially if they are being greedy with infusions (boo). They are very much designed to be annoying to deal with from the NPCs POV but they don't have the same offensive presence that the other half casters have unless they really know what they doing. It's probably the most difficult class to judge in a vacuum.
it's judgement difficulty is more in it's newness. So people haven't learned to really break everything down and see what's going on. Specially at a glance. For any of us it can take some time specifically going through things by detail to figure out. The longer it hangs around the easier it will become as long as we don't just paint it with a brush claiming it to be something and then don't bother to really try to look at it. Like some do with other classes sometimes.
Just a note on arcane firearm, even if someone could use eldritch blast as an artificer, the added damage is only for ONE damage roll of the spell being cast. In other words, if you shoot 4 beams with eldritch blast you would still only add 1d8 to one of the beams, not all 4.
Enhanced Arcane Focus only gives +1 or +2 to hit with spell attacks, not damage (not sure if it was being used that way, just saying it to be sure, since it's not like a magic +2 longsword adding +2 to hit and damage). It does work with warlock though, since warlocks have an entry saying they can use an arcane focus as a focus for their spells. Some items are made so that they CAN be shared after all :) It does take up both an attunement slot and an infusion slot.
Note: An arcane focus can be a wand, so having the arcane firearm and the enhanced arcane focus on the same item is fine, just the added damage would only work on the artificer spells.
While the AC is correct and very high, the repulsor shield only reset at DAWN not after a long rest. It also requires 2 infusions (repulsor shield and enhanced defence) and one attunement of the 4 available. With the cloak of protection (and the arcane focus) this puts him at 3 attunements and if the cloak of protection is an infusion and not just a magic item he found he's just used his 4th active infusion.
Winged boots require both attunement and an infusion slot. By now, unless the cloak of protection is an actual magic item, he's already using 5 infusions, and all 4 attunement slots. So one of them should un-infused already.
Spellstoring with invisibility doesn't require any kind of attunement or infusion so that seems correct.
Using any kind of new infusion would break another one of the earlier infused items though and note that he cannot change what type of infusion he's picked already, infusions known are like spells knows... Except each time he takes a new level of artificer he can swap one. This means if he knows winged boots, he can't swap it to any other item on the list for replicated items, he knows winged boots specifically. Oh and any use of a sending stone would break another infusion from armor, wand, shield, cloak and boots (of which he can only have 4 anyways).
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So I have a player in my campaign that is ridiculously overpowered as an artillerist artificer (with 2 levels in Hexblade Warlock). Unnaturally so to the point where I was questioning the class as a whole with how unbalanced it seemed. Mind you, our campaign is homebrewed and every character seems broken and we are fine with that but this seems wild even here. The reason for this was that he seems to have no real limitation to his infusions and magic item replication. Now I as a player do not play magic classes, not my style and I know I have issues keeping track. The problem is this player's overall insane unchecked abilities feel off even for a level 13-14. He has an AC of 23 from a cloak of protection, repulsor shield and enhanced defense on half-plate armor, The free ability to fly because of winged boots, Can go invisible through spell storing, Has a repulsion shield to protect from melee, sending stones, probably more but these are the ones he uses the most and I remember. I just have questions regarding the class so I can understand if it's just me or is this working as advertised. I'm not the main DM but I'm DMing a campaign right now in this setting but me and the main DM I feel are missing something with this setup.
- Infuse Item for him has 4 uses. Does that mean he is limited to 4 infusions a day for all his items or can he just infuse 4 times a day and it lasts forever meaning the longer he is alive the more magic items exist? Does that limit also apply to replicate magic items or does infuse item and replicate magic items not interfere with each other.
- He has alot of infusions but from what I can tell they can be changed. Does that mean he can change them as a character edit or he can change from the list he's already picked once a day.
- I don't know what Infusion limit is on the Character Sheet is or means can someone explain that to me? I've not seen it reset nor can I discern what the limit is supposed to actually be.
- His warlock spells require somatic components. I know he carries his eldritch cannon in his hand and uses it as a focus, which is also weird because he uses Enhanced Arcane Focus and it's attuned to a wand. I know that works for Artificer spells but I do not know if it works for warlock ones. I ask because he doesn't have War Caster and as such can't use Warlock spells with his hands full. His pact weapon is also not either of those things.
These are all the questions I have now but I'm reading up on the class as I do have to DM this weekend so I may or may not have more soon. Any help or tips would be appreciated.
half-plate + DX14 + shield + Enhanced Defense + Repulsion Shield + Cloak of Protection makes for a high AC, yeah. And Winged Boots is a great choice for the 4th infusion. It's pretty well optimized for combat. (If it were me, I might have Spell Refueling Ring instead of Repulsion Shield.)
I'm not fully sure of the numbers, but "high AC, competitive with Paladins" is one of the big strengths of Artificer.
(I'm also think it sounds like he might be mis-using the artificer focus rules, if he's combining Eldtrich Blast shenanigans with Arcane Firearm. Ironically, he might be "better off" without the Warlock levels.)
The sheet check is mainly why I'm here lol. I'm not blaming him, more my and the other DMs lack of understanding of this class' functions. But I've been spending time reading it because it felt so off how he's able to do all of this. He did have spell refueling Ring as an infusion on his sheet but it wasn't marked so I don't know if he was using it or not.
So this is something I kinda need a clarification on cause he is doing this. In our campaign, to switch a weapon once is a free action during your turn. You still lose things like shield benefits or whatnot if you switch from like a longsword to a greataxe. But for the most part we don't really mind weapon switching. I know in order to cast eldritch blast it takes verbal and somatic components. If he has a shield and arcane firearm does that mean he can't cast that (or really any of his warlock spells)?
I'm only so sure of this (I've never played a warlock), but I think he can cast warlock spells with a wand, thus with his Arcane Firearm + Enhanced Arcane Focus. (Edit: or, at least, still perform verbal and somatic components with his wand hand.) He just can't use the arcane firearm's bonus damage with warlock spells, and his Warlock spells are still CHA based.
(I suppose you didn't say he was doing that, I just assumed, since that would be the obvious "broken" wrong thing to do. Eldritch Blast, especially combined with special Warlock powers, is famously good as a cantrip, so supposedly the hot thing to try is importing it into other classes. It's just not so efficient with Artificer, since they're INT based and whatnot.)
Artificers can be a lot to take in for a game not used to steampunk magic super-scientists getting Up To Stuff in their games. These things are definitely a bit of system shock for folks used to classic fantasy archetypes. Don't feel too bad.
This does indeed mean the artificer is limited to four total infusions he can have active at once. If he ever makes a fifth item, the oldest one immediately loses its magic. "Replicate Magic Item" is just another type of infusion and follows all the same rules as other infusions.
An artificer can create new infusions (ending the magic in older ones) when he completes a long rest, the same way a wizard or cleric can prepare new spells. This is the only time an artificer can change their infusions - they cannot change them out midday, or make a new one if they forgot to up themselves to their four*-item limit. He has eight recipes and can make four (and ONLY four) of them at once.
The infusion limit is glitchy as hell right now. Many times it will state "Infusion Limit Reached" even when an artificer has no infusions prepared. What they mean is that the limit is equivalent to the "Infuse Item" checkboxes, and it's another way of trying to limit the artificer to their four given items.
The wand is an arcane focus and can be used for any class that can use arcane foci, so yeah, he can use his wand as a warlock focus. The Enhanced Arcane Focus on it does apply to warlock spells, but only warlock spells that use attack rolls and are cast through the focus. He cannot apply his Arcane Firearm bonus to his warlock spells, because Arcane Firearm only applies to artificer spells, not warlock spells. The Eldritch Cannon can't be an arcane focus at any point, but it doesn't technically matter since an enhanced wand is still a wand, and all wands count as arcane spell foci. He's not breaking the rules here, but it's definitely not very intuitive. Simply remember that an arcane focus is much like a sword - many different classes can use them, and each class's class features that work with swords work with the sword you're holding, no matter which class's sword-related thing you're doing at the moment.
Hopefully we've helped clear a few things up for you. If not, lemme know what else is snagging you and I'll do my best to clear it up.
Please do not contact or message me.
Just some clarifications. I'm not argueing with Kenclary or saying what he said was wrong.
If they require his hands (somatic components i believe but I'm having a brain fart). There is a grey area to whether He cannot do those spells with his hands full of the arcane firearm and a shield. So his warlock spells needing those things will not work depending on your own table ruling for the grey area I'll go through below, but I do not remember how many spells that applies to for them but that can be looked up and checked.
Warlocks require an Arcane focus, while a staff and a wand are an arcane focus. There is no material that says that one set for being used with an Artificer actually works for the Warlock at the same time. This would be up to your table. But the base rule says that each class uses it's own focus and they can't use it to cast other classes spells. It's never addressed the overlap however. This may be something that He's using to try and take advantage of the situation. His arcane firearm would not actually grant any damage bonuses to any warlock spell even if you did allow it to be used as a focus for the warlock spells as well. There are guides that do choose to try to exploit this grey area as much as possible because of RaW not dealing with this specificity but the books rules are also written with almost no multiclassing in mind as multiclassing is purely an optional rule. So that same grey area they use to say yes it can is just as easily a no it can't. But it is something for you to be aware of when trying to understand what is going on. However, Regardless of how you rule on the grey area matter. If he's been adding a d8 to his Warlock spells while doing this he is outright wrong because arcane firearm specifies artificer spells only as Kenlary stated.
On the matter of Infusions. Think of them like Continuous spells that have their own mental concentration slots that cannot be disrupted. He can only have as many active as the table says at one time. And they only stay active as long as he stays or he keeps that infusion active. The instant he switches to a different infusion to be active the oldest of the already active ones automatically shuts off. These can only be changed once a day and there will only ever be as many as his level allows active at once. This is something that takes book keeping but is something to keep in mind. Though I'm not saying he's doing this.
Also. His Repulsor shield has charges and it only regains 1d4 charges a day. He does not just get 4 charges back each day. It is up to you if he can just drop the infusion and then reinfuse it for 4 more. But if this is what is going on and your feeling it's a bit too strong. Disallow it. There is nothing to say you can simply drop an infusion and reinfuse the same item the same day anyway. The rules don't make it clear either way actually so this is another grey area that may need your ruling. So this item should not significantly protect him from melee combat. Also it requires his reaction so it can only be used once per round at most. So if more than one melee creature moves in to attack him he can only repulse one of them.
Also, Keep in mind he can only have 5 items attuned at once because of Magic Savant (artificer class feature). Some infusions do require attunement. Winged Boots, the Repulsion Shield, and Enhanced Focus are 3 of those. I'm not sure just where his cloak of protection comes from but whether infusion somehow or gained magical item it requires Attunement as well. This is already 4 of his 5 available slots at level 14.
Another Thing to keep in mind is tactics. His AC means nothing against things that require save instead of making an attack roll. This has always been a way to challenge and combat high AC characters and makes AC over a certain point rather pointless. Another thing is that magical characters have ways to deal with various things such as flying. Earthbind is a level 2 spell that will ground him for a minute. Dispel magic can temporarily shut off magical items (but I don't remember the exact details on it right now or if they are even set in 5e). Environments can also be used in creative ways to even the playing field against flying opponents by either giving cover to block their attacks or by potentially being used in combination with various movement spells and items and the like to get to them. Also Grappling or knocking prone can potentially knock him out of the air. Silence can stop the casting of spells not just for NPC's but also for players. it's a level 2 spell. Don't actually be afraid to use it to make situations more challenging and give Casters complications. Detect Invisibility can come both through items and spells. At your level at least some casters should have this as well. And even invisibility of their own (or even greater invisibility). Because Basic Tactics the party uses can be used as well by smart opponents or prepared for if the enemy would have knowledge about the party. Though some basic tactics are good for both PC's and NPC's to prepare for. Nothing to say you as a DM cannot take advantage of ones they did not prepare for.
Thanks for the help, I think I have a pretty good handle on the class function. Probably gonna talk to the player later this week when I have time.
it's judgement difficulty is more in it's newness. So people haven't learned to really break everything down and see what's going on. Specially at a glance. For any of us it can take some time specifically going through things by detail to figure out. The longer it hangs around the easier it will become as long as we don't just paint it with a brush claiming it to be something and then don't bother to really try to look at it. Like some do with other classes sometimes.
Just a note on arcane firearm, even if someone could use eldritch blast as an artificer, the added damage is only for ONE damage roll of the spell being cast. In other words, if you shoot 4 beams with eldritch blast you would still only add 1d8 to one of the beams, not all 4.
Enhanced Arcane Focus only gives +1 or +2 to hit with spell attacks, not damage (not sure if it was being used that way, just saying it to be sure, since it's not like a magic +2 longsword adding +2 to hit and damage). It does work with warlock though, since warlocks have an entry saying they can use an arcane focus as a focus for their spells. Some items are made so that they CAN be shared after all :) It does take up both an attunement slot and an infusion slot.
Note: An arcane focus can be a wand, so having the arcane firearm and the enhanced arcane focus on the same item is fine, just the added damage would only work on the artificer spells.
While the AC is correct and very high, the repulsor shield only reset at DAWN not after a long rest. It also requires 2 infusions (repulsor shield and enhanced defence) and one attunement of the 4 available. With the cloak of protection (and the arcane focus) this puts him at 3 attunements and if the cloak of protection is an infusion and not just a magic item he found he's just used his 4th active infusion.
Winged boots require both attunement and an infusion slot. By now, unless the cloak of protection is an actual magic item, he's already using 5 infusions, and all 4 attunement slots. So one of them should un-infused already.
Spellstoring with invisibility doesn't require any kind of attunement or infusion so that seems correct.
Using any kind of new infusion would break another one of the earlier infused items though and note that he cannot change what type of infusion he's picked already, infusions known are like spells knows... Except each time he takes a new level of artificer he can swap one. This means if he knows winged boots, he can't swap it to any other item on the list for replicated items, he knows winged boots specifically. Oh and any use of a sending stone would break another infusion from armor, wand, shield, cloak and boots (of which he can only have 4 anyways).