For Battlesmith, your weapon attacks are likely pretty viable. Maybe you should switch FB to Guidance or another utility cantrip? You don’t need cantrips to attack. Anything but light or dancing lights - you can get light with magical tinkering.
Although you may not need it depending on party composition, it’s hard to go wrong having Cure Wounds prepared. If you expect to fight humanoids, I’d go with Heat Metal. Heat Metal does significant damage over time and nerfs the affected creature.
I love heat metal, but we're in Barovia and have yet to fight any metal armored opponents, been mostly teeth,claws,and slams. I know it can work on weapons too but doesn't seem as effective.
The cleric and warlock have been handling the guidance, so we're covered there. We have an extra large party so spacing has been tight. I figured thorn whip could be used to drag a vamp spawn off an ally or pull a caster into melee.
I'm definitely keeping cure wounds and probably going to take rope trick to be safe during our short rests. Featherfall has been on my list since the Deathhouse pit traps, probably keep that too. Also have Alarm prepared, again, resting undisturbed has been an issue. Still have two to choose.
Stoutstein had good suggestions. Maybe Aid next from his list if the cleric isn't doing that? If you don't have detect magic or identify from a wizard or the warlock, you should at least prep one of those (although only use them ritually).
Faerie Fire is always super useful... giving your allies advantage on a group of enemies is always useful, but in Barovia it could be very helpful to have some way of dealing with enemies that can turn invisible.
Alter Self is a great utility spell to keep in your back pocket. Artificers don't get a lot of spell slots, so a spell that can pull triple duty to provide means of exploration, espionage, or combat... your natural weapons created through Alter Self are considered Magic Weapons, so they qualify for your Battle Ready feature.
Of course, the other nice thing about Artificers is that you prepare your spells each morning, so you can always drop a spell or two and swap it for another in the artificer list if you have something very specific you know you're going to be dealing with on the next day. If you know you're going to be facing off against a bunch of diseased ghouls or something you could drop Alter Self and grab Lesser Restoration instead.
cantrip Mending Guidance, I know you have 2 but just have it on yourself all the time, it is applied to everything you do including initiative since that is a dex check or Firebolt, its 120ft, you need a ranged option, and has the utility of lighting stuff on fire.
1 Cure wounds Absorb Elements is a must have. Being able to half big damage spells is huge, and turning around and getting more damage on your attack is a nice bonus.
2 Enlarge/reduce: Has combat and utility uses Heat metal rope trick
I can't tell you how many times my Battle Smith became the MVP with Faerie Fire. Esp against Undead and other critters with low Dex Saves. Our Barb could do GWM without having to go all Reckless on everyone.
Heroism is also good once your Spell Mod hits +4 or +5 because the Temp HP is every turn. In a 5-turn battle that's 20-25 HP they didn't take!
On thing that needs to be mentioned is that artificers prep spells like clerics/druids.
On a long rest you can swap out all your spells for new ones, meaning that you are incredibly flexible and can tailor your spells to the situation. So while there are some spells that you should probably always have, the "best spell" to pick depends on what you are doing for that day.
Yeah, think I'm switching out the blur for absorb elements. I took a bad lightning bolt from a hag before we made like Sir Robin and beat feet.
I have the SD to give disadvantage on attacks. He often uses it on allies because we typically have 3 upfront types, so it's not quite the same but I have a decent ac.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I'm using the rules from Tasha's. I can prepare 4+2 spells in addition to my specialist spells and have two cantrips available.
Cantrips are currently mending and frostbite, thinking of changing fb to Thornwhip.
What are the best Battlesmith spells, given that my bonus action is almost always (95%) used on the defender?
For Battlesmith, your weapon attacks are likely pretty viable. Maybe you should switch FB to Guidance or another utility cantrip? You don’t need cantrips to attack. Anything but light or dancing lights - you can get light with magical tinkering.
Although you may not need it depending on party composition, it’s hard to go wrong having Cure Wounds prepared. If you expect to fight humanoids, I’d go with Heat Metal. Heat Metal does significant damage over time and nerfs the affected creature.
I love heat metal, but we're in Barovia and have yet to fight any metal armored opponents, been mostly teeth,claws,and slams. I know it can work on weapons too but doesn't seem as effective.
The cleric and warlock have been handling the guidance, so we're covered there. We have an extra large party so spacing has been tight. I figured thorn whip could be used to drag a vamp spawn off an ally or pull a caster into melee.
I'm definitely keeping cure wounds and probably going to take rope trick to be safe during our short rests. Featherfall has been on my list since the Deathhouse pit traps, probably keep that too. Also have Alarm prepared, again, resting undisturbed has been an issue. Still have two to choose.
Stoutstein had good suggestions. Maybe Aid next from his list if the cleric isn't doing that? If you don't have detect magic or identify from a wizard or the warlock, you should at least prep one of those (although only use them ritually).
Faerie Fire is always super useful... giving your allies advantage on a group of enemies is always useful, but in Barovia it could be very helpful to have some way of dealing with enemies that can turn invisible.
Alter Self is a great utility spell to keep in your back pocket. Artificers don't get a lot of spell slots, so a spell that can pull triple duty to provide means of exploration, espionage, or combat... your natural weapons created through Alter Self are considered Magic Weapons, so they qualify for your Battle Ready feature.
Of course, the other nice thing about Artificers is that you prepare your spells each morning, so you can always drop a spell or two and swap it for another in the artificer list if you have something very specific you know you're going to be dealing with on the next day. If you know you're going to be facing off against a bunch of diseased ghouls or something you could drop Alter Self and grab Lesser Restoration instead.
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
Thanks everyone! Good to think and talk about this with y'all. Identify and Detect Magic are covered by the evoker.
Going with:
Alarm, RopeTrick, Cure Wounds, Featherfall, Blur, AlterSelf.
Swaps - Lesser Restoration, Fairie Fire, See Invisible, Aid
Cantrips: Mending,Thornwhip
Battlesmith: Heroism,Shield, Warding Bond, Branding Smite
It's a good start! Only ones I'm stuck with are the specialty spells, and the cantrips(until I level again.)
Thanks again!
cantrip
Mending
Guidance, I know you have 2 but just have it on yourself all the time, it is applied to everything you do including initiative since that is a dex check
or
Firebolt, its 120ft, you need a ranged option, and has the utility of lighting stuff on fire.
1
Cure wounds
Absorb Elements is a must have. Being able to half big damage spells is huge, and turning around and getting more damage on your attack is a nice bonus.
2
Enlarge/reduce: Has combat and utility uses
Heat metal
rope trick
I can't tell you how many times my Battle Smith became the MVP with Faerie Fire. Esp against Undead and other critters with low Dex Saves. Our Barb could do GWM without having to go all Reckless on everyone.
Heroism is also good once your Spell Mod hits +4 or +5 because the Temp HP is every turn. In a 5-turn battle that's 20-25 HP they didn't take!
On thing that needs to be mentioned is that artificers prep spells like clerics/druids.
On a long rest you can swap out all your spells for new ones, meaning that you are incredibly flexible and can tailor your spells to the situation. So while there are some spells that you should probably always have, the "best spell" to pick depends on what you are doing for that day.
Yeah, think I'm switching out the blur for absorb elements. I took a bad lightning bolt from a hag before we made like Sir Robin and beat feet.
I have the SD to give disadvantage on attacks. He often uses it on allies because we typically have 3 upfront types, so it's not quite the same but I have a decent ac.