I've come here to discover if any consensus might be had. (I doubt to receive an official ruling on the matter, but I enjoy the discussion nonetheless)
In the most recent campaign that I am a part of, I've had the pleasure of testing out the new Armorer Artificer Subclass, especially the Dreadnaught armor. Now based on how things initially looked I figured i wanted to try and utilize the extra reach with pushing and pulling enemy targets (especially with that free 10 feet of reach), but I began to wonder if I couldn't do more.
Through internet scrambling I discovered that no official ruling had been done on the potential use of Booming Blade/Green Flame Blade and whether or not the Force Demolisher from the Dreadnaught Armor could proc the effects.
(I did see a discussion on reddit that for the most part I agree with that neither the Guardian nor Infiltrator Models would be able to utilize the afore mentioned cantrips)
However, the description for the Dreadnaught's Force Demolisher weapon seems quite a bit different as it Describes the weapon as a simple weapon akin to a Warhammer (or other blunt melee weapon), It's also stated that this weapon is formed from the armor itself. (I believe this fulfills both the simple melee weapon and monetary cost (minimum 1sp value) requirements for the Booming Blad & Green Flame Blade cantrips).
Stipulations for balance purposes I think also should be mentioned, the cantrips themselves both state the caster must be within 5 feat of the target (so no 10-20 foot reach and applying BB or GFB). Additionally, the Armorer would have to choose between doing a Cantrip boosted attack at near or making multiple reach attacks at later levels providing different strategies.
I've found this to add fun little ways for the Dreadnaught to reliably proc BB as when they hit with the Weapon (as long as the target is smaller than them) it will apply BB and push the target back. (Whether it procs still depends on your dm and whether they want to move the creature.)
PS, a Fun additional way to apply BB is taking the Telekinetic Feat for Telekinetic shove. Apply BB->TK Shove->Wait for DM to move mob.
Of course all of this stems around some ambiguous interpretations of the rules surrounding those 2 particular cantrips and the Dreadnaught's Built in Weapon, but let me know if you've found some other fun quirky mechanics for Armorer.
PPS. I know the damage from Booming Blade doesn't proc unless the creature moves willingly on their turn. (Gotta hope and pray the DM moves the creature otherwise wasted turn)
Through internet scrambling I discovered that no official ruling had been done on the potential use of Booming Blade/Green Flame Blade and whether or not the Force Demolisher from the Dreadnaught Armor could proc the effects.
The Force Demolisher, Guardian Gauntlets, and Lightning Launchers are not weapons with a GP cost and so cannot be used as weapons for those spells. I doubt that it's unbalanced, but if you want the RAW answer, the answer is no. All three special weapons (and the Psychic Blades of the Soul Knife Rogue) cannot be used be used as the material component for those Cantrips. There is nothing special about the others. All of them are weapons with no cost given for the weapon.
As a DM, I would probably allow it (for all of the weapons if they otherwise qualify; True Strike with a Lightning Launcher but no Booming Blade), but that would be a house rule that you would need to check with your DM.
PPS. I know the damage from Booming Blade doesn't proc unless the creature moves willingly on their turn. (Gotta hope and pray the DM moves the creature otherwise wasted turn)
Do you have a friend that can make the Suggestion that the enemy melees you?
"neither the Guardian nor Infiltrator Models would be able to utilize the afore mentioned cantrips) ... However, the description for the Dreadnaught's Force Demolisher weapon seems quite a bit different as it Describes the weapon as a simple weapon"
All three models have some weapon that uses INT for attack and damage and counts as a simple weapon.
" I figured i wanted to try and utilize the extra reach with pushing and pulling enemy targets"
I think pushing and pulling (usually pushing) work well when you have a caster who is maintaining concentration on an aoe spell that inflicts damage or restrained condition on creatures inside it.
If you have a caster with evards black tentacles, if an enemy makes their save and gets out of the tentacle area, push them back in, for potential damagr and possible restraints.
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I've come here to discover if any consensus might be had. (I doubt to receive an official ruling on the matter, but I enjoy the discussion nonetheless)
In the most recent campaign that I am a part of, I've had the pleasure of testing out the new Armorer Artificer Subclass, especially the Dreadnaught armor. Now based on how things initially looked I figured i wanted to try and utilize the extra reach with pushing and pulling enemy targets (especially with that free 10 feet of reach), but I began to wonder if I couldn't do more.
Through internet scrambling I discovered that no official ruling had been done on the potential use of Booming Blade/Green Flame Blade and whether or not the Force Demolisher from the Dreadnaught Armor could proc the effects.
(I did see a discussion on reddit that for the most part I agree with that neither the Guardian nor Infiltrator Models would be able to utilize the afore mentioned cantrips)
However, the description for the Dreadnaught's Force Demolisher weapon seems quite a bit different as it Describes the weapon as a simple weapon akin to a Warhammer (or other blunt melee weapon), It's also stated that this weapon is formed from the armor itself. (I believe this fulfills both the simple melee weapon and monetary cost (minimum 1sp value) requirements for the Booming Blad & Green Flame Blade cantrips).
Stipulations for balance purposes I think also should be mentioned, the cantrips themselves both state the caster must be within 5 feat of the target (so no 10-20 foot reach and applying BB or GFB). Additionally, the Armorer would have to choose between doing a Cantrip boosted attack at near or making multiple reach attacks at later levels providing different strategies.
I've found this to add fun little ways for the Dreadnaught to reliably proc BB as when they hit with the Weapon (as long as the target is smaller than them) it will apply BB and push the target back. (Whether it procs still depends on your dm and whether they want to move the creature.)
PS, a Fun additional way to apply BB is taking the Telekinetic Feat for Telekinetic shove. Apply BB->TK Shove->Wait for DM to move mob.
Of course all of this stems around some ambiguous interpretations of the rules surrounding those 2 particular cantrips and the Dreadnaught's Built in Weapon, but let me know if you've found some other fun quirky mechanics for Armorer.
PPS. I know the damage from Booming Blade doesn't proc unless the creature moves willingly on their turn. (Gotta hope and pray the DM moves the creature otherwise wasted turn)
The Force Demolisher, Guardian Gauntlets, and Lightning Launchers are not weapons with a GP cost and so cannot be used as weapons for those spells. I doubt that it's unbalanced, but if you want the RAW answer, the answer is no. All three special weapons (and the Psychic Blades of the Soul Knife Rogue) cannot be used be used as the material component for those Cantrips. There is nothing special about the others. All of them are weapons with no cost given for the weapon.
As a DM, I would probably allow it (for all of the weapons if they otherwise qualify; True Strike with a Lightning Launcher but no Booming Blade), but that would be a house rule that you would need to check with your DM.
Do you have a friend that can make the Suggestion that the enemy melees you?
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.
"neither the Guardian nor Infiltrator Models would be able to utilize the afore mentioned cantrips) ... However, the description for the Dreadnaught's Force Demolisher weapon seems quite a bit different as it Describes the weapon as a simple weapon"
All three models have some weapon that uses INT for attack and damage and counts as a simple weapon.
" I figured i wanted to try and utilize the extra reach with pushing and pulling enemy targets"
I think pushing and pulling (usually pushing) work well when you have a caster who is maintaining concentration on an aoe spell that inflicts damage or restrained condition on creatures inside it.
If you have a caster with evards black tentacles, if an enemy makes their save and gets out of the tentacle area, push them back in, for potential damagr and possible restraints.