Been really wanting to create a Booming Bonk Artificer and wondering about people's thoughts. For anyone who doesn't know that's a melee Artillerist that uses a quarterstaff, either:
Using Strength and grabbing heavy armor from somewhere.
Reason being is the level 5 feature of the artillerist (arcane firearm) allows us to carve a Staff (all arcane staffs also function as quarterstaffs) which means we would an extra 1d8 with our bonk. That coupled with the Crusher feat (Or mobile if you want to hit and run) to push the enemy back at the same time (And allow your ballista to blast them almost point blank) makes for a fun single hit build that doesn't depend on sneak attack. An example level 5 bonk would be 16.5 (1d6+2d8+4) with an additional 9 damage if they move later on.
We can shoot if with our ballista for another 9 damage if it hits. DPS wise that doesn't make us kings but it's pretty respectable especially considering it consumes zero resources. We also get to put any of neat infusions into the staff until we find a cool magic staff. What do you think, will it be fun? Any ways to further optimize it? Any suggestions or ideas? Let's talk artificer!
PS1: I've made a quick and dirty example here: www.dndbeyond.com/characters/101451288/Cyb2Xb This uses the a homebrew race based on the Thri-Kreen but it is faaaaar from optimal, I just liked the idea of an artificer with many arms ala 40k tech priest.
PS2: A much easier version can be made using True Strike instead of Booming Blade (no need for Shillelagh) but this loses us quite a bit of damage.
Note: via the new UA Artificer rules, you would no longer need Shillelagh. You could just use True Strike (on the Artificer spell list in the new UAs) with your Arcane Firearm staff. You'd probably still want Fire Bolt or such for a ranged cantrip option.
Issue with using true strike is our damage drops by quite a bit. Instead of a 1d8 we get a 1d6 but we also have no potential extra damage if they move.
Shillelagh (via magic initiate, at least) would not be an artificer spell, thus not be able to utilize the artificer focus rules, thus require two hands to cast. Meaning, if you want a Shield (you definitely want a Shield), you'd have to spend your frist turn's action equipping that Shield. (Consider using one of your infusions for a Ruby of the War Mage to overcome this.) Regardless, Shillelagh would still consume your bonus action first round, robbing you of a ballista turn. I also wouldn't assume they will always move back into melee range with you (the extra booming blade damage isn't reliable). Also, True Strike totally works with Crusher (you can choose to keep the base damage as its base type). However, if you are already using the pushing feature of your ballista, Crusher is mostly redundant.
But...you are correct that Booming Blade gets slightly better damage dice.
Also, by level 5 (when Arcane Firearm becomes possible), Shillelagh's damage die becomes 1d10. And, True Strike is not yet an Artificer spell, and the new Artificer may change several things in all this.
Shillelagh works on clubs as well as staffs. And a 2-1/2 foot long wooden rod would make an acceptable club(1d4), though you'd need to run that by your DM. Maybe with a google link to Single Stick fighting. Singlestick - Wikipedia Shillelagh on a club is a much better damage increase and you can use a shield.
War Caster at 4 would let you cast Shillelagh and Booming Blade while holding a weapon and shield, and it would be an Intelligence bump. Also allows reaction casting of Booming Blade for an Opportunity Attack which would be an automatic trigger of the booming damage.
1d10+1d8+1d8+modifier isn't terrible for a melee range attack at-will. The alternatives: Shocking Grasp delivered through the firearm would be 3d8. True Strike with the firearm (club) 1d4+1d6+1d8+modifier. Booming blade with just the arcane firearm is 1d4+1d8+1d8+modifier.
I think War Caster at 4 may be a better option than Crusher at 4. Especially if the goon can be baited into moving past for the squishy targets beyond.
All magic staffs function as quarterstaffs I believe! Dmg says "Unless a staff’s description says otherwise, a staff can be used as a quarterstaff."
So we can do it with a 1d8! And apply out arcane firearm on it. Sheililighgh is a great suggestion, guess we can get it from the background (pick up guidance and a spell too). And yeah without waraster we'd struggle to cast stuff with a shield which is partially why my example has the thri kreen race which has 4! Arms.
War Caster at 4 would let you cast Shillelagh and Booming Blade while holding a weapon and shield...
War Caster won't actually solve that. The problem is the 2024 version of Shillelagh removed the weapon from the component list, but still requires you to hold it, so it's one hand holding the weapon and the other holding a sprig of mistletoe (unless you're a Druid using a druid staff [or other options]). A Ruby of the War Mage does fix it. An All-Purpose Tool could (temporarily) give you Shillelagh as an artificer spell, which would also fix it (for Artillerist at least).
War Caster is still a fine feat, even without fixing the Shillelagh problem (and without its "Somatic Components" feature being very relevant for Artificers in general).
Would shshshshllshsehihleg granted from magic initiate count as a druid spell i wonder? It is cast with int
Getting it from Magic Initiate (Druid) might count as a Druid spell for you, if you are a Druid (a little redundant then, though). But, I'm not sure; it might not count as any class's spell, because it's from a feat.
War Caster at 4 would let you cast Shillelagh and Booming Blade while holding a weapon and shield...
War Caster won't actually solve that. The problem is the 2024 version of Shillelagh removed the weapon from the component list, but still requires you to hold it, so it's one hand holding the weapon and the other holding a sprig of mistletoe (unless you're a Druid using a druid staff [or other options]). A Ruby of the War Mage does fix it. An All-Purpose Tool could (temporarily) give you Shillelagh as an artificer spell, which would also fix it (for Artillerist at least).
War Caster is still a fine feat, even without fixing the Shillelagh problem (and without its "Somatic Components" feature being very relevant for Artificers in general).
Well there's a bit I missed.
Ruby of the War Mage is probably the answer for the Artificer, unless the All Purpose Tool is included in the next Eberron book.
The 2024 PHB does not indicate which type(s) of focus items must be used when casting spells from Magic Initiate feats, so DMs can rule a spell casting focus from a player's primary casting class would work. With the Artificer, that's a tool, or a wand or weapon created through Replicate Magic Item.
Been really wanting to create a Booming Bonk Artificer and wondering about people's thoughts. For anyone who doesn't know that's a melee Artillerist that uses a quarterstaff, either:
Reason being is the level 5 feature of the artillerist (arcane firearm) allows us to carve a Staff (all arcane staffs also function as quarterstaffs) which means we would an extra 1d8 with our bonk. That coupled with the Crusher feat (Or mobile if you want to hit and run) to push the enemy back at the same time (And allow your ballista to blast them almost point blank) makes for a fun single hit build that doesn't depend on sneak attack. An example level 5 bonk would be 16.5 (1d6+2d8+4) with an additional 9 damage if they move later on.
We can shoot if with our ballista for another 9 damage if it hits. DPS wise that doesn't make us kings but it's pretty respectable especially considering it consumes zero resources. We also get to put any of neat infusions into the staff until we find a cool magic staff. What do you think, will it be fun? Any ways to further optimize it? Any suggestions or ideas? Let's talk artificer!
PS1: I've made a quick and dirty example here: www.dndbeyond.com/characters/101451288/Cyb2Xb
This uses the a homebrew race based on the Thri-Kreen but it is faaaaar from optimal, I just liked the idea of an artificer with many arms ala 40k tech priest.
PS2: A much easier version can be made using True Strike instead of Booming Blade (no need for Shillelagh) but this loses us quite a bit of damage.
Note: via the new UA Artificer rules, you would no longer need Shillelagh. You could just use True Strike (on the Artificer spell list in the new UAs) with your Arcane Firearm staff. You'd probably still want Fire Bolt or such for a ranged cantrip option.
Issue with using true strike is our damage drops by quite a bit. Instead of a 1d8 we get a 1d6 but we also have no potential extra damage if they move.
Crusher would also not work with TS
Shillelagh (via magic initiate, at least) would not be an artificer spell, thus not be able to utilize the artificer focus rules, thus require two hands to cast. Meaning, if you want a Shield (you definitely want a Shield), you'd have to spend your frist turn's action equipping that Shield. (Consider using one of your infusions for a Ruby of the War Mage to overcome this.)
Regardless, Shillelagh would still consume your bonus action first round, robbing you of a ballista turn.
I also wouldn't assume they will always move back into melee range with you (the extra booming blade damage isn't reliable).
Also, True Strike totally works with Crusher (you can choose to keep the base damage as its base type). However, if you are already using the pushing feature of your ballista, Crusher is mostly redundant.
But...you are correct that Booming Blade gets slightly better damage dice.
Also, by level 5 (when Arcane Firearm becomes possible), Shillelagh's damage die becomes 1d10. And, True Strike is not yet an Artificer spell, and the new Artificer may change several things in all this.
Shillelagh works on clubs as well as staffs. And a 2-1/2 foot long wooden rod would make an acceptable club(1d4), though you'd need to run that by your DM. Maybe with a google link to Single Stick fighting. Singlestick - Wikipedia Shillelagh on a club is a much better damage increase and you can use a shield.
War Caster at 4 would let you cast Shillelagh and Booming Blade while holding a weapon and shield, and it would be an Intelligence bump. Also allows reaction casting of Booming Blade for an Opportunity Attack which would be an automatic trigger of the booming damage.
1d10+1d8+1d8+modifier isn't terrible for a melee range attack at-will. The alternatives:
Shocking Grasp delivered through the firearm would be 3d8.
True Strike with the firearm (club) 1d4+1d6+1d8+modifier.
Booming blade with just the arcane firearm is 1d4+1d8+1d8+modifier.
I think War Caster at 4 may be a better option than Crusher at 4. Especially if the goon can be baited into moving past for the squishy targets beyond.
All magic staffs function as quarterstaffs I believe! Dmg says "Unless a staff’s description says otherwise, a staff can be used as a quarterstaff."
So we can do it with a 1d8! And apply out arcane firearm on it. Sheililighgh is a great suggestion, guess we can get it from the background (pick up guidance and a spell too). And yeah without waraster we'd struggle to cast stuff with a shield which is partially why my example has the thri kreen race which has 4! Arms.
War Caster won't actually solve that. The problem is the 2024 version of Shillelagh removed the weapon from the component list, but still requires you to hold it, so it's one hand holding the weapon and the other holding a sprig of mistletoe (unless you're a Druid using a druid staff [or other options]). A Ruby of the War Mage does fix it. An All-Purpose Tool could (temporarily) give you Shillelagh as an artificer spell, which would also fix it (for Artillerist at least).
War Caster is still a fine feat, even without fixing the Shillelagh problem (and without its "Somatic Components" feature being very relevant for Artificers in general).
Would shshshshllshsehihleg granted from magic initiate count as a druid spell i wonder? It is cast with int
Getting it from Magic Initiate (Druid) might count as a Druid spell for you, if you are a Druid (a little redundant then, though). But, I'm not sure; it might not count as any class's spell, because it's from a feat.
Well there's a bit I missed.
Ruby of the War Mage is probably the answer for the Artificer, unless the All Purpose Tool is included in the next Eberron book.
The 2024 PHB does not indicate which type(s) of focus items must be used when casting spells from Magic Initiate feats, so DMs can rule a spell casting focus from a player's primary casting class would work. With the Artificer, that's a tool, or a wand or weapon created through Replicate Magic Item.
If you have Gauntlets of Ogre Power, you can sort of sidestep the need for Shillelagh.
With a Strength score of 19, your attack bonus becomes +7, and normal damage is 1d6+4.
If you use an infusion to make the staff a magic weapon, the attack bonus becomes +8 and base damage is 1d6+5.
Making GoOP as a way to overcome a low to moderate strength score seems entirely on brand for an Artificer.