With "Eberron: Forge of the Artificer" being released soon, am I correct in assuming the changes published in Unearthed Arcana are the ones implemented in the book? Is there anyway to preview what's actually in the text? I hate some of the changes they made to the class. It may take me a while to warm up to the new class if it is like the UA material.
What is wizards track record with UA? Have they changed drastically from what is tested or have they only made minor modifications? We have decades of history with this company so what is their habit?
Which makes it a huge gamble to buy it. I don't like how they changed infusions, but I can live with it. I really hate how they changed magical tinkering. You would think it was a minor change, but I've come to use magical tinkering in so many ways and it really flavors the artificer as a creative inventive magic user. I would hate to give it up.
The only discernable changes that were made that I could find when comparing the Unearthed Arcana to the promotional material is that the Artillerist Subclass can now designate Martial Ranged Weapons (magic pistol anyone?) as your Arcane Firearm at level 5 (rod, staff, or wand only in UA), Explosive Cannon: Detonate at level 9 can now be triggered by your Eldritch Cannon taking damage (only when Eldritch Cannon reduced to 0hp in UA), and again at level 9 Explosive Cannon: Firepower now applies to temp hp when your Eldritch Cannon use the Protector option (only damage in UA). For the level 15 Double Firepower feature, they just cleaned up the language for clarity but it's effectively the same as in the UA.
Finally, the last thing that I found is the Battle Smith - Battle Ready: Weapon Knowledge feature now allows us to use any weapon for which we have proficiency as a Spellcasting Focus for our Artificer spells. In the UA, the base Artificer class can use wands or weapons created by the Replicate Magic Item feature only. This potentially frees up a slot for a different Magic Item Plan if you find a better magical weapon during your adventures.
If those are the only discernible changes, then there really is no reason to buy it. Seriously. Those things don't mean much to me in the ways I play my artificers. Basically, all of that is cosmetic. Personally, I don't get the cartographer. Maybe I should play one. It is the only way to figure out how to use the features of a class. I didn't think much of magical tinkering until I played an artificer, and then I found LOTS of uses for it.
I hear ya about buying books, but TCoE is so much better than the Warforged book they just came out with. I really don't like the changes they've made to the artificer class and would prefer the TCoE version. They've done you a service in my opinion.
The battlesmith I'm currently playing does a good bet of everything from frontline melee meatshield damage sponge to healing and buffing. Ditching healing is a bad move. It is just another thing that made the artificer the class it was and they haven't replaced it with anything worthwhile.
Which makes it a huge gamble to buy it. I don't like how they changed infusions, but I can live with it. I really hate how they changed magical tinkering. You would think it was a minor change, but I've come to use magical tinkering in so many ways and it really flavors the artificer as a creative inventive magic user. I would hate to give it up.
Jack
Its not a very good solution, but I was going to turn it into a cantrip. It sucks to lose an already limited slot, but at least it would be there.
A homebrewed cantrip is a GREAT idea. With the few cantrips that the class gets, it makes it a hard choice. But, I like it. Very inventive. It's like how it used to be a species trait of gnomes to have prestidigitation. It wasn't OP. It wasn't anything that was going to change worlds or even tip melee. It was just fun. I LOVED using prestidigitation with my gnome characters. There were so many creative ways to use it.
You adapt and adjust, obviously, but losing magical tinkering, for me anyway, is going to be hard. I'm glad there's a homebrewed cantrip out there to use. I'll look for it.
A homebrewed cantrip is a GREAT idea. With the few cantrips that the class gets, it makes it a hard choice. But, I like it. Very inventive. It's like how it used to be a species trait of gnomes to have prestidigitation. It wasn't OP. It wasn't anything that was going to change worlds or even tip melee. It was just fun. I LOVED using prestidigitation with my gnome characters. There were so many creative ways to use it.
You adapt and adjust, obviously, but losing magical tinkering, for me anyway, is going to be hard. I'm glad there's a homebrewed cantrip out there to use. I'll look for it.
Game On, Sibling! Jack
The upside, at least for me, is that it would just replace mending now that it is "free" (as long as that part made it through the process, anyway).
As for "publishing" the homebrew cantrip version, the site may let me, but it is technically "official content" and probably shouldn't be if we want to follow the rules. Thankfully it would only need minor tweaks to be 100% transferable in my opinion, but I don't think anyone would complain if you just copy and paste it for yourself.
Honestly I think all artificers should get to keep the old magical tinkering, get mending, and if not prestidigitation in totality, some sort of cantrip cleaning spell. How are you going to make and repair things without cleaning the parts? I don't know why they're so stingy with cantrips for Artificers.
Honestly I think all artificers should get to keep the old magical tinkering, get mending, and if not prestidigitation in totality, some sort of cleaning spell. How are you going to make and repair things without cleaning the parts? I don't know why they're so stingy with cantrips for Artificers.
To be fair, I actually like the new feature, but NOT in place of the current Magical Tinkering. I also agree with the cantrips. Even if it is another auto granted thing and we don't get to choose it, I would still like more of them. 2 is really difficult to build around to start with unless you intend to focus on martial features. I may try to negotiate to have the tinkering cantrip I mentioned is included with mending. That would make me happy.
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Howdy y'all!
With "Eberron: Forge of the Artificer" being released soon, am I correct in assuming the changes published in Unearthed Arcana are the ones implemented in the book? Is there anyway to preview what's actually in the text? I hate some of the changes they made to the class. It may take me a while to warm up to the new class if it is like the UA material.
Game On, Siblings!
Jack
It's likely that the final product will be similar to what we saw in the UA, but there's no way to know for sure until the book is actually published.
pronouns: he/she/they
What is wizards track record with UA? Have they changed drastically from what is tested or have they only made minor modifications? We have decades of history with this company so what is their habit?
Which makes it a huge gamble to buy it. I don't like how they changed infusions, but I can live with it. I really hate how they changed magical tinkering. You would think it was a minor change, but I've come to use magical tinkering in so many ways and it really flavors the artificer as a creative inventive magic user. I would hate to give it up.
Jack
The only discernable changes that were made that I could find when comparing the Unearthed Arcana to the promotional material is that the Artillerist Subclass can now designate Martial Ranged Weapons (magic pistol anyone?) as your Arcane Firearm at level 5 (rod, staff, or wand only in UA), Explosive Cannon: Detonate at level 9 can now be triggered by your Eldritch Cannon taking damage (only when Eldritch Cannon reduced to 0hp in UA), and again at level 9 Explosive Cannon: Firepower now applies to temp hp when your Eldritch Cannon use the Protector option (only damage in UA). For the level 15 Double Firepower feature, they just cleaned up the language for clarity but it's effectively the same as in the UA.
Finally, the last thing that I found is the Battle Smith - Battle Ready: Weapon Knowledge feature now allows us to use any weapon for which we have proficiency as a Spellcasting Focus for our Artificer spells. In the UA, the base Artificer class can use wands or weapons created by the Replicate Magic Item feature only. This potentially frees up a slot for a different Magic Item Plan if you find a better magical weapon during your adventures.
If those are the only discernible changes, then there really is no reason to buy it. Seriously. Those things don't mean much to me in the ways I play my artificers. Basically, all of that is cosmetic. Personally, I don't get the cartographer. Maybe I should play one. It is the only way to figure out how to use the features of a class. I didn't think much of magical tinkering until I played an artificer, and then I found LOTS of uses for it.
Game On, Sibling!
Jack
*buys TCoE for artificer*
dnd beyond: artificer book for cheaper then TCoE
*cry cause I can’t afford another book*
It's the Level 1 feature, & lack of sufficient changes to the Alchemist, that I have issue with.
Let the dang created basic items stay in existence.
Likewise, the Experimental Elixir is still too random. & ditching Heal was a bad move.
DM, player & homebrewer(Current homebrew project is an unofficial conversion of SBURB/SGRUB from Homestuck into DND 5e)
Once made Maxwell's Silver Hammer come down upon Strahd's head to make sure he was dead.
Always study & sharpen philosophical razors. They save a lot of trouble.
Howdy Roman!
I hear ya about buying books, but TCoE is so much better than the Warforged book they just came out with. I really don't like the changes they've made to the artificer class and would prefer the TCoE version. They've done you a service in my opinion.
Game On, Sibling!
Jack
Howdy Maedra!
The battlesmith I'm currently playing does a good bet of everything from frontline melee meatshield damage sponge to healing and buffing. Ditching healing is a bad move. It is just another thing that made the artificer the class it was and they haven't replaced it with anything worthwhile.
Game On, Sibling!
Jack
Its not a very good solution, but I was going to turn it into a cantrip. It sucks to lose an already limited slot, but at least it would be there.
Howdy Nikuna!
A homebrewed cantrip is a GREAT idea. With the few cantrips that the class gets, it makes it a hard choice. But, I like it. Very inventive. It's like how it used to be a species trait of gnomes to have prestidigitation. It wasn't OP. It wasn't anything that was going to change worlds or even tip melee. It was just fun. I LOVED using prestidigitation with my gnome characters. There were so many creative ways to use it.
You adapt and adjust, obviously, but losing magical tinkering, for me anyway, is going to be hard. I'm glad there's a homebrewed cantrip out there to use. I'll look for it.
Game On, Sibling!
Jack
The upside, at least for me, is that it would just replace mending now that it is "free" (as long as that part made it through the process, anyway).
As for "publishing" the homebrew cantrip version, the site may let me, but it is technically "official content" and probably shouldn't be if we want to follow the rules. Thankfully it would only need minor tweaks to be 100% transferable in my opinion, but I don't think anyone would complain if you just copy and paste it for yourself.
Honestly I think all artificers should get to keep the old magical tinkering, get mending, and if not prestidigitation in totality, some sort of cantrip cleaning spell. How are you going to make and repair things without cleaning the parts? I don't know why they're so stingy with cantrips for Artificers.
To be fair, I actually like the new feature, but NOT in place of the current Magical Tinkering. I also agree with the cantrips. Even if it is another auto granted thing and we don't get to choose it, I would still like more of them. 2 is really difficult to build around to start with unless you intend to focus on martial features. I may try to negotiate to have the tinkering cantrip I mentioned is included with mending. That would make me happy.