I'm am a person who loves the idea of an inventor/crafter int based fantasy class. As such I love the artificer as a class in its idea, however there are things I would change about the artificer base class and subclasses. My personal opinion isn't really what this post is about though. I'm Posting this poll to get an idea about how the community at large feels about the artificer and what the community feels needs to be changed or may haps doesn't need to be changed. This poll is largely focused on the base class however feel free to post comments about any changes to any subclasses or changes to how subclasses function within the class.
Feel free to leave a comment for anything you think need to be added to this poll or anything you think should never have been put on the poll in the first place.
Thank you to everyone who participates in this poll you are all beautiful people <3
My main critique is that I would like more opportunities to tie the magic to items. I know flavor is free, but I find adding flavor requires fighting with RAW to some extent. For example, I have to have my tools in hand - why can't it be that I have an item assigned to that spell in hand as an alternative? I sure don't want to be tinkering in the middle of a 6 second action.
In general I would love to see more options for Artificers to make magic items, either permanent or limited charge (like say it's an item with 1-4 charges before it returns to mundane). It's okay if they're low level or silly. It seems completely reasonable to me that an Artificer should be able to make, with fairly accessible time and money, Cloaks of Billowing for the whole party. But in general, more spell-storing items and sooner, even if only a single charge worth.
Perhaps a subclass that has more of this more open crafting and making would fit. None of the subclasses actually fit that playstyle.
I also think all Artificers should get Mending for free, and possibly get a cleaning cantrip (not necessarily the full versatility of Prestidigitation) included. Being able to clean and mend things is absolutely basic for any kind of crafting or making.
It's a fabulous class and quite fun to play as written, even though it's not quite the crafter-maker that I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to experiencing the higher levels.
I tend towards agreeing here, I prefer more crafting and craftiness to come from my class features as an artificer. Personally I'm one who would be fine to see the spellcasting feature get axed all together if that means the infusion slots and infusion options go up.
I like the idea of a marshal that makes a powerful weapon, or suit of armor, or magic device that is the core of you class. with spare infusions to use in a pinch for exploration, support, and utility the class could really sing even without spellcasting.
I tend towards agreeing here, I prefer more crafting and craftiness to come from my class features as an artificer. Personally I'm one who would be fine to see the spellcasting feature get axed all together if that means the infusion slots and infusion options go up.
I like the idea of a marshal that makes a powerful weapon, or suit of armor, or magic device that is the core of you class. with spare infusions to use in a pinch for exploration, support, and utility the class could really sing even without spellcasting.
I'm all for axing spellcasting. It feels like a very lazy move from the developers. "You should describe your spells in a way that looks like gadgets and stuff." Well, yeah, but I can also do that with a wizard. I wish they came up with a different mechanic. There's homebrew artificer classes out there that actually do it, and I think they're great.
To go more specific on the "infusions should work on magic items" question: I think they should work on magic Items, particularly on Weapons, Shield and Armor etc. but they shouldn't stack values. That was a homebrew rule I had previously with a DM of mine. The problem with not being able to infuse magic items (particularly as a battle smith or armorer) is that your DM might want to give you a super cool awesome weapon or armor - in my case it was a crossbow - with a cool special effect. And then you as the artificer go: "Cool. But I can't use this, because it can't be infused with my endless Ammo Infusion" - and many early to mid tier magic items might not even be worth it because the infusion is better. So we said "okay, this +1 crossbow with an effect on crits and some awesome flavor can be infused with the "Repeating Shot" infusion, so I can use the Extra Attack (because no loading property anymore), but the extra +1 doesn't stack with the +1 of the weapon itself. 5e isn't made for stacking up a lot of modifiers so that makes sense to me.
Artificer flavor: Essentially all of the above. Each of those should be a subclass. Arguably they are all approaches to crafting.
Artificer changes: A number of small changes to bring in line with the 2024 rules. You may need to include weapon masteries. The subclasses could use an overhaul. In particular the alchemist.
To go more specific on the "infusions should work on magic items" question: I think they should work on magic Items, particularly on Weapons, Shield and Armor etc. but they shouldn't stack values. That was a homebrew rule I had previously with a DM of mine. The problem with not being able to infuse magic items (particularly as a battle smith or armorer) is that your DM might want to give you a super cool awesome weapon or armor - in my case it was a crossbow - with a cool special effect. And then you as the artificer go: "Cool. But I can't use this, because it can't be infused with my endless Ammo Infusion" - and many early to mid tier magic items might not even be worth it because the infusion is better. So we said "okay, this +1 crossbow with an effect on crits and some awesome flavor can be infused with the "Repeating Shot" infusion, so I can use the Extra Attack (because no loading property anymore), but the extra +1 doesn't stack with the +1 of the weapon itself. 5e isn't made for stacking up a lot of modifiers so that makes sense to me.
I am personally okay with the +1 stacking, depending on the weapon and the context of the party, but I also want to highlight that because of the RAW way that spellcasting works for an Artificer, if you use a two-handed crossbow (or other weapon) you have to have your infusion on it to do any spellcasting, because either a tool or an infusion has to be in your hands. You could wave that off in various ways (shouldn't your infused armor count as a spellcasting focus?), but it's another little trick of the class that sometimes trips over itself. And you shouldn't have to handwave into a one handed firearm with the same stats as the crossbow you'd prefer.
That +1 repeating shot doesn't scale either; it's the same at 2nd level or 15th.
In general, one of my beefs with the crafting system as laid out in Xanathar's and now the new 2024 rules is that even for an Artificer, it's easier to buy magic items than to make them, even the most mundane possible ones, unless your DM simply doesn't make common/uncommon magic items available. "Half gold" is too high when you start out and have no gold and of little concern once you have the gold from a few adventures under your belt, and the time is sometimes not available. That's the fundamental mechanic that I'd like to reverse.
I personally like the spellcasting available to artificers, just because it's easier to flavour spells as a consequence of artifice than it is to create a hundred different magic items offering the same breadth of utility and combat ability. It's very helpful to the artificer's niche as a jack of all trades. I'd like to keep spellcasting but perhaps alter the power level of the artificer's other abilities to make up for the spell utility focus. It's hard to gauge alterations to the artificer because infusions already allow you to exceed the game's fundamental math breakpoints, so it doesn't struggle to keep up on paper, but it would be nice if they could be splashier somehow. Maybe some unique and complementary spells similar to what rangers and paladins get, to better serve as an intelligence parallel to those classes?
The default flavor of the Artificer will always be Eberron's and it should stay that way for as long as Eberron persists. There should be a secondary flavors of a field archeologist and a wizardly crafter. The class desperately needs artwork that shows Artificers that aren't steampunk. Steampunk is fine and we see some in the PHB with the Eldritch Knight art, but the class needs artwork depicting other concepts. Perhaps we could get a Rogue-like Ruins Explorer subclass that focuses on recovering magical items, but that's mechanics, not flavor.
I would like to see the official return of the Homunculus being able to expend time on behalf of the Artificer to craft items (Homunculus in a portable hole).
Artificers need spellcasting. They've always had and it makes sense. Previously, it could only target objects and constructs, but I think the current version works. Since 5e doesn't really have Caster Level, 1/2 caster is appropriate. People are complain about the complexity of Artificers and replacing spellcasting with another system is a bad idea for the general health of the class. I liked the original restriction of only being able to cast spells into items
Magical Tinkering could be replaced with Prestidigitation and Mending. The current version of Magical Tinkering is interesting, but it may add to the class confusion. Alternatively, you could fold the effects into a Cantrip version of Infusions. This wouldn't really simplify it, but it could be a way for Infusions to come online at level 1 and provide a distinction between cantrips since currently it behaves like something between Cantrips and Infusions.
Artificer Infusions shouldn't work on Magic Items. If you could, even if you disallowed stacking, you could wind up with a +1 or +2 Flaming or Savage Weapon or a +1 Returning, Savage Weapon. Personally, I liked stacking effects in 3.x, but I don't think it works well in 5e. Additionally, what happens when you take an item that requires attunement and add an infusion that requires attunement on the same item? Do you have to attune it twice or does the same attunement allow both effects?
Artificer Infusions could probably use more scaling effects. Several of the Infusions are stuck at +1 when the Artificer gets access to them and might scale to +2 at some point and the Enhanced [item] Infusions might scale up to +3. I don't know if it's needed or not, but think if there isn't a codified magic item system that gives Artificer access to crafting proper magic items, it probably isn't necessary, but it feels weird that an Artificer can make +1 items (rare magic item) when their level would award them 1 rare item, +2 items (very rate) about when their level would award them one or more very rare items, but they never get access to +3 items (legendary) even when their level would award them multiple of the same rarity. I think they need more flexibility in infusions known. Being able to craft any magical item while being limited to only knowing 4-12 infusions is weird.
Bringing back Drain Essence to effectively destroy a (non-artifact) magic item in order to create a new one of the same rarity (or even of one rarity lower or multiple items drained to create a new one) would be nice nod to one of their original abilities.
Artificers should not get Weapon Masteries. They are not a martial class. Even with the Battle Smith and the Armorer, they are more like the College of Valor Bards and, like the CoV, should not get Weapon Masteries.
Infusion should be a system of of individual effects u can slap on Items either magical or not, and it should cost an infusion if u wanna slap more than one into a single item, that way you can create unique inventions and customize them.
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I'm am a person who loves the idea of an inventor/crafter int based fantasy class. As such I love the artificer as a class in its idea, however there are things I would change about the artificer base class and subclasses. My personal opinion isn't really what this post is about though. I'm Posting this poll to get an idea about how the community at large feels about the artificer and what the community feels needs to be changed or may haps doesn't need to be changed. This poll is largely focused on the base class however feel free to post comments about any changes to any subclasses or changes to how subclasses function within the class.
Feel free to leave a comment for anything you think need to be added to this poll or anything you think should never have been put on the poll in the first place.
Thank you to everyone who participates in this poll you are all beautiful people <3
I am really enjoying playing an Artificer.
My main critique is that I would like more opportunities to tie the magic to items. I know flavor is free, but I find adding flavor requires fighting with RAW to some extent. For example, I have to have my tools in hand - why can't it be that I have an item assigned to that spell in hand as an alternative? I sure don't want to be tinkering in the middle of a 6 second action.
In general I would love to see more options for Artificers to make magic items, either permanent or limited charge (like say it's an item with 1-4 charges before it returns to mundane). It's okay if they're low level or silly. It seems completely reasonable to me that an Artificer should be able to make, with fairly accessible time and money, Cloaks of Billowing for the whole party. But in general, more spell-storing items and sooner, even if only a single charge worth.
Perhaps a subclass that has more of this more open crafting and making would fit. None of the subclasses actually fit that playstyle.
I also think all Artificers should get Mending for free, and possibly get a cleaning cantrip (not necessarily the full versatility of Prestidigitation) included. Being able to clean and mend things is absolutely basic for any kind of crafting or making.
It's a fabulous class and quite fun to play as written, even though it's not quite the crafter-maker that I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to experiencing the higher levels.
I tend towards agreeing here, I prefer more crafting and craftiness to come from my class features as an artificer. Personally I'm one who would be fine to see the spellcasting feature get axed all together if that means the infusion slots and infusion options go up.
I like the idea of a marshal that makes a powerful weapon, or suit of armor, or magic device that is the core of you class. with spare infusions to use in a pinch for exploration, support, and utility the class could really sing even without spellcasting.
I'm all for axing spellcasting. It feels like a very lazy move from the developers. "You should describe your spells in a way that looks like gadgets and stuff." Well, yeah, but I can also do that with a wizard. I wish they came up with a different mechanic. There's homebrew artificer classes out there that actually do it, and I think they're great.
To go more specific on the "infusions should work on magic items" question: I think they should work on magic Items, particularly on Weapons, Shield and Armor etc. but they shouldn't stack values. That was a homebrew rule I had previously with a DM of mine.
The problem with not being able to infuse magic items (particularly as a battle smith or armorer) is that your DM might want to give you a super cool awesome weapon or armor - in my case it was a crossbow - with a cool special effect. And then you as the artificer go: "Cool. But I can't use this, because it can't be infused with my endless Ammo Infusion" - and many early to mid tier magic items might not even be worth it because the infusion is better. So we said "okay, this +1 crossbow with an effect on crits and some awesome flavor can be infused with the "Repeating Shot" infusion, so I can use the Extra Attack (because no loading property anymore), but the extra +1 doesn't stack with the +1 of the weapon itself. 5e isn't made for stacking up a lot of modifiers so that makes sense to me.
Artificer flavor: Essentially all of the above. Each of those should be a subclass. Arguably they are all approaches to crafting.
Artificer changes: A number of small changes to bring in line with the 2024 rules. You may need to include weapon masteries. The subclasses could use an overhaul. In particular the alchemist.
I am personally okay with the +1 stacking, depending on the weapon and the context of the party, but I also want to highlight that because of the RAW way that spellcasting works for an Artificer, if you use a two-handed crossbow (or other weapon) you have to have your infusion on it to do any spellcasting, because either a tool or an infusion has to be in your hands. You could wave that off in various ways (shouldn't your infused armor count as a spellcasting focus?), but it's another little trick of the class that sometimes trips over itself. And you shouldn't have to handwave into a one handed firearm with the same stats as the crossbow you'd prefer.
That +1 repeating shot doesn't scale either; it's the same at 2nd level or 15th.
In general, one of my beefs with the crafting system as laid out in Xanathar's and now the new 2024 rules is that even for an Artificer, it's easier to buy magic items than to make them, even the most mundane possible ones, unless your DM simply doesn't make common/uncommon magic items available. "Half gold" is too high when you start out and have no gold and of little concern once you have the gold from a few adventures under your belt, and the time is sometimes not available. That's the fundamental mechanic that I'd like to reverse.
I personally like the spellcasting available to artificers, just because it's easier to flavour spells as a consequence of artifice than it is to create a hundred different magic items offering the same breadth of utility and combat ability. It's very helpful to the artificer's niche as a jack of all trades. I'd like to keep spellcasting but perhaps alter the power level of the artificer's other abilities to make up for the spell utility focus. It's hard to gauge alterations to the artificer because infusions already allow you to exceed the game's fundamental math breakpoints, so it doesn't struggle to keep up on paper, but it would be nice if they could be splashier somehow. Maybe some unique and complementary spells similar to what rangers and paladins get, to better serve as an intelligence parallel to those classes?
The default flavor of the Artificer will always be Eberron's and it should stay that way for as long as Eberron persists. There should be a secondary flavors of a field archeologist and a wizardly crafter. The class desperately needs artwork that shows Artificers that aren't steampunk. Steampunk is fine and we see some in the PHB with the Eldritch Knight art, but the class needs artwork depicting other concepts. Perhaps we could get a Rogue-like Ruins Explorer subclass that focuses on recovering magical items, but that's mechanics, not flavor.
I would like to see the official return of the Homunculus being able to expend time on behalf of the Artificer to craft items (Homunculus in a portable hole).
Artificers need spellcasting. They've always had and it makes sense. Previously, it could only target objects and constructs, but I think the current version works. Since 5e doesn't really have Caster Level, 1/2 caster is appropriate. People are complain about the complexity of Artificers and replacing spellcasting with another system is a bad idea for the general health of the class. I liked the original restriction of only being able to cast spells into items
Magical Tinkering could be replaced with Prestidigitation and Mending. The current version of Magical Tinkering is interesting, but it may add to the class confusion. Alternatively, you could fold the effects into a Cantrip version of Infusions. This wouldn't really simplify it, but it could be a way for Infusions to come online at level 1 and provide a distinction between cantrips since currently it behaves like something between Cantrips and Infusions.
Artificer Infusions shouldn't work on Magic Items. If you could, even if you disallowed stacking, you could wind up with a +1 or +2 Flaming or Savage Weapon or a +1 Returning, Savage Weapon. Personally, I liked stacking effects in 3.x, but I don't think it works well in 5e. Additionally, what happens when you take an item that requires attunement and add an infusion that requires attunement on the same item? Do you have to attune it twice or does the same attunement allow both effects?
Artificer Infusions could probably use more scaling effects. Several of the Infusions are stuck at +1 when the Artificer gets access to them and might scale to +2 at some point and the Enhanced [item] Infusions might scale up to +3. I don't know if it's needed or not, but think if there isn't a codified magic item system that gives Artificer access to crafting proper magic items, it probably isn't necessary, but it feels weird that an Artificer can make +1 items (rare magic item) when their level would award them 1 rare item, +2 items (very rate) about when their level would award them one or more very rare items, but they never get access to +3 items (legendary) even when their level would award them multiple of the same rarity. I think they need more flexibility in infusions known. Being able to craft any magical item while being limited to only knowing 4-12 infusions is weird.
Bringing back Drain Essence to effectively destroy a (non-artifact) magic item in order to create a new one of the same rarity (or even of one rarity lower or multiple items drained to create a new one) would be nice nod to one of their original abilities.
Artificers should not get Weapon Masteries. They are not a martial class. Even with the Battle Smith and the Armorer, they are more like the College of Valor Bards and, like the CoV, should not get Weapon Masteries.
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Infusion should be a system of of individual effects u can slap on Items either magical or not, and it should cost an infusion if u wanna slap more than one into a single item, that way you can create unique inventions and customize them.