I'm working on a new level 5 Adventurer's League character and have 2 interesting potential BLASTER builds. I'm interested in what you all think.
Both start off with Fire Genasi with variant ancestry to move the +2 and +1 appropriately for bonus fire spells. Hermit background for ability to brew healing potions.
Option 1: 3 levels of artificer (artillerist), then 2 levels of war mage. Wizard spell list, plus arcane deflection and tactical wit.
Option 2: 2 levels of war cleric, then 3 levels of artificer artillerist. Gives heavy armor proficieny, another way to magically enchant armor/weapons, and another minor creation ability through channel divinity.
Option 3: One of the two above, but in a different order.
I am vibing with option 1 tbh, but if your team could use some extra support and your not spread to thin with your action economy (rare with artificers) than cleric could work quite well do you, it depends on your play style :)
I started as an artificer, played through lvl4 - and after that I dipped 2 lvls of warmage. It was a pain in the ass (delayed extra attack for 2 levels).
But IMHO my current build is really strong.
Arcane Deflection really helps the saving throws - +4 to any saving throw for the price of a reaction saved the day a lot of times.
For wizard spells I choose Shield and Silvery Barbs - SB also saved the day multiple times.
Without knowing any other details than what you've posted, Id say 3 Artillerist/2War Wizard. This is a long term PC though? If this is a campaign that goes right through to 20, man, I can't get behind multi classing out of Artificer. That lvl20 capstone is waaaay too good. As far as multi classing into cleric is concerned, unless you rolled your stats and rolled them well, you don't want to create a MAD player character out of a non-MAD class/es. Im not saying these statements are gospel, these are just the PC building tactics that I employ myself.
tl;dr. War Wizard > Forge Cleric
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Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired) Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
Honestly, you are better off just going lv 5 artillerist, or possibly only doing 1 level of cleric.
You get an ASI/feat and a +d8 added to all spells.
Vs, Wizard. Arcane deflection, which is really good, but you already can have both absorb elements and shield for defensive reactions. and tactical wit, which is great.
Vs Cleric heavy armor, which honestly isn't that necessary since you are doing ranged damage and already have a shield, medium armor and the shield spell. You can already get guidance, and a heal spell which are big reasons why dipping cleric is so good. the +1 item you get is just great, especially at low levels. Having the bless spell as your go to concentration is pretty huge and never loses it value.
The thing is pretty much everything good you get a level 1, and the divinity isn't that great.
Went Artillerist / war mage. What I am finding is the bump in number of spells you have access to in addition to the ability to use arcane deflection and not have to burn a spell slot for shield more than makes up for the loss of the extra Dx on the cantrips.
Also, carrying a shield in combination with an arcane cannon is so much fun. I have the tiny thing hide on the inside of the shield, climb up, fire, and then climb back down for safety. The DM has been ruling this as 3/4 cover, making it really hard for the enemy to target it.
Went Artillerist / war mage. What I am finding is the bump in number of spells you have access to in addition to the ability to use arcane deflection and not have to burn a spell slot for shield more than makes up for the loss of the extra Dx on the cantrips.
Also, carrying a shield in combination with an arcane cannon is so much fun. I have the tiny thing hide on the inside of the shield, climb up, fire, and then climb back down for safety. The DM has been ruling this as 3/4 cover, making it really hard for the enemy to target it.
Sounds cool. Watch out for those area spells though! Not burning spell slots for Shield sounds great!
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I'm working on a new level 5 Adventurer's League character and have 2 interesting potential BLASTER builds. I'm interested in what you all think.
Both start off with Fire Genasi with variant ancestry to move the +2 and +1 appropriately for bonus fire spells. Hermit background for ability to brew healing potions.
Option 1: 3 levels of artificer (artillerist), then 2 levels of war mage. Wizard spell list, plus arcane deflection and tactical wit.
Option 2: 2 levels of war cleric, then 3 levels of artificer artillerist. Gives heavy armor proficieny, another way to magically enchant armor/weapons, and another minor creation ability through channel divinity.
Option 3: One of the two above, but in a different order.
I am vibing with option 1 tbh, but if your team could use some extra support and your not spread to thin with your action economy (rare with artificers) than cleric could work quite well do you, it depends on your play style :)
I have a lvl5 armorer artificer / lvl2 warmage.
I started as an artificer, played through lvl4 - and after that I dipped 2 lvls of warmage. It was a pain in the ass (delayed extra attack for 2 levels).
But IMHO my current build is really strong.
Arcane Deflection really helps the saving throws - +4 to any saving throw for the price of a reaction saved the day a lot of times.
For wizard spells I choose Shield and Silvery Barbs - SB also saved the day multiple times.
Without knowing any other details than what you've posted, Id say 3 Artillerist/2War Wizard. This is a long term PC though? If this is a campaign that goes right through to 20, man, I can't get behind multi classing out of Artificer. That lvl20 capstone is waaaay too good. As far as multi classing into cleric is concerned, unless you rolled your stats and rolled them well, you don't want to create a MAD player character out of a non-MAD class/es. Im not saying these statements are gospel, these are just the PC building tactics that I employ myself.
tl;dr. War Wizard > Forge Cleric
Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired)
Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer
Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden
DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
Honestly, you are better off just going lv 5 artillerist, or possibly only doing 1 level of cleric.
You get an ASI/feat and a +d8 added to all spells.
Vs, Wizard.
Arcane deflection, which is really good, but you already can have both absorb elements and shield for defensive reactions.
and tactical wit, which is great.
Vs Cleric
heavy armor, which honestly isn't that necessary since you are doing ranged damage and already have a shield, medium armor and the shield spell.
You can already get guidance, and a heal spell which are big reasons why dipping cleric is so good.
the +1 item you get is just great, especially at low levels.
Having the bless spell as your go to concentration is pretty huge and never loses it value.
The thing is pretty much everything good you get a level 1, and the divinity isn't that great.
Went Artillerist / war mage. What I am finding is the bump in number of spells you have access to in addition to the ability to use arcane deflection and not have to burn a spell slot for shield more than makes up for the loss of the extra Dx on the cantrips.
Also, carrying a shield in combination with an arcane cannon is so much fun. I have the tiny thing hide on the inside of the shield, climb up, fire, and then climb back down for safety. The DM has been ruling this as 3/4 cover, making it really hard for the enemy to target it.
Sounds cool. Watch out for those area spells though! Not burning spell slots for Shield sounds great!